The Mansion Awaits Spring - Chapter 133

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 133
* * *
September 6th, one day before the Victory Commemorative Day.
Upon hearing that Pejin was returning to the Grand Duke’s Residence for a gathering of House of Dieusz members, Joshua bounced excitedly on his feet.
“Uncle, when are you coming?”
“He left this morning, so he should be here soon, shouldn’t he?”
Miller took Joshua’s hand.
For reasons of his own, Pejin had been spending more time with his nephews lately. Joshua in particular had grown attached to his uncle—though he spoke in curt tones, Pejin played with him energetically until the boy was exhausted.
Miller felt threatened by how close Pejin was becoming to his son, yet he could not openly keep them apart.
Heidi watched her husband with concern.
Pejin had always been a particularly sensitive child from an early age, and Heidi understood that nature well. But Miller had never been like that. Yet lately he watched Pejin with excessive caution, and woke from his sleep drenched in cold sweat.
When had Miller begun to harbor such fear of his brother?
In matters of succession within a house, it was not unusual for brothers to clash. In nearly every family Heidi had known thus far, fraternal conflict had erupted at least once.
The large age difference had simply kept it from happening until now, but there was no guarantee it wouldn’t occur in the future.
Once she thought of it that way, Miller’s fear infected her as well.
As always, Pejin arrived later than expected.
“Uncle!”
Joshua released Miller’s hand and ran toward Pejin, while Miller watched with a fixed stare.
Pejin lifted Joshua into his arms.
“You’re getting heavy.”
“No, I’m not heavy at all.”
“How would you know? I’m the one carrying you.”
Pejin made the quip even as he carried Joshua to his seat at the table set up in the Grand Duke’s Residence garden.
The garden had become even more magnificent once House of Dieusz acquired a portion of the Lunos Family Estate’s wealth. The dining table had benefited similarly.
Joshua wrapped his arms around Pejin’s neck and sat on his uncle’s lap, chattering away about everything that had happened in his absence.
“So I decided I would take care of one of the two puppies.”
“You’re not taking care of it. You’re just playing with it.”
“No, I even fed it.”
“Well, if you’re managing meals, then you’re taking care of it.”
“See?”
Heidi watched the exchange uneasily.
Now she understood viscerally that Pejin was a threat to Miller and his family. And her own sons were part of that family.
Before the meal began, Heidi forced a smile and spoke to Joshua.
“Go back to your seat. Your uncle needs to eat as well.”
“But I want to stay here a while longer. I haven’t finished my story yet…….”
Joshua turned to Pejin with eyes that begged for his support.
Then Pejin spoke to Heidi.
“Couldn’t you be a bit firmer about it? The boy’s being annoying.”
“I won’t go…….”
Joshua protested, tugging at Pejin’s collar, while Pejin shrugged helplessly at Heidi as if to ask what he could do.
Heidi wanted nothing more than to pry Joshua away from him, but when she saw Pejin raise his hand and brush back his nephew’s sweat-dampened hair as the boy talked animatedly, she fell silent.
Joshua asked Pejin, who had been listening intently with his chin propped in his hand.
“Uncle, what about you? Did anything interesting happen at the Harbor?”
“Interesting? There’s nothing interesting at a harbor. Just drunks wandering around causing trouble.”
“But a Merchant Ship set sail, didn’t it?”
“Ah, I saw that. It was impressive.”
“Impressive? What was?”
“The sailors didn’t say a word. They didn’t even say goodbye to their families at dawn—they just left. That was impressive.”
Pejin said this, then pulled Joshua’s plate toward them and began feeding the boy, continuing as he did.
“The Merchant Ship’s owner stood on the Breakwater and shouted to the ship that they should come back alive. One of the sailors shouted back that they would.”
“That really is impressive.”
“Exactly.”
“Who was the Merchant Ship’s owner?”
“Lunos. April Lunos.”
At Pejin’s words, the hands of everyone from House of Dieusz seated at the table froze.
Joshua’s face contorted into what was meant to be a fearsome expression as he asked.
“Isn’t House of Lunos made up of bad people?”
“Who told you that?”
“Because they were terrible to Mother. The adults told me.”
Hatred flashed suddenly in Joshua’s eyes.
Pejin thought that look resembled his own from childhood—the gaze with which he had once regarded April with loathing. Around that time, Pejin himself had heard many things from family members.
Pejin asked.
“Did you hear why they were terrible to her?”
“……Because they’re bad people?”
Joshua tilted his head uncertainly, speaking it as a question rather than a statement. Pejin smiled and answered.
“Your father…….”
“Pejin.”
Heidi called to him.
But Pejin ignored her and continued.
“He was betrothed to a daughter of House of Lunos. But when he met your mother, he grew angry.”
“Pejin!”
Heidi called again, but Joshua’s eyes had already widened as he absorbed the information.
The boy looked back and forth between his parents as if pleading with them to deny what he’d heard, but neither said a word in defense of Pejin’s truthfulness.
Joshua blinked, then tried to slip down from Pejin’s lap so he could ask his parents for more details.
But Pejin held his arm firmly and continued.
“And yet I’m still on your parents’ side. They’re my family, after all.”
“……Really?”
“Of course.”
Pejin pulled Joshua close in a gentle embrace and continued.
“Blood has always been thicker than water.”
At his words, Joshua seemed reassured and nodded, though even as he sat cradled in his uncle’s arms, he turned his head again to look at his parents in turn.
The chill in the boy’s eyes drained all color from Heidi’s face.
When Heidi glanced at her husband, Miller was watching only Pejin, as if deaf to all that had been said.
Realizing her husband would be of no help, Heidi spoke to Joshua.
“Your father and I loved each other before he was even betrothed to Miss April.”
“…….”
“So what can we do? Our love was simply too great.”
After hearing this, Joshua’s face fell. He quickly turned and buried his face in Pejin’s chest.
Having thoroughly ruined the mood of the meal, Pejin rose with Joshua in his arms.
“I’ll go comfort him.”
With that, he carried Joshua away toward the residence.
Miller clenched his fists as he watched Pejin’s retreating back with his son. The guards Pejin had brought blocked his view in an instant.
In Miller’s eyes, Pejin had of late completely established himself as an Imperial citizen.
If the Emperor bestowed a new rank upon him, any trace of Pejin’s identity as a person of the Grand Duchy would vanish.
The Emperor could grant Pejin any rank whatsoever. He might even elevate him to Grand Duke of this very Grand Duchy.
If that were to happen, what would become of him? Of his family?
Miller gritted his teeth.
He decided a trip to the Capital City was necessary.
* * *
Once Joshua left the garden and put distance between himself and his parents, his sullenness lifted. He lifted his head and began glancing around with renewed curiosity.
The boy was still a boy, after all, and his grievances did not linger long. Soon enough, his attention turned to something else entirely.
When Pejin laid him on the bed, Joshua clutched his uncle’s arm, refusing to let him go.
Though Pejin seemed annoyed, he dragged a chair over and sat beside the bed.
“What now?”
“Tell me about the Military Academy. When you were a cadet.”
“Why do you like that story so much? April’s the same way.”
“The Head of House Lunos likes to hear that too?”
“Yeah, she asks for it. But why are you curious about that?”
“Just because. I’m curious about you, Uncle.”
Pejin fell silent at Joshua’s words.
Had April been curious about him as well? Did she care anymore, or had that curiosity faded completely…….
As he sat with these thoughts, Joshua peered at his face carefully and asked.
“Is it a sad story?”
“Why do you think that?”
“You look sad.”
Pejin met the boy’s gaze, then bent forward and lay his torso across the bed.
“Would you listen even if it were sad?”
“Can I cry while listening?”
“No. I think I’d get annoyed.”
“But I can still listen, right?”
Joshua said this, and with his small hand patted Pejin’s head the way an adult would. Pejin let out a soft laugh.
Lying across the bed like that, he murmured.
“It’s a story about someone I love…….”
April was someone who erased difficult things from memory, and Pejin had believed himself to be the same kind of person as her.
But he wasn’t. He wanted to talk about her. To anyone at all, really…….
He told Joshua about love. With a child who understood nothing and only laughed and cried at his words, speaking felt strangely easy.
After sharing snacks in place of the meal and talking until Joshua was on the verge of sleep, Pejin sat up. Joshua’s hand trailed up his uncle’s arm.
Joshua asked drowsily.
“Why? Where are you going, Uncle? I want to hear more stories.”
“I have an engagement.”
“But tomorrow’s a day off.”
At Joshua’s words, Pejin bent down and kissed the boy’s forehead, then answered.
“Not for someone of the Grand Duchy.”
He turned and left Joshua’s room, then set his steps toward the Lunos Family Estate.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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