They Say an Age Gap Like This Doesn’t Even Need Matching - Chapter 83

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

Raern and Kei released my arm with sighs of relief.
“Next time, I’ll make it far more entertaining for you. Look forward to it.”
I spoke while gazing at Marquis Morak.
He swept his gaze over me with narrowed eyes.
And he smiled again.
“I shall look forward to it.”
Those words carried the unmistakable meaning that he expected nothing at all.
I committed Marquis Morak’s face to memory one last time before spinning around sharply.
Elhart, Kei, and Raern naturally fell into step behind me.
The soldiers did not lower their spear tips, yet they did not seem particularly wary of us either.
They possessed absolute confidence that without dismantling the barrier, we could do nothing to them.
Once we boarded the carriage, we remained silent for some time.
After we had traveled a considerable distance, Raern spoke in a low voice.
“That worm of a man.”
Tightly compressed fury seeped into his words.
I let out a quiet laugh.
“Worse than a worm, even.”
At the very least, a worm would never insult its benefactor so thoroughly.
“It would be simple enough to sweep them all away.”
“Indeed.”
I received his words lightly.
“That’s precisely why I held back. We must prepare properly before we repay them.”
Raern fell silent.
Among us, there was not a single person incapable of sweeping them away alone.
We turned back simply because that alone would be woefully insufficient.
His gaze turned once more toward the castle.
The emotion contained within it was far more than simple anger.
Raern had severed ties with his family and left home when still quite young.
Yet before volunteering for the Expedition Team, he had built that castle for his family.
He had poured everything he had accumulated into ensuring they could live safely.
Hoping they would be well, even should he never return.
As someone without family, I could never fully comprehend the depths of his heart.
Yet my duty remained clear.
A family that could not reclaim their son.
I would ensure his descendants received sufficient compensation.
“Do you have any idea where your family might be?”
“Yes. The family’s villa is not far from here.”
The carriage changed direction according to Raern’s instructions.
How long had we been traveling along the serene forest path at the outskirts of the domain?
A building revealed itself between the trees.
While smaller in scale than the castle proper, it was still considerably larger than a typical noble’s manor.
Had they heard the carriage approaching?
People were already waiting at the main gate.
As we descended from the carriage, one of them stepped forward.
He was a middle-aged man with streaks of white in his hair.
His gaze fixed immediately on Raern.
“Welcome, Uncle.”
So they had decided to address Raern as uncle.
Though I suppose calling him grandfather would be somewhat… unreliable.
Raern approached hesitantly, absently rubbing the back of his neck as he spoke.
“Count, I’m sorry about this. I caused quite the incident….”
So this man was the current Count Brin.
The Count’s eyes as he looked at Raern were unusually warm and gentle.
A faint smile played at his lips, though it seemed he was restraining himself from laughing more openly.
“Please, say no more. Had it not been for you, Uncle, we would have lost the castle long ago.”
The Count lowered his voice.
“And truthfully, it was rather satisfying.”
“Right?”
Raern’s face brightened.
“Watching him squeal like a pig begging for his life was genuinely amusing.”
“Though inserting a rod into his backside was perhaps excessive.”
“Well, he kept defecating everywhere, so I had no choice.”
I had wondered what sort of torture had occurred, only to learn he had done such a thing?
He truly was not normal.
“Had I known he would escape during my absence, I would have simply disposed of all evidence without leaving a trace.”
At Raern’s words, the Count merely laughed—heh heh.
It was remarkable how good a person could appear despite sharing the same bloodline.
Raern turned to us and gestured.
“Let’s go inside. We can finish introductions there.”
Two people with hoods pulled low, and Kei and Bella, who looked at first glance like they shouldn’t be touched.
Count Brin led us in with visible caution.
Upon entering the manor, the savory aroma of baking bread assailed my senses.
“We have just prepared a meal. Would you not join us?”
“Is everyone alright with that?”
Raern turned to us and asked.
Since my stomach was already growling, I quickly nodded.
And so we found ourselves seated among the Brin family, sharing breakfast.
The atmosphere was far too peaceful, as if the murderous demeanor from moments before had been a lie.
Yet that did not mean it was quiet.
Elhart quickly caught the wrist of a child attempting to plunge his fist into a bowl of stew instead of using a spoon.
“It’s hot. Be careful not to burn your hand.”
The child’s eyes widened in wonder.
“Ooh? Ooh ooh ooh?”
The linguistic world of a child who didn’t even look two years old was more incomprehensible than any grimoire.
“That’s right, you enjoy your meal too.”
Elhart, having given up on understanding, spooned the stew into his mouth as if nothing were amiss.
However, after the same incident repeated several times, he kept one hand positioned near the child at all times, ready to intervene at any moment.
Across from him, another child attempted to have a bread sword fight with his sister before Bella stopped him.
“If you play with food, this scary uncle will take you away.”
“This scary uncle?”
“Yes, someone who looks as frightening as that person.”
The person Bella pointed to was none other than Kei.
The two children immediately became well-behaved and began tearing off pieces of bread to eat.
And the eldest grandson of House of Brin, sitting beside me, kindly brought food to my plate.
“Sister, will you marry me?”
Then suddenly, his soft-looking cheeks flushed as he made his proposal.
“Though our house is declining, I will work hard in farming to support you.”
Whether to call it precocious or bold….
Unable to find any words to respond, I simply laughed it off with a nervous chuckle.
Seeing this, Elhart’s eyes widened as he looked back and forth between me and the boy.
“Ser….”
“That’s not happening.”
The one who firmly rejected the boy’s proposal on my behalf was none other than Raern.
“She’s my younger sister. You cannot marry her.”
“What? But that can’t be…!”
Apart from the boy’s disappointment, the others seated around the table also stopped eating and looked between me and Raern.
“Then… what should we call her?”
“You may call her great-aunt.”
The Count’s eldest daughter-in-law kindly explained to the children.
Great-aunt, she said.
It was a strange word. I never thought the day would come when I’d be called by such a title.
To be addressed by a kinship term used only among relatives…
‘It feels unfamiliar.’
Yet it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling.
Once the meal ended, Count Brin carefully opened his mouth.
“…Might we have a word in private?”
Raern glanced at me, and I nodded in agreement.
We moved to a separate reception room.
The moment the door closed, the air changed.
The Count slowly began to speak.
“Now… might I be permitted to properly greet these individuals?”
He was asking for a proper introduction so he would know how to address them.
Raern exhaled a sigh and leaned back in his chair.
“No need to complicate things.”
He then gestured toward me with a tilt of his chin.
“This one is our commander.”
I met the Count’s gaze directly.
“I am Iserna Airbain. I appreciate your hospitality.”
The Count’s eyes trembled violently.
“He’s also a member of the Expedition Team.”
Kei added lightly to Raern’s sparse explanation.
“I am Kei.”
The Count’s gaze turned toward the final person.
“Elhart Velken Bardia.”
The moment Elhart revealed his name, the Count’s breath caught.
“…Your Highness?”
The Count’s jaw trembled uncontrollably.
“Surely you mean the Crown Prince himself?”
“…I have been deposed.”
Before those words even finished, the Count sprang from his seat and prostrated himself on the ground.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince! Guardian Deity of Bardia!”
Then he wept, his entire body shaking.
It was a far more intense reaction than when the Expedition Team members had been introduced.

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