Chapter 214: Estelle is Smiling (5)[R-18]
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 214: Estelle is Smiling (5)[R-18]
“...Uncle?”
The man standing before her and the uncle in Estelle’s memories blurred together.
He looked so different now...
And yet, within those deeply sunken eyes, a glimmer of the past remained.
‘...You’ve been through so much, Estelle. I will do my best to be a father to you. Though I can never truly replace your father... I promise to give you my all.’
Back when she had lost her parents in that accident and felt utterly alone in the world...
The warmth of her uncle’s hand resting on her head...
It was only for a brief moment, but she had truly believed he was an adult she could lean on.
“Yes, Estelle... You’ve... you’ve grown so much.”
Jeffrey approached her with a face full of emotion and carefully knelt on one knee.
“B-but... how? My... my uncle... that day... he d-died... Ugh!... Hic!”
Spilled entrails.
Blood soaking the floor.
Corpses, corpses, and her uncle’s severed leg rolling on the ground.
As the memories she had buried in the deepest corners of her mind resurfaced, a wave of nausea surged along with stomach acid.
“...Haah... haah... My uncle... his leg... it was cut off, wasn't it? I... I saw... the leg...?”
Estelle’s gaze fell upon Jeffrey’s left leg.
Though his gait seemed a bit awkward, there was clearly the shape of a whole leg beneath his trousers.
“Yes... Estelle, starting with that... I have so much to tell you. But this young friend beside you is...”
At that moment, Jeffrey’s eyes lingered on me for a second, carrying a hint of wariness.
“...Haah... He’s my friend. It’s okay to speak in front of Ian... Please, speak freely, Uncle.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Ian. I apologize for my rudeness earlier.”
“No, not at all. If anything, I should be the one thanking you. You were only trying to protect our Estelle. I am truly glad she has such a good friend by her side.”
Jeffrey smiled kindly, looking back and forth between Estelle and me.
“Estelle... I’m sorry for interrupting your time at the festival... but the things I have to say aren't light enough to discuss on the street. If you’re alright with it, why don’t we head back to the residence first?”
“...U-um... Ian. I’m sorry... I...”
“Don’t worry about it, Estelle. Of course you should go. He’s family. I’m really fine, so go ahead.”
“...Okay. I’m sorry... I’m really... sorry.”
Estelle looked at me for a moment before turning her gaze back to Jeffrey.
Jeffrey scratched his cheek and spoke tentatively.
“I’d like to say we should all take the carriage back together... but I never imagined I’d run into you out here like this. The carriage is a bit too small to fit both me and your wheelchair. Estelle, would you like to head back first?”
“...Jeffrey. In that case, may I take Estelle back to the residence?”
“No, I couldn't ask that of you. I already feel bad for interrupting your time together... I can't possibly impose on you further.”
When Jeffrey declined with a voice full of apology, Estelle stepped in.
“...It’s okay, Uncle. You go ahead. We’ll follow right behind you.”
“If you say so... I understand. Ian, thank you truly. I will be sure to repay this kindness. ...Then, Estelle, I shall see you in a little while.”
“...Yes, Uncle. I’ll see you at the residence.”
After confirming that Jeffrey’s carriage had pulled away, I moved to where the carriage Estelle had arrived in was parked.
“....”
“....”
Once I helped Estelle into the carriage, it began to move with a slight rattle.
“...Estelle. Are you okay?”
“Yeah... I’m okay. I was just a little surprised... no, I was very surprised... I never imagined Uncle would be alive... I naturally... thought... he died... that day.”
Estelle’s voice trembled as if she were on the verge of bursting into tears.
“...Still, it’s a relief. That you get to see your family again.”
“Yeah, it’s a relief... It really is. I’m sorry... it’s just hard to... say anything right now...”
Estelle bit her lower lip slightly.
Everything still felt like a dream.
Until just a moment ago, she had been so happy just laughing and enjoying the festival with Ian, and then suddenly, a family member she thought was dead appeared.
Too many unbelievable things were happening all at once for her to process her emotions properly.
Clop, clop—
A short while later, as they neared the residence, Estelle spoke up cautiously.
“Ian... if it’s okay... could you come inside with me?”
“...Me? ...Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I feel like... I’ll be okay if you’re by my side.”
I was worried about her state of mind... but I hesitated, wondering if it was right for an outsider like me to intrude on family matters.
“It’s strange, isn't it? ...It’s clearly a happy thing... but for some reason, I’m scared... I don’t know if it’s okay for so many happy things to happen to me at once... I don’t know if I... deserve it.”
Was it because she had grown so accustomed to misfortune over the years?
Seeing Estelle look anxious rather than overjoyed at her sudden stroke of luck, I took her hand and spoke.
“Why do you need a 'qualification' to be happy? ...Don’t worry. I’ll go with you.”
“...Yeah. Ian... thank you.”
“Waaaaah!... J-Jeffrey! ...It’s really... it’s really you, isn't it? Sob!... You were alive... hic!... This isn't... a dream, is it? Ugh...”
“Yes... Frederica. You’ve truly suffered so much on your own. Thank you so much for taking such good care of Estelle all this time.”
As soon as we entered the drawing room of the residence, we saw Frederica clinging to Jeffrey, wailing at the top of her lungs.
Shift—
“...Ah, you’re here. Estelle, did Ian come with you as well?”
“Yes... Uncle. Ian came with me. I... I asked him to.”
“Even though you know that the story I’m about to tell is... the history of the Black Dahlia Family, which is difficult to share with outsiders?”
“...Yes.”
Estelle flinched at Jeffrey’s words.
The uncle in her final memories had certainly been kind... but in truth, her uncle had always been quite strict and cold.
Then, Jeffrey shook his head as if to ease her tension.
“I’m sorry, Estelle. My tone was poor. If you brought him knowing that, then it is fine. If he is someone you trust, then I must trust him as well.”
“...Really?”
“Haha... Estelle, I think I have a vague idea of what you’re thinking. Yes, it’s true I was a strict uncle... I feel sorry when I think back to those days. But a great many things have changed since that day.”
Jeffrey paused for a moment and turned his gaze toward the still-sobbing Frederica.
“...Frederica. I’m sorry, but if there is any alcohol, could you bring me a glass of something strong? I can't bring myself to recall those memories while sober.”
“Hic... Yes, Jeffrey. I’ll bring it right away.”
Gulp—
A moment later, after draining the whiskey Frederica brought in a single swig, Jeffrey let out a deep sigh and began to speak slowly.
“Haah... That day... I went to the funeral portraits of my brother Gilbert and his wife to vow that I would raise you, Estelle, as my own child. My wife and young son were with me as well...”
Jeffrey’s voice sank painfully, as if he were struggling to suppress his emotions.
“...There, we were ambushed by someone. I lost my wife in an instant, and though I fought desperately to at least save my son... in the end, I lost my left leg and was left a battered wreck, forced to watch my son grow cold before my eyes.”
Jeffrey’s voice trembled with uncontrollable rage and sorrow.
“....”
Estelle couldn't lift her head, staring down at her knees while swallowing her sobs.
“After that... I don’t remember much. I couldn't have moved on my own in that state, so I must have been kidnapped. I don’t know what happened, but... when I regained consciousness, I was lying alone in a strange forest, having lost all my memories.”
“I didn't know who I was, where I came from, or even my own name. Only the primal instinct to survive drove me forward.”
“But there wasn't much a man who had lost a leg could do. Amidst terrible hunger and thirst, I crawled across the ground until my fingernails broke... and when I finally reached a riverbank, I lost consciousness again.”
With trembling hands, Jeffrey took another swig of whiskey.
“When I opened my eyes, I was in a strange bed. A kind elderly couple had found me collapsed by the river and saved me. They are the saviors of my life. I stayed at their home for a while to recover. And once I could walk with crutches, I helped with their shop to repay my debt.”
“Fortunately, even though I had lost my memories, the skills ingrained in my body hadn't disappeared. Believe it or not, Brother Gilbert and I were once the men who led the Black Dahlia Family through its golden age. Haha....”
Jeffrey let out a laugh that sounded forced, as if squeezed out of him.
“I saved money bit by bit while helping at the shop, and at the same time, I used my abilities to gradually grow the business. Then, a few years later, I was lucky enough to get an opportunity to invest in a new technology. ...This is the result.”
Slide—
Jeffrey rolled up his left trouser leg.
“...!”
“...!”
Twitch—! Twitch—!
The joint area consisted of complex and sophisticated machinery that seemed to mimic the movement of muscles and tendons, and beneath it, something was writhing like living veins.
It was a prosthetic leg that looked as if it had been made using living organisms as components.
Noticing our stares, Jeffrey continued with a bitter smile.
“...I know well enough that it’s not a pleasant sight... but it’s worth it. This is a prosthetic leg that utilizes a technology called ‘Magical Nerve Engineering’ being developed in the Magic Kingdom.”
“To put the principle simply, it’s a technology that replaces a damaged nervous system with an artificial neural network constructed of mana, allowing one to control mechanical devices as if they were part of their own body. Thanks to this, I was able to walk on two feet again.”
Slide—
Jeffrey lowered his trousers to cover his leg and continued.
“Estelle... I’ll be honest with you. My life during the time I lost my memories was quite enjoyable in its own way. I was able to freely display my talents without being bound by the family...”
Jeffrey paused and held up his left hand.
“And above all, I found someone to love.”
A simple silver ring was on his left ring finger.
“She is the only daughter of the elderly couple who saved me. At first, she was wary of me and disliked me because I had no memory and a bad leg...”
“Well, after going through various things together... before we knew it, we had fallen for each other. Haha, eventually, we even promised to marry.”
For the first time since he started his story, a truly happy smile appeared on Jeffrey’s face.
“Everything was going smoothly. A new life, a new happiness. I thought it didn't matter what the past was anymore, that it would be fine to live forever having forgotten it.”
“But... the weight of sin is not something one can escape so easily.”
“It was three years ago. During a contract negotiation, the story of the Black Dahlia Family’s fall happened to slip from the other party’s mouth.”
Jeffrey, letting out a self-mocking laugh as if remembering that moment, looked at Estelle.
“In that instant, like a dam bursting, the horrific memories I had forgotten came rushing back into my head all at once.”