Chapter 35
“Yes. Have a good trip.”
Kyle fidgeted with his fingers. Is there something he wants to say? Blair wore a puzzled expression. Since returning to the past, Kyle’s behavior reminded him of a child’s. Of course, to Blair, whose core was thirty-three years old, Kyle was indeed quite young. It was a different feeling from Aaron, who was the same age.
The way Kyle stuttered and couldn’t speak properly in front of him was just like a shy little boy. Nevertheless, Kyle was a prince, so he must have been taught how to act naturally and confidently. In fact, the Kyle that remained in Blair’s memory had the dignity of an emperor.
But no matter how he looked at it, the current Kyle seemed very fragile, delicate, and precarious. Was Kyle like this around this time in the past? Even searching through his memories, Blair couldn’t tell. The image of the young Kyle in his memory was blurry.
“Yes. Take care, Your Highness. I’ll see you when I return.”
“Yeah, I will.”
Kyle nodded obediently. His pretty face was filled with an inexplicable disappointment. But we weren’t even that close, so what’s with that regret? For Blair, who had been struggling to keep his distance from Kyle, it was perplexing.
Judging by Kyle’s current behavior, it was as if he was seeing off his closest friend. Blair knew he was receiving special treatment from Kyle, but it was a very subtle feeling. It made his heart tickle. He felt like stopping, opening his chest, taking out his heart, and scratching it vigorously.
As Blair turned and was about to leave the Academy’s main gate, he stopped and turned back. Kyle, who had been standing still without moving until then, automatically smiled brightly. The sunlight shattered transparently around him. He felt like a small, young puppy seeing off its owner leaving home. A good puppy deserves a reward.
After briefly debating whether to speak, Blair approached Kyle and met his eyes.
“My invitation to visit our home wasn’t a joke. If you’re not busy, please visit House Monetery sometime.”
Blair spoke smoothly and smiled slightly. Hearing those words, Kyle’s expression melted. His eyes folded into crescents beautifully. Above them, his lush golden eyelashes fluttered. Either way, it was a face as pretty as a flower, without room for disagreement.
“I will!”
Kyle nodded vigorously with a radiant smile, clearly delighted. Though it would be troublesome in various ways if he actually came, at least for now, Blair’s heart felt lighter. Either way, the blood of a pushover flowed in Blair Monetery’s veins. He truly was a hopeless pushover.
As Blair boarded the carriage sent by his family and closed the door, the carriage began to roll smoothly. Leaning back against the seat, Blair pressed his throbbing forehead.
“Ah, what a pushover I am.”
Blair’s curse fell softly in the empty carriage. But even someone with the most iron-clad heart would have gone out of their way to do something after seeing Kyle’s expression earlier. Anyone whose heart didn’t waver at that expression would succeed at anything they attempted. It was only natural.
There was no point in worrying further about what had already been done. Kyle probably wanted to go somewhere too. Having grown up only in the imperial palace before being practically exiled to the Academy, he likely hadn’t visited many noble houses. Being unexpectedly shy, he probably hadn’t formed close enough relationships with anyone to visit their homes.
He probably wanted to visit other people’s homes at least once. In that respect, House Monetery was a very nice place to visit. First of all, there were many workers, the family members had easygoing personalities, and there were many sights to see around. The city where House Monetery was located was also a thriving commercial city. Kyle, who only knew the imperial palace and the Academy, would be amazed.
Blair recalled his past memories. In his past life, he had a wide variety of experiences. He had been to barren wastelands too harsh for human habitation while on the battlefield. He had traversed seas, mountain ranges, lakes, and cliffs with just a horse and a sword.
Blair had lived in the Monetery territory, said to be piled with gold, for a long time, and had spent nearly ten years in the imperial capital where the imperial palace was located. The Monetery territory was as splendid and prosperous as the imperial capital. Thanks to this, Blair could have diverse experiences even within the territory.
Anyway, if Kyle came, Blair planned to show him around the Monetery territory. In fact, the Monetery territory was not far from the imperial capital or the Academy, but it wasn’t particularly large in area. It occupied a location near the port, making it convenient for the distribution of goods, but it was relatively small in area as it lacked farmland or forests.
Maybe he’ll be disappointed. That’s not my problem. If he comes, I’ll just feed him lots of delicious food, fatten him up, and send him back. That should do it.
With his mind at ease, Blair leaned comfortably against the backrest. The carriage rolled smoothly toward the Monetery territory.
It took about three hours from the Academy to Monetery Castle. If Blair had ridden a horse alone, he could have shortened the travel time by about half, but he couldn’t refuse the kindness of his parents who had sent a carriage pulled by four horses for their beloved youngest son. The Monetery carriage that Blair rode was by far the most splendid among the carriages gathered at the Academy.
After briefly dozing off, he saw a street lined with various shops. It was a rich and prosperous city. People’s attire looked luxurious, and their complexions were healthy. Blair peeked his head out of the carriage. A pleasant breeze scattered his hair. Somehow, it felt like a scene he hadn’t seen in a very long time. That wasn’t wrong.
Blair, who had left the Academy and home at the age of twenty-two to wander the battlefields before settling in the imperial palace, rarely had the opportunity to visit the Monetery territory. He never had enough time to return home and stay for long. He only met his family when they came directly to the imperial capital.
Thinking about it now, it was quite funny. The imperial capital and the Monetery territory were only about an hour apart. Of course, it was true that he had deliberately reduced his visits to avoid gossip. But looking back now, there really was no need to be so distant from House Monetery. After all, Blair had already given up his inheritance rights to House Monetery when he received the title of Duke Gladius.
When he went to the Academy, he hadn’t been able to see the outside scenery as he was still adjusting to reality and feeling unsettled, so it now felt strangely new. People made way when they recognized the Monetery family’s carriage.
“We’ve arrived.”
The diligently running carriage passed through the garden and arrived smoothly in front of the mansion. The sun had not yet completely set.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Blair, adjusting the hat he had taken off, got out and entered the house. There was a separate building for handling the merchant guild’s affairs, and the family lived separately in the mansion. Therefore, the mansion wasn’t as enormously large or splendid as others might think.
“Oh my, young master!”
The maid guarding the door rushed over as soon as she spotted Blair. Blair handed over his cape and hat, then brushed his hair up to tidy his appearance.
“Shall I inform the Count that you’ve arrived?”
“No, it’s fine. Is Father inside? I’ll go see him myself. What about my brother and sister?”
“Today is the day you’re coming, young master. Lady Clara said she’d be back late this evening because she’s busy, and everyone else is inside.”
“Thank you.”
Blair nodded and walked slowly. As he walked down the corridor, Blair peeked open the door to his mother’s room.
“Mother.”
“Blair! My youngest.”
The Countess of Monetery was a woman who remained girlish even as she aged. Blair hadn’t seen anyone as cute as his mother even as he grew much older. She was somewhat childish and a bit silly, but the Countess was a lovable woman like a small canary.
After kissing Blair on both cheeks, she grasped his shoulders with both hands and scrutinized her youngest son’s face. His hair, which had been short before leaving for the Academy, had grown to touch his shoulders. Whether he had suffered outside, the once round and fair cheeks had lost weight, and he had grown significantly taller. He had grown so tall that now she had to look up at him.
“Welcome home. You’ve grown so much. You might even end up taller than Theodore.”
The Countess mentioned Theodore, who had a bear-like build. In the past, Blair was tall but not as robust as Theodore. He was tall and slender. Theodore was not only tall but had a large frame. Theodore would have excelled at martial arts if he had pursued it deeply. It was quite an amusing picture to think of someone with such a physique living as an administrative manager hugging papers.
“I might. Have you been well?”
Blair embraced the Countess with an affectionate smile.
“Of course I’ve been well. Have you greeted your father?”
“No, I wanted to see you first, Mother. I plan to visit Father afterward.”
“Oh my, is that so? I’m honored to be first. Thank you.”
The Countess laughed with a girlish giggle.
“Then you should go now. Let’s meet again at dinner. Afterward, shall we have tea time in the garden?”
“It would be my honor if you invite me.”
Blair comically took the Countess’s hand with an exaggerated gesture and kissed the back of her hand. Once again, a girlish laugh erupted. After finishing his greetings with his mother, Blair moved on to the Count’s office. After briefly exchanging greetings with the Count, Blair stood in front of Theodore’s room and knocked on the door.
Slightly opening the door and leaning askew against the doorframe, Blair knocked on the open door. Theodore, who had been diligently reviewing documents, looked up to see the source of the sound. Upon discovering his young brother, Theodore smiled broadly.
[To be continued….]
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
