I Have Decided To Abandon My Family

“Mm… this should be enough, right?”

Jonah looked with satisfaction at the large rectangular leather bag an adult would carry—stuffed full of clothes, daily necessities, traveling money, the ancient magic book, and the book compiling legends from around the world—and nodded.

With Sieg’s birthday party tomorrow, he had finally finished preparing.

All that remained was to leave this house.

Then—

“Lord Jonatan, dinner is ready.”

“I’ll be right there.”

Jonah answered the servant who had come to call him with a smile.

In truth, just seeing them was painful, but since this would be his last dinner with the family, he had told the servants in advance that he would attend.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“You’re late.”

When Jonah arrived at the dining hall, the three of them had already begun eating.

It seemed the option of waiting for Jonah simply did not exist for them.

“Tomorrow is an important party. Don’t be late like today.”

“…Yes.”

Jonah lowered his gaze and replied to Duke Langheim’s scolding.

Even if they said that, he would be leaving the house before then. It no longer mattered at all.

“Haa… Jonah, you are the eldest son of the Langheim house, so act like it. At the very least, please stop dragging Sieg down.”

Herta sighed and declared as much.

As if he had ever been involved with Sieg enough to drag him down.

“Hmph.”

Watching Jonah being scolded, Sieg snorted with a smug expression.

In his mind, Jonah was surely nothing more than a pathetic failure of an older brother.

But if this final dinner was only going to be a miserable experience of humiliation, then what was the point of being here?

Thinking that, all the resentment Jonah had bottled up nearly burst out.

“…By the way, my birthday is in four days.”

Jonah, still looking down, muttered softly.

“Hm? …Ah, now that you mention it, I suppose it might be.”

“Jonah, you’re the older brother, so endure that much.”

Duke Langheim looked as if he had only just remembered, while Herta continued scolding and shutting him down.

‘Ah… as expected, my existence really only amounted to this much.’

Realizing that once again, Jonah raised his face.

“Yes, I don’t need a birthday party. After all, in these past ten years, you’ve never once celebrated it.”

“Jonatan?”

At Jonah’s words, Duke Langheim frowned suspiciously.

“I understand perfectly well that neither Father nor Mother has any expectations of me. That a failure like me is nothing but a nuisance to this house.”

“…Jonatan, that’s enough.”

“You’re right. I shouldn’t say any more and ruin the mood the day before the birthday party. Please excuse me.”

Declaring that, Jonah stood and walked toward the dining hall door.

And then—

“Your Excellency Duke Langheim, Lady Herta, Young Master Siegvald… farewell.”

“…!? Jonatan!”

Bowing politely and addressing them formally as if they were strangers, Duke Langheim raised his voice.

But Jonah ignored him and left the dining hall.

Desperately holding back the tears that threatened to spill.

—Knock, knock.

Late at night, Jonah knocked on the slightly decayed door.

Carrying the leather bag packed with many belongings, he left.

“An emergency patient at this hour? …Wait, Lord Jonatan!?”

“Sorry for coming so late at night.”

Jonah bowed deeply to Günter, who appeared with a frown.

“I was worried sick! You just ran out the other day and didn’t even take your medicine!”

“Ah… ahaha…”

Pressed by Günter’s serious expression, Jonah scratched his head and gave an awkward laugh.

Yet compared to his family—who didn’t show even the slightest concern or interest—this man cared so much, and Jonah felt happy.

“Anyway, please come inside.”

“Y-yes, excuse me.”

Just like last time, he was led to the parlor and sat down.

Günter then brewed warm tea—of course, with plenty of honey.

“So… what brings you here so late at night?”

“Y-yes. Actually, I’m planning to go on a journey from now on, and I probably won’t be able to come here anymore, so I came to get a year’s worth of medicine…”

“A journey!?”

At Jonah’s words, Günter spat out the tea he had been drinking and shouted in shock.

“What are you thinking!? With a body like yours, that would be nothing short of suicide!”

“Ah… ahaha…”

Pressed again by Günter, Jonah once more gave an awkward smile.

As expected, traveling would indeed place a great burden on his body.

“O-of course I won’t overdo it, and I’m not planning to go die. But… I thought that for the roughly one year I have left, I should do what I want. So I have no regrets.”

“Uh…”

Hearing that, Günter could say nothing more.

Choking on his words, Günter sat down heavily.

“…Does His Excellency Duke Langheim know about this?”

“No. But since that man has no interest in me, he probably won’t care.… In fact, he might even feel relieved that I’m gone.”

“…………………………”

Günter remembered that while he served the ducal house, Duke Langheim had never once visited the bedridden Jonah or even asked about his condition.

Seeing Jonah smile self-deprecatingly, Günter became even more speechless.

“So there’s nothing to worry about. I can set off on my journey with my head held high.”

Saying that, Jonah smiled brightly.