88 – Our Family -1-
On a sunny morning in the capital.
I woke up earlier than usual and, dressed in the familiar attire of a housekeeper, I headed for the kitchen.
-Dadada.
Descending the stairs, I could hear the thump of chopping from the kitchen. Spotting the back of a woman busily busied in chopping, humming a tune under her breath, I quickened my pace.
“Good morning, Lady Rosanna. But…. Why are you cooking?”
Rosanna, cooking with an apron around her waist in the kitchen, turned and gave me a slight smile.
“Why are you awake so early? Get some more sleep.”
“I usually wake up at this time.”
“You do? What a diligent life.”
Rosanna said, unloading a finely diced mushroom into a frying pan slick with oil.
“Just felt like cooking after a while.”
“Why trouble yourself when you could have the maid do it…”
“It’s homemade, Ricardo.”
Rosanna smiled again, concentrated on her cooking, and I quietly washed my hands and began to help.
From pile of sliced buttons and finely minced meat, I could discern the nature of Rosanna’s planned breakfast. It seemed today she was making risotto. I settled into one corner of the kitchen and took charge of washing the rice.
“Oh, you’re helping?”
“I actually intended to prepare breakfast myself. I didn’t realize you’d arrived first, Lady Rosanna.”
“‘Lady Rosanna’? Just call me mother-in-law if it’s easier.”
“Such a jest is excessive.”
Rosanna let out a noblewoman’s distinctive laugh and punched my shoulder. Her gesture was filled with affection. I returned a small smile at her playful taunt.
As the kitchen filled with sounds of washing rice and chopping, a brief silence fell and I cautiously broke the silence.
“Lady Rosanna…”
“Yes?”
“Do you… resent us?”
Chop. The sound of Rosanna’s knife came to a sudden halt.
It was not a frivolous question. Although last night passed with warmth and laughter, I thought the actual situation must be different from an observer’s viewpoint.
Her rightful title.
All the troubles caused by us.
It was not a matter that could be resolved by simply expressing regret over the fact that she, once a formidable figure in society, has to now tread carefully.
What was her innermost feeling about an issue that is much deeper, and maybe even unforgiveable?
Being devoid of a family, I was unable to fathom her resolution.
Just when the awkward silence was making the mouth dry,
Rosanna opened her mouth in a slightly heavy voice.
“I hate you.”
“…”
“I really do hate you.”
“I didn’t even think of seeing your faces at that time. I thought our family might be destroyed, or I might have to start adventuring again.”
Rosanna began peeling her knife again.
“But then, when I saw your faces… Those thoughts disappeared. Especially when I saw Olivia unable to walk, my heart hurt so much.”
A word you could read from Rosanna’s expression as she focuses on the cooking with a bitter smile is ‘tenderness’.
I stood there blankly and spoke to her, my voice almost meek, subtly questioning if this was really the end.
“But… we are…”
“Ricardo.”
Rosanna gestured with a kind smile.
“Could you bring me some onions?”
At her gesture, telling me not to ask any more questions, I bowed my head. I often felt the preciousness of family, even though I lived a life without one.
“Alright.”
And when the food was almost ready.
-Air raid warning!!!
-Empire emergency!!!
A gentle chime brought smiles to our faces.
“Huh!”
“Madame!! Ha…”
It seemed Rosanna and I felt the same way.
*
“Hmm?”
“Hmm.”
The mother and daughter sat at the table, rubbing their sleepy eyes. In front of them were risotto with mushrooms and hot soup, as they rubbed their sleepy eyes.
I set down a knife and fork in front of the Madame and Darvab and greeted them with a bright smile.
“Good morning, Madame and Lord.”
“…It’s not morning.”
The Madame, with sleepy eyes, yawned looking at the dawn sky. To her, who woke up an hour earlier than usual, the world must look like midnight.
“The world has ended.”
“Not at all. I’m just sleepy.”
The lady was nodding off while greeting.
“Olivia!”
“Hmm?”
“Stop dozing off at the dining table. And you too!”
“…Zzz.”
Darvab was sleeping with his head on the table. Perhaps it was a case of like father, like daughter. Both had similar behaviors.
Rosanna sighed deeply and shook Darvab’s cheek. It might seem inappropriate to treat the head of a family like this, but it was the right thing to do. I didn’t say anything and did the same to the dozing lady.
“eeek!!! It’s tearing!”
“Wake up.”
“Ah… alright, I’m up. Eek!”
Both the lady and Darvab woke up with a start.
With swollen cheeks, they picked up their spoons and started eating hot risotto.
“Oh!”
“This is delicious.”
Their eyes wide with delight. Rosanna and I nodded with a small smile.
“I’m glad it’s tasty.”
“Yeah, it must be tastier because Ricardo helped.”
“Not at all. It’s because of your mother’s excellent skills.”
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“Ho ho ho. Did you just call me mother? You’re funny.”
“…”
Rosanna was playfully mischievous.
After a chaotic meal.
The lady and Darvab, full from their meal, were sipping cocoa for dessert, looking serious.
“Abby.”
“What is it?”
“What are you doing today, Abby?”
“I’m going to play.”
The lady’s eyes widened in surprise.
“…Is Abby unemployed?”
Darbav smiled a bitter smile, acknowledging the situation with a somber expression, like a man who had just lost eight billion.
“So, I was made unemployed because of you.”
“I’m sorry…”
“No, it’s ok. I’m glad that I can finally take a break. I’d want to remain like this for the rest of my life.”
Listening to their conversation, Rosanna sighed deeply and spoke to Darbav.
“Honey.”
“Why are you calling me, the wife of an unemployed man?”
“You should say that you are on vacation today.”
“…Unfunny.”
Darbav, with regret etched on his face, spoke to the young lady whose eyes welled with tears, guilty for having made her father unemployed. She nodded, noticing the denial and grief in Darbav’s eyes.
“The father doesn’t need to work because he’s wealthy.”
“I’m unemployed so I can’t work…”
“That …is enviable.”
For a moment, Darbav spat out his inner thoughts.
Contrary to Darbav’s words, the Desmont family had quickly recovered the fallen household. Darbav’s eldest son, Kail, who had inherited his father’s talents, was rapidly growing the family’s business. Darbav, himself, was regaining influence within the empire.
The Desmont family, although not at its golden age from two years ago, had financially recovered.
In other words,
The busy Darbav had taken a vacation for the young lady.
Relieved that he wasn’t unemployed, the young lady looked at Darbav with sparkling eyes.
“Dad…you’re not unemployed?”
“Right. The world will not let the greatest householder, like me, be idle.”
“Oh…”
Olivia’s respect for her father grew. Satisfied, Darbav spoke to the young lady with a grin.
“In that sense, how about taking a walk with dad for the first time in a long while? I want to buy Olivia’s birthday gift that I could not get due to my overflowing wealth.”
The young lady, lost in thought, wobbled her head uncertainly and replied.
“Uhm…no. Ricardo and I have plans to go to the rice cake restaurant today.”
Darbav’s face went pale. Unable to recover from the shock of not being able to spend time with his daughter, he looked at me and asked.
“Can we go another time?”
“That would be fine.”
“Then you can hang out with me today, Olivia.”
The young lady looked at me.
“Do I not have to go?”
“We can go tomorrow.”
“Oh…”
With a nod, the young lady turned towards Darvab, beaming a bright smile.
“Abby… let’s go!”
Darvab made quick preparations to leave. Dressed in an elegant uniform, he strapped around his waist the black cane that the nobles carried.
Darvab, holding the handle of the Pheri No. 1, wore an excited expression. From the quirking of his lips, one could discern his anticipation.
Rosanna sighed, watching Darvab.
“Can’t we leave that cane behind?”
To her sigh over the only flaw in his perfect fashion, Darvab shook his head emphatically in response.
“I can’t simply leave behind the symbol of nobility.”
“Haa…”
Rosanna’s sighs grew more frequent by the day.
Nevertheless, Darvab ignored Rosanna’s advice, looked at the young lady’s wheelchair with his eyes gleaming brightly, and asked.
“Say, Olivia.”
“Hmm?”
“May I also take a ride?”
“…No.”
Darvab was visibly downhearted.
“What a shame.”
*
When the next morning arrived.
The mansion’s servants began to bustle about.
The servants cleaned the mansion and prepared extravagant dishes, while Rosanna looked nervously toward the mansion’s front gate.
“Olivia.”
“Yes?”
“No matter what your brother says, don’t mind him.”
“…”
The young lady, who came out to welcome them by the gate, couldn’t hide her tense expression.
Darvab, always smiling at the young lady, looked at the gate with a stern expression.
“What should we have for dinner tonight?”
That seems like a wrong thought.
After a moment in time,
The firmly closed gate of the mansion opened, and a man with a cold appearance began to emerge.
He had blue eyes.
The icy look of a man with sharp eyes, dressed in a black uniform, was visible.
The man, with weary eyes, heaved a heavy sigh upon seeing me and the young lady standing before the gate.
“Sigh…”
Decemont Kyle.
An outstanding magician in the empire.
The heir to the Decemont family.
And Olivia’s brother.
Kyle stood in front of me, speaking in a hoarse voice.
“Get out, immediately.”
Sighing, clutching his fist, the sight of Kyle made the young lady’s eyes tremble.
“Leave… our mansion now, before I drive you out. Olivia.”
Indeed, Olivia was not included in the “us” referred to by Kyle.