The Forest Race Clonne

Chapter 9

Thud—

I realized my fists were clenched when I heard a dull sound from somewhere. Snapping back to reality, I wished I hadn’t seen what I saw next. Camille had Adol pressed against the wall, gripping his collar. Adol’s face turned pale as Camille choked him.

“Ca-Camille?”

Camille’s face showed no emotion as he stared at Adol with a cold, indifferent gaze. Adol, terrified, shrank back, clearly unable to comprehend what was happening.

“Lord Camille, please stop.”

Involvement in an assault on the first day, and with Camille, who was known for being a model student, could lead to disastrous consequences. Thankfully, Camille hadn’t completely lost his reason; he didn’t escalate further. Instead, he looked at me with eyes full of quiet rage.

“I’m sorry, Sei, but whatever you’re thinking, if it harms you, I won’t stand by and watch.”

“…Lord Camille.”

“You’ve done things your way so far, now I’ll do things my way.”

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Camille released Adol’s collar and pushed him away. Adol, who had been as stiff as a mouse meeting its predator, was shoved without any resistance. Though he managed not to fall, he looked almost as bad off as if he had.

“Camille, why are you doing this?”

“Don’t you understand what you did wrong, senior?”

“You’re humiliating me because of a single commoner?”

Camille let out a bitter laugh at Adol’s almost tearful words. Adol flinched, thinking Camille might get angry again.

But Camille didn’t. He closed his eyes slowly, and when he opened them again, his face had returned to its usual composed state. However, his gaze towards Adol had completely changed.

“Officer Adol Lucen, you have just insulted me and my family. Out of respect for our past acquaintance, I will let this slide for now, but I don’t think I will ever regard you in the same way again.”

“When did I ever insult…”

“You disparaged Sei’s family background and called him rootless.”

“How does that insult you and the Rouster family?”

“The mother you spoke about so carelessly was my aunt.”

The shocked expression on Adol’s face froze. The others, who had been nervously watching, were similarly stunned.

“…What?”

“Unfortunately, my aunt passed away early, so Sei and I grew up together. We had the same tutors and received the same education. If Sei’s upbringing is lacking, then so is mine.”

“W-what are you saying…”

Adol’s lips quivered. Camille sighed lightly and turned to me. Keeping his gaze fixed on me, he spoke.

“Seirakia Lavant. Heir to the Lavant Count family and my only cousin.”

“…!”

“The blood you called rootless is half-Rouster. Is that clear now?”

The world seemed to go silent. Everyone stared at me, jaws hanging in disbelief.

And I… I just resigned myself. Looking out the window, I noticed the weather was unusually nice today. It was indeed a perfect season for a swim.

* * *

The day my mother passed away, it rained. Throughout the day, a strange tension hung between the people preparing the funeral. The heavy, somber atmosphere seemed distanced from genuine mourning for the deceased.

I stayed quietly in my room to avoid being in their way. The temporary room I was given during the funeral was filled with unfamiliar items, making it hard to sit comfortably. The only thing I could do was stare blankly out the window.

Before long, a carriage cut through the drizzling rain and entered the estate. It was a carriage made of dark oak with elaborate gold patterns etched onto it. The household staff scrambled to greet the arrival.

A middle-aged man with silver-gray hair and blue eyes stepped out of the carriage. His neat and sophisticated appearance immediately marked him as a person of noble status, and he also seemed very strict. It was the first time I’d seen the proud Count so flustered in the presence of someone else.

The noble visitor entered the house without so much as a glance at those who greeted him, while the bewildered household staff hurriedly followed him. It was as if the ownership of the estate had changed hands, but I didn’t pay much attention. I figured he had nothing to do with me.

Until he suddenly opened the door to my room and asked,

“Are you Salvia’s son?”

* * *

“Officer Sei, you’ve worked very hard today as well.”

With a soft voice, the Department Head set down a silver tray in front of me. It was clearly holding high-quality tea and pastries. The teacup, decorated like autumn leaves, exuded a sweet floral fragrance. As I stared at it, I looked up to see the Department Head’s empathetic eyes.

“I’m not sure if it’ll suit your taste, but would you like to try it? It’s premium Luwell Mountain black tea, with a delightful aroma.”

“…”

“The accompanying pastries are made of rye, very light and savory. They pair well with the tea.”

His unusually familiar tone made me uncomfortable. While I had often seen him fawning over others, I had never been the recipient before. Feeling a familiar headache coming on, I rubbed my forehead.

“There’s no need for this, sir.”

“Ah, do you not like this tea? If so, I can prepare something else.”

“No, that’s not it… Never mind. It smells wonderful. Thank you, I’ll enjoy it.”

Only then did the Department Head’s face brighten as he bowed deeply and stepped back. Even his retreating figure was excessively subservient. As I sighed and ran my hand through my hair, I noticed Camille sitting at a distance, grinning at me. Surely, he was doing that on purpose.

The storm Camille brought with him had caused quite a mess. Not only the Department Head but also the other employees were now tiptoeing around me. Adol, still in shock, had left work early without so much as starting his tasks. Whether he would come back tomorrow was still uncertain. However, the most troublesome person was the one sitting right next to me.

“Traitor.”

Roil muttered, pouting.

“Liar.”

“Hypocrite.”

“Con artist.”

“You played me.”

They were quiet words, but the proximity made them clear. Although I intended to ignore them, his last remark drew a sigh from me.

“You’re saying things that could get me in trouble. When did I ever play you?”

“Are you really asking? You said you weren’t a noble. You said you were a commoner.”

“I am a commoner.”

“Then what is this Lavant Count family? And being Camille Rouster’s cousin?”

“…There are some circumstances.”

“Circumstances that make you actually a noble.”

I chuckled at his sarcastic tone. Despite the grumpy face, I knew Roil wasn’t truly angry. If he were genuinely mad, he wouldn’t be talking to me like this.

“Laughing, are you? After tearing my heart to shreds, you laugh?”

“Please stop. It’s distracting while I’m trying to work.”

“Wow, now you’re blaming me? What’s this? You weren’t this shameless before. Did hanging around me make you so bold? I’ve raised a tiger, a tiger indeed.”

Even his casual demeanor showed he wasn’t really upset. Roil was just too soft-hearted. Smiling apologetically, I saw him sigh.

“Stop laughing, I might actually get used to it.”

“It seems you already have.”

“I have, I have. So what’s it about? Are you really not going to explain anything?”

“……”

“I honestly don’t understand the situation at all. I also thought you were a noble when we first met. I even pressed you about it. Every time, you denied it. Do you remember what you told me when I asked about your parents?”

I remember. It was probably during a conversation about our parents’ occupations. I had told him my father was an unknown wandering mercenary. That conversation had resolved Roil’s suspicions that I was a noble.

“I know your character, you’re not someone to make up such a background, right? You would’ve just told me not to ask, but you didn’t. Am I seeing you in too good a light based on my own assumptions?”

“……”

“Tell me what’s really going on. You can talk to me, if not to anyone else.”

This is why quick-witted people can be troublesome. Eventually, I had no choice but to put down the documents I was working on.

“Roil, sometimes it’s better not to know certain things.”

“There you go. You dodge the question but you don’t lie. That’s the Officer Sei that I know.”

“……”

“Who doesn’t know that there are times when it’s better to be ignorant? But I want to know anyway. Whatever truth is hidden, it’s for me to deal with, so don’t worry about that. If you think this will make me see you differently, then you’re really underestimating me. That would disappoint me deeply.”

With Roil putting it this way, it was difficult to avoid the topic any longer. With a sigh, I spoke up.

“I didn’t lie.”

“So you’re really not a noble?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Though my mother is a noble, which makes Camille Rouster my cousin, I am not a noble. I’m just Sei, not Seirakia Lavant.”

“What kind of sophistry is that… Did you get disowned or something?”

“Who knows, the outcome is what’s important, isn’t it? In any case, I’ve only spoken the truth. Please don’t ask for more details. Even if you pry, I won’t answer.”