10 Years After – 18
Serulis’s Misunderstanding
I returned to my room and fell asleep.
In the morning, I was awakened by the butler and headed towards the dining hall.
Goran was not there.
“Where is Goran?”
“Goran left for work before the rising of the sun.”
“Is that right.”
He must be doing something in regards to the Vampire Lord matter.
That was a good thing.
I was enjoying the breakfast that the butler served me, when Serulis appeared.
Goran’s daughter, who wanted to be an Adventurer, was in a bad mood today as well.
She was glaring at me. Yikes.
Then the butler talked to her.
“Miss Serulis. How much bread…”
“Three, thank you.”
“Certainly.”
She ate quite a bit from the morning. I guess it was because she was still growing.
That was fine and all, but now she was silently staring daggers in my direction.
“Uh, is there something on my face?”
“You. What’s your relationship with daddy?”
Apparently, she called Goran, daddy.
That was surprisingly cute.
“Well, you might say we are old comrades.”
Serulis was not satisfied by that answer.
Her eyes became even sharper.
“…You.”
“What?”
“You’re really his son, aren’t you?”
“Bufwhagh!”
I couldn’t help but spit out the milk I was drinking.
That was a tremendous misunderstanding.
No matter how mysterious this youthful effect had on me, I couldn’t possibly look like his child.
Goran and I were both 40.
But I didn’t age during the last 10 years in the place between dimensions. In fact, people say I looked younger.
Maybe I looked to be 25 now.
If I was 25, that would mean that Goran fathered me when he was 15. That was ridiculous.
Well, maybe not that ridiculous.
I calmly wiped the milk from the table and explained to her.
“No, that is completely wrong.”
“You’re lying.”
“I’m not lying.”
“When he brought you here, I have never seen him happier.”
“Is that right.”
I was sleeping for a whole week.
She must be talking about that time.
“And he is always worrying about you.”
“Maybe he was just worried because he hasn’t seen me in so long?”
Serulis shook her head.
“I’m his daughter, and yet he won’t say anything if I leave the house for a week without saying a word… It’s not normal.”
I had no words for that.
Even I had wanted to shout, ‘Are you my mother!’ to Goran.
Perhaps it was not strange that she would be suspicious.
However, I had to tell her the truth, in order to protect Goran’s honor.
“I was fighting far away for 10 years. That’s why he is worried.”
“I don’t understand.”
“…Yes, of course not.”
I thought about it again and saw that it would sound senseless.
Just then, the butler came in with Serulis’s food.
“Thank you.”
She was a good kid who could say thank you.
Serulis chomped on her food and said,
“Mom is out because of work. So he’s using this opportunity to bring you in the house.”
“That’s not true.”
“And to think that I believed daddy wouldn’t do something like that.”
Tears were forming in her eyes as she chewed.
Goran had said that his daughter refused to talk with him now.
Maybe this was the reason for it.
It wasn’t because he objected to her becoming an Adventurer.
Serulis must have been lonely after her mother left the country for a long period for work.
And then her father had brought in some stranger into the house.
He was abnormally happy and then worried visibly. And seeing this, she had assumed that I was a child from an affair.
The butler looked at Serulis and said gently,
“Miss Serulis. Lord Goran would never do such a thing.”
“He even forced you to lie. Daddy must pay for doing such a thing.”
“No, I am not lying.”
The butler tried to defend Goran, but Serulis would not back down.
If Goran really had brought in the child of an affair, the butler would have likely covered for him.
And so it was no surprise that Serulis would assume that he was lying now.
Serulis wiped away her tears and looked at me.
“So, are you my older brother?”
“I am not.”
“Yes, so you are my younger brother then.”
“Bufffogh!”
I sprayed the table with milk once again.
That was an incredible leap in logic right there. I was shocked.
“You can call me sister if you want.”
Serulis said. I wasn’t even sure what to say anymore.
However, it was not good to lose your calm. I quietly wiped the table and said,
“Don’t you think that that is just a little too ridiculous?”
“Not really.”
I may look young, but who grabs a 40-year-old man and claims them as a younger brother? It was very off-putting. This could not continue.
If she won’t believe me, I would just have to show her my Adventurer’s card.
“Here, look at my Adventurer’s card.”
“…F Rank Adventurer. Warrior. Locke.”
“See. It doesn’t say Morton anywhere.”
Of course, my card had some information hidden. But normally, it was not possible to change what was displayed.
If you didn’t have a family name on your Adventurer’s card, it was safe to assume that you didn’t have a family name.
“So that means daddy doesn’t recognize you?”
“…No, that’s not what it means.”
“But he’s the one who is at fault, not you. As your sister, I will convince him to recognize you officially.”
“No-no-no-no.”
“You think that mom will be against it? Hmmm. She probably will be upset. But leave it to me. I will persuade mom as well.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Life must have been so hard for you. But don’t worry, your big sister will take care of you now.”
Serulis had a strong sense of justice.
It was a virtue worthy of praise, but in this instance, it was a huge pain.
Maybe she just wanted a younger brother. She had become one now and was running wild.
“No-no-no-no-no-no!! Calm down and listen. I’m really not Goran’s child.”
“You’re even worried about inconveniencing him. But, you should inconvenience him just a little for what he did.”
I gave up on trying to persuade her. Instead, I deactivated the magic on the card.
It was very difficult to activate and deactivate the magic.
But it was easy for me.
I looked Serulis in the eyes.
“Wh-what?”
“Can you keep a secret?”
“You want advice? Yes, as your sister, I will keep your secrets safe.”
She was completely deluded now. This was bad.
I think Goran also tended to be delusional some times.
I guess they were similar in that respect.
The Morton family was in serious danger.
And my identity was not important enough to stay hidden when my friend’s household was on the line.
“Alright, then look at this.”
I showed her my Adventurer’s card. Serulis froze.
Now all of the magic was deactivated.
The long, embarrassing titles and jobs were there.
Great Philosopher, Our Saviour, Great High Sorcerer, S Rank.
And my name, Grand Duke Ruck Locke Franzen.
“Wh-what does this mean?”
“That’s what it means.”
“What…?”
“Yes.”
Serulis asked me twice. She was so confused.
I waited for her mind to settle.
“So as you can see, I am not Goran’s son.”
“…So, you aren’t.”
Finally, Serulis admitted that I wasn’t.