“Everyone’s staring.”
Etna bent down and whispered softly to Nigel. Shaking off the swirling thoughts in his head, Nigel looked around.
It hadn’t even been a full two years since Etna died. Most of the servants would still remember him—the eldest son of this estate. And now, a man who looked exactly like him had shown up out of nowhere. Of course they were confused. It would take time to see what kind of rumors would spread, but Nigel doubted they’d be good ones.
His head was already throbbing. He felt a bit cowardly for thinking it, but… thank god he wasn’t the Duke right now.
“Well, I mean, it’s not that strange…”
“Because I’m ridiculously handsome?”
“…”
Etna’s confidence was unshakable. Not that Nigel had any desire to refute him—it was true. Etna shared some features with twenty-three-year-old Nigel, but the resemblance was faint. Etna’s looks were far more masculine, exuding raw charm.
“You’re cute too, Nigel.”
“Say handsome.”
Nigel pouted, lips jutting out in protest. But Etna just shook his head instead of agreeing.
“You’re still young, so you’re cute. Your hands and feet are tiny. Honestly, I think you’ll still be cute even when you grow up—you take after our mother.”
At the mention of their mother, Nigel flinched. The ghost of Rimera from the previous loop flashed through his mind.
She’d died young and had wandered the halls of the ducal estate ever since. Was she still drifting through the royal capital’s mansion even now?
He should have felt sorrow. But ungratefully, his heart was calm. Maybe because he’d been too young to remember her at all when she died. Nigel tightened his grip on Etna’s hand.
“Later…”
“Hm?”
“Tell me about Mother. I want to hear.”
He’d never really heard much about Rimera. Ruder had loved his wife so much he never remarried—but at the same time, he couldn’t bear to even see reminders of her. Every trace of her had been removed from the mansion, even the smallest portraits. Only after Ruder’s death did Nigel find a tiny frame flipped facedown in the man’s private quarters.
Either way, with no memories of her, it was nearly impossible for Nigel to mourn someone he couldn’t even picture.
Etna’s eyes widened at the sudden request, then he gave a small nod.
“Of course. As much as you want.”
As they spoke, they reached the dining room. Nigel and Etna entered together, side by side.
The long rectangular table was already set, all the food arranged in advance. It seemed the servants had laid everything out beforehand to avoid disrupting the meal—probably to give them privacy to talk.
“You’re both here.”
Ruder smiled gently at his sons. Nigel noticed that his father’s eyes were a little puffy from crying—oddly out of place. He stifled a laugh and took his seat.
A morning meal with the whole family. It had been so long—it felt surreal. A scene he’d thought would never happen again. He almost teared up but held it back. Thankfully, Ruder and Etna seemed to feel the same way. No one spoke for a long moment.
Eventually, Etna recovered first and picked up his utensils—then frowned.
Following his gaze, Nigel looked over the table. It was a lavish spread for a breakfast, but oddly… there were only two place settings.
They’d clearly gone all out for this welcome meal, but somehow forgot Etna’s portion. It was almost laughable.
Ruder, lost in emotion, finally snapped back to reality and glanced at Etna.
“Wait… you’re eating too?”
“What, you planning to starve me?”
“No, I just…”
Ruder, uncharacteristically hesitant, merely opened and closed his mouth. Etna sighed loudly, clearly intending for Ruder to hear.
“Father, I’m not some kind of undead. You hugged me yesterday, remember? I was plenty warm.”
“Right… I did touch you, but…”
Ruder still seemed uneasy. His expression suggested he was worried the food might rot inside Etna or something.
“Want me to bleed for you to prove it?”
“Don’t say that.”
What Etna likely intended as a joke, Ruder took seriously—and snapped in anger. Maybe realizing he’d gone too far, Etna promptly apologized.
“Well, at least you set a place for me. And there’s plenty of food. I’ll just share with Nigel today.”
With a casual grin, Etna pulled an empty plate toward him and began scooping small portions from Nigel’s plate. Nigel took the opportunity to push aside the dishes he didn’t like—until he caught Ruder’s sharp glare and quietly picked his utensils back up.
The meal began. Both Nigel and Ruder kept stealing glances at Etna, their unease still lingering.
But Etna, well aware of their gaze, responded by eating even more naturally and confidently. He chewed and swallowed with the ease of someone who’d done this every day. Only after confirming nothing strange happened did Ruder finally begin to eat.
Most of the conversation during the meal was between Ruder and Etna. It seemed they’d already discussed the serious political matters yesterday, because the topics were light: which room Etna would use, what clothes he’d need, which servants would wait on him—things Nigel didn’t need to worry about. Even when the topic shifted toward things he could join in on, he chose to focus on his food.
“By the way, Nigel.”
“Yes?”
As the meal was wrapping up, Nigel was poking at some carrots he didn’t want to eat when Ruder called his name. When he looked up, Ruder smiled gently, trying to soften him.
“It might be a good idea for you to visit the capital sometime.”
“The capital?”
“Yes. To speak with His Majesty. I’ve already informed him of what’s happened… It’ll be good for you, and good for our house.”
“Yes, understood.”
It was clear what this meant: while Nigel was away from the estate, Etna—now Taren—would more formally take his place. As long as Nigel remained here, it would be difficult for the newly adopted ‘Taren’ to fully establish himself as the heir.
Nigel hadn’t expected anything different, so he simply nodded without protest.
“You don’t have to go right away. It’s still winter, so spring would be best. And once your health improves.”
“I am healthy, though…”
“You’ve collapsed more than once recently.”
He couldn’t argue with that. Not that it was his body’s fault—Glarus had knocked him unconscious a couple times. With his shoulders sagging, Nigel looked down, and Ruder gently comforted him.
“I just worry about you. Now that your brother’s back, don’t push yourself.”
“Yeah. Leave it to your big brother.”
“Okay.”
“And Nigel… by any chance…”
Ruder’s voice was hesitant, unsure. Nigel waited patiently.
“Have you ever thought about attending the Academy?”
“What?”
“It’d be good for you. The temple wouldn’t interfere with your affairs if you’re enrolled.”
It was true—if he enrolled in an institution like the Academy, the Temple couldn’t demand anything of him as long as he was a student. These days, many nobles attended such academies. The Magnus Duchy rarely did so because they were always embroiled in large-scale conflicts and handled education internally. But the academies offered excellent education and, more importantly, opportunities to socialize with other noble children from a young age.
Objectively, it wouldn’t hurt. Since Nigel was no longer the heir, going to the academy could provide a future path. But still… he hated the idea.
His mental age was in his twenties, and now he was supposed to go to school with twelve-year-olds? It was insane. For the first time today, Nigel shook his head with firm resolve.
“I don’t want to. I’d probably miss a lot of classes when I get sick.”
“They’d make accommodations for you.”
“I don’t want them to.”
“Nigel, don’t be so stubborn. You’ll be thirteen soon—it’s time to start thinking about your future.”
Ruder’s tone turned stern. Apparently, now that Nigel wasn’t the heir, Ruder wasn’t going to keep coddling him. That stung a little. But unexpectedly, Etna cut in right away.
“Father, let it go. Nigel’s not that strong.”
“If he lives in a nice climate with regular routines, he might improve.”
“Not necessarily. I heard those academies are pretty demanding. You remember Baron Atlute? Uncle Jeremy’s lieutenant?”
“Yes, I remember.”
“His third son was sickly. Went to the academy and came back worse.”
“The third… died recently, didn’t he?”
Ruder murmured somberly, and the mood instantly turned heavy. Nigel barely held back a smirk. No way would their father insist on sending him after hearing that.
“Nigel’s the type who really needs proper rest. Strict schedules aren’t for him.”
Etna sealed the argument. Ruder fell into thoughtful silence, then nodded slowly.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. Let’s forget I said anything.”
Nigel, who had absolutely not wanted to go, quickly nodded.
***
After breakfast, Nigel and Etna stepped out together. Ruder had work to attend to, and Etna said he’d walk Nigel to his room. Ruder didn’t seem thrilled about it, but relented with a nod.
Since Etna’s return, Ruder had abandoned his soft, sentimental air and reverted to the strict demeanor he used while grooming his heir. A familiar sight to Nigel.
Once they reached an empty corridor, Etna excused himself and led Nigel into a small room.
“Nigel, are you upset?”
“About what?”
“About what I said to Father.”
Nigel tilted his head, confused. He couldn’t figure out what Etna was referring to—until Etna clarified, “The academy thing.”
Still lost, Nigel blinked.
“Why would I be upset?”
Etna had cut off that uncomfortable conversation cleanly and backed Nigel up. If anything, Nigel was grateful. His answer made Etna’s expression shift strangely.
“Because it might’ve felt like I was looking down on you?”
“But I really am sick.”
Sure, it wasn’t the nicest thing to hear, but he was born frail. Nothing to be done about it. Nigel’s indifferent tone made Etna stare, stunned. Then he suddenly pulled his brother into a tight hug.
“You’ve grown up a lot, Nigel.”
Etna’s arms were strong, and Nigel found himself completely enclosed. Etna patted his back for a while, then sighed.
“Nigel.”
“Yeah?”
“Are you okay?”
“About what?”
Etna slowly pulled back. Standing against the window with the morning sun behind him, Etna’s face was cast in shadow. His eyes glowed gold beneath the darkness.
“Nigel… do you not remember?”
“Remember what?”
“We had a fight, you and me.”
It was unfamiliar. A story clearly about something between them—but to Nigel, it felt like he was hearing it for the first time.
