Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: No Regrets
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I wanted to speak like an adult, but only a childish yell burst from my mouth.
"Lies!"
Leopoldt looked at him with startled eyes.
Soon, those eyes turned pained.
Erich couldn't bear it and raised his voice even louder.
"Just say you abandoned me! Say that a weak kid like me was useless, so you tossed me aside and had new, sturdy kids like them instead...!"
"I can't lie in front of Lucy."
It was all lies.
Erich swept his confused gaze around the mausoleum.
His father's face, twisted in agony, slowly came into view. And behind him, his mother's tombstone.
It felt like all the blood drained from his body.
'Father and Mother loved each other so much.'
Erich had watched the two of them until he was old enough to develop a sense of self.
Unlike his young siblings, who had forgotten even the sound of their mother's gentle voice.
Erich bit his lip as he recalled the two of them, blissfully happy without a care in the world.
'Really, because of me...'
Captured by an inexplicable terror, he stumbled back a couple of steps.
What if his father's words weren't lies?
"...You really don't regret it?"
If it was true that he had marched out to save him, then it meant Erich's mother had died because of Erich.
It also meant she had loved him enough to do so willingly.
If only she hadn't... If only she'd just let a weak child like him die...
The man who had lost his wife in the war stared straight at the son who had inherited her sky-blue eyes.
He answered without the slightest hesitation.
"Not at all. Even if I had to choose again, I'd kneel before Your Excellency just the same."
"Why? I'm weak, and I can't even use Divine Grace..."
"Because you're my child."
Erich stood frozen, like a man caught in a trap.
The first to rush to Erich's side, where his lips had turned deathly pale, was Mariella, who had been sobbing for a while now.
Dietrich followed right behind, bursting into loud wails.
"Eri's an idiot!"
"You dummy, how could you not know?!"
Erich blankly watched his two sobbing siblings fling themselves into his arms.
Only when his father scooped him up into his embrace did he realize his own cheeks were wet with tears.
Once he noticed, he clenched his teeth, but the tears wouldn't stop.
On the way back from the family mausoleum, they all rode in the same carriage.
The two young siblings who had wailed so loudly the mausoleum nearly shook were exhausted from it all and now dozed off, nodding away.
Mariella, who had stubbornly insisted on sitting next to Erich, let her head rest lightly on his shoulder.
"Mmm..."
Instead of pushing her away, Erich awkwardly reached out and pulled her into his arms so she wouldn't jostle around.
The warm little body burrowed deeper into his embrace.
She was unbelievably small and soft.
As tears threatened to well up again, he lifted his gaze—and met his father's eyes, who had been watching him the whole time.
"..."
Erich was the first to look away.
Not out of coldness like before, but simply because he didn't know what face to make toward his father. He turned his gaze to the window instead.
Leopoldt keenly noticed the change in his son's demeanor from before and let out a soft chuckle.
"Why didn't you come find me right away after returning to the main estate?"
The smile faded from his father's face the moment he heard Erich's voice laced with resentment.
"I didn't want to burden you."
"What do you mean?"
"I heard you were approaching a critical point in your treatment. I couldn't bear the thought of my conflicts with Dominic or Your Excellency causing trouble for you too..."
He had heard the stories.
About how his father had gotten into a huge fight with his uncle at the monster dismantling yard, and how his siblings had each taken turns beating up Mark.
Before, he would have dismissed it as excuses.
No way he'd ignore his son for so long over something like that.
But after seeing his mother's tombstone, his father's words rang true.
"Now... I believe you."
Erich's ears burned bright red as he said it.
Strangely, it didn't feel bad at all.
"Oh my, Mari..."
"Shh! Shh!"
I waved off the maids who recognized me and started to bow, then carefully opened Erich's door and slipped inside.
Betty, who followed me in, quietly set down the tray and left.
'Ever since Professor Seller was dismissed, Erich hasn't been pulling all-nighters and overworking himself anymore.'
Now that he knew his father had never abandoned him, he no longer needed to anxiously prove himself.
'He still studies hard, though.'
Erich lay sleeping peacefully under the covers.
A faint flush of color had returned to his once chalky complexion.
I stared down at his face.
"..."
I only realized our eyes had met when he lightly lifted his eyelids.
"M-Mari! I-I was just... gonna give Eri some food and go."
"What?"
"Yummy bread, and mashed eggs, and steamed carrots, and this cocoa is what the nurse made, it's all warm, and it's my favorite..."
Erich blinked at the meal tray on the bedside table.
Did barging in while he was sleeping make him mad?
I thought we'd gotten closer after the mausoleum trip. Was it all in my head?
In a month, Erich was set to enter the temple for full treatment.
'Intensive care period.'
He'd been putting off the final intensive treatment until now, but after reconciling with Father at the mausoleum, he'd changed his mind and agreed to it.
So until then, I wanted to help him build up his stamina however I could.
He often skipped breakfast, so I'd brought some specially.
"Come here, Ella."
Erich, who had been staring at me silently, patted the covers he'd pushed aside.
I glanced at him cautiously, then climbed onto the bed and plopped down on the fluffy blankets.
Still lying down, Erich reached out to me.
'He wants me to snuggle?'
I tilted my head but nestled right into his arms, and he began gently patting my back.
"Thank you."
Erich's embrace was a bit cooler than Dietrich's, who was always running hot.
But the rhythm of his pats was just as tender as Dietrich's, and as soft as Father's.
I hugged his waist tight.
"After breakfast, let's go for a walk outside."
"Sure."
"Walking is the best exercise at first. Let's go all the way to the lake over there."
"Okay."
"Eri takes after Dad and Mom, so you're tall and strong. You'll get better real quick."
It wasn't even that funny, but I heard a soft laugh from Erich.
Then he lightly booped my nose and sat up.
"Did you eat breakfast?"
"No."
"Let's eat together, then."
Erich offered me a piece of bread lightly buttered.
As I took a bite, I held back my tears.
Our family was finally complete.
Just like the picture letter I'd once sent to Father—the surviving members of my family were finally all together.
"-na!"
I jolted awake, lifting my head from where it had been smashed on the desk at the feel of someone shaking me.
I reflexively wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and looked up to see Yoahim grinning broadly.
"Class is over, Mariella."
Already?
Today's lesson had been on the economic history of the early Empire.
Of course, all I remembered was the cool, firm feel of the desk.
Thankfully, I wasn't the only one who'd conked out.
Dietrich with cheek marks from the desk, Lavinia with eyes swollen like hazelnuts, Emily yawning behind her hand...
As I smiled contentedly at the faces of my fellow bottom-dwellers who always put my mind at ease, a man burst into the room.
"Miss! Lady Mariella!"
What now?
I stared at the man who had practically tumbled into the now-empty classroom.
Walter?
"Huff, huff... There you are, miss. You need to come with me right away."
What the heck is going on now?!