Chapter 143 – Ted's Family

　I arrived in front of my home in the luxury residential district of the royal capital.

　My home was a white mansion perched at the absolute peak of even that elite neighborhood, offering a panoramic view of the royal capital’s nightscape after dark.

“Young master. Welcome home.”

　Leslie, the maid who had just stepped out into the garden, spotted me and hurried over.

“I’m home.”

“If you had let me know, I would have come to pick you up.”

　Leslie was the only one who had served me since my childhood, so she still called me “young master” to this day.

　I wasn’t particularly bothered by it, but it vaguely struck me how hard it is to change the way someone addresses you.

“No, it’s fine. Where’s Mother today?”

“She’s on the terrace, sir. With the master.”

　She opened the door for me, her eyes sparkling as if to say as usual.

“Heh. Same as always, I see.”

　When I chuckled, she smiled and said, “You’ve softened up quite a bit in your demeanor, young master.”

　I thought so too.

　Ever since I started guarding Marie, my entire worldview had shifted dramatically.

　Marie carried an aura unlike anyone else in this world—a singular presence all her own.

　By her own unique standards, she could grow as strong as she needed, show boundless tolerance, or turn utterly ruthless.

　In her words, “I have a different law inside me.”

　For the kid who threw stones at her, she had advocated a lenient punishment: “Boys deserve a path to redemption.”

　Yet she would never forgive wanton violence inflicted on the weak.

　I knew she wasn’t the type to be kind and nothing more.

“They have feelings too, and people they hold dear.”

　Those words had struck me deeply.

　A saintess was indeed meant to stand with the weak.

　But the ingrained notion that the weak dying was no big deal had hindered my understanding.

　And yet now, even I felt a burning refusal to tolerate injustice against the vulnerable.

　Leslie led me out to the terrace, where Father and Mother were poring over a thick tome spread across the large white table at the center.

　A sunshade stood beside the table, shielding the two of them from the glare.

“Oh, Ted. It’s been so long. I’ve been lonely with you hardly coming home.”

“Ted’s built a world of his own now. Haha. That’s cause for celebration, isn’t it?”

　They exchanged glances and laughed. My parents truly got along wonderfully.

　Lately, I’d started noticing the scenery around me that had always gone unseen.

　Leslie pulled out a chair for me. A young new maid brought out some tea.

　The staff’s faces had changed quite a bit in the time I’d been away.

“How is it? This tea’s all the rage in the royal capital lately, they say. I heard it’s the Saintess’s favorite.”

　Mother said it with delight, as if she’d been waiting for me to take my first sip.

“Yes, it feels quite familiar.”

　It was the Kirue tea she’d picked up the other day. Marie was hugely popular among the common folk.

　Influential enough to sway tastes even in a place like this.

“Is that right? I’ll have the same, then.”

　Father said as much to the maid, setting his cup aside.

　She placed a fresh cup in front of him, picked up the discarded one, and retreated.

　Watching that utterly mundane slice of daily life, I found myself wondering what it must feel like to cut ties with the house and family you’d grown up in.

“Father. From a child’s perspective, what does it mean to sever ties with your family?”

　Father raised an eyebrow, nodded with evident pleasure, and steepled his hands. “Well now…”

“I don’t think it’s easy, whether you mean it in a good way or a bad one. There’s a time when a child entrusts their entire trust to their parents. That imprint runs deep.”

“Their entire trust?”

“Aye. It’s the survival instinct of an infant.”

“A criminal cut off their family because they were ‘a nuisance.’ Can parents really forget their child?”

“Hard to say. Depends on the person, but I doubt it’s something you forget easily. Criminal or not.”

　I’d met countless acquaintances over the years, many I never saw again.

　Not one ever lingered in my thoughts, so why was family different?

　No clear answer emerged, but I sensed it lay here—the reason Marie refused to abandon Lily, and why she’d severed her own family ties.

“I might be too fortunate to ever truly understand it.”

　I drained my tea and rose from my seat.

“Oh? You get your answers and run off already?”

　Mother shot me a pouty look, then burst out laughing with a “Pfft!”—”Kidding.”

　She was as charming as ever.

“I’ll come by again.”

　With that, I left the terrace.

　Circling around through the garden and out the gate, I heard Leslie chasing after me, breathless.

“Young master… huff… huff… Here.”

　She thrust a small cloth bundle toward me.

“Tea treats baked by Madam herself. Share them with everyone, please. Hehe. Her skills have improved, so no worries.”

　My face must have stiffened at the thought of Mother’s handmade sweets—given her lack of talent in the kitchen.

　Leslie laughed and quickly reassured me it was fine.

“I see. Thank you.”

　No matter the taste, the fact that they were made by my mother would surely delight Marie.

　That’s just the kind of person she was.

Thank you for reading!

Gratitude to everyone who bookmarked, rated, or liked!

Thank you so, so much for the typo reports!!