CH 145

“It’s called a moon-viewing.” Duke Jaime’s suggestion was very elegant.

“No, no. Someone once advised me that it’s better to talk while looking at something together.”

“Oh…talk?”

-Ehem- is the mike working?

This is Alice, and I am currently listening in from the balcony downstairs.

I was just joking…but right now I was observing the fathers on the balcony diagonally below me, along with my schoolmates—the Purple and Peach duo.

I had asked my fathers and uncle to have an evening drinking fathers’ party and to go talk to Margrave Euclid.

It was, unexpectedly, right near the room where the three of us were trying to sleep.

When Laurier noticed this, she was so nervous that she went out on the balcony to listen in on them secretly.

I brought a blanket from the bed, and the three of us wrapped ourselves up, put our fingers to our lips, and made a ‘shhh’ gesture.

Me and Letitia squeezed the nervous hand of Laurier-sama, and then quietly listened to the talking downstairs.

“All three of us are now parents of children close in age, aren’t we?”

It was Uncle Oedipus’ voice.

The crisp yet polite tone of his voice attested to that.

I used to feel intimidated and afraid of him because I had only see him angry with my father all the time, but I noticed that he only spoke to his relatives in a broken manner, and that he always spoke properly and politely without looking down on those below him in rank.

Margrave Euclid opened his mouth in response.

“How very true. Although I am much older than you two, I am relieved that they were born safely.”

My father and uncle nodded and sipped their drinks.

It is true that my father and uncle were in their late twenties and thirties, but the Margrave looked to be in his late forties.

Then my father spoke up.

“We have only Alice, but in my brother-in-law’s family, Onyx is the older one and Athena is the younger one. How are they getting along these days?”

“Well, not bad. I think Athena is particularly fond of Onyx. How about the the Einschutt sisters?”

At this question, Margrave Euclid seemed to grasp the intention of this meeting.

He was silent for a while.

Laurier-sama’s hand next to me trembled a little. I grasped her hand firmly again and waited to continue until I confirmed that Letitia on the other side had done the same.

“…That’s right…I can’t say that they get along very well.”

“Oh, is there a problem…?”

When my father gently cut in, Margrave Euclid took a big drink and then went silent for a moment.

I could hear my uncle quietly pouring some wine into his empty cup.

After a while, Margrave Euclid began to mutter in a whisper.

“I know I shouldn’t have done that…I love them both the same…But Laurier is my successor. The heavy burden of successorship of the Einzchutt who borders the great empire…I cannot help but be very strict to make sure that after I’m gone, she won’t…be cheated or slighted by others or have any difficulties.”

“That’s…”

There was the sound of my father and uncle setting down their cups. The sobbing had already begun to mix in with the Margrave’s voice…Was that man crying?

No, perhaps this was the first time that the fathers had discussed this kind of matter with each other. That’s why this happened so quickly.

“But the truth is, I really want to dote on her. I want her little hands to hold flowers and sweets rather than a rugged sword…But if I allow that to happen even a little…I’m sure that once I’ve indulged her and seen her smiling face, I’ll never be able to be as strict as I am with her again…If that happens, I will be too old and my days are numbered to protect her.”

Margrave Euclid spoke of this with a muffled voice. It was very overprotective…or something.

When I looked next to me, I saw that Laurier-sama had a surprised look on her face, followed by a quivering of her lips. I think this was the first time she had ever heard this kind of sentiment.

However, this confession alone was still far from the proper solution.

My father and uncle seemed to think the same.

“I understand a little of how you feel, Euclid-sama. I’ve felt that way about Alice, too…however…”

“Ah, I’ll be honest and say that I can’t shake the strange feeling of discomfort I’ve had since staying here.’

Margrave Euclid groaned after hearing that.

The Margrave, who was handed a cup of sake in his hands, drank it and cried.

“I know, I know. I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m so lenient with my second daughter, Meryl…I’m sure that’s what you want to ask…”

Hmm, the three of them went silent.

Then Margrave Euclid once again twirled his cup, hung his head down, and muttered.

“I know I shouldn’t have done that. But…”

“…too cute, I suppose.”

When Uncle complained about that, Count Euclid groaned a little and then opened his mouth to say something.

“That’s also true, but to be honest…I’ve been so focused on my work and Laurier’s education that I haven’t had time to think about Meryl.”

“……Oh.”

Oh.

It was a long-winded way of saying it, but put simply, It was like he was saying “I’m just letting it go because I’m busy.”

When I gently glanced at Laurier-sama’s face, I saw that she had an indescribably complicated expression.

“I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but…in that case, isn’t it only natural that your daughters wouldn’t get along?”

When my father said so softly, Margrave Euclid moaned.

“It’s difficult to concentrate only on the older child, and leave the younger child alone. If I were in either of those positions, I’d probably be unhappy.”

The relentless words of Uncle Oedipus, which were uttered with a sigh, finally made Margrave Euclid’s large frame shrink and shy away.

In fact, I think anyone would be disappointed if the Duke, who was a very high-ranked figure, said that he was upset.

“Since Laurier has gone to the academy, I was able to afford a little time, and I have just started to feel that things shouldn’t stay like this…But what should I do now…?”

“You’re right…Even if you can’t change everything right away, how about changing one thing at a time? For example…”

My father suggested something.

Around that time, Laurier-sama quickly pulled my sleeve.

It was the signal for the three of us to sneak back inside.

When we looked fearfully at her to see how she felt, to our surprise, she had a rather refreshed look on her face.

“My father…is a very clumsy man, isn’t he?”

With that said, she sighed in a manner not befitting a young girl.

Oof. Rather than a refreshing look, this was a face that said, ‘He can’t be helped.’

“Well…I thought he was a very strict and intelligent person, but he was really full of it.”

“Yes…I was surprised by my father.”

Your daughter is astounded by your clumsiness, Margrave Euclid… But when I looked at her, I could see that she had relaxed her shoulders and was smiling as if some heavy weight had been dropped.

I wondered if this response was so different due to the difference in affection, but I knew that it was just a matter of the father’s own capacity.

Well, I guess this result wasn’t as bad as I thought…

In fact, when you look at it from a different perspective, you could say that the younger sister Meryl, who was being neglected, would be put in a worse situation in the future.

On that day, the three of us slept together, thinking the same things, “Pull yourself together, Margrave.”

We had no idea that a mysterious scene would unfold for several days after that night.

First of all, Margrave Euclid, who had received some kind of advice from my father, raised his hands to try and hug Laurier at the beginning of the encounter! He raised his hands…

…But he didn’t know what to say to her, so he stiffened up with a scared look on his face.

Laurier-sama, who received this gesture, misunderstood and wondered if this was some type of training. Then the two of them raised their hands and went stiff.

The two of them faced each other with difficulty with their hands raised. It was like watching two raccoons about to fight for their territory.