The Uncle is Sensitive (1)
After the uncle left, Runa began pulling weeds in the yard, all while grumbling complaints aimed squarely at him.
“Jeez, the uncle always picks on me! Does he hate me? Hmph, well I hate him too—!”
I hate it! I really, really hate it! He always makes me do all the hard work!
Runa vented her hurt feelings as she yanked out the thick clumps of weeds. Her mouth was full of curses, yet her body followed the uncle’s instructions perfectly.
While Runa busied herself with the weeds, Hare and Estia were… engaged in a petty argument.
“It would be better if you stayed still. The uncle told me to watch you.”
“W-well, whatever! It’s not like I was planning to run away anyway!”
“...How was the uncle’s embrace? Was it nice?”
“I-I don’t know! Why do you keep saying weird things?”
I don’t get it at all! As if I was ever in the uncle’s arms! Say something that makes sense! If I were taller, I’d beat the crap out of her!
Estia imagined smacking Hare on the head. Hehe, serves you right, you pink-haired idiot!
Why is she laughing? Hare couldn’t understand it, but the uncle had said Estia was strange sometimes, so she simply let it go.
As they watched Runa clearing the weeds and waited for the uncle’s return, Saten—who had been reading a book in the distant shade—walked over to Hare and Estia. It was an extremely rare sight.
“Whoa! What the—? This is the first time I’ve seen her move first!”
“...?”
Saten approached with a blank expression and stopped silently in front of Hare.
Why is this girl, the one I dislike the most, coming here? As that question crossed Hare’s mind, Saten spoke in a flat, emotionless voice.
“Do you live while actually thinking?”
“What…?”
“From what I see, it doesn’t look like you think at all.”
“Huh…?”
I-I don’t think? When I’m always thinking about the uncle?
Flustered, Hare answered.
“H-how much I think about the uncle…! W-what are you even saying—”
“Do you truly think about the uncle? Sincerely?”
“O-of course…! I-I like the uncle, so—”
“Then you will be abandoned. The uncle will throw you away.”
Her tone was filled with absolute certainty. Saten was convinced Hare would soon be discarded. After all, Hare was ignoring the one thing the uncle cared about most.
Having been abandoned by her own family, Saten could see the inevitable end of this situation more clearly than anyone.
In a firm, almost prophetic voice, Saten declared, “You will be abandoned soon. The uncle knows everything. And he doesn’t like children who fight with their friends.”
“Y-you saw me threatening Estia…?”
That’s not the important part. Saten gave a chilly smile. It was a sneer directed at someone too foolish to realize their own stupidity.
“If you’re a commoner, you should know your place. The uncle is a far more exceptional being than you realize.”
“No…! I know the uncle is amazing…”
“No. You don’t understand at all. Just how exceptional he is.”
If you’re going to cut off a tail, cut it cleanly. If there’s even the slightest dangerous possibility, act on it immediately. That was why he could live with four children of unknown origin without being discovered by others. On top of that, his swordsmanship and magic were both at a masterful level. Even Saten, a genius, couldn’t comprehend the magic formulas he used.
From observing the uncle all this time, Saten had come to understand bone-deep just how extraordinary he was.
“The uncle moves as if he can see the future. He must have reached a realm where he can peer ahead. So you’re in serious trouble.”
“U-uh…?”
“Now you understand. Every single one of your actions is held in the palm of the uncle’s hand.”
Therefore—
“If you don’t want to be abandoned, behave properly.”
“...”
To capture someone’s attention, you first had to understand what they liked and what they hated. Hare, who acted purely on her own feelings without considering any of that, seemed stupid to Saten. She even felt frustrated, like she was looking at a bug. At the same time, she felt a strange sense of kinship.
I can no longer feel what it’s like to be abandoned, but…
Knowing how painful that memory buried in the unconscious truly was, she didn’t want to watch someone else get discarded.
Of course, she had wanted to hit the commoner Hare countless times, but she held back.
If the uncle didn’t dislike fighting… I would have slapped her cheek…
What a shame.
Saten’s hands itched as she stared at the frustrating girl.
“I’ve said what I needed to. If you keep acting like that, you’ll be abandoned. Do whatever you want.”
“...”
With that, Saten returned to the distant shade beneath the tree. Hare, meanwhile, began to drown in anxiety.
“The uncle knows what I did…? R-really…? It’s fine if the goddess finds out… but the uncle must never know…”
Hare had no idea that the goddess and the uncle were working together. Overwhelmed by unease, she turned her gaze toward the direction the uncle had gone.
“Ah…”
Hare could only let out a sigh.
There he was, returning. And his expression… felt unusually sharp, completely different from normal.
The walk back to our newly acquired house was miserable. Every voice around me felt like it was ripping at my ears. The sunlight was nothing but a blinding nuisance. If I could wipe it all away, I would have done so in an instant.
“Damn aftereffects…”
This had to be because of the aftereffects. Normally I wouldn’t have paid any of it any mind, but right now I didn’t even want to hear the voices of children passing by.
After enduring that painful journey, I finally reached the new house. The moment she saw me, Runa—who had been pulling weeds—shouted and came running.
“Uncle!! I pulled so many weeds!! See? Runa is a girl who does what she says she will!”
Runa boasted as if she were proud of herself. But I wasn’t in any mood to praise her.
“...I see.”
“Huh? I-is that all…?”
“What more needs to be said?”
“N-no, it’s not that, but…”
Runa trailed off, perhaps sensing my mood. I didn’t want to act this way, but the words in my head and the words that left my mouth came out completely different. It felt like throwing stones into snowballs without meaning to.
I spoke to Runa as gently as I could manage in that moment.
“...Go inside and clean the house, Runa.”
“Y-yes… I’ll go in…”
Dejected, Runa walked toward the house with her shoulders slumped. Normally I would have given her at least a small compliment, but today wasn’t the day.
Next was Saten.
“I’ll head inside too, uncle.”
“...Alright.”
Saten had already begun moving the moment she saw Runa enter the house. I had nothing in particular to say to her. The one who needed to talk wasn’t Saten.
I walked over to the two girls sitting on the bench in the yard.
“Estia, Hare. I think we need to have a conversation.”
It wasn’t ideal to talk while in this state, but the matter was important. It was better to settle it today.
I turned my gaze to Hare. She was already sensing the anxiety in the air.
“Hare.”
“...Yes, uncle.”
“Don’t you have something to say to me?”
“...”
Hare’s eyes darted around anxiously. She couldn’t say a word. Of course she couldn’t. She had done something wrong. She had broken her promise.
This time I turned to Estia.
“Estia. You.”
“Huh? Me?”
“Yes. Don’t you have something you want to tell me?”
“Why are you being so scary, Oppa? I-I don’t really have anything to say…”
“Really?”
“...”
Estia glanced sideways at Hare. It was a look that clearly said, This girl did something wrong! That single glance was answer enough.
Hare must have thought I wouldn’t find out.
If I hadn’t gone to the library today, I really would never have known. I had seen Estia’s past.
So. Don’t tell the uncle about what happened today…
The scene of Hare pressing a knife to Estia’s throat and threatening her into silence.
I had thought she had truly come to her senses, but Hare was still the same. She hadn’t properly reflected at all.
“Hare.”
She flinched. Her body trembled as if she knew exactly what she had done wrong. It was a pitiful sight, but I had no intention of showing her mercy.
In a dry, flat tone, I spoke to her.
“The request to get along well with your friends. Was that such a difficult thing for you?”
“N-no, it wasn’t…!! I-I wanted to get along well, but—”
“Don’t make useless excuses. It’s a waste of time.”
“S-sorry…”
“Enough.”
She would apologize again. It was the same obvious pattern. If she had truly reflected, I would have been willing to let it go. But Hare had ignored my words and acted again. She had crossed the line.
“Thinking you wouldn’t get caught by me was audacious. You even planned to shut Estia’s mouth.”
“A-ah… uncle…”
“Hare, do you think my words are garbage?”
“N-no…!! The uncle’s words aren’t garbage… I-I just w-wrong…”
“If you did something wrong, reflecting on it and making sure you never do it again is what proper reflection looks like. So what exactly have you done? Did you just waste time there?”
“T-that’s…”
Hare fell silent. It seemed she herself realized that although her reflection had been sincere, she had gone in the completely wrong direction.
And then—
“Estia.”
“Y-yes?!”
“You must receive an apology from Hare later. Without fail. If anything like this happens again, tell me immediately.”
“I-I understand…!”
Gulp. Estia shrank back, clearly terrified. It seemed this was the first time she had seen me truly angry.
That was all I had to say to Estia.
“Then go inside the house now.”
“I-I understand…!”
After sending Estia back inside, only Hare and I remained. It was time to finish our conversation.
The emotions swirling inside me were irritating. I wanted to go inside and rest as quickly as possible.
“Hare.”
“Y-yes…”
Hare clenched her fists tightly, her whole body trembling. Tears threatened to fall, but she was barely holding them back.
I pressed her harshly.
“What did you do wrong?”
“I-I didn’t… get along well with my f-friends…”
“You know it well. Then how do you plan to act from now on?”
“I-I will get along well with my friends… I will… U-uncle’s… hic, both in f-front… and b-behind… hic…”
She answered while desperately holding back her tears.
My emotions kept screaming at me to lock her in solitary confinement, but the last shred of reason barely held them in check. Instead, I had no choice but to say the words that had been bothering me for so long.
“Hare.”
“Yes…”
“Did you think I wouldn’t know how you feel?”
“U-uncle…? W-what do you…”
“That heart of yours. It’s nothing but a delusion and an illusion.”
“Huh…?”
“So let it go cleanly. I have no intention of accepting your feelings.”
“A-ah…?”
Hare froze like stone. She didn’t move. She didn’t make a sound. Only a massive shock remained etched across her face.
I delivered the final blow without mercy.
“Hare, if you fight with your friends again, I’ll kick you out of the house. Behave properly.”
“...”
“...I’ll give you time to think. Sort out your emotions properly before you come inside.”
Leaving those cold words behind, I turned and walked toward the house. From behind me came Hare’s pitiful, sobbing voice.
“I-I’m sorry… but… these feelings… hic, are r-real… it’s n-not a d-delusion…”
“...”
“P-please believe me… uncle…”
Even so, I left her outside and entered the house without another word.
This was something that needed to be said eventually. The declaration that I had no intention of accepting her feelings was something I had to say no matter what.
However.
It had to be said someday… but it shouldn’t have been today…
I should have waited until Hare was a little older. Until she was old enough to bear the wound. But I couldn’t overcome my emotions and ended up hurting her.
...Damn it.
As a guardian, today’s me was completely disqualified.