I Am the Madman of This Family

Episode 4. Take care of yourself, just neatly and sensibly (1)

The arrow storehouse of the Sephira family.

A middle-aged man was examining the arrows evenly in this place, which smelled of old leather.

It was the head of Sephira, Basil El Sephira.

For decades, the county has been inspecting the arrows produced that day without skipping a day.

Starting with light and well-balanced normal arrows, there are also forearm-sized arrows for hunting monsters with thick, tough skin.

The last arrow he picked up was a skewer-like arrow. These arrows, which were made to penetrate thick shields or armor, were the least in number.

Basil’s expression was emotionless as he stroked the arrow feathers with his hand. At that time, the door to the arrow store opened slowly.

A person entered the arrow storeroom, killing footsteps. His first son, Hyssop, returned to the family last night.

Sharp features and intense eyes. It was hard to imagine a smiling face, and that face resembled that of Basil.

Hyssop, dressed in a luxurious and sophisticated blue velvet outfit, greeted with an undisturbed attitude befitting a small family head who is doing foreign activities on behalf of the family head.

Place your left hand on your belly and your right hand on your side, then bend down at the waist.

When Basil nodded and accepted the greeting, he immediately straightened his back and brought up the main topic.

“father. I heard from Miles. Keter means that my half-brother is coming.”

Basil answered while fiddling with the feather of the arrow in his hand.

“It happened.”

“I respect my father. I’m sure there must be a good reason. However, no matter how much I think about it this time, I think it is premature.”

“You won’t like the sudden appearance of your half-brother.”

“I’ve never seen it, so it’s neither bad nor good. However, your father knows best that the family is in a precarious situation. I just wonder if it would be dangerous for us and for our little brother named Keter to bring in an outsider in these unsettling times.”

It was a reasonable and valid opinion.

Basil asked without a change of accent.

“so?”

“You can stay with Keter, but I don’t think you should let her participate in family matters. Even for us and the child.”

“Did you mean I shouldn’t pay attention to you?”

“Unfortunately, yes. Keter is from a lawless city, so I don’t want to doubt it, but I don’t want to blindly believe it either.”

It was a rational opinion that thoroughly excluded emotions. All of these qualities were learned from Basil. Therefore, Basil had no reason to object.

“I judged that too, so don’t worry. So, I plan to keep an eye on Keter. How Keter will come out, what actions he will take.”

“I will obey the will of the head of the family. One, if you don’t mind, I want to ask you something. I wonder how you knew and found Keter and why you brought him.”

“It’s not a question that can be answered lightly.”

Basil, who avoided answering, looked out the window at the distant mountains with his hands behind his back.

“It sounds like a carriage. It looks like Keter has arrived. I already told my vassals not to pay attention to Keter. You can do that too.”

“… I will.”

As Basil finished, as if he had nothing more to say, Hyssop bowed his head in a brief courtesy and left the arrow storehouse.

Basil put the arrow in his hand into the quiver and let out a deep sigh.

The reason why the son from the lawless city of liqueur was brought into the family, which he did not even know existed.

It started with a letter I received a month ago.

“Now, all of a sudden… To send me a letter saying I have a son.”

A mysterious woman whom I briefly met about 20 years ago, when I was in high spirits.

The content of the letter from her was astonishing.

-It seems like the starry night was yesterday, but time has already passed. I’m doing well, but you’re probably not doing well. So I am sending you this letter.

I have a son born between you and me. My name is Keter. Just as you helped me then, this time my child will help you.

The kid is in the liqueur now. If you use the seal of the ring enclosed together, you can get out of the liqueur.

The sender was not listed, but with ‘The Starry Night’ in the first paragraph, Basil was sure who sent the letter.

“Akra… … .”

It was a momentary play with fire, but Basil certainly had a hot night with a mysterious woman named Accra.

At the time, Accra told me not to worry about anything, but it was absurd to say that now I have a son and that he will help the family.

At first, Basil was reluctant to seek Keter. It wasn’t because he didn’t trust Accra, it was because his family couldn’t afford it.

But that mindset changed overnight.

Because the letter from Accra has disappeared.

“… … .”

The letter that had been placed on the table in the office had disappeared.

Did the ladies-in-waiting accidentally throw it away while cleaning? It was an absurd assumption.

‘Who dares touch the things on my desk? Besides, no one can come in and out of my office.’

Not finding any signs of intrusion, Basil asked the soldiers guarding the office who had come and gone while he wasn’t there.

“The three elders and the general butler have gone.”

The suspects have been narrowed down to four.

However, Basil became more distraught.

One of Sephira’s high officials secretly read the letter and stole it. If the existence of an illegitimate child was revealed to the Sephira family, which is famous for its integrity, it was difficult to see a good picture. Aren’t they unaware of these facts? Knowing that he stole it further complicated Basil’s mind.

‘Are you saying there was a traitor in the family?’

Three elders made up of blood relatives of the family who are expected to be traitors.

Even the general butler was a loyalist among loyalists who had been devoted from the previous head of household to the present.

Basil had a worse headache than ever. It was clear what to do right now in this situation.

‘I have no choice but to call Keter.’

It was not because of a matter of birth that Basil did not call Keter into the family. It was because there were many enemies within the Sephira family and the family was also in danger.

There was no reason to call him and make him get caught up in blood.

However, since the existence of Keter was known by the traitor, Keter became dangerous. I decided it was better to keep it in sight.

I didn’t even know it existed, and I didn’t even know its face… … .

‘Still, he’s my son.’

Basil held a meeting, revealed the existence of Keter, and unilaterally announced that he would bring him.

However, the birth was hidden. It’s not liqueur, it’s from Absinthe, a city imitating liqueur.

If it turns out that there is an artifact that allows you to come out of liqueur, not only Sephira but any other prestigious family will not be able to afford it.

‘Akra. Who the hell are you to have such a great artifact, and why did you make my child grow up in liqueur?’

Basil could not grasp the intentions of Accra, who could hardly be called a wife.

It’s a series of situations that can never be positive, but even in the middle of it, Basil became curious as a father.

Kether, son of himself and Accra. How the hell did that kid grow up? What values would you have?

I wonder if I feel resentment because I think I was abandoned by my mother and father.

He didn’t grow up normally, he grew up in the lawless city of Liqueur. So it was easy to infer that he would have grown up rough.

Worst of all, Keter could endanger the family.

‘Liqueur is a place where once you go in, you can’t come out again. Would Kether who grew up in such a place have a normal personality?’

There were many cases, but I always remembered the worst case. Realistically, I also thought it would be right to remove the aftereffects.

But Basil had no intention of doing so.

Because abandoning one’s family was considered the same as abandoning one’s family.

Time passed like that, now.

Basil heard the carriage stop.

There is only one wagon to come at this time. Keter, brought from Liqueur, had arrived.

‘Keter. Calm down. I won’t leave the family burden on you. The reason you called you was to protect you.’

Not only that.

If the family were to fall, at least Keter had to be saved. Because Keter has no fault or responsibility.

That’s why he decided to keep his distance by ignoring Keter even if he was harsh.

If you blatantly alienate your internal enemies to make them look like people who have nothing to do with your family, won’t their interest disappear?

Basil only hoped that Keter, who would have grown up lonely without parental love, would be safe and at ease here, and that no matter what happened, she would be safe.

“You wasted too much time.”

Basil’s shoulders were heavy. As the head of a family, he had the duty to protect the family honor and history built up by his ancestors, and as a father, he had the responsibility to protect his family.

It was at that time that Basil, who had shaken off his personal feelings, was about to leave the arrow storehouse.

A loud cry was heard from outside.

“Father! The abandoned bastard has returned!”

A passionate voice like a volcano erupting.

Basil knew instinctively. That that is the voice of my son, Keter, whom I haven’t seen in 18 years.

“Heh, heh heh.”

Basil bursts out laughing.

He never imagined that Keter would greet him in such a bold way.

“You look just like me when I was younger.”

But Basil had no intention of going to see Keter right away.

“Look, Keter.”

Basil, who loved his family as much as he loved his children, went up to his office.

* * *

“young master. The head of the household is busy with business, so you won’t be able to hear it. So, let’s go to the dorm.”

Zach, who hurriedly followed, told me.

I also knew that my father would not come out anyway. It’s rather disappointing if you’re someone you can meet so easily.

“My father is not deaf. It’s obvious that you know but ignore it.”

At the straightforward way of speaking, Jacques blinked for a moment before making an excuse.

“If the boy adapts well to the family, the head of the family will definitely call him.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter. I wonder how strong my father’s patience is.”

Keter wasn’t disappointed that Basil didn’t meet him, but rather made him his target.

When will Basil call himself?

‘Even if you last for one night, I’ll tell you that you’ve endured for a long time.’

Zach, who had no way of knowing what Keter was thinking, asked back.

“Um, what do you mean… … ?”

“Okay, let’s go home. That looks like a warehouse over there, isn’t it my accommodation?”

Zach was taken aback when he saw Keter ahead of him. For Keter was walking straight towards the warehouse.

‘How did you know?’

There was no time to question Zach. Although Keter appeared to walk, it moved away as quickly as it ran.

“Do, Bocchan! Come with me!”

After Zach hastily followed Keter.

Soldiers on guard duty whispered about Keter.

“Is that the person the head of household was talking about? Are you sure you resemble the head of the family a lot?”

“That’s right. It was a picture of the head of the household hanging in the main building when he was young.”

“Will his coming benefit our family? I’m worried… … .”

“Useless talk. When has the head of household ever made a mistake? We just want to do our job well.”

“Mmm, that’s right.”

The soldiers who had been chatting with each other were about to return to their area, but a late soldier interrupted.

“You guys, did you hear where he came from?”

“I heard you were coming, but I didn’t hear where you were coming from.”

“This is a secret… . Rumor has it that he brought it from the lawless city of Absinthe.”

“absinthe?!”

“That poop?”

Only Ornn knew that Kether came from liqueur, and everyone else knew that it came from absinthe.

Lawless City Absinthe.

Being a lawless city is like a liqueur, but this place was called a trash can in a different sense.

“Princess Keter is from Absinthe!”

It is shocking that Basil has an illegitimate child, but it is not unreasonable. But if you’re from absinthe, it’s different.

At those words, the soldiers’ complexion suddenly darkened. The soldier who first mentioned absinthe said with a serious expression.

“I’ve been to absinthe. All the people there are personality-breakers and only crazy people. If Master Keter came from there… You better be careful.”

“I didn’t look closely, but I don’t think it looks that good… … .”

“You never know. It’s okay if I look hateful.”

“You look hateful and sleep, and just avoid it. Wouldn’t that be better?”

“I agree. That would be safer.”

By a soldier who knew absinthe, word spread quickly and quietly within the family.

That Keter is not of ordinary origin. It has become an open secret that he is from absinthe, a lawless trash city.

There was no talk of doing anything particularly evil, but naturally, Keter was branded as someone to be avoided.

All the reasons why Keter was thoroughly ignored and ignored in her previous life were revealed.

Of course, it was Keter who knew that and didn’t care. He soon arrived at the place where he would be staying.

“young master. This is the bathroom, and on the left is the closet… … .”

Jacques explained things here and there with enthusiasm, but Keter only listened and looked around.

“It’s all the same.”

“yes? What do you mean the same thing?”

“There is such a thing. than inspired by Jacques. Where are my brothers and what are they doing?”

“Inspiration… What? Bocchan, I, maybe… Do I look that old?”

Jacques touched his smooth brow as Keter called him old man.

“It’s because he’s friendly like a grandfather. anyway. What is the answer to my question?”

“ah… … .”

Zach was speechless.

I received a new order from the family head not to run into Keter with my brothers. Because of this, I couldn’t take him to the other brothers or greet them.

Kether, knowing this of course, waved her hand.

“I couldn’t speak. It doesn’t matter if I find it myself, right?”

“uh… … .”

Zach couldn’t speak properly in a row. Every one of Keter’s remarks was unexpected.

‘I heard that you’ve lived your whole life in absinthe. Taji, even though he came from a prestigious aristocratic family, why is he so unconcerned?’

Not even a day, let alone an hour had passed, but Zach was at a loss for what Keter had done, as if he had already adapted to this environment.

As Keter reluctantly tried to leave the house, Zach spoke to pass the time.

“young master. How about taking a bath and changing clothes first? You have to show the dignity of an aristocrat so others will see you favorably.”

It was a good, good reason.

However, it was far from enough to stop Keter.

“A good figure is an asshole. He’ll take very good care of me as an illegitimate child.”

It was butler Zach, who was distracted by his outspoken words.