Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Responsibility and Duty (1)
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Three days had passed.
Perhaps because humans truly are creatures of adaptation, Elric had begun to settle in to some extent, even though life in the Weibin household wasn't all that different from the past ten years.
He still wandered battlefields in his dreams, and when he opened his eyes, he flailed about searching for his dagger, but aside from that, it was quite a satisfactory life.
“Young Master.”
Today, as always, Elric left his bed at the sound of Aldio's voice.
After a quick wash and change of clothes, he headed to the dining room, leaning on his cane.
There, in the dining room, was Tiria.
“Did you sleep well?”
As she briefly bowed her head, Elric replied.
“Good morning.”
Things were still awkward between them.
She was a woman of few words, and since they spent most of the day in different places, it was hard to grow close.
But it wasn't as uncomfortable as at first.
This, too, was adaptation. Now, Elric no longer wolfed down his food and bolted from the table.
“Off to the wheat fields again today?”
“Yes.”
“I'm sorry. With my leg like this, I can't help with the work.”
“It's fine. I'm used to it now.”
It was a remark that stung his conscience.
Upon reflection, it was truly shameless. He was the one who had left her alone, and now here he was apologizing.
While Elric inwardly scolded his foolish mouth, Tiria stopped what she was doing.
She stared silently at her plate for a moment before adding a single word.
“…I meant I've grown accustomed to it from learning from the Family Head.”
Ah, so that's what she meant.
A short sigh escaped him.
Only then did he realize something.
‘…It's definitely Father's way.’
He was the sort of man who could never rest easy unless he confirmed important matters with his own eyes.
The wheat fields were no different.
Having liquidated all the businesses, the only thing left in the Portman family was a single wheat farm.
He didn't know why his father had made that choice, but given his personality, if that was the sole remaining business, he would have handed it over to her.
Lost in such thoughts, Elric asked offhandedly.
“By the way.”
“Yes.”
“…How did you get along with Father?”
The words had slipped out in a moment of irritation, but there was no regret.
It was more that his curiosity outweighed any remorse.
He desperately wanted to understand his father's intentions, who had left no will and only a paltry inheritance behind, yet there were no clues to be found. So, it was only natural to pin his hopes on her.
Tiria answered immediately.
“I learned the work. Nothing else really stands out in my memory.”
“…Did he ever say anything about me?”
“No.”
Her firm affirmation closed off any response.
Elric started to ask if she was sure, but soon gave up on the idea.
For some reason, it felt all too realistic.
He could picture the scene.
His inhumanly cold-blooded father and this quiet woman seated at the table like this.
Even the clinking of utensils would have faded away, leaving a suffocating silence hanging in the air.
The extent of their conversations would have been limited to the father's “Do this” and Tiria's “Yes.”
Elric felt chills run through his entire body.
‘Horrifying.’
He knew he shouldn't feel this way, but it was uncomfortable enough that he felt fortunate to have run away.
Elric let out a hollow chuckle.
The meal came to an end like that.
“Then I'll be off.”
Tiria greeted him with a brief bow, just as she had at the start.
Elric rose, leaning on his cane, and replied.
“Do your best.”
With that, he left the dining room.
*
Though he was the master's son, Elric's position in the mansion was close to that of a guest.
It was only natural.
Having run away at fourteen and not returned for ten years, he had no idea how the household operated, and with his leg in this state, he couldn't even help with chores.
In the end, all he did was sit in the garden like a loafer, watching the people come and go.
Basking in the autumn chill with his whole body, gazing at the fountain, at the people, exchanging nods with them.
In doing so, he came to realize something.
‘There are so many new faces.’
The core staff running the mansion remained the same.
But among those doing the menial tasks, few remained in Elric's memory.
They were complete strangers. As such, they didn't welcome him like the head maid, the butler, or the coachman did.
It was that subtle line—not hostile, but not affectionate either—the gaze one directs at a stranger.
“What are you looking at so intently?”
It was Aldio.
He had approached from behind, cradling a small wooden box in his arms.
Elric smiled faintly and said.
“Ah, I was watching the servants. So many unfamiliar faces.”
“Indeed. After all, ten years have passed.”
Aldio sat on the bench beside him.
“Has anyone been disrespectful to you, Young Master?”
“How could that be? There can't be anyone like that in this mansion.”
Even though his father had passed, this was still the domain he had built.
He was a man who abhorred any disloyalty from those beneath him and always prioritized that when selecting servants.
One could say he viewed people as machine parts.
No matter what they muttered behind his back, they had to pretend diligence on the surface for the mansion's smooth operation.
Wasn't it laughably naive to assume that ethos had vanished in just one year?
Elric pushed aside the thought and said.
“By the way, what's that wooden box?”
“Ah, these are letters to be delivered to the Lady.”
“To her?”
“Yes, it's harvest season. There are matters needing attention everywhere.”
Well, that made sense. In Elric's memory, harvest time was when his father stayed out of sight more than usual.
“What sort of letters?”
“I don't know.”
“Hm?”
“What servant in the world reads letters before the master does?”
The words, delivered with a small laugh, revealed his unwavering loyalty.
Elric chuckled at that steadfastness.
“I see why they're not friendly.”
“They perform their duties diligently. If anything, even the late master and I weren't close.”
That was true. His father might have seen him as a key component, but never as a human companion.
Aldio had fully understood that and shown only decorum toward his father.
Elric changed the subject.
“So she inspects the wheat by day and the paperwork by night?”
“That's right.”
“She must be working so hard.”
Pity and guilt washed over him like a tide.
If he hadn't run away, all of this would have been his role.
How shameful was it to foist his own duties onto someone else and live so leisurely?
If only she would complain or resent him, it might ease his mind, but Tiria had never once whined, not even up to today.
Elric pondered for a moment before speaking.
“Could I take a look at those letters?”
Just reading them was something he could manage, even with his leg.
Of course, he didn't truly understand how the business worked, but he could at least sort the letters or summarize their contents.
It would surely lighten her burden a little.
It was something that sparked his motivation.
“Um…”
Hesitation flickered across Aldio's face.
Elric said playfully.
“I am the master here, after all. I have the right to see those letters.”
It was quite a shameless thing to say, but it was the truth.
Aldio looked stunned for a moment before letting out a puff of laughter.
“…Yes, that's true.”
The wooden box was handed to Elric.
“The office is in the same place as ten years ago.”
“Center of the second floor. The heart of the mansion.”
“Correct.”
“Got it. Get back to work.”
“Yes.”
Elric tucked the box under his arm and headed to the office.
*
Separate from his enthusiasm, and all too predictably, there wasn't a single letter Elric could understand.
It was a jumble of dealings with trading partners, statistics on wheat yields from the farms and their profits, and the like.
Solving them was impossible.
The fortunate part was that, ever since childhood, he had a keen eye for context, so he could at least manage the sorting he had initially planned.
Elric broadly divided them into three categories.
Letters from outsiders and those related to merchant caravans, and personal letters—he neatly organized the contents of the box accordingly.
It was in the midst of this that he discovered the letter.
『To my beloved daughter.』
It was a letter with those words written on it.
The seal stamped above it was from the Weibin family.
Tiria’s family home.
Elric’s gaze lingered on the letter, unable to pull away.
It was curiosity.
Come to think of it, he still didn’t know why she remained here.
He wasn’t sure if her intentions were good or bad, but from what he had observed over the past few days, she was truly working diligently for the Portman family’s affairs.
Even though, strictly speaking, she was an outsider.
He knew reading someone else’s letter was utterly brazen, but Elric couldn’t shake off the curiosity that had suddenly arisen.
In a line of self-justifying thoughts, perhaps—truly, perhaps—this letter held some clue about his father.
He had just reached that conclusion.
His hand naturally moved toward the wax seal pressing down on the letter.
He scratched at the surface with his fingernail, sighed again while glaring at the letter.
In the midst of this, Elric finally squeezed his eyes shut and ripped off the seal.
His impulsiveness had won out.
He felt a brief pang of regret, then shook his head.
‘I've already torn it open. Might as well check the contents.’
If it came to apologizing for peeking at personal matters, wouldn’t it be less unfair if he actually read it?
He’d feel even sorrier, but that was a problem for later.
In any case, the letter’s contents were laid bare before Elric’s eyes.
Feeling his heart pound between anticipation and guilt, like a boy committing a misdeed, Elric immediately,
‘This is…’
narrowed his brow.