3-1 - A Father's Feelings

After escorting Alice back to the detached residence, I slipped into the main mansion. With the possibility that Blake might act immediately, I couldn’t afford to waste any time.

And so, after avoiding everyone’s eyes, I arrived outside the study. Once I confirmed that Father was inside, I slipped through the door.

“…Leon? What are you doing here?”

Perhaps because I’d appeared without knocking, Father seemed to be on his guard.

“Father, I apologize for visiting so suddenly. I merely wish to speak with you, so could you spare me a little of your time?”

“…You wish to speak? Is it something so important that you had to sneak in here without notifying anyone?”

“Actually, just a little while ago—”

I told Father everything that had happened earlier, leaving nothing out. After hearing my account, he sighed.

“I see. I understand why this is urgent. But what exactly do you want me to do? Surely you aren’t asking me to personally warn Blake to leave you alone?”

“Of course not. That would only make my position worse.”

“Indeed. Blake would undoubtedly insist that your accusations were completely unfounded, and Caroline would believe him. Knowing that, why have you come to me?”

“I came here… to protect the things that are precious to me.”

“Things that are precious to you? Are you referring to the girl named Alice you mentioned?”

“She’s one of them.”

At first, I’d lived with only one thought in mind: I had to become happy to fulfill my promise to Saya.

But after eight years since my reincarnation into this world, I’d accumulated quite a few precious things. If I lost them, I could never be happy.

“…In other words, you want the power to protect them? Are you planning to ask me to name you my successor?”

“No, quite the opposite.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Caroline-san is wary of me because I might threaten my brother’s position, isn’t she? I came here to tell you that I have no interest in the standing of House Granches.”

“In other words, in exchange for explicitly renouncing your right to succeed me, you want some degree of freedom guaranteed?”

“Yes. And I want you to guarantee Alice’s safety as well. If you can promise me those things, I wouldn’t mind putting my renunciation in writing.”

Honestly, I also wanted Milly reinstated and Claire-nee’s political marriage somehow resolved. But if I demanded too much, Caroline-san probably wouldn’t agree.

So for now, I would protect only the bare minimum that was truly urgent.

“…Hmm. Well, that much should be possible. Still, this is unexpected. I had thought you were rather more ambitious.”

“An excessively high position isn’t necessary for a happy life. Being together with the people I care about is enough for me. …Though, ideally, I’d like you and the others to be among those people too, Father.”

I added that last part quietly. At that moment, surprise spread across Father’s face.

“You… don’t resent me?”

“I can’t say I don’t resent you. But when all is said and done, we’re family.”

“And because we’re family, you can forgive me?”

“I’d like us to understand each other if possible. Besides, there are aspects of Caroline-san’s situation that I sympathize with.”

“Hmph. You certainly don’t hold back.”

“Though I have no intention of interfering with your principles, Father. As for my elder brother… I certainly can’t forgive what he did to Alice, but I’d still rather avoid fighting him if possible.”

“You… have a generous heart. I suppose that’s only to be expected from someone raised by Milly.”

He murmured those words with deep emotion. Somehow, Father looked a little lonely.

“…May I ask you just one thing?”

“What is it?”

“Father, how did you feel about Milly?”

The moment I asked, Father’s eyes widened.

“You knew that Milly was your mother? …No, you spent so many years together. I suppose it’s only natural that she would have told you.”

“No, she never told me herself, not even at the very end. I only learned the truth after Milly was dismissed.”

“I see… Come to think of it, she always was a dutiful woman.”

Perhaps he was reminiscing about the past. Father turned his gaze toward the window, seemingly lost in thought.

“…You asked how I felt about Milly, didn’t you?”

“Yes. Father, did you…”

“Of course I loved her. No, I still love her.”

Father’s words surprised me a little. Judging from his earlier reaction, I’d suspected he held some affection for her, but I hadn’t expected such a straightforward answer.

“…Then why? Why didn’t you stop Milly from being sent back to her hometown?”

“That was… because I felt guilty toward Caro.”

“I… see.”

Father’s lawful wife was Caroline-san, while Milly was merely his concubine. So when he said he’d felt guilty toward Caroline-san, there wasn’t much I could say.

“…You see, Caro and I were childhood friends. We’d been close ever since we were little. Because of that connection, it was decided that we would marry.”

“Is that so? Then the two of you married because you loved each other.”

“…No. Although we thought of each other as siblings, we never saw each other romantically. Moreover, Caro already had someone she loved. But as you know, children of noble families generally have no right to choose their own partners.”

“…A political marriage.”

“Precisely. Perhaps our parents simply wanted us to marry someone we were at least close to… But there was no doubt that neither of us wanted the marriage. Even so, we couldn’t possibly refuse, so we vowed to support each other throughout our lives. And indeed, Caro and I did support each other as we lived together.”

“Until you met Milly, Father.”

“That’s right. Despite having forced Caro to part with the man she loved, I found myself drawn to Milly. In the end, I was never able to love Caro.”

“I see. Then the reason you sent Milly away was…”

“Even now, I still wish to keep Milly by my side. But although I couldn’t love Caro romantically, that doesn’t change the fact that she’s someone precious to me. That’s why I don’t want to do anything that would hurt her any further. I won’t ask you to understand, though.”

“I see…”

…In the end, everyone had been a victim of the rules governing the nobility.

It might still be impossible for now, but… I hoped that someday I could come to understand Father and Caroline-san. And Blake too.

…No, as far as Blake was concerned, there was no way we could understand each other while he remained the way he was. Still, rather than abandoning him, perhaps setting his rotten attitude straight was part of our responsibility as family.

“May I ask you something as well?”

“…What is it?”

“Did Milly resent me?”

“I didn’t even know Milly was my mother. But not once did I ever hear her speak ill of you, Father.”

“I see…”

Was what Father felt at that moment guilt, regret, or perhaps relief? The expression on his face was complicated, and I couldn’t read it.