The First Family Meeting
The center of the Emulin Countship, the bustling metropolis of Emulin. Unlike Cosic Village, which lay deep in the southern reaches of the countship, this area sat slightly north, bordering the coastal city of Levelin. Merchant traffic flowed freely here, and despite its position on the outskirts of the Elemental Kingdom, commerce had taken root far more deeply than in neighboring territories.
Clatter clatter clatter.
Inside one of Emulin's finest restaurants—the most expensive high-end fine dining spot in the area—a man sat with his fists clenched so tightly that his hands wouldn't stop shaking. Sweat poured from his knuckles onto his thigh, soaking through his pants. Even though he'd taken a calming pill before coming, his heart hammered wildly and his pupils trembled without mercy. The anxiety felt even worse than the day he'd first asked her out.
And why wouldn't it? Today was the day he would meet her younger brother—the boy who would soon become his brother-in-law.
"It's all right."
Perhaps his trembling had worried her. The woman gently placed her hand over his, meeting his eyes. Her slightly wavy black hair swayed beneath her shoulders, and her eyes— the same deep black as her hair—calmed him with their steady gaze.
"Here, drink some water and try to relax."
"Hoo..."
Her gentle voice seemed to ease the frantic beating of his heart just a little. Following her suggestion, the man lifted the glass from the table and took a sip.
"If you're this nervous, how do you think Arina feels?"
Her next words snapped him back to his senses. He turned his head to the left, looking across the table.
"I-I'm fine."
The girl who looked so much like him had reddish-brown hair and emerald eyes that seemed to blend yellow and green. Those eyes trembled violently even as she forced a smile, trying to insist she was okay. At a glance, she appeared even more nervous than the man had been moments ago.
Her reason for being so tense was similar to his. She was the daughter born between this man—Hughes Grant—and his ex-wife. Of course, the divorce had been more than justified; his ex had cheated and run off. Still, society never looked kindly on divorced men. Especially not when that divorced man was about to marry a woman nearly ten years his senior. What younger brother would view such a person favorably?
Even without the divorce, the age gap alone would have been reason enough for disapproval.
"It's okay."
Just as Kayen had taken his hand earlier, Hughes now gently grasped his daughter's hand, offering her a reassuring smile. It was a terrible thing to think, especially toward Kayen, who had covered for his shortcomings and treated his ten-year-old daughter like her own. But no matter how much he loved and cherished her, Arina would always come first in his heart.
He planned to do his best to persuade her brother and gain his approval. But if this marriage truly caused Arina pain, he was prepared to call the whole thing off.
"Both of you, stop worrying so much. No matter how blunt Kain can be—and yes, even I admit his personality is pretty awful—deep down he's a good kid with a kind heart. He'll definitely give us his blessing."
"Who are you calling awful?"
Their breath caught in their throats. At the sound of the voice, father and daughter shot up from their seats without a moment's hesitation. When they turned, there stood a young man with a face full of the exact surliness Kayen had described. He was already pulling out the chair across from them.
"Sorry I'm late. Something suddenly came up."
From what Kayen had told him, the boy was eighteen—eight years younger than her. He had short black hair and black eyes. His sharp, slanted gaze gave him a somewhat fierce and intimidating look, though the thick horn-rimmed glasses he wore softened it a bit. Still, the way he immediately rested his chin on the table the moment he sat down made every movement radiate pure delinquency.
"We haven't seen each other in ages and you said let's grab a meal together. So what's with this sudden family meeting?"
It had started when he was about thirteen. The boy had left home, saying he didn't want to burden his sister anymore. How shocked she'd been. To think he'd actually run away in the middle of the night just because she tried to persuade him to stay. Yet whenever she called to protest, he always picked up. He refused to listen about coming back, though.
After that, they kept in touch through occasional calls and texts, but in the years since, they'd only met face-to-face once or twice a year at most. He sent her enormous sums of money from time to time—sums she couldn't even begin to imagine how he earned—yet no matter how much she pressed, he never revealed what he did for a living. Her brother remained shrouded in mystery.
He's clearly in a bad mood.
Even so, one thing was certain: he cared for her more than anyone else in the world. Perhaps it was because she'd raised him in place of their deceased parents since he was little. To Kain, she was practically a parent.
And now the person she'd brought to meet him was a man ten years her senior. A divorced man with a daughter, no less.
Arina and Kain are eight years apart, aren't they?
The same gap as between her and Kain. To him, it must feel less like gaining a niece and more like suddenly having a little sister.
As if to prove that point, Kain hadn't spared Hughes a single glance since arriving. Seeing this, Kayen offered a bitter smile. Then a loud voice suddenly burst out beside her.
"N-nice to meet you! I'm Hughes Grant! It's a pleasure!"
Some might have called it rude. After all, a boy nearly twenty years younger was openly ignoring him. But true to his gentle nature, Hughes didn't get angry. Instead, he raised his voice, trying to draw the boy's attention any way he could.
It was a skill honed through years as a merchant. Whether the resulting impression was good or bad, you had to capture the other party's interest before any conversation could begin.
"What's with the sudden commotion?"
Perhaps his approach had worked. Kain, who had been ignoring him the entire time, finally turned his gaze in Hughes's direction for the first time.
"You're bothering the other customers. With that noise."
It was a high-end restaurant. The disturbance in the quiet atmosphere drew frowns from every patron as all eyes turned their way. At the pointed remark, Hughes scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"My apologies."
He had successfully captured Kain's interest, just as planned. If it took annoying a few people to achieve that, so be it. It wasn't something the normally mild-mannered Hughes would ever consider, but for Arina and Kayen, he would do it as many times as necessary.
"...And stop with the honorifics already."
Perhaps his display of humility—bending his pride and taking such a low stance—had had an effect. Kain clicked his tongue and lifted his head.
"Ah, yes— I mean, got it."
But being suddenly told to drop the formal speech wasn't something he could do so easily. Especially not in a situation where the power dynamic was this clear. Hughes answered awkwardly and sat back down. Seeing her father do so, Arina carefully returned to her seat as well.
What should I do?
She'd missed her chance to greet him. Perhaps it was because Kain had been glaring at them with that stony expression from the very beginning. Arina kept her head slightly lowered, staring at the table in silence.
"I'll bring out your meal now."
A brief silence fell, then the courses began arriving one by one, starting with the amuse-bouche. Hughes held a fairly high position in the Grant Merchant Group, which had made a name for itself even among the Elemental Kingdom's mid-tier trading companies. Even so, the luxurious dishes spread before him were not something he could enjoy casually.
Yet he couldn't taste any of it.
Not with the boy watching him—observing his every move with those sharp eyes that seemed to dissect him from head to toe. Under that piercing gaze that carved him apart without mercy, he couldn't even tell if the food was going down his throat or up his nose. The medium-rare tenderloin steak, famous for melting in one's mouth, felt as tough as rubber.
"You'll upset your stomach eating like that."
"Not your business."
"You really do have a terrible personality. So, how have you been lately?"
"Not bad. Same as always."
"Contact me more often. Why am I always the one reaching out first?"
"I'm busy. But I do call first on your birthday, don't I?"
"Only on my birthday. And what do you mean, busy? What exactly are you so busy with?"
"It's wrapping up soon. Once this job is finished, I'll settle down somewhere. I'll call you a lot then."
"There you go dodging the question again. What kind of work are you doing?"
"......"
"Sigh."
She had noticed Hughes's discomfort and tried to ease the mood with conversation, but the more they talked, the more her insides seemed to burn. He hadn't been this strange as a child, even if he had hidden things from her. His personality seemed to have twisted around the time he turned ten.
She let out a deep sigh. Kain watched her for a moment before scooping up a bite of the final dessert and putting it in his mouth. It really was a high-end restaurant. The balance of sweet and tart was quite pleasant. Even Kain, who didn't particularly like sweets, found the moderate sweetness easy to enjoy.
Not bad. For a place like this.
He hadn't expected much from a restaurant in a remote countship, but it seemed decent enough to bring one of his subordinates next time.
Ring ring ring ring!
While he was lost in thought, a loud noise erupted from his pocket. He pulled out his smartphone and frowned at the familiar name on the screen. What now? He was certain he'd handled all urgent matters before coming here. Perhaps it was because he'd specifically told them not to call unless it was an emergency.
Frowning, Kain stood up and spoke to Kayen.
"I'll take this call and be right back."
Kain disappeared in an instant. As they watched his retreating figure, the tension seemed to drain from Hughes and Arina at the same time. They both slumped against their chair backs as if all strength had left their bodies.
"Haa..."
They had expected it, but the result was still devastating. He'd known the boy wouldn't approve, but he never imagined it would be this bad. The bigger problem was that even with all his experience as a merchant, he had no idea how to change that boy's mind.
It's like dealing with a big shot.
It was the same tension he felt when occasionally encountering true heavyweights during business deals. Was this merely a delusion born from his own nervousness? Or was there some other reason?
"...!"
While Hughes was lost in thought, Arina's half-closed eyes suddenly flew open. Perhaps it was because the tension had drained from her body so abruptly, but she suddenly needed to use the restroom. She whispered carefully to her father and stood up.
After finishing her business and washing her hands under the flowing water, Arina looked at her reflection in the mirror and let out a deep sigh.
So he'll be... my uncle.
If Kayen—no, Mom—married Dad, that person would become her uncle. The thought of having to call someone so terrifying "Uncle" already filled her with worry. Would she even be able to do it?
Wiping her hands with a handkerchief, she slowly stepped out of the restroom.
"So that 'Empress' bitch is still refusing to accept it, going crazy and rampaging until the very end?"
The familiar voice coming from behind a potted plant made her body flinch. She cautiously peeked around the planter and saw her uncle.
"It's definitely something I need to handle personally."
He held the smartphone to his ear, his face twisted in clear annoyance.
What do I do? He looks even angrier than before.
She shifted nervously from foot to foot, reading his mood. Meanwhile, his phone conversation was drawing to a close.
"Got it. I'll wrap things up quickly and head over. Just hold on until then."
"......"
"Damn it. I just got back from calming down that 'Tugwi' bastard, and now it's that crazy woman?"
"......"
"Haa. So? Why are you still spying from over there?"
She flinched. How long had he known? Arina's eyelids trembled violently.
"Eek!?"
Before she knew it, she stumbled backward—and her feet tangled, sending her crashing to the floor.
"Ow..."
Did she twist something? The throbbing in her ankle made tears threaten to spill.
"......"
Kain simply stared down at her with an expression that clearly said, What the hell is this idiot doing? Then he let out a deep sigh and walked over to her. He examined her ankle from several angles before speaking.
"There. Better now?"
"Huh?"
What had he done? The pain in her ankle had vanished in an instant. Forgetting her fear of him in her amazement, Arina twisted her ankle this way and that to test it.
"Be careful. If you get hurt, you're the one who suffers."
He lightly patted her head, then stood up with his usual blunt demeanor and walked past her back into the restaurant.
"......"
Arina stood there, staring intently at his retreating back.
He's scary. But... maybe a good person?
Perhaps he wasn't purely terrifying after all. The way he'd healed her kept flashing through her mind. It felt as if some of her fear had been diluted. With that strange new impression, Arina slowly stood and followed the path he'd taken back into the restaurant.
"I-is that true?"
Soon after, her father's loud voice rang out. Just like when Kain had first arrived, the booming voice drew everyone's attention.
"I told you to keep your voice down. If I end up on the blacklist here, are you going to take responsibility?"
Once again, Kain sat with his chin propped on his hand in that delinquent manner, looking Hughes up and down as if he still found him completely disagreeable.
"To be honest, I don't like you."
Whether he had a daughter or not. Whether he was divorced or not. Age had nothing to do with it. The simple fact that his sister had brought someone home displeased him to no end.
"But that's one thing, and this is another."
Even so, he would allow this marriage. There was only one reason. Because the person his sister had brought was someone she had chosen. She had given up her dreams for his sake as a child and started learning the merchant trade early. She had endured work that would be difficult even for grown men and climbed to her current position. She had sacrificed everything for him. And now, she was finally seeking her own happiness and asking for his permission.
There's no way I could refuse her in that situation.
He had no choice but to approve. With that thought, he gulped down the cold water in front of him.
"I'll say this clearly. If I ever hear my sister crying because of you, or if she has any complaints, or if she calls me because of something you've done—I'll destroy you by any means necessary."
He had the power to do so. No matter how high a position the man held in a major trading company. No, even if he were the king of this nation or a great noble. He possessed the strength to overturn all of it.
"Yes! Of course!"
"I told you to stop with the honorifics."
Whether the boy saw it as mere youthful bravado or actually believed it, it didn't matter. If it ever came to that, he would simply show him with actions.
"Well, if that's all, I'll be going. Something urgent came up."
With those words, he rose from his seat as abruptly as he'd arrived. As he passed Arina, he lightly tapped her head.
"See you around, kid."
Yes, the only person he disliked was Hughes Grant. He held no particular ill will toward the man's daughter.
"......"
As she watched his departing figure, listening to her father's joyful voice behind her and her stepmother's attempts to calm him, a faint smile had unknowingly formed on Arina's face. A smile even she couldn't explain.