CH 23

Chapter 23 – My wife is not here

Translator: Yonnee

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“…Understood, sir. Shall I have the portal prepared?”

“Yes.”

Stumbling as he walked away, Ciel thought about his younger brother.

It was an open secret that his younger brother, who was currently residing at the detached manor located at the furthest corner of the Leopardt Duchy’s provincial residence, was mentally ill.

And at that detached manor, he even kicked out all of the attendants serving him. In a fit, like a madman, he chased them all out—for the sole reason that their even just quiet footsteps drove him crazy.

But now that Ciel had returned, he was well aware of the true reason.

People were under the impression that he was suffering from a mental illness simply because he was weak, but Ciel knew that he must be a psychic-based Esper.

It could be surmised that it’s not the footsteps that he didn’t want to hear—but the employees’ thoughts.

This was not just pure speculation. Ciel drew inference from what his younger brother would usually say.

That, people were hideous, not a single person was the same from the front and the back. The same went for their parents.

It was only in front of Ciel that his younger brother became calm.

How foolish had Ciel been before that he simply rationalized this as his younger brother being especially fond of him.

Perhaps his younger brother was a lower-level Esper, that’s why his powers didn’t work on Ciel and couldn’t read his mind.

Still, Ciel had to wonder. Was his younger brother the type of Esper who only reads minds, or was he the type of Esper who could control minds…

“Well, I’ll figure it out once we meet.”

This was going to be his first time meeting his younger brother after he had returned. The last time they met hadn’t even been a few years in this world, however from Ciel’s perspective, it was perhaps well over a decade since.

As he was on his way to meet his younger brother, Ciel’s blue eyes were fogged over, as if they were filled with muddy water.

He tried to counteract the symptoms with holy water, but for someone like him—who already knew what it felt to be guided—it was very difficult to continue enduring.

“But rather than my body remembering, it’s my mind…”

Ciel was certain that his original body had already wasted away after his rampage, and the body he had now was surely that of his past. So, why was he feeling this unbearable thirst?

Just the thought of Seohyun made him feel refreshed, as if her distinctive mint scent was lingering at the tip of his nose.

The period in his life in which he received her guiding was no different from a period in his life wherein he was receiving such straightforward love.

Beyond the prying gazes of Seo-yoon, the Korean government, the Esper Center and the Guide Center, the only time he could express himself without any reservation was whenever he could receive Seohyun’s guiding.

It would have been alright for him to have opened his heart back then.

However, he incessantly pretended not to know, he incessantly kept being angry, again and again, he…

“I pretended not to love you… but I don’t have to do that anymore.”

My wife is not here.

His wife, who was a guide who brought him repose— who had a gentle mint scent that was reminiscent of the love that she enveloped him with…

He wanted to have a taste of it once more. As soon as possible.

Her refreshing presence, her sweetness, her love…

The thought alone excited him. Ciel didn’t even know that he was smiling.

His blue, glowing eyes were out of focus, and the corners of his lips were tugging up, just as his mood soared to the sky.

Seeing him like this, the household butler had no choice but to gulp quietly. His master was showing such a handsome outward appearance, and yet it was coupled with such a bizarre expression.

It all started one day, out of the blue. The master had changed, and even the atmosphere that he was giving off had become unstable. Silently, the whole mansion had been swept into a hushed state of emergency.

Like an unsaid agreement between them all, the servants automatically knew that they should be careful around their master, who seemed to be on the brink of volatility.

* * *

After my date with Dad we went back home right before dinner, and as Mom noticed our carriage coming in from a distance, she came out to greet us.

However, her expression hardened the moment she caught sight of the bow on my shoulder.

Of course, she agreed when I had asked them to buy me a bow, but it seemed like she wasn’t expecting me to pick out a full-fledged combat bow.

Naturally, Dad was pulled aside, and Mom gave him an earful for a long time after that.

This made me uneasy. Considering how much Dad had gotten scolded by Mom, I was getting worried about how they might cancel the katar dagger we had ordered.

Fortunately, Dad was a man of his word. It seems like he’ll have the katar delivered in secret without Mom knowing.

This made me immensely happy. I clung onto Dad again, kissing him on his beardy cheek. He winked at me and told me to let him know if there was another weapon that I wanted to get.

It seemed like, after he saw me practicing on the weapons earlier at the smithy, he was starting to understand my feelings.

Our household had been a knight’s family for generations. Although our name never made a mark in the capital or caught the attention of the imperial family, our household had been protecting this territory from monsters and external enemies for such a long time now as knights.

And Dad was thinking that I was a prodigy… not knowing that I’ve been training by myself until now.