It was a voice with no room for doubt. And it actually was like that. They reluctantly gave permission since he said he wanted to go, but it was a given that he would return anyway. In fact, Kalix had said he would go to the Academy thinking that way too.
Kalix loved his territory, his hometown, just like all the other family members. It was true that he had said he would go to the Academy because he wanted to see other places too, but that was just temporary, and naturally he had planned to return to his beloved hometown. But now, he couldn’t tell for sure.
The fortunate thing was that Cyrus didn’t find it strange that Kalix gave no answer. He would think there was no need to answer since he would return anyway. Feeling that naturalness made him uncomfortable again. This is mine. Really, all of this is mine.
“Kalix.”
When he was blankly letting the conversation between Alexander and Cyrus pass by, his name was suddenly called. When he reflexively checked, his parents were gesturing for Kalix to come over to them from not far away.
Cyrus also confirmed that signal and looked around. At his gesture of trying to find another conversation partner since he couldn’t just leave a introduced guest alone, Alexander said to Cyrus,
“Please don’t worry about me and go ahead.”
“I can’t do that when you came all this way.”
With those words, Cyrus, who seemed to have found a suitable person, skillfully introduced Deborah, Kalix’s longtime friend and relative who was nearby.
“Debbie, this is Alexander Clifford. Kalix’s friend.”
At those words, a genuine smile appeared on Deborah’s face as she looked at Alexander.
“Hello. Please call me Deborah.”
Likewise skillfully kissing the back of Deborah’s hand, Alexander’s face also showed amusement.
“Alexander is fine.”
What was it like when he looked at Skylar? That thought came naturally and his eyes unconsciously furrowed slightly.
“We’ll excuse ourselves for a moment.”
But before Kalix could judge anything, at Cyrus’s words and the hand that simultaneously lightly touched his back to make him move, Kalix had no choice but to move his steps. It was a very brief moment, but first, Deborah had taken a liking to Alexander at first sight.
“Hello, Aunt.”
“Kalix, you’ve grown taller than when I saw you before. You’re already taller than Cyrus.”
“Cyrus, until when did you keep growing?”
Even while talking with relatives, Kalix glanced at Alexander. Alexander and Deborah kept laughing about whatever they were talking about. Surely nothing was happening. They were just talking. Surely. Alexander had Skylar after all.
“Is the Academy manageable? When you’re young, it’s good to experience many things, so I was in favor from the beginning.”
“I know. I was really grateful for your help in persuading them.”
Even while saying that, when he checked on Alexander, their eyes met for a moment. Alexander gestured toward the stage as if he was going to dance, letting him know. He always lets me know where he is.
“Are you having fun there?”
At that affectionately given voice, Kalix finally looked at the person in front of him. His aunt, his godmother, who had always been gentle to Kalix since he was very young, who always said she would protect him no matter what wrong he did since his parents would scold him anyway.
“Yes. It’s fun.”
Kalix realized he was naturally smiling before he knew it. He had definitely been tense, and for a moment he had been so frozen he could hardly breathe. Yet he could still smile.
* * *
The event had finally ended. Since it was Kalix who had brought Alexander, he moved his steps to guide Alexander to his room. Cyrus’s coming-of-age ceremony had gone on for three whole days, but fortunately for Kalix, today was all there was since he had to return to the Academy.
Kalix glanced at Alexander walking beside him. Since he had seen him constantly with Deborah, he felt somewhat uncomfortable. While he had Skylar. Of course, he knew it was just conversation. Moreover, from his intermittent checks, Alexander had maintained a certain distance from Deborah.
“How was your coming-of-age ceremony?”
Had he been with Skylar back then? Since he said they had known each other for two years, he might have invited her to the ceremony too.
“I had it twice.”
With those words, Alexander unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled them up as if feeling stuffy.
“Why?”
At Kalix’s question, Alexander also unbuttoned one button at his collar and looked at Kalix.
“Do you want to marry a princess from a neighboring country too?”
Wondering what he was suddenly talking about, Kalix looked at Alexander. Though Alexander was still wearing his uniform, just having undone one button and rolled up his sleeves had already made his atmosphere relaxed. Alexander smiled naturally.
“Our mother is a princess from a neighboring country. When I was little, I lived there most of the time. So my nickname here is Alex, but there it’s Sasha. I did come to the territory every summer even then, but I came here completely when I was 8.”
Probably Kalix’s parents or Cyrus knew this, but it was a fact Kalix didn’t know. Then when did he meet Jasper? Even though he had easily manipulated Jasper’s affection deficiency, he’d hardly ever heard the inside story. The more he thought about it, the more trash he was.
“Anyway, since I lived there when I was young, I often saw my mother’s relatives. I was especially close to my uncle. My uncle didn’t have children, and since our family already had my older brother, he said he wanted to adopt me, the second son.”
Such cases happened often enough so there was nothing particularly surprising about it, but thinking that Alexander was the protagonist made it seem somewhat amazing. But then again, thinking about it, it seemed like it would suit him in its own way. He’d adapt well wherever he went.
“So I had two coming-of-age ceremonies. My uncle said he definitely wanted to hold my coming-of-age ceremony himself. Saying that if things had worked out, I would have been his son.”
Alexander continued speaking while maintaining his smile as if recalling those times.
“But we couldn’t not have a coming-of-age ceremony at the territory either, so we did that first and then had another one during vacation. The one my uncle held. Both were fun.”
He vaguely knew that Jasper didn’t get along well with his family, but Alexander seemed to get along well not only with his paternal family but also with his maternal relatives. Actually, Jasper got along quite well with Alexander too.
“Did your parents oppose it? The adoption.”
At Kalix’s sudden question, Alexander looked at him.
“Mother was in favor of it. Then I would have lived there for life. Since mother loves her homeland, she would have preferred for me to grow up there if possible. As for father, well, there’s my older brother, and even if I was registered under my uncle, father would still be father so it’s not like we couldn’t meet. I’ve never heard directly, so I don’t know, but I don’t think he would have been strongly opposed.”
The voice that had been continuing peacefully cut off for a moment, then a somewhat playful smile filled that brief pause.
“But my older brother didn’t like it.”
He knew Jasper had two older brothers. And since Alexander was Jasper’s second older brother, naturally he also knew Alexander had an older brother. But this was the first time hearing about it directly like this. Not just now, but including all the time until his body was taken away.
Jasper rarely talked about his family, and the person who had Kalix’s body hadn’t been curious about such things either. So this was the first time. Though in this case it was Alexander, not Jasper.
“When we were little, I couldn’t see Frederick, my older brother, very often. Frederick was with father at the territory and I was with mother abroad. In summer I would come this way, in winter Frederick would go that way, but anyway we only saw each other then.”
As already expected, Alexander seemed to be quite close with his older brother too. Even from his tone, you could tell he felt comfortable with him.
“But if I got adopted, we’d see each other even less. Frederick heard about that. Even though we couldn’t see each other often, we got along pretty well. Thinking we wouldn’t be able to see each other if things continued like this, the two of us secretly snuck out and went into the forest.”
“How old were you?”
When he asked reflexively, Alexander briefly thought back, then answered.
“I think I was 7 at the time. Then Frederick would have been 11.”
He didn’t know how big the forest was, but anyway, wasn’t it a dangerous age to hide in a forest rather than a garden? But Alexander continued speaking as if it was nothing.
“We left a letter saying we wouldn’t come back unless they swore not to separate us, and came out like that. If not for that, I might not be here. My uncle still says he wants to adopt me even now.”
If the adults changed their minds, they must have caused quite a lot of worry. But listening to Alexander’s words, it seemed like he himself didn’t mind being registered under his uncle except for being separated from his older brother. Except for being separated from his older brother. But up until then, he said he hadn’t seen much of his brother either.
“Why don’t you do it?”
As Alexander had already said, Alexander had an older brother. Naturally, there was no sign of doubting or being reluctant about his brother inheriting the family. But if his uncle had no children and still wanted to adopt him even now, it wouldn’t be bad to do so after graduation. No, it wouldn’t just be not bad—wouldn’t it be quite good?
“When I was conveniently born without having to take responsibility, why would I go out of my way?”
But Alexander’s voice that came out contained a rare hint of distaste. Though he’d already vaguely felt it, Alexander was definitely far from any desire for power.
“That thing.”
When they arrived at Alexander’s room, Alexander opened the door and as he entered, suddenly turned around to look at Kalix.
“What?”
“Your gift.”
At those words, Kalix took out the fountain pen Alexander had put in his pocket.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
