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The Count Kraus House’s Lord’s Castle was particularly lively today.

Spring breathes life into people, but that alone couldn’t explain the castle’s bustling atmosphere.

The reason for the castle’s commotion was due to the long-awaited outing of its owner. Not just any outing, but a trip with his two sons.

Some might wonder why a family outing would warrant such a fuss, but the servants of the Lord’s Castle, having worked here for several years, knew that Count Kraus had never taken his youngest son outside since the passing of the lady of the house.

Damian, the only remaining son, although he was only sixteen, had been excessively mature since childhood. Meanwhile, the soon-to-be seven-year-old Alphonse, with his cute appearance and boyish nature, was receiving plenty of affection from the castle’s staff, unlike Damian.

The fact that Alphonse had lost his mother at such a young age made him a subject of sympathy, and it was only natural that people felt sorry for his situation, having never ventured outside the Lord’s Castle.

However, that was now a thing of the past.

It’s unclear what change of heart the Count experienced, but one important thing was that this outing would mark the monumental first out-of-the-castle experience for their beloved youngest son.

Perhaps because of that, everyone was filled with determination.

“What are you staring at the wheels for! Can’t you see we have other important things to attend to?”

“Hey, but I’m still uneasy. What if they break while we’re out?”

“That’s why we replaced all the wheels with brand new ones.”

“What if the ones in the warehouse were already worn out? And by the way, isn’t this the first time for the youngest to ride in a carriage? What if he gets motion sickness?”

“…..Just go down and buy new wheels. I’ll be fixing the carriage seat.”

Continuously checking a carriage that was supposed to suffice for one or two uses, they decided to replace the existing carriage seat entirely, fearing the youngest might feel unwell during the ride.

The head chef, upon hearing the news the day before, arose early to prepare the foods that Alphonse would enjoy. The knights summoned for the outing were more alert than ever.

Thus, the much-anticipated outing of the Kraus family was set to take place.

At the center of it all was Damian.

*

After speaking with Elena that day, I attempted to spend some time with Alphonse over the following days.

Carving out time wasn’t particularly difficult. I only had to slightly reduce the hours I dedicated to studying and training. Honestly, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I was overly committed to those two activities, so this adjustment wasn’t bad for me.

The anxiety about the future I had been feeling didn’t allow me the luxury of relaxation.

Though there is a predetermined narrative in this world, as a designated villain named Damian rather than the main character, I wished to break free from that role. The unease about the stories outside “Elena Edelweiss’s tale,” which I was unaware of, continued to push me into a corner.

So, even knowing I was overdoing it, I couldn’t find satisfaction. Before meeting Elena, my life was akin to a hamster running endlessly on a wheel.

I couldn’t move forward, yet I kept holding onto those burdens.

However, perhaps due to my changed relationship with Elena, the short time I spent with her transformed a lot for me.

Strangely, every time she smiled at me, the anxiety about the future faded away.

Could it be because I knew she was the protagonist of this world?

I suddenly shoved that thought out of my mind.

The truth is, the reason isn’t particularly important. What matters is that having her by my side allowed me to shake off the worries that had bound me, giving me more time with my brother.

“Sister, the color of this hyacinth is exactly like your eye color. It suits you wonderfully!”

“Oh my, thank you for the compliment, Alphonse.”

Of course, the time created in this way wasn’t entirely mine and Alphonse’s alone.

Currently, Elena was visiting our Lord’s Castle as a guest.

Moreover, she came with the status of the fiancée of the next heir to the Kraus family. Although they hadn’t officially exchanged rings yet, she was being treated as the future lady of the Kraus family within the castle.

Naturally, due to our engagement, I spent plenty of time with her, which also affected my time with Alphonse.

After the last meal, it seemed their relationship had grown closer; Alphonse began calling Elena “sister” and following her around. As a result, after finishing my duties, I occasionally found them talking together before I arrived.

Seeing them laugh and chat brought a smile to my face, yet deep down, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that I was losing my brother.

Of course, I could feel our bond with Alphonse growing closer too, but still, it was hard to ignore the sting of jealousy.

Perhaps there’s nothing I can do about it. I’ll just consider it the consequence of my neglect toward my brother all this time.

We were now in the Hyacinth Garden of the Isilia Pavilion where Elena and I had walked last time. There are several gardens within the Lord’s Castle, but only the Isilia Pavilion has hyacinths planted.

More than anything, Alphonse loved to hear stories of our mother in the Isilia Pavilion. Whenever I’d share tidbits from her diary, I would lose myself in those memories.

Unlike before, I wasn’t drowning in nostalgia.

I was merely sharing the beautiful days from the past with my brother who hadn’t been there.

In doing so, our conversations would shift from memories of mother to my own narrative, allowing me to finally hear about what I had overlooked from Alphonse.

“I hadn’t really given much thought to mother. The only family I remember is you and father.”

“So, about the Isilia Pavilion…”

“My visit to the Isilia Pavilion without telling anyone wasn’t because of father’s wishes. I was just curious about someone whom I thought you and father were always watching through me.”

Through this conversation, I realized that my brother was much more mature than I had anticipated. Honestly, it was a thought that made me doubt whether such insights could come from a seven-year-old. I couldn’t help but wonder if Alphonse too was just like me, a reincarnated person.

“However, after reading the diary our mother wrote and hearing these stories from you, I can’t help but wonder what she would say if she saw me. I also want to converse with her and be in the place she and you remember.”

Perhaps through our conversations, Alphonse was beginning to understand the longing for our mother more than he had before. Yet, despite that, he told me it was alright.

“But I’m okay. I have you who thinks of me this way, and I have the strongest father in the world and a beautiful, kind sister. So please don’t think too poorly of me. I’m a happy child.”

The place left empty by our mother can’t be filled by anyone else.

But the memories that will fill that void can still be created moving forward. What worries me, however, is the impact my identity as the original villain could have on the future of my family.

In the original story, the Kraus family was heroes except for Damian, but whether they were truly happy, I can’t ascertain. They were merely supporting characters skimming through a novel.

But now, I am Damian, I am the next heir of the Kraus family, and they are my family.

I want my family to be happy.

As I contemplated this, the concerns about the future that I believed had faded began to resurface.

I promptly opened my eyes and looked for Elena.

The scent of hyacinths tickled my nose.

Seeing her smile while laughing with Alphonse made my heart feel at ease, as if all was well. It’s quite amusing for me to think, just a few days ago, I was considering breaking up with her, yet here I am now, wanting to be close to her. I know we’re destined to drift apart one day, so why do I feel this pull to her now?

I don’t know.

Is it because she’s the protagonist of this world that I’m inclined to depend on her, or am I drawn in by the persona of Elena Edelweiss she has demonstrated while spending time with me? I’m not quite sure.

Perhaps both reasons hold true.

As I approached, Elena turned her head, displaying a different expression from when she was chatting with Alphonse.

I returned her smile equally and said, “Elena, do you remember when I asked you to go on a picnic together last time?”

Regardless of the source of these uncertain feelings, one thing is undoubtedly clear: I wanted to spend a little more time with her.

 

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