The Villainous Noble Who Kept Rewinding After Death: The Story Somehow Changed When I Committed Suicide

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The Villainous Noble Who Kept Rewinding After Death: The Story Somehow Changed When I Committed Suicide

Chapter 21: Parental Kindness

“Travel, you say?”

When I told the two of them I wanted to travel, my father looked a bit surprised and asked again.

“Yes. I plan to start within the Empire and then head abroad. However, since I must also attend the academy, I promise to return by then.”

“What’s your objective?”

“To grow stronger. I wish to travel to various countries to gain knowledge and power, aiming for even greater heights.”

The truth is, I’m also looking for a way to die eternally, but if I were to say that, there’s no doubt I’d face opposition, so I’ll keep that to myself.

Moreover, this reason isn’t entirely a lie. I’ve never properly left this country in my previous life, so I wanted to experience various things even just once.

For a while, my father and I stared at each other. Then, he took a breath, sipped his tea, and looked at me with a serious gaze.

“You’re serious about this, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“…Very well. I’ll grant you permission.”

“You!”

“Calm down, Elize. It can’t be helped. If Lewis wishes for this, we must support him. Besides, didn’t you see this child’s magical skills? At this point, we can’t stop him anymore. It’s better to give permission instead of having him leave without our blessing.”

“That’s true!… But he’s still just a child!”

“I understand that. However, Lewis, while you have my permission to travel, I have two conditions.”

“Yes.”

“First. Write to me once a month. The content is up to you, but I’d appreciate it if you include how you’re doing, especially your health.

Second. Be sure to return safely. You’re an important child to us. I want to see you come back in good health.”

“Understood.”

“And as for Fiera, I see from your reaction that this is your first time hearing about it. I don’t know if you’ll be going along, but if you do, I entrust my son to you.”

With that, my father bowed to Fiera, despite being a noble.

Under normal circumstances, it’s unthinkable for a noble to bow to a commoner, but it just shows how much he cares for me.

“Leave it to me. I will definitely accompany him and protect El.”

“El?… Ah, you mean Lewis. Then I’ll rely on you. Now, Lewis, when do you plan to leave?”

“We’re currently tackling the Icy Fake dungeon. I plan to set off after conquering it.”

“I see. Then if you need anything, don’t hesitate to tell me. I’ll gather it immediately.”

“Thank you.”

So, it was decided that I would embark on the journey I had originally planned, and I began discussing our future while drinking tea with my father.

Afterward, the conversation with my parents lasted longer than expected. This was because my mother couldn’t come to terms with it, and in the end, she hugged me and cried.

Although I’ve lived this life many times over, my parents have always been on my side.

Even when I got into trouble, my father would bravely scold me, and my mother would cry, trying to dissuade me.

It’s true that doing bad things is wrong, but I can never express enough gratitude to my parents for loving me unconditionally.

That’s why, seeing my mother cry due to my selfishness, my heart started to ache, despite having thought I’d feel nothing.

“Mother, it’s okay. I promise to return safely. And… if you don’t mind, please hold on to this.”

I said as I took out a necklace I had kept in my pocket.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a magical tool that tells you about my life and death. As long as the magic stone in the center doesn’t break, it means I’m alive. So please, don’t cry any more.”

This magical tool was something I happened to find in town a few days ago. Adventurers often give it to their loved ones or family.

(It’s a bit cruel to be able to know life and death, but it’s better than nothing.)

If by any chance I were to die, the magic stone would break and notify my mother.

If that happens, she would be even more sorrowful, and even if I didn’t die, she might have restless days worrying about the stone.

Still, I thought it would be better than not knowing my safety at all, so I handed it over to her.

“Now, Elize. It’s time to stop crying in front of the child. We must not rob him of the chance to grow.”

“…I understand. But Lewis, I have a request for a change of conditions.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s make it every two weeks instead of once a month for the letters. If it seems impossible, a little delay is okay, but there should be at least one letter within a month. Do you understand?”

“Understood.”

Thus, after getting a reluctant approval from my mother, my parents exited as they had work to return to.

Left in the room were just me, Fiera, and Miria. Having had a serious conversation for the first time in a while, I plopped down on the sofa, feeling exhausted.

“I didn’t hear anything about that.”

“Hmm? Ah… I hadn’t mentioned it.”

“Were you planning to go alone?”

“Of course… Ouch! What was that?”

I responded as if it was obvious, only to get punched on the shoulder by Fiera out of nowhere.

I turned to her, wondering what was up, and found her glaring at me with unusually fiery eyes.

“Why would you try to go alone? Am I in the way? Am I a burden? We’ve worked hard together all this time… If it’s a nuisance, just say it’s a nuisance!”

Apparently, not sharing my plan to travel really bothered her, and she kept glaring at me.

“…I’m sorry. But I thought it’d be wrong to drag you along on my personal journey. It’s not because you’re a burden or anything.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. There’s no point in lying about something like this.”

“Then, can I go too?”

“If you want to come, then sure.”

“Got it. I’m definitely going with you!”

Once it was decided that Fiera would accompany me, her mood brightened a bit, and she swished her tail towards me cheerfully.

“Grooming!”

“Oh, right.”

Remembering that she had asked me to groom her when we parted ways yesterday, I began to pet her tail while we relaxed together.

When I next opened my eyes due to the sensation of someone petting my head, I squinted against the bright light in the room.

“Oh, you’re awake?”

“…What’s going on?”

As my blurry vision cleared, I saw Fiera peering down at me from above.

“Lap pillow. You looked uncomfortable, so I thought I’d help.”

It seems I had fallen asleep while petting her tail, and Fiera noticed and offered me her lap as a pillow.

“I see. Thanks to you, I slept well.”

“Mm.”

After thanking Fiera, I sat up and realized it was already dark outside, with the sun completely set.

“Fiera. Stay the night, okay?”

“Is that alright?”

“I can’t possibly send you home in this darkness. I’ll have a room prepared for you, so you can rest easy.

By the way, we were supposed to head to the dungeon tomorrow, but let’s take a break instead. You haven’t had any proper rest.”

“Thank you.”

“Miria, prepare a room.”

“As you wish.”

After giving Miria the order, I stood up from the sofa to leave the reception room but suddenly remembered something I had forgotten to mention and turned back.

“Oh, right. I’ll have a meal prepared for Fiera too. I’ll be dining with my father and mother, so please make sure it’s ready.”

“Mm. Understood.”

This time, as I finally exited the room, I instructed another maid to prepare Fiera’s room and returned to my own room with Miria.

Sitting in the chair at the center of the room, I sipped the tea Miria had made, but she seemed to want to say something as she looked at me with hesitation.

“Do you have something to say?”

Miria seemed to be deliberating for a moment, but soon she gathered her courage and looked straight at me.

“Will you really be going on that journey, Lewis-sama?”

“Yeah, about that. Of course, I will.”

“Then, what will happen to Iris-sama during that time?”

Upon hearing Iris’s name, I suddenly remembered that I hadn’t informed her about my plans at all.

(Oh no. How should I tell her…?)

Originally, I thought that if I ignored her, she would ignore me in return, so I had no intention of informing her about my travels.

But for some reason, this version of Iris seemed to care about me, and I wasn’t sure what would happen if I just up and left.

After much deliberation, I decided to send her a letter the day before I set off as a follow-up.

“Don’t worry. I’ll let her know through a letter.”

“I understand.”

Reassured by my promise to handle Iris’s matter, Miria showed a slightly relieved expression, bowed, and left the room.