Chapter 93: Unfilial Son (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 93: Unfilial Son (3)
Those at the top never truly understand the hearts of those below them.
…Of course, technically speaking, House Smith was a family of counts and could be considered high-ranking nobility in its own right.
But hierarchy is a relative thing.
To commoners or barons whose titles were hanging by a thread, House Smith was practically in the celestial realm. However, the gap between us and the royal family was even wider; to us, they were people from an entirely different world.
“……”
“……”
“……”
“……”
Naturally, a heavy silence descended upon the wedding hall the moment Princess Hestia and Prince Ellen made their appearance.
If our family had been deeply involved in politics, it might have been different, but we were the kind of house where even the Finance Minister wouldn't find much if he shook us down.
And what would the status of the families close to such a house be?
Most of the attendees were, like our family, nobles from small-to-medium estates near the Smith territory who stayed far away from politics. They were people who had come along for the trip because the eldest son of the neighboring estate—whom they were on friendly terms with—was getting married in the royal capital.
They had arrived with light hearts, only for royalty to suddenly show up. It was only natural for the surrounding nobles to freeze on the spot.
Honestly, I think even the great nobles, not just local low-ranking ones, would be shocked if royalty suddenly dropped by to sign their guest book!
“I’ll say it again: I did my absolute best to stop them.”
Senior Lucia spoke with a face withered by exhaustion. I could more or less picture the scene in my head.
“You could have tried just a little harder.”
Still, it would have been nice if she’d put in a bit more effort. At my response, Senior Lucia let out a hollow chuckle.
“Do you really think the outcome would have changed?”
It wasn't a sneer, but a laugh that contained a multitude of weary truths.
“Probably not.”
To be honest, I don't think I could have stopped them either. We might be called 'Royal Instructors,' but what power do we actually have? If we could truly control them, Prince Ellen wouldn't be acting like such a handful at the Academy in the first place.
“No other royals came, right?”
Senior Lucia nodded at my question. That was a relief, at least.
“…Princess Hestia and Prince Ellen are the only ones who would pull something like this.”
“True enough.”
Fortunately, it seemed the King’s personality had only been passed down to Princess Hestia and Prince Ellen. It was a blessing that the other royals took after their mothers.
“If they were all like this, the country would’ve gone to ruin.”
“I’m so jealous of Senior Daniel…”
Why did it have to be us?
Just as Senior Lucia and I were sighing in shared agony, the two handfuls—no, the two royals—finished signing the guest book and approached us.
“You should have told us if something like this was happening.”
“It’s not like we’re strangers.”
Looking at Princess Hestia, who clicked her tongue, and Prince Ellen, who looked genuinely hurt, I spoke the honest truth.
“Actually, I only found out myself a little while ago.”
I was serious. Between finding out and handling the aftermath of my work, I’d been so busy preparing for the wedding that I hadn't had time to tell anyone. The only people who knew were the Captain and the Finance Minister.
“Liar.”
“This isn't just anything; it’s the wedding of the eldest son who will inherit the house. How could you not know?”
However, the two of them snorted and shook their heads at my perfectly honest answer.
“Sister is right. Anyone would think you hadn't been in contact with your family for ten years.”
“Otherwise, it makes no sense.”
I nodded as Princess Hestia and Prince Ellen spoke with playful smiles. You hit the nail on the head, you royals!
Ah, well, to be precise…
“It hasn't been ten years, but it has been seven years and four months.”
Princess Hestia burst out laughing at my words.
“Look at him! He’s using such a specific number to make it sound real!”
As Princess Hestia giggled, Ellen let out a deep sigh and nodded.
“You say it so convincingly that it almost sounds true.”
“……”
But as I watched the two of them laugh, I couldn't join in.
“Why are you so quiet?”
“Stop joking around.”
The two royals, still thinking it was a prank, tilted their heads in confusion.
“……”
When I subtly averted my gaze, Princess Hestia and Prince Ellen blinked their large eyes.
“Brother. I’m starting to get a very strange feeling.”
“…I think I am too.”
The two royals, who had been looking at each other, turned their gaze toward me. Then they looked back at each other and began to mutter in low voices.
“Sister. If you become a Royal Knight, are you so busy that you can't even go home?”
“It’s busy. It’s busy, but… if you set your mind to it, you can visit two or three times a year.”
“What about normal knights?”
“Older knights usually have their families living near the capital, so they don't go back to their estates often. But younger knights? Unless something big is happening, they usually visit at least once every two years.”
“Now that I think about it, even if you’re busy, you can send word anytime…”
“Usually, yes…”
As they whispered, the expressions on Princess Hestia and Prince Ellen’s faces changed into something very familiar.
“……”
“……”
It was the exact same expression my parents had made when they first saw me come home.
“……”
Being on the receiving end of that look felt a bit unfair. I could understand my father and mother looking at me that way.
But should the people who were the very reason I was worked like a dog be making that face?
I tried to signal Senior Lucia for backup.
“……”
But Senior Lucia’s expression was no different from theirs, so I beat a hasty retreat. To think that at a wedding hosted by my own family, I didn't have a single person on my side.
…Come to think of it, I doubt anyone in my family is on my side either.
Is this what they call karma? My only crime was working hard, yet this is so tragic.
With the arrival of Princess Hestia and Prince Ellen, I was able to escape my role as the promotional doll guarding the entrance.
Actually, rather than an escape, should I call it an exile?
If two royals were guarding the entrance, ordinary nobles would simply malfunction. Thus, I had no choice but to take the two royals around to the least crowded areas to buy time.
Eventually, time passed, and the wedding ceremony began.
Sitting in the VIP section with the two royals, I looked at the bride and groom, who were drenched in a cold sweat.
“……”
For a split second, I locked eyes with my brother, and I could see they were filled with resentment.
“……”
My sister-in-law’s resentment was a bonus.
It seemed all the goodwill I’d earned by securing the Imperial Cathedral had been blown away by these royal pests.
Still, if you look on the bright side, couldn't you say they’ve gained a lifetime’s worth of bragging rights at the cost of this current pressure? It’s not every day a prince and princess attend a wedding for an ordinary noble family as guests.
“Now, moving on.”
At the officiant’s words, my brother and sister-in-law let out small sighs and tried their best not to look in our direction.
Fortunately, the wedding itself was proceeding smoothly.
For instance, Daisy or the Pope didn't barge in claiming they wanted to officiate after hearing the news.
Because of that, the RoFan male leads didn't show up either.
As a result, no RoFan-style disasters occurred, like a "Bloody Wedding" where dark mages or demons descend.
Of course, none of this was just my paranoia.
—Damn it, you better be grateful.
When I received a message from Boradori saying that a ton of crap had gone down, I threw away my dignity as a superior and performed a full headstand bow in my mind.
“And finally.”
Thanks to Boradori’s heroic sacrifice, my eldest brother’s wedding moved toward its peaceful conclusion.
With the words of Cardinal Marne, the representative of the Royal Cathedral who served as the officiant, the couple became husband and wife under the blessing of the Goddess.
And finally.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Everyone cheered for the couple’s first kiss.
“Wow…”
“I hope one day I…”
Watching the two of them kiss, the two royals let out quiet exclamations of admiration.
“……”
But why were Prince Ellen’s eyes sparkling even more intensely than Princess Hestia’s? Was he imagining himself creating a scene like that with Daisy one day?
If so, it was truly pitiful, but I would have to stop him.
…How many hours had passed since I had that thought?
“……”
“……”
Oh, for God’s sake.
I only thought about stopping him…
I never imagined he would take revenge like this.
“Eat plenty.”
“……”
At the words of the man in front of him, my father completely short-circuited.
It was understandable. The man telling him to eat plenty was the pinnacle of the Leon Kingdom, Dike Leon. In other words, the King of this country.
“Th-thank you, Your Majesty.”
My mother, who was slightly less broken, began to taste the food with stiff, mechanical movements.
Neither my father nor my mother were strangers to seeing the King, being the head and lady of a count’s house that was considered quite prestigious. But they probably never imagined they would be dining right in front of him like this.
Seeing them like that, I couldn't even bring myself to look toward my second brother.
“This is delicious…”
“Is it? Eat as much as you like.”
Perhaps because she was young, or maybe she just had nerves of steel, only the youngest of our family was eating heartily next to Princess Hestia.
Just as I was about to turn my gaze back to the ordinary mortals, I was betrayed by the Queen, whom I had trusted.
“From the royal family’s perspective, Adam was so indispensable that I think we held onto him for too long.”
I could guess why she was saying that. She must have heard about my "fire-attribute devoted son" antics from Princess Hestia and Prince Ellen.
So, the Queen was likely trying to reward my hard work by providing a "shield"—suggesting that the reason I couldn't visit my parents was because I was so competent and the royal family had worked me too hard.
…The problem was that I hadn't just failed to visit; I hadn't even contacted them.
And I had already partially paid off the debt for my lack of filial piety by securing the Imperial Cathedral.
Furthermore, the Queen, like Princess Hestia and Prince Ellen, didn't seem to realize how her position affected ordinary nobles.
And so.
“……”
“……”
So, it was all because of you.
The Queen’s statement was essentially a confirmation that I was the culprit. Thanks to that, my parents’ resentful glares began to pour down on me.
On top of that, there was the near-curse-like glare from my second brother—who, according to my mother, had become a shut-in but had come out for the wedding, only to find himself dining with the royal family.
That’s right.
Except for my eldest brother, who had left for his honeymoon, my entire family had been summoned to the palace. We were all dining with royalty.
As a result, everyone in the family except the youngest had been mentally broken.
I mean, even I, who had spent half my life in the palace, could count the number of times I’d dined with royalty on one hand. How often would my family, who were ordinary nobles, ever have a chance to dine with the royal family?
Watching my parents, who were under such immense pressure that they didn't know if the food was going into their mouths or their noses, I thought about what I could do.
“……”
Nothing.
Even if I tried to draw aggro, I’d already reported everything that happened at the Academy. Anything else wasn't worth mentioning to the royal family.
“Hmm, well then…”
As I watched my father suffer while conversing with the King…
“Kids these days…”
And my mother suffer while talking with the Queen…
“Mmm. This is good.”
I decided to just leave everything behind and fully embrace being an unfilial son.