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My gaze stopped at Hecate’s tombstone. It’s been two years since I started aging alone, but it would take me another three years to become the same age as her. Among the six of them, Hecate was the youngest.

‘I’m the weird one.’

I started my life as a Civil Servant at a very young age. Even if I had started this year, it would have still been considered early.

I stared at the tombstone for a while. I should go back now, but my feet won’t move. I usually avoid coming here unless it’s the memorial day. But once I came, I wanted to stay a little longer. People’s hearts are really strange.

But what was the point of staying any longer? They’d already drunk on two bottles each, so they were probably passed out drunk whether I was here or not. Even if they were sober, they would have asked me to leave and stop making a big deal out of it.

‘See you next year.’

Maybe I’ll come back before next year’s Memorial Day. If I do so, I’ll come empty-handed, so don’t expect anything.

But I had really poured a lot of wine. Even though I had touched it carefully, my palm became wet. My hands smelled of alcohol.

“Are you crying?”

“Crying? No way.”

The Minister said that to me as I turned around to say my last farewell. I almost became a psychopath who laughed after paying my respects. But still, that was his way of consoling me. Even the Minister was calm today.

After all, while they were my important colleagues, they were also his important subordinates.

“Executive Manager, here.”

“Thanks.”

The 1st Manager came running and handed me a handkerchief. It seemed like my wet hands had caught her attention.

After wiping my hands, I handed back the handkerchief that had turned purple. The 1st Manager pursed her lips.

“I gave it to you to wipe your tears. What am I supposed to do if you dye it?”

“I’m not crying.”

I pulled the cheeks of the 1st Manager while chucking.

“Ugh-!!”

Why does she always do this when it clearly hurts? I ignored the 2nd Manager, who was touching his lips while nodding, making a satisfied expression. You just got what you deserve.

“Let’s go. Do you want to show them that you’ve grown to become an aggressive higher-up?”

The Minister intervened, but…

“They probably saw that often while you were still a Manager, Minister.”

“You bastard.”

I was able to defend myself with one sentence. It was great to see the Minister walking away first, defeated with nothing to say. If I had grown to become an aggressive higher-up, whose fault was this?

I turned my gaze to the 1st Manager, whose cheeks I was grabbing. Of course, I learned a bit from watching these guys, too.

“Are you going to return immediately?”

“Yes. I have nothing to do in the capital, after all.”

I nodded at the Senior Manager’s words. I had told the Principal that I’d return during the afternoon, so I had to go back to the Academy.

“Executive Manager, the 1st Manager is about to cry.”

“Ah.”

I let go of the 1st Manager at the 3rd Manager’s remark. I had forgotten because it felt so good that I didn’t want to let go once I grabbed it.

“Executive Manager, you must cherish and love your subordinates more.”

I ignored the 1st Manager, who was whining with teary eyes.

Since I had nothing else to do, I returned to the Academy. Of course, I didn’t have anything to do in the Academy. However, staying in the capital would just increase my chances of being unexpectedly summoned by someone. There was no need to take unnecessary risks.

After spending some time alone, I sat Erich down as soon as the club members arrived.

“Have you called home these days?”

“Huh?”

Because my younger brother wasn’t contacting home despite living in a boarding school far away, I had to convey their disappointment on their behalf.

“The Patriarch asked me how you were doing.”

Erich flinched as soon as the word ‘patriarch’ came out. He’d always been uncomfortable around the Patriarch. It seemed like that was still the case.

“What did he say…?”

“He asked me how you were doing.”

“Is that all?”

Erich looked at me with suspicious eyes. It seemed like he was saying, ‘There’s no way he’d say just that.’ I also felt the same when the Patriarch asked me how Erich was doing, but him reacting this way is a bit…

‘After all, I’m not his biological son.’

I was physically his son, and we shared the same blood. But what was inside of me was completely different from him. Not only that, but because of what happened four years ago, we weren’t that close. So Erich was practically the only child. That’s why he shouldn’t be like that.

“There’s more.”

“As expected.”

“He said that for a warrior, it’s more important to go far than fast.”

Erich tilted his head in confusion at those words. After all, it really was a typical greeting mixed with some concern.

In reality, the Patriarch didn’t care how much Erich or I trained while we were in the mansion as long as we reached our goals, so hearing him talk about our well-being felt a bit strange.

“Since you’re far away, try to stay in touch. Even when I was in the Capital, I used to call them at least once a weak.”

“You did? Who did you call?”

“The butler.”

Erich looked at me as if asking, ‘You’re joking, right?’ Well, it honestly felt a bit awkward for me to contact the Patriarch or Mother directly.

“It seems like the head of your family is someone strict.”

As the family conversation ended, the members, who’d been quietly listening, walked toward us. The one who initiated the light talk was, as always, Rutis.

“He isn’t a warm person.”

Erich firmly replied, but that was actually a nice way of saying it.

Rather than not being warm, the correct way to describe the Patriarch would be to say that he’s someone cold and indifferent. However, his demeanor at the National Cemetery today was different.

“Advisor, what do you think?”

“I don’t remember. After all, I’ve become independent many years ago.”

“Haha, I see!”

Four years ago, I became independent after becoming a Civil Servant. I didn’t have that much contact with him to be able to tell whether he was kind or strict.

“I have too many siblings, so I don’t know what it’s like to receive attention from a father.”

I knew that Rutis had at least two older brothers and two older sisters. Plus, he had a bunch of younger siblings as well, so he was one among many.

However, saying it like that made it seem like the King of Armein was cold toward his children. The child was jeopardizing the reputation of his father. I should have known it by his red hair color. It seemed like he was a fire-like son.

As a matter of fact, the King of Armein had many children so he couldn’t pay much attention to them. However, he was actually quite famous for cherishing his children.

I remember hearing those words from the Crown Prince, who suddenly called me one day while drinking wine by himself. In the end, he got completely drunk, and I was at a loss for what to do. To this day, I still wonder why I was called to that place.

Compared to the Livnoman Imperial Family, which wrecked at the smell of blood, the Robens Royal Family was famous for being harmonious.

“Isn’t having many siblings a good thing? That would make the burden shared among you.”

“That might be true, but…”

Rutis seemed to be lost for words at Lather’s remark, who was the 2nd son out of three siblings. From an ordinary family’s perspective, having three siblings might seem like a lot. But from the perspective of the royal family, it was quite precarious.

The more princes there were to replace the Crown Prince in case he died, the better.

Of course, if there were too many, they sometimes ended up killing each other to reduce the number. Ainter, who was silent, was an example of such a family.

“Is today’s topic family stories? I’m sorry, but I have nothing to say.”

Tannian, who’d been silently listening to the two princes talk, said that while making a faint smile. Since the club meeting began, the conversation seemed to flow to family matters.

“Isn’t your family the most impressive? After all, Enen is your father.”

“Haha, that’s true from a religious standpoint. I’m an orphan.”

Rutis was taken aback by Tannian’s self-depreciating remark. Woah… To think that even he would be lost for words… How impressive.

Rutis’s pupils shook while looking at me.

I tried to avert my gaze, but I changed my mind after seeing Louise’s dark expression.

“Let’s end the family talk here. If we end up hearing some royal secret, we might have to cut off our ears.”

“Oh, that’s true. I was short-sighted.”

Rutis, who seemed to think this was the only way to change the topic, effusively agreed. I wasn’t planning to help you, but I’ll do it this time.

“Louise?”

“Ah, yes! Did you just call me?”

Louise’s expression was still dark, but she quickly put on a bright expression when I called her. I’m sorry, but I was also preoccupied today and temporarily forgot.

“The macarons you made the last time were great. Could you make some more today?”

“Yes, of course!”

“Thanks.”

Louise returned to her bright self. I would have thought I might have seen something wrong if I didn’t know her past.

‘I should have paid more attention.’

I smiled bitterly while feeling sorry. I was probably the only one who knew this besides the members of the Naird family, and I only knew it because I read it in the free section of the webtoon. No matter how much the members liked Louise, they didn’t know about her past.

Erich avoided the Patriarch because of his childhood trauma, and Ainter had prepared himself to die after his older brother was killed. However, what Louise had suffered couldn’t be compared to them.

‘The author must have been crazy.’

I hadn’t seen the face of the author, but they have to be a madman. Otherwise, there’s no way they would have made an 8-year-old kid go through such an incident.