Chapter 94: Adelia(1)
Chapter 94: Adelia(1)
If someone were to ask what the closest yet most complicated relationship in the world is, I would answer "blood ties" without a moment's hesitation.
As the term suggests, blood ties are an inseparable bond forged by shared lineage, yet ironically, they can also lead to relationships colder than those between strangers.
Furthermore, as the concept of "disgrace to family morals" implies, there are certain virtues and responsibilities that must be upheld even among family members. The moment those are violated, one becomes a pariah, committing a grave sin against humanity.
Unfortunately, however, those who abandon their familial responsibilities are countless in this world. This tendency is even more pronounced in a medieval setting, characterized by a rigid class society and a sparse understanding of human rights.
It is common practice to cast aside illegitimate children rather than accepting them as family, and it is not unusual for kin to slaughter one another in the struggle to inherit a title.
Since ancient times, people have tried to avoid conflict between blood relatives whenever possible, but when blinded by greed, even blood means nothing.
In this way, blood ties can go beyond being worse than strangers to becoming objects of pure hatred. Sadly, even in such situations, lingering attachments often remain.
I had a rough idea, but still...
I looked at Adelia’s face, which had moved past mere tension into full-blown anxiety. Her sky-blue eyes, and even her lips, were trembling uncontrollably.
Seeing the cold sweat trickling down, anyone could tell she was suffering from severe symptoms of anxiety. Considering Adelia’s usually easygoing personality, she seemed so different that I wondered if she was even the same person.
And the reason for her trembling was the three individuals facing us—the royalty of the Ters Kingdom who had attended the exhibition.
With hair and eyes the color of the sky, they were reminiscent of the vast blue firmament, and the natural elegance unique to royalty radiated from them.
"Red hair... Are you a child of the Maishal family?"
While a subtle standoff continued and no one dared to speak, the man muttered first.
He didn't whisper it; he muttered it loud enough for me to hear, which gave me the opportunity to speak. At that, I gently let go of Adelia’s hand, which I had been holding.
Of course, even as I let go, I didn't forget to check her condition. She looked like she wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come out, her mouth opening and closing repeatedly.
Seeing this, it was clear that there was a complicated history between her and the Ters royalty.
"Pardon my intrusion. I am Isaac Ducard Maishal, the second son of the Maishal family, the hosts of this exhibition. It is an honor to meet the 'Sky' of the Ters Kingdom."
"Hmph. I am Laos Ducard von Kerchers, the rightful successor to the Ters Kingdom."
When I greeted him politely according to etiquette, the man introduced himself in a flat voice. Even as he spoke, his gaze was fixed squarely on Adelia.
Following him, the woman standing beside Laos introduced herself bluntly in a characteristically low-pitched voice.
"Hiriya Ducard von Kerchers. Lara."
As she spoke, Hiriya called out the name of the girl whose shoulder she was holding.
The girl’s eyes went wide at Hiriya’s call, and she hurriedly sprang into action.
"Ah! Yes! It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Lara Ducard von Kerchers, the Third Princess of the Ters Kingdom."
The girl, who had the adorable appearance of a doll, gave a polite greeting, lightly lifting the ends of her dress.
The combination of her clear, ringing voice and cute appearance was enough to make one's heart skip a beat, but I was more concerned with her etiquette.
Even if I were a noble of another country, Lara was strictly royalty and had no need to greet me so politely. Like Laos and Hiriya, she could have simply stated her name.
Hiriya seemed to realize this as well, as her brow twitched, though she responded by simply closing her eyes tightly. It seemed this wasn't the first or second time Lara had made such a blunder.
"Isaac, was it? For an exhibition organized so hastily, the layout is quite well-structured."
Once the introductions were over, Laos stepped toward me and spoke in a friendly manner. Even as he approached, he continued to cast glances at Adelia beside me.
I was slightly surprised by his bold approach but quickly regained my composure and answered.
I didn't find his use of informal speech offensive, as Laos was royalty. Royalty only used formal speech with foreign nobles in strictly official settings.
Since this exhibition was more of a festival than a formal state function, there was no diplomatic loss in him speaking casually.
"Thank you. To be honest, the Imperial Palace provided all the support, so our family didn't do much."
"I like your honesty. You're half a tourist yourself, aren't you?"
"Not half. I'm just a tourist."
"You have a sharp wit, despite your blunt way of speaking."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"Hahaha. Good, good. But..."
Laos laughed heartily, seemingly pleased with my answer, before sliding his gaze toward Adelia.
Adelia, unable to even meet his eyes now, kept her head bowed and remained silent.
Because of her short-cut hair, her expression was laid bare, and it hadn't changed much from before.
Hesitation, fear, worry, tension, and more.
A complex mix of emotions swirled within her, making it impossible to define just one, and cold sweat was pouring off her like rain.
Just looking at her, I could tell her condition was beyond bad—it was critical.
Laos stared at Adelia for a moment, and then, as if a fun thought had occurred to him, he gave me a mischievous smile.
As if to prove they were family, it was the exact same smile Adelia often wore.
"Sorry for asking this upon our first meeting, but what is your relationship with this woman? You two were holding hands quite intimately earlier... Could it be?"
"No. She's just a close older sister."
"For 'just' that, you were holding hands quite tenderly."
"We aren't in that kind of relationship."
Since it was the truth, I was able to draw a sharp line. The only reason I had held Adelia’s hand was because her condition had been so unusual.
"Hmm... Is that so?"
Laos stared into my eyes for a moment after hearing my firm answer, then shrugged his shoulders. I couldn't tell if he believed me or was just letting it go, but it didn't seem like any harm would come to me.
"Alright. So you're saying there's nothing between you?"
"Yes. By the way, may I ask what your relationship is with Adelia?"
"That..."
When I asked that question, Adelia looked up with a start, as if surprised. Then, with trembling eyes, she began to look back and forth between me and Laos.
She looked so pitiful, her lips opening and closing as if her throat were blocked, wanting to say something but unable to. Just what had happened between them for Adelia to react like this?
"...What is our relationship?"
It seemed it wasn't a particularly pleasant question for Laos either. The moment I asked, the friendly smile vanished from his face, replaced by a cold, stern expression.
It was an expression of extreme displeasure, as if he hated even being associated with her. For a moment, his face looked so grim I wondered if I had stepped on a landmine.
Sensing that I had made a mistake, I watched as Laos turned his head to look at Adelia with that same displeased expression. Just then, Adelia also turned her head toward us, and their eyes met.
"..."
Facing Laos directly, Adelia froze like a mouse before a cat. Her mouth, which had been gasping for air, clamped shut, and cold sweat continued to stream down her face.
I was worried she might actually faint. It was while I was thinking that...
"...We have no relationship."
Laos turned his gaze away from Adelia and answered me. The displeased expression had vanished without a trace, replaced once again by a mischievous smile.
But unlike Laos, Adelia’s expression... the phrase "her world had collapsed" wasn't enough to describe it. It was as if her heart had plummeted; her complexion turned deathly pale, and the focus in her eyes began to fade.
As if that wasn't enough, Laos's cruel words didn't end there. He acted nonchalantly, even though Adelia was standing right next to him.
"I don't know what you were thinking, but not just me—none of us know this woman. In fact, today is the first time we've ever seen her."
"..."
"She looks like a commoner. You should just play around with her for a bit. Even though you're a noble of the Empire, I find myself liking you for some reason."
"...I see."
Was there anyone who would dare to express refusal in front of royalty? When I gave an affirmative answer, Laos nodded with satisfaction and looked at Adelia.
Even though Adelia had already completely lost focus, Laos did not stop pouring vitriol on her.
"You should know your place. Don't you agree?"
"..."
Perhaps those words brought her back to her senses, as the focus returned to Adelia’s eyes.
But then, something shocking unfolded before me.
"Guh... ugh..."
As if the emotions she had been suppressing had all burst out at once, tears began to well up in her sky-blue eyes.
She bit her lip hard, as if trying to hold it back, but she had already passed her breaking point and could no longer control her emotions.
There is likely nothing in this world as shocking as having your existence denied by your own family. Since she had been denied by her family right in front of me, the shock must have been immeasurably great.
I slowly reached out toward Adelia, who looked like she was about to explode. It was an action born from a desire to stabilize her somehow, but...
Step!
"Huh? Adelia!"
Before my hand could reach her, Adelia was faster to run away. I hurriedly called out to her receding back, but she showed no sign of stopping.
Despite the large crowd gathered around, she pushed through and passed everyone. Because of this, she disappeared from sight in the blink of an eye.
"This is why commoners... they have no sense of etiquette."
"..."
"I apologize if the mood was ruined. Lately, there have been quite a few cases of commoners getting ahead of themselves. Even if the Jayros Revolution broke out, people should still observe proper boundaries. Don't you think?"
I didn't answer. I just stared in the direction Adelia had fled with a complicated gaze.
Laos didn't seem to care much about that, as he patted my shoulder and offered a piece of advice that wasn't really advice.
"You should avoid getting involved with her as much as possible, too. And let's just act like today never happened. Well then, excuse us."
Laos walked past me as if truly nothing had happened. As he passed, Hiriya and Lara, who had been watching from behind, followed him.
While Hiriya passed me indifferently, Lara stared intently at my face as she went by. Once they had completely passed, Lara’s clear voice reached my ears from behind.
"Sister. That boy is really pretty. Right? I think he's prettier than you."
"Be quiet."
"Can't I play with him later?"
"Lara."
"Hmph."
Judging by Lara’s exceptionally immature behavior, it seemed she had grown up receiving plenty of love as the youngest of the family. She was the complete opposite of Adelia, who had just fled.
I stared at their backs as they began to browse the exhibition, then turned my steps toward where Adelia had run. I didn't know where she had gone, but I figured I could find her if I asked around.
"A woman with brown hair and sky-blue eyes? I'm not sure."
"You saw someone running away while crying? Ah, I did see someone go that way earlier..."
"She went into the alley between those buildings."
Since Adelia’s appearance was so striking, it wasn't difficult to track her down. I arrived near a village alleyway where she was presumed to have entered.
Being an alley, there were few people around, and it felt dark even though it was daytime. Originally, our territory didn't even have alleys like this, but it seemed they had formed as more buildings were constructed.
And then...
—Sob... hic...
The sound of someone sobbing reached my ears. Thanks to the quiet of the alley, the sound was even louder.
I roughly calculated the direction of the sound and walked toward it. The closer I got, the louder the sobbing became.
Finally, as I reached the depths of the alley where it seemed no one would ever come, I found a woman crouched on the ground, crying.
"Ugh... hic... waaaah..."
"..."
"It's too much... it's just too much... They could have at least... hic... said hello..."
Adelia, who was always confident and passionate about everything, was bursting into tears. As if the dam holding back her emotions had completely shattered, she was pouring out all of her sorrow.
I watched Adelia, who was wailing almost to the point of lamentation, and slowly approached her from behind. She was so busy shedding tears that she didn't seem to notice I had arrived.
"Just... just... once... hic! Ugh... sob..."
"..."
"Waaaaah..."
Adelia cried so sorrowfully that I worried she might collapse from exhaustion. Her tears wouldn't stop, and she was busy wiping her eyes over and over.
Deciding that I needed to calm her down at least a little, I pulled a handkerchief from my back pocket. Carrying a handkerchief was a basic requirement for a noble.
It was a plain handkerchief without any special patterns, but it would be enough to help Adelia right now.
"Sister."
"Sob... hic..."
"Adelia."
"Ugh... huh?"
Perhaps having poured out some of her pent-up emotions, Adelia turned her head upon hearing my voice. Her eyes were swollen from how much she had wailed, and her nose was running.
Unable to hide my pity, I silently held out the handkerchief to her. Adelia, seemingly unable to grasp the situation, called my name in a cracked voice.
"...Isaac?"
"I thought you might need this."
"...Did you follow me?"
Adelia was too busy asking her own question to take the handkerchief I offered. I answered with a nod.
She then looked back and forth between me and the handkerchief with a slightly confused gaze before hesitantly reaching out. Her appearance was worlds apart from her usual confident self.
It seemed the shock of having her existence denied by her family just moments ago was so great that she was even finding it difficult to face me.
"Just take it."
"Y-yes..."
When I said that, Adelia jumped slightly and took the handkerchief. Then, casting cautious glances at me, she began to clean her face, which was a mess of tears and snot.
Honk!
"..."
True to her personality, Adelia even blew her nose loudly into the handkerchief. I gave a bitter smile as I watched.
It seemed it would be best to just throw that handkerchief away rather than taking it back. Handkerchiefs were a dime a dozen at home anyway.
While I was thinking that, Adelia seemed to have calmed down a bit, though she continued to sniffle. Her face was clean now, but her eyes were swollen and her nose was as red as if she were drunk.
"...Thanks. You saw me in a pathetic state."
"It's fine. But Adelia... about those Ters people earlier..."
"Sniff. Right. They're my family. Half-blooded, at that."
Half-blooded. This meant that Adelia was an illegitimate child.
In this world of social classes, the existence of illegitimate children wasn't particularly strange, but it was a bit surprising that she was the illegitimate child of a king.
However, it was also strange that she was treated so harshly, and I couldn't understand why Adelia still held onto lingering attachments to them.
Given how Laos had treated her like a non-person earlier, there must have been a terrible past. Normally, one would want to sever all ties, but Adelia’s case was a bit different.
"...My mother was a prostitute. And my fath... er had a relationship with her during his vigorous youth. And the result was me."
"If it's the King of Ters..."
"Yes, the man famous for being a romanticist and all that."
I knew a bit about Friedrich, the King of Ters. He was a king famous for looking only at his queen, even though he was in a position to have concubines.
Their relationship was said to be so good that they had four children despite him not having any concubines. According to rumors, he had even wanted more children, but stopped because the queen found it too difficult.
But for such a king to have an illegitimate child, and for that child to be Adelia, was a truly shocking fact.
"You might not know, but the life of the lower class is miserable. If I had grown up under my mother, I probably would have lived selling my body. Since I have a pretty face, I probably would have sold for a high price."
"..."
"My mother knew that, so she took me to my father. To avoid that kind of life at all costs. But as you can see..."
Adelia didn't explain further. To be honest, there was no need.
The way Laos treated her as non-existent, and the way Hiriya blocked Lara from approaching her—these things alone were enough to infer how Adelia had been treated.
Though she had avoided the life of a prostitute, she must have lived a life of scorn and contempt from her family. She might have even been abused. I felt even more pity for her.
Meanwhile, Adelia bowed her head and continued in a muttering voice. It was the voice of someone who had given up.
"So, when I came of age, I was practically kicked out and sent to Halo Academy. They said if I graduated with good grades, they would recognize me as family, but..."
"You sensed it wouldn't happen."
"Right. I thought if I at least showed them I was trying... they would... recognize me... hic..."
As she spoke, her emotions surged again, and Adelia bit her lip as tears began to fall.
Tears dripped from her eyes, which resembled the clear sky.
"I just... wanted to play... hic... like a normal family..."
"..."
"Is it really that hard... to call me 'sister'? Those bastards..."
Drip. Drip.
She didn't even think to wipe them with the handkerchief; the tears falling from her eyes hit the cold ground.
Seeing her clench her fists in anger, it was clear that her miserable life was causing her great pain.
I was worried she might eventually take her own life if this continued. I knelt down to match her eye level and spoke quietly.
"Sister."
"Sob... what..."
"Is the reason you're still attached to them because of your mother?"
Adelia nodded at my question. Then, sobbing, she told me the inner story.
"Yes... my mother... hic! She said it would be... much better than living like this..."
"..."
"I don't even know... hic... what happened to my mother now... I wanted to become a princess and... sob... go find her with pride..."
What a miserable life. Adelia’s life was so different from mine, having been born a noble and grown up without wanting for anything.
Perhaps the reason she played such mischievous pranks on Nicole was because Nicole was her first real friend. Since she must have suffered physical and emotional abuse from her family before entering the academy, Nicole must be a very precious existence to Adelia.
If even Nicole were to lose interest in her, the crushing loneliness would be hard to bear. I watched Adelia sob and then glanced down at her hands.
As if to prove her words about working hard weren't empty, her hands were covered in calluses and scars.
"How am I supposed to live now..."
"..."
"I've lost all confidence. Once I graduate from the academy, I have to go back to the kingdom. And then again..."
Adelia trembled just at the thought of the abuse she had suffered. The terror and fear engraved in her mind were slowly eating away at her.
Deciding that things couldn't go on like this, I gently took her hand. A hard, cold sensation was transmitted through my hand.
Perhaps because the warmth was transferred as I held her hand, Adelia stopped trembling and slowly raised her head. Her face, now a mess, was filled with confusion.
"...Isaac?"
"It's okay, sister. Please don't cry."
I could understand Adelia, but I couldn't truly empathize with her. Any words of comfort I offered now would likely ring hollow.
Still, it was better than saying nothing at all. In a situation like this, simply having someone by your side can be a source of immense strength.
I knew this from experience, having lost my entire family in my previous life. The friends who had reached out to me while I sat dazed at the funeral home were the reason I was able to keep going.
Without them, I would have given up on life long ago. Humans are fragile when they're alone, but give them even a single pillar of support, and they become remarkably resilient.
I took the handkerchief from Adelia and gently dabbed at her eyes. She didn't pull away, accepting my touch without a word.
"I understand you're going through a lot, and I know there isn't much I can do to help. All I can offer right now are words of comfort."
"..."
"Besides, you look much better when you're smiling with confidence. So please, don't cry. I might not be able to solve your problems, but I'll stay right here with you."
After wiping away the last of the tears clinging to the corners of her eyes, I finished with a gentle smile.
"Okay?"
"..."
"So, let everything out today. Cry until it's all gone, and then tomorrow, I want the Adelia I know to come back. You can even go back to calling me 'cutie' like you always do."
Adelia stared at me, her expression vacant. Her sky-blue eyes were clouded with deep confusion.
After a moment, she seemed to collect herself. Her lips trembled as she forced the corners of her mouth upward into a strained, awkward expression—somewhere between a sob and a smile.
"L-like this?"
"...I think it’s better if you just keep crying for now."
"S-sorry..."
Adelia immediately slumped. I let out a small chuckle at her rapid-fire change in expression and moved to tuck the handkerchief into my back pocket.
I planned to throw it away later.
"W-wait."
"Yes?"
"That handkerchief... let me wash it and give it back to you."
Just as I was about to put it away, Adelia grabbed my wrist and spoke urgently. I looked at her, puzzled.
"I don't think that's necessary. We have plenty of handkerchiefs back at the mansion."
"But it got dirty because of me. I should at least take responsibility for that. Don't you think?"
"Well, if you insist..."
I relented and handed the handkerchief back to her. Adelia’s expression brightened visibly as she clutched it to her chest with both hands.
"Thank you. I'll make sure to return it later."
"Sure."
"And... Isaac."
"Yes?"
She called my name and gave me her signature, vibrant smile. Her eyes were swollen and the tip of her nose was red, but it was definitely the smile I knew.
As I stood there gazing at her, Adelia offered her thanks.
"Thank you, truly. I feel like I've found my strength again thanks to you."
"Don't mention it. It was nothing."
"I see now why she's dating you. It's because you're so considerate."
She was likely referring to Mari. I shrugged as if it were no big deal.
"If you say so, then I guess that's it."
Adelia nodded firmly.
"That's exactly it."
She was still clutching the handkerchief tightly in both hands.