After several days had passed without any news from the Duke and Duchess, Skir went to see the Count again.
"Is there any news from my father..."
"Hoho. Are you worried?"
"Haha..."
As Count Cibie laughed as if it were a needless worry, Skir scratched his head awkwardly.
"If you're so worried, why don't you go and see? I'll prepare a scroll for you."
"But didn't you say they had gone elsewhere? They won't be there even if I go..."
"Still, don't you want to check for yourself?"
Cibie smiled faintly and winked one eye.
"So I'm saying you should go and see. Won't your mind be a little more at ease if your curiosity is resolved?"
"Actually... that's true."
Skir nodded his head at Cibie's words, which seed to have read his mind exactly.
It was the first ti he had been unable to contact his ho, so he was actually worried. Even if he set aside his father, Duke Cirus, it was a little strange that there was no contact from his mother either.
"Right. Then go and see quickly."
"Thank you."
Cibie opened a drawer and took out two scrolls.
"Ah, but tell the children before you go."
"Yes, Count."
Skir, who had received the scrolls, bowed his head and left the office, and a smile appeared on the Count's lips as he watched his back.
"Really... Cirus has raised one son well."
He was proud of Skir, who was trying to confirm his parents' well-being even after seeing the letter.
"When he cos back this ti, I should also take a vacation with the children."
***
"Pola."
"Ah, Kir."
Skir looked for the children before leaving, but the only person left at the Count's estate was Pola.
"Where's Nella?"
"I don't know. Won't she co in the evening? She seems to be busy these days."
Pola, who had been spending a lot of ti alone because Nella was busy these days, seed inwardly disappointed.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Why?"
Therefore, Skir had been spending more ti with Pola than usual.
"Ah, I think I need to go ho for a bit."
"Eh? Why to your house? Didn't you say the Duke and Duchess would be coming here soon?"
"Yeah. But I'm a little... worried. I have a few things to ask the servants, and I have a few things to pack."
At that, Pola tilted her head.
"Worried? What are you worried about?"
"Just..."
"You worry too much! Didn't you say you got a letter from the Count?"
"Still..."
Pola shook her head as if she had no choice.
"Right. Well, then go~ I'll just be here alone."
"Don't worry. I'll be back soon."
"What do you an, worry! I don't do things like that."
As Pola pouted her lips, Skir smirked as if he found her cute.
'Soday... I hope Pola will accept my feelings.'
Everyone knew that Skir had had feelings for Pola since he was young. And Skir had even expressed his feelings directly a few tis.
'I will propose to you soday.'
Skir had gathered his courage and confessed his feelings to Pola on the day he had gotten drunk with the rcenary mbers.
But at that ti, Pola had just smirked and dismissed it as a joke.
'What do you think of ?'
A few days later, Skir, who had gathered his courage again, asked again when he was sober, but the only answer that ca back was a small smile.
Once he had gathered his courage, the next ti was a little easier. He had reached a point where he was now openly expressing the feelings he had always been busy hiding.
"Why. Are you worried you'll miss ?"
"Hah! How absurd. Are you going to keep doing that?"
"Hmm. Then I think I'll miss you, so I should co back early."
At that, Pola turned her head as if fed up and clicked her tongue.
"It's fine, so just go and co back quickly."
Looking at Pola's side profile as she turned her head, her cheeks were flushed.
"Ahem... then I'll be going."
"Whatever."
Skir, who had smiled faintly, tore the scroll.
***
Arriving in front of the ducal residence, Skir trembled with a strange sense of anxiety.
'The atmosphere is a little...'
It was desolate.
'Where are the guards?'
The knights who were supposed to be on guard were also not visible.
"This is. Even if the master is not here!"
Skir knocked on the mansion door nervously.
-Bang, bang!
Even if the owner of the house was away, it was absurd that there were no guards. Even if it was alti or shift change ti, it was natural for at least one person to be standing guard.
'Is no one coming out?'
But not only were there no guards, but no one ca out even when he knocked on the door.
-Bang, bang, bang!
Skir, who had knocked on the door hard once more, rubbed his fist slightly.
'Did I hit it too hard?'
There was no sign of anyone.
"Does this make any sense?"
The anxiety he had first felt began to grow.
Skir, who had peeked through the crack in the door, took a step back.
'What is this?'
He should have been able to see at least one servant walking around inside the mansion, but there was no one.
'But...'
Since there were quite a few people who visited the ducal residence every day, it was impossible to leave the mansion empty like this.
'Didn't he say he was going secretly?'
And there was no way the Duke and Duchess, who had left secretly to find an imperial relative, would have inford the surroundings that they were leaving the house.
'Damn it.'
It was when Skir, in an anxious mood, was about to take out the scroll in his bosom.
-Creak...
The mansion door opened.
"...?"
There was definitely no one, but at the suddenly opened door, Skir stumbled back a step.
"Skir."
The person who appeared from inside then was none other than Stun.
"...Brother."
"Right. It's been a while."
As the disappeared Stun walked out of the mansion as if nothing had happened, Skir took another step back.
"This is... disappointing."
Stun, who frowned as if disappointed at Skir's attitude.
"It's been a while."
But Skir just stood there and greeted him politely, not approaching Stun.
"Right. You must have been very worried that I was gone."
"Yes. My parents were also very worried."
"Ah, my father and mother have gone sowhere."
Skir slowly nodded his head as if he knew.
"Right. But what is it? I thought you were supposed to be staying in Sitata during the vacation."
"I ca because I was worried."
"About what?"
"Because I couldn't get in touch with my mother and father."
At that, Stun smirked.
"Right. Our Skir is such a filial son."
"..."
"And I'm a terrible person."
"W-what do you an by that?"
Stun, who had curled one corner of his mouth, slowly approached.
"Why. Isn't that right? I'm always the worthless son who only causes my parents trouble, and you're the good, filial son, aren't you? Huh?"
As Skir stumbled back, Stun, who had frowned deeply, ca closer.
"Why. Are you scared of ?"
"No."
"Then co closer to your older brother. Ah, no, we should go in together. Isn't this your house? Huh?"
Skir, who saw Stun's half-crazed eyes, thought.
'I have to run away right now.'
Sothing had definitely happened.
"Co on. Let's go in."
"I-I'll be... I'll be going now..."
"Why. Where are you going? Huh?"
"Keuk!"
Stun, who had approached, grabbed Skir by the collar.
"Aren't you curious where your parents are? Let's go. I'll take you there."
"I-I..."
Skir, who had been grabbed by the collar, was dragged powerlessly into the mansion.
"Let go, please let go of , brother."
They say that a chicken that was chased as a chick will still be chased even when it becos a rooster. Skir was in that exact situation right now.
Even though he was now a little taller than Stun, Skir was scared of his older brother.
"P-please let go of ."
But no matter how strong he was, the hand that had grabbed his collar showed no sign of letting go.
"Let go! Let go of !!!"
In the end, Skir roughly grabbed his brother's hand and shook it off.
"...?"
Stun, who had looked at his shaken-off hand once, slowly lifted his head and looked at Skir.
"Why are you doing this? I'll go in myself."
"You've grown a lot, Skir."
"Please stop this. How long are you going to do this? Huh?!"
As Skir shouted in frustration, Stun's head slowly tilted back.
"K-khahaha! Khaha!!!"
Stun, who had tilted his head back, began to laugh like a madman.
"Please, brother!!!"
Skir, who had grabbed Stun's shoulders, shouted desperately. Please, please just stop.
But Stun's laughter showed no sign of stopping.
"Kha... kha... ha..."
Stun's laughter, which had seed like it would never stop, gradually subsided.
"Please... brother..."
Skir, with tears welling up in his eyes, begged.
"Right. Right..."
Then Stun smiled faintly.
"We have the sa expression on our faces right now."
At that, Skir looked at Stun with an unreadable expression.
"..."
Not long after, Skir, who had realized the aning, got goosebumps all over his body.
The sa expression. It ant the tears that were welling up in each other's eyes.
"So I must show you rcy for the last ti."
Stun, who had wiped away the tears welling up in his eyes, patted Skir's shoulder.
"Go."
"..."
"Get lost right now."
To let him go was rcy? Skir's pupils shook violently.
'No way...'
Skir, who was looking at the closed mansion door.
"I told you to get lost."
Skir's instinct shouted. To run away right now.
'But...'
His parents might be suffering a terrible fate inside.
"Hmm..."
Stun, who was looking at Skir staring blankly at the door, turned his body.
-Click.
Stun, who was slowly turning the doorknob.
"When this door opens, you won't be able to escape."
Stun, who had grabbed the doorknob, turned his head and smirked.
-Creak.
As the door slowly opened, Skir thought. That he had to run away now, that once that door was fully open, it would be irreversible.
But his feet wouldn't move.
-Creeeeak.
The sound of the door opening seed to stretch as if ti were slowing down.
"Now, you won't be able to escape."
In the end, the door opened wide.
"Now, you have to say hello."
As Stun stepped aside slightly, a foul sll that he had never slled before wafted out.
"Ugh..."
Skir, who had lost his words at the grueso scene behind Stun, let out an unreadable sound.
Dozens of corpses hanging in the air.
"They must have been waiting for our filial son."
Stun, who was walking into the mansion with heavy steps.
"Now, what are you standing there for? They haven't even been able to close their eyes, waiting for you."
Stun, who was standing in front of two corpses hanging side by side among them, put on a pitiful expression.
"Now, hurry up and say hello. Aren't they your father and mother?"
Stun, who had finished speaking, first bowed politely with elegant etiquette.
"W-what is this... what..."
Skir, who was trembling all over, approached with stumbling steps.
"N-no... it can't be..."
There was no sense of reality. No matter how much of a ruffian his brother was, there was no way he would have done sothing like this.
"Tsk. Useless son."
Stun let out a small curse as he looked at Skir approaching with a blank expression.
The closer he got, the more he couldn't believe it.
No way. It can't be. It's not true. His eyes, which had turned hazy, and his head, which seed to have stopped, were blank.
"Didn't I tell you not to make that stupid expression?"
Skir's blank eyes turned to Stun.
"...It's not true, is it?"
"Huh? What is it? Ah... this?"
Stun poked the corpse of Cirus hanging in the air.
"I did it."
He smiled brightly.
"Uwaaaak!!! You bastard!!!"
-Thwack!
Skir's chest, which had been rushing at Stun, was pierced in an instant.
"Keo-eok..."
Stun caught Skir, who was collapsing forward.
"Right. You should bow your head like this. Aren't you a filial son?"
"Keo-eo... eok..."
The red blood that had been coughed up from Skir's mouth soaked the floor.
[End of Chapter]
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