“I came because I had something to ask, but why are you so startled?”
“Ah, no, it’s nothing…”
He kept glancing behind him, so she casually checked to see if there was something there, but it was an empty open space.
“There is no one there?”
“…Ah, um. What brings you here…?”
“I was curious about something regarding you.”
“About me?”
A few days had passed since she told Luzbel to make an effort, if only for Jeron’s sake.
She had been watching but not much had changed.
To her, it looked like he was only pretending to try when Aisha was glaring at him.
So how could anything possibly change?
After agonizing over what kind of secret strategy to use to improve the relationship between the two, she had sought out Deikan.
“You are saying the relationship between the Duke and the Young Master is not good?”
“Yes. They practically treat each other like invisible people.”
“Why? They are family.”
Deikan tilted his head, looking completely unable to understand.
Well, considering that Deikan was here like this because of a family member worse than trash, it was understandable that he wouldn’t get it.
But not all families were as deeply loving as Deikan.
Well, Deikan had become like this after a long period of gaslighting, so he would probably understand once he received treatment.
This issue was important, but she suddenly found herself wondering whether Deikan was receiving treatment properly.
“Are you receiving your treatment well?”
“Yes. I do not really know why I need treatment, though.”
“Not knowing that is exactly why you need treatment.”
“Yeees…”
The way he answered made it seem like it was his own issue, yet he had no interest in it.
It seemed like he had no awareness that something was wrong with him.
Thinking that no matter how much she talked it wouldn’t get through, she decided to set this issue aside for now.
“More importantly, do you have any idea why the two of them are not on good terms?”
She knew.
Too many reasons, which was the problem.
“This doesn’t seem like something to talk about while standing here.”
“Ah. Then, um, what should we do…?”
“Let’s move somewhere else.”
“Ah, yes.”
They moved further inside and began a proper conversation, based on the brief things Luzbel had told her so far.
Hearing that, Deikan looked a little surprised.
“I did not realize your relationship with the Young Master was that bad.”
“Haha.”
“How did you restore it?”
Since she couldn’t say that she had possessed someone else, she just brushed it off with a laugh.
Deikan didn’t seem completely oblivious either, and when he noticed that she looked uncomfortable answering, he didn’t ask further.
“Hmm, honestly, improving a relationship is something that someone has to put effort into, so if both sides are being distant, it seems a bit difficult.”
Even for a professional, it was a difficult matter.
“The Duke seems to listen well to what you say, Lady Aisha… have you tried talking to him?”
“He only pretends to make an effort when I am there, and otherwise he seems rather distant.”
“…What about the Young Master?”
“I haven’t even been able to bring it up yet. I only just barely became close with him myself.”
“How did you become close with the Young Master?”
“The child suddenly opened his heart.”
“Suddenly?”
Aisha said that after she collapsed and woke up, he had become gentler than before.
He had changed so suddenly that this had also been bothering her.
“…I would need to see and talk to him directly to be sure, but I think he was scared.”
“Scared?”
“Yes. No matter how much he caused a scene or pretended to be cold, he is still a five-year-old child in the end. You were someone who showed him goodwill no matter what he did. You said he kept asking whether you would abandon him, right? His heart had already opened long ago, and it seems that the collapse became the trigger. Between the two choices of growing further apart or becoming a little closer, it seems the Young Master chose to become closer.”
“…”
“That must have taken tremendous courage.”
“…Yes.”
They also told her that Jeron collapsed immediately after he saw her becoming a different person.
It must have been only a moment, but he would have seen someone become completely different.
It must have been quite a shock, yet he still chose to approach her.
“From what I see, if the Duke changes, the Young Master will also improve. He might even be waiting for it.”
“Do you think so?”
“Of course. No matter how much you hate your family, they are still family.”
In the end, it meant that for now, it depended on Luzbel’s efforts.
“Thank you. I think this will help.”
“Not at all.”
At the words that he had been helpful, Deikan smiled brightly, as if he had gained the whole world.
***
How could Luzbel be made to change?
No matter how much she talked, it seemed useless if it didn’t truly resonate with him.
But even if there was no affection, how could someone act like that toward their own child?
Just like Deikan had been surprised, Aisha was honestly puzzled as well.
She thought that if they shared blood, there would be some kind of pull, at least.
Of course, she knew that not all parents cherished their children just because they were related by blood.
“Beli.”
“Yes?”
“There is something I am curious about.”
From what she had heard, Luzbel’s father, who would be her father-in-law, didn’t seem to be an easy person either.
Whether it was the fact that Luzbel was cold like a stone toward everyone except her, or the fact that his lesson schedule had been extremely packed.
In many ways, it didn’t seem like he had had a happy childhood.
Perhaps because of that, she wondered if he didn’t really understand paternal affection.
But then, why was her father-in-law absent?
Had he passed away?
Was it even okay to ask about this?
Her thoughts became complicated as she wondered if this was something she shouldn’t bring up lightly.
“What do you want to know?”
“…Well…”
“Please feel free to ask.”
“…I am curious about your childhood, Luzbel.”
“Pardon? My childhood?”
“Yes. Um, your family, uh, I mean, the people who would be my in-laws… where they are as well…”
It must have been an unexpected question, but Luzbel smiled as if he wasn’t offended at all.
“To think you would be curious about me.”
He even seemed pleased.
“First of all, my parents passed away a long time ago.”
“Both of them?”
“Yes. I was told my mother had always been frail and passed away while giving birth to me, and my father later fell ill and passed away as well.”
Even though he was talking about his own family, he sounded remarkably calm.
It didn’t seem like there was even a speck of affection.
As for his mother, since she passed away right after giving birth, that was understandable, but his father…
“What kind of person was he?”
“My father?”
“Yes.”
“Well. He was a firm man.”
Firm?
Did that mean he was strong-willed?
“He didn’t like me very much. He thought my mother died because of me.”
“Ah…”
“It was a very long time ago, and I do not dwell on it much, so don’t make that kind of face.”
Seeing Aisha’s helpless expression, Luzbel gently brushed his hand down her face.
“Still…”
“But now, you are here, Aisha. So, it is fine.”
It seemed that House Valencia had started to go astray from the generation above Jeron.
Luzbel said he was fine, but it was easy to imagine how hurt he must have been as a child.
The fact that her guess was so accurate made her feel uneasy.
After that, as if it were some kind of obligation, Luzbel began talking about his childhood.
Listening quietly, Aisha suddenly felt a surge of anger.
‘Father-in-law, if I ever meet you after death, I will smack the back of your head at least once.’
“You just endured all that?”
“It was nothing.”
The story only grew worse the more she heard it. It was clearly child abuse.
She also realized that Luzbel had a remarkable ability to make people burst with frustration.
To be treated unfairly and just brush it off like it was nothing.
If it had been her, family or not, she would have overturned everything long ago.
But because Luzbel grew up like that, it seemed he had no expectations of Jeron, nor any affection.
What should she do about this?
“It feels really nice to know you are worried about me, Aisha.”
“…Luzbel.”
“Yes.”
This poor man.
Aisha looked at Luzbel with a pitiful expression for a long while, then spread her arms and hugged him tightly.
Luzbel, delighted, immediately said there was more to tell and started talking again.
‘There is more?’
“…Just what kind of life have you lived?”
“I am really fine.”
But usually, if someone grew up like this, wouldn’t they say, “I will not live like my father”?
Did Luzbel not even have that kind of thought?
Or was it that he thought about it but couldn’t put it into action?
“There is something else I am curious about.”
“What is it?”
“Luzbel, do you think your father was a good father?”
“No.”
The answer came out immediately, as if there was no need to think about it.
As expected. Even he didn’t think his father had been a good father.
“Back then, I resented him a lot, but now I understand. He lost the person he loved because of me.”
“What?”
“…I cannot live after losing you, Aisha. If it were me, I might have been even worse than my father.”
“…You must not do that.”
“…”
“And that is not something to understand. You lost someone you loved too, Luzbel.”
“…A mother I have never even seen?”
“She would have loved you, Luzbel. Of course she would have. If he met her after death, she might be fighting fiercely with your father right now! I think I would do that if it were me!”
Crack.
She would have punched him and still had strength to spare.
“So you intend to do that to Jeron? Then I might not see you again until I feel better.”
“…That seems… too harsh.”
“Too harsh? When you are going to give Jeron the same pain you went through? You said you resented it.”
“…”
After that, Luzbel fell silent for quite a while, as if sunk deep in thought.
