Even a Scoundrel Gets Tired

5 – The Unwaiting Truth *Revised*

The day immediately following my mother’s passing,

her funeral was held, and it proved to be far more

grand than I had anticipated.

Larger, even, than the funerals of some noble families.

If not for the fact that the guests’ attire

was entirely black, one might have mistaken

it for a small, if somber, soiree.

I suppose they felt obligated to observe

the proprieties due to a Duchess, after all.

Indeed, no matter that my mother was

of common birth, holding a modest

funeral on that account would have surely

invited scandalous whispers.

The Duke, prioritizing the family’s honor

above all else, would never have permitted it.

I found myself not shedding

nearly as many tears as I expected.

I had already emptied myself of them the day before.

My mother’s robes were soaked through

as a result, and the maids had quite the chore ahead of them.

“Sob.. sob, milady…”

Of course, Ella, having arrived so late

the previous day, was an exception.

She wept, having been deprived of the chance

to bid farewell, and I, without meaning to,

found myself overcome and wept with her.

Ella, more than anyone else, was the maid my mother held dearest.

“She’s about my age,” they said,

“Looks just like his daughter.”

After stroking Ella’s hair,

Still weeping with such sorrow,

I straightened my face at once

And smoothed down my clothes.

From now on, I had to greet the guests.

“To lavish such care on a funeral

Even for a commoner…”

“The Duke must have truly cherished his wife, heh heh…”

‘…Bullshit.’

To others, the Duke’s actions

Would simply appear those of a devoted husband,

But to my eyes, knowing everything, it was nothing but pretense.

‘If they knew how many times the Duke

Visited Mother in her room, they’d faint backwards.’

Or, more precisely, since my birth.

The Duke barely set foot

In Mother’s chambers.

The reason, even I don’t truly know.

It wasn’t as if Mother’s beauty had faded.

Well, the most likely reason

Is that he thought he had no further need of her, having produced a son…

And that, in its own way, infuriates me.

Mother longed for the Duke every day,

Yet the Duke felt

No affection for her,

Or so it seems.

As if she were merely a tool to bear an heir.

‘….’

Still, for now, I decided to remain still.

Whether the Duke did this only for

The family’s prestige, I didn’t know,

But in any case, Mother’s funeral

Being so grand wouldn’t hurt.

“Oh, how deep must her sorrow be.”

“Lady Sariel was truly

A good friend and woman…”

“I concur, entirely… Especially since

she was always such a keen listener to my troubles… Waaah!”

For the record, I was the chief mourner.

I was my mother’s only child, after all.

And that meant,

all these throngs that had poured in, claiming to mourn Mother,

were entirely my burden to deal with.

‘So-called friends of Mother

don’t even know my name, do they.’

‘Why didn’t your esteemed friendship

ever prompt a single visit?’

‘You listened to her woes, you say?

Seems you never listened to Mother’s own, then.’

Nearly the entire flock of guests

had descended, claiming ties to my mother,

yet I, in truth, had never once seen my mother in company with another.

Serving staff, perhaps,

but considering her frail health kept her

mostly confined within these walls,

friends were out of the question, let alone callers.

It was all falsehood, naturally.

Most of them were plainly hoping

to forge some connection to the Duke.

Because, nominally, and in the public eye, my mother’s husband was the Duke,

so they couldn’t possibly skip

an opportunity like this funeral.

They likely thought they could shed a few tears

and walk right up, but…

‘Too bad, isn’t it? A bit

more time and they’ll be soaked to the bone with rain.’

I secretly offered them

a silent scoffing.

The Duke wouldn’t set foot here.

The man who was so indifferent

even when told of Mother’s death,

what possible reason could he have to come now?

Would he even deign to show his face at such a funeral?

There was nothing to be gained for him,

appearing here, beneath the gazes of others.

And perhaps my suspicions were not unfounded,

for the Duke did not, in truth,

reveal himself even once

during the two days the ceremony unfolded.

Though tomorrow would see its

conclusion at last.

The guests, too, appeared rather disconcerted

by his continued absence; two days running,

and Ella likewise,

harshly criticized the Duke’s actions from behind closed doors.

Though, of course, never within earshot of others.

They say even the King is disparaged in his absence; I had no desire to dissuade her.

After all, I, too, held no

particularly fond feelings for him.

Resentment, rather,

for the man who had so neglected Mother.

Thus, after three days of discreetly, almost unconsciously, speaking ill of the Duke,

he and his entire family finally appeared at the funeral.

Each and every one, projecting

an air of solemnity, as if perfectly rehearsed.

“….”

Unexpectedly, I found myself

uttering not a word as I watched them.

Not from lack of words, but

from a disinclination to engage.

He hadn’t come to visit even

after Mother first fell ill,

and now, only after she had become a cold corpse,

resting in her coffin for three days,

had he so graciously

deigned to behold her face;

what could I possibly say to such a man?

I was barely restraining myself

from drawing a blade and attacking him outright.

“….”

“..Jennison, your mother’s….”

“I understand the shock of the obituary,”

“But have you paid respects to Father─”

“..To your mother, you mean.”

Shouldn’t I call her ‘stepmother’, not mother?

At least, if I acknowledged her as family.

“..Why that expression?

Have I said something I shouldn’t have?”

“..No, brother.

Greetings, everyone.”

Barely managing to hold back from grinding my teeth to dust,

I secretly bit down on my lip,

And bowed my head towards the Duke.

In order: The Duke, his first wife, my brother, and Aria, my sister.

As the “chief mourner,” I greeted

All of them,

And after that, I didn’t exchange a single word with them.

*

After the funeral concluded,

I made my decision.

It was time to leave this godforsaken

Family for good.

The only reason I’d faithfully

Obeyed the Duke’s orders all this time

Was out of concern that something

Might happen to my mother’s safety.

Of course, if I had become strong enough to

Overcome the Duke before then, perhaps…

But alas, in this body that hasn’t even fully matured,

I couldn’t defeat the Duke, who had already reached

The pinnacle of mastery.

I had lived this way solely to

Protect my mother.

And now, the mother I had strived to protect, was gone.

‘I no longer have any

Reason, affection, or justification to remain in this family.’

Just as I was packing

All my belongings, ready to leave,

I was confronted with an unexpected problem.

‘..If I leave, what can I even *do*?’

Of course, the things I could do were overflowing.

Recover the memories and experiences

of my past lives, and make a living wielding a blade, perhaps.

Or truly utilize

this talent embedded

in the back of my hand to become an alchemist.

‘…But.’

The truth was, I lacked

any real goal.

I had repeated countless lives

until now, yet not once

had I lived a life where my freedom was guaranteed.

Furthermore, now that things had come to this, leaving the family to do… anything was hampered by the reputation I had ruined.

Already, within the academy,

I was treated like some kind

of plague-bringer.

Of course, because of the Duke’s

decree that I be treated as worthless trash,

I was called someone who, without power himself,

relied only on his family background to act cocky…

But if other students heard

I had left the family, they wouldn’t

leave me alone.

‘That doesn’t mean I can just stay

here and be treated like a black sheep…’

That was worse than death.

That alone, I absolutely hated.

It was shameful that

I shared the same surname

as the Duke, who had practically neglected my mother.

Even when I pleaded so desperately

that my mother was sick,

he merely assigned her a family

physician and acted as if

he had fulfilled all his obligations, his attitude disgusted me.

‘And what’s worse, everyone

in this family respects him completely.’

“If you dislike the temple, then the monk should leave,” or so they say.

Very well, I shall leave.

‘Whatever you do…

I hope you reach the apex.’

And it just so happens a task has come to mind.

*

The following dawn,

I rose before the sun and made my way to the main residence.

At this hour, the family would

be just before their meal.

I’d ceased attending these family

dinners some years ago, so

along the way, I could feel the servants flinch as they spotted me, and

soon, ignoring all such gazes,

I arrived at the main house dining hall.

Thump-thump—

A somewhat rough sound of military boots.

In this dazzling mansion,

there were only two madmen who wore such boots.

The first being the Duke, and the second…

“..Jennison? What brings

you here so early in the morning?”

It was my brother, Allen Reinhardt.

From a young age, he had bested all the children his age,

and before long, surpassing the rank of squire,

he had joined the Knight Order as its youngest member.

Considering that others his age were still, without exception, languishing as squires,

he possessed a truly formidable

talent.

“..I’ve come to partake in breakfast.”

“..Jennison, must we

redden our faces with anger this early?”

“….”

“..Ha, do as you please.

I no longer care to know you.”

Click-clack—

The sound of heels, echoing as

I finished my exchange, if one could call it that, with Allen.

Only a select few walked these halls shod in leather within this manor. Surely, not the servants dared such a luxury.

‘…The First Wife, or…’

“…”

Aye, my sister.

Aria Reinhardt, and none other.

Descending the stairs, she languidly smoothed a hand over her raven tresses, casting a fleeting glance my way before her gaze swiftly shifted past me.

Once, it seemed, she’d held a fondness for me, but ever since that command from the Duke, she has remained thus.

Not that she treated me with scorn, as Alen did, or outright abused me – no, she simply ignored me altogether.

‘…Well, I’m used to it now.’

Thump, thump—

‘He’s arrived.’

At last, the echo of another pair of military boots.

Duke Kyle Reinhardt,

My father, and master of this house.

He, too, descended the stairs, his eyes briefly acknowledging my presence.

A mere moment, yet his head tilted ever so slightly.

As though he’d spotted a wretch that ought not be there.

“Why are you here?”

“…I came to partake in the morning meal.”

“…”

Indeed, it must seem strange.

A wretch who hadn’t shared a single meal in years,

Suddenly altering his demeanor after his mother’s passing.

Strange it must appear, exceedingly so.

“…Very well, I trust you won’t cause any trouble on a day such as this.”

‘…Because of the eyes that watch, perhaps?

“So, you’re painting me as some sort of damned scoundrel, are you?”

Well, no matter.

As of today, I’ll no longer be a member of this house.

It was so late that even the first wife,

all of them were seated at the table together,

and finally, when the servants slowly

began to set the dishes and arrange the food,

“Your Grace.”

“…What is it?”

“I will be leaving the family.”

I dropped the bomb.

*

Less than an hour

after Jennison made that declaration,

two uninvited guests arrived at his room.

“He already left..?!”

“Yes.”

Oblivious to the fact that it was already too late.