Chapter 76
Chapter 76
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: The Elopement
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Then what about him? Is it okay if he doesn’t do it either?”
“Gyewon is fine too.”
I actually thought it might be better for Gyewon to stay behind at the estate, but…
I was worried about leaving the kid alone, and I couldn’t just exclude Eldest Uncle either.
Crucially, Eldest Uncle said he wanted to have a proper first outing with his son, so I agreed.
“Because he has the same constitution as Eldest Uncle.”
I’m so envious…
‘Maybe I should have asked my younger uncle to be the coachman instead.’
This person talks way too much.
Right now, Dad was on the roof of the carriage, and Eldest Uncle was outside, driving the horses.
Actually, the head steward from the main building had offered to provide servants or guards.
But in the end, our party became quite small.
‘It would be better if we went by ourselves.’
‘It would be better if we went by ourselves.’
‘I agree.’
‘I agree.’
This was because my eldest uncle and my dad said we couldn't trust the people of the house. I had agreed.
So that's how we ended up going by ourselves.
Fortunately, Cheimik wasn't too far, and the carriage, which had been running nonstop, was quickly approaching the village.
We would probably arrive before the day was over.
That afternoon.
“We'll be there in about thirty minutes.”
We had stopped for a short while to eat. We hadn't passed through any other cities or towns on the way.
The reason Dad was on the roof was to use the wind to keep watch on our surroundings.
And to use his power to push the carriage along, apparently.
‘Things are so different from when I was alone.’
If I had walked by myself, it would have taken not just a week, but up to a month.
I would have had to avoid the disputed territories. I have no idea how I managed it in my third life.
“Dad, your power is really convenient.”
“Stating the obvious.”
Dad, who had his arms crossed, let out a small laugh.
Doesn't Dad's expression seem a bit more relaxed these days?
“Kyang! Kyang kyang!”
“Is it really okay to keep bringing that fox along?”
“There's no one around.”
Ever since I learned that white foxes are very rare animals, I've been more careful about taking Raon with me.
‘He's still young, but so smart. He can even distinguish medicinal herbs, strangely enough.’
And whenever a situation seems even slightly serious, he just looks at me without barking. It's so cute.
“If I were living alone, I wouldn't have even dreamed of raising him.”
“……”
“Because I wouldn't have had the strength to protect such precious creatures.”
Raon is a rare fox, they said. Was that all? Baem-baem, the monoceros, is also a very precious being. If they were discovered, they would have been taken from me.
“And if I had traveled this road alone, it would have taken a month to get to that village, right?”
“A pointless hypothetical. I won't be leaving your side anymore.”
That's right. I hope this life is the last one too. I smiled.
“Dad, you said you keep wanting to go home when you're not with me. Is it okay that you're thinking of home now?”
I asked because I was worried he had some kind of compulsion, but Dad just smiled faintly and picked me up.
“Ah. Now that you mention it, I should stay close.”
“Hmph.”
It sounded like an excuse, but I decided to let it slide. He seemed to be smiling a lot more lately, after all.
‘Looks like his compulsion has gotten a bit better.’
That was a relief.
“Do you remember anything these days?”
“Well, bits and pieces.”
Dad stared at me. More precisely, he seemed to be looking at the clothes I was wearing.
“You were a newborn, wearing pink clothes.”
That must be from when I was a baby. I nodded.
“…I think I insisted I liked yellow, but then changed my mind.”
“With whom?”
“……With some… woman.”
Dad fell silent for a moment, then his brow furrowed sharply. After a long pause, his handsome face spoke again.
“What did I just say?”
“……”
Just as I thought. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened, so I wasn't surprised.
‘Every time he remembers something related to Mom, the memory gets erased again.’
Why?
Why can't Dad remember only Mom?
Besides, Mom was present in many of his memories with me, so it seemed to be slowing down his ability to remember me, too.
Should I bring it up first?
“Speaking of memories, about Mom… She was a very, very beautiful person.”
Dad had a ‘Why so sudden?’ look on his face, but he didn't give a negative response.
“Is that so… If you say so, I suppose it's true.”
Though he didn't seem very interested.
‘He said he saw himself looking like a lovestruck fool in his memories. How can he not be interested in the person he loved?’
Maybe it was because I saw how close they were. I felt sad for them.
“It's true.”
“I didn't say it was a lie. And I can tell just by looking at you. She must have been beautiful.”
I was a little flustered by the unexpected straight-talk. More than that, I was baffled.
“What are you talking about! You shouldn't be able to tell by looking at me!”
It was a bit much for me to say, but Mom was really, truly beautiful, you know? On a whole other level compared to me. A total knockout! A beauty!
If a beauty like my mom held a fan signing, I would have done whatever it took to get a spot.
“She was way prettier than me!!”
I know what my face looked like when I was twenty, don't I?
I already had to live with all sorts of nonsense about seducing patients with my looks.
She was even more beautiful than I was back then.
“An amusing thing to say. I understand.”
It seemed Dad thought I was joking.
…Yeah, right, Dad. How would *you* know, with a face as blessed as yours.
But wait, this feels a bit unfair. Aren't the children of a handsome man and a beautiful woman supposed to be even more beautiful than them?
Though, I suppose it would have been annoying if I were any prettier.
“Very beautiful, and what else?”
“……”
I recalled the portrait of my mother I had seen long ago, and the image of her from my father's memories.
“……Mom… has a beautiful, kind smile.”
“……”
“Her voice was kind, clear, and pretty, too.”
She was the kind of person whose bright smile would make you feel happy just by looking at her.
It was the smile she had when she looked at Dad. She looked so happy.
It was a shame that the man himself couldn't remember it.
“……And I think she loved me a lot.”
There are moments when you can see love.
The image of our family of three that I saw in Dad's memory was one of those moments.
Under the pavilion, the couple holding their newborn baby looked so happy.
I almost felt jealous, even knowing that baby was me.
On the other hand, when I had first treated Dad and looked into his memories…
I also remembered the image of Mom, pregnant with me, smiling as she stroked her belly.
‘I'd like her name to have 'Yu' in it.’
‘I'd like her name to have 'Yu' in it.’
The mother who gave me half of my name.
It would have been so nice if I could have talked with you, too.
…If I had, I probably would have wanted to live here.
“Do you know something?”
I recalled the story I had heard from within my father's memories.
“I heard that Mom and Dad eloped.”
“……I did?”
“Is that so surprising?”
Dad's eyes widened.
I thought he might have at least heard the story before, but he looked like it was the first time he'd ever heard it.
“……Who told you that?”
“You did. In your own memory.”
“……”
He seemed to be at a loss for words, hearing it was his own statement.
And he still didn't seem to remember.
“I was surprised, too. Eloping, I mean. You seem like the type to just smash through anything you don't like to solve the problem.”
I remembered how Dad talked back to the family head without a care. He was pretty cool then, wasn't he?
“What do you think, Dad, as you are now? Why would you have had to run away?”
Dad seemed to be contemplating.
Since he was abnormally unable to remember anything related to Mom, his answer to this question might be a clue.
“……To protect her?”
“Huh?”
Dad tilted his head and, with a nonchalant expression, said something incredible.