Volume 5 Chapter 200, The Middle Siblings’ Assessment and Past Stories_6 (:Lavender)

Translator: Nonon

Proofreader: Silavin

 

POV: Violet

 

“I was watching from the stands, but I can’t forget it even now. Expressionlessly, and sometimes smiling, he just kept punching until he was forcefully stopped.”

“He even destroyed the barrier created by Prince Carmine’s earth magic with his bare hands. They were completely torn up from the recoil.”

 

Lord Gen and Lady told me the outline of the events that led to Lord Clo coming to Shiki.

He learned that his friends’ death wasn’t an accident, he learned of Prince Carmine’s selfishness, and he learned of Canary’s departure. Due to the combination of all those factors, he caused an incident at the academy. It was something that would probably not have happened if he learned about any of those at a different timing. But it all happened because they overlapped.

 

“I noticed that he was strange before the match even began. Clo, who was usually good at taking and deflecting words, told me to shut up when I asked him how he was doing, and didn’t even pay me any attention… it was a different kind of fear from Mother and Father.”

“When we met after the match, he was so quiet, it was as if he had no interest in us… he was so scary during the match, but when I asked him why he did it, he replied with ‘is it so strange to try to win in a match?’. Even his tone was different.”

 

Normally this would have been a major incident, but because it happened in the middle of a duel where the difference in rank was unrelated, making a fuss about the injuries would be going against the tradition and the rules. No punishment could be given openly.

However, it wasn’t like there were no problems. As a result a gag order was issued, and the incident was explained as Lord Clo graduating (being expelled) from the academy midway through the semester due to personal reasons. After that, he was sent to Shiki as harassment and the rest of the story goes just as I know it.

 

“Perhaps if Canary was there, Clo would not have been cornered… Originally it should have been Sumi or I to take up that role.”

 

Then, after hearing the reason why Lord Clo had been driven to a corner from his schoolmates (the accident during the training), and seeing Lord Clo’s situation, Lord Gen and Lady Sumi were able to break free from the shackles of the Heartfield Family’s education.

They felt jealous and resentful of Lord Clo because of his carefree attitude and the tendency to run away from his duties as a Noble, but more than that, seeing him pour out his emotions for someone important to him regardless of their social status made them think about themselves at the time.

It wasn’t like he was particularly inclined to act without regard for his status, and while they understood that his behavior definitely did not deserve praise, they also felt like they were losing the sense of who they were actually living for if they continued to live the way they did.

 

“And after thinking about it, I could only punch our Father and Older Brother who could only blame Clo.”

“I destroyed the marriage proposal Father had suggested. The atmosphere was already bad because of Clo’s matter anyway.”

“That’s very initiative.”

 

And as a result they ended up marrying the people they were married to right now. In a way, perhaps this drive runs in their blood.

Still, Canary, huh. Looks like she was by Lord Clo’s side since childhood and was like an Older Sister to him. I knew they were close, and I’ve heard their stories too though.

 

“Lord Clo and Canary must have been really close. I’ve heard about it, but I didn’t know her dismissal would end up becoming a trigger.”

“Yes… I hope she can meet Clo one day and laugh with him happily.”

“That would be difficult, Gen. She was bought as a slave, after all…”

“… Right. The fact that she was fired from the Heartfield Family means that…”

“Yeah, we can only hope that she met a good Master.”

 

Lord Gen and Lady Sumi spoke sentimentally, as if they were making a wish. Their words, which weren’t spoken for me, must have genuinely come from their hearts.

In our kingdom, owning slaves is not a problem, but buying and selling them is prohibited. If she was brought as a maid in another country and then fired, according to the contract, she would be returned to the country where she was brought, become a slave again, and be sold to someone else. It would be illegal to fire her and sell her to another Noble, after all.

Being sold doesn’t necessarily mean that she would be sold as a servant again. She could be bought for an entirely different purpose. That must be what they’re worried about.

 

“…?”

 

But that’s strange. I feel like something isn’t quite right.

Lord Gen and Lady Sumi are worried about Canary…

 

“Excuse me, Canary is a tall pureblood female elf with golden hair and eyes who loves mushrooms, right?”

When I asked about Canary’s characteristics, they both nodded in confirmation.

 

“That’s right, Miss Violet. If you hear any rumors about her, please tell Clo. He trusted Canary, after all.”

“I’m asking you the same too. Clo would be happy if he were to meet her…”

 

It’s like I thought. Their reaction is strange.

From what I heard, she was a bigger part of Lord Clo’s life than Lord Gen and Lady Sumi. It wasn’t to the point of how Amber and Burnt are to me… but, Lord Clo and Canary had been together since childhood and have a trusting relationship that goes beyond blood relation, that’s how the current Lord Clo and Canary make me feel.

They must’ve been very happy when they were reunited. However..

 

“Um, Lord Gen, Lady Sumi, about Canary…”

“Yes, what’s wrong?”

 

But it’s strange for them to say ‘if he were to meet her’.

After all—

 

“Canary already lives in Shiki.”

“”…….WHAT?!””

 

My in-laws paused at my words, and then replied in a slightly dumbfounded way.

… Did they really not know?

Canary Heartfield is a Shiki resident who specializes in mushroom cultivation and makes a living with it. She’s supposed to be much older than me, but she’s a friendly, cheerful woman with no hint of malice. She often talks with Lord Clo intimately, so I feel a little jealous. No, I’m very jealous.

Furthermore, after a failed attempt at cultivating mushrooms in the past, the mansion became overran with mushrooms and following that, she made a separate house and started cultivating her crops with magic. According to Gray, they went through a lot back then.

 

““… What do you mean?””

 

Well, I’m not sure what to say when you ask me that.