FVN Chapter 38
Chapter 38
Clutching my stinging back, I glared at my brother with moist eyes.
“Why did you hit me...?!”
“You have the nerve to talk after disappearing yesterday without a word and not even showing your face?”
“...I forgot.”
Having nothing to say in response to my brother’s words, I just rubbed my back and muttered.
Then, with a wide grin, my brother put his arm around my neck and led me.
“Let’s go, Father is waiting.”
“Why is he up so early?”
“Father’s lifestyle pattern is always like that.”
... You’re the one who went out to exercise this early in the morning, right?
Of course, if it were me, I would have been exercising at this time under normal circumstances. Come to think of it, our entire family consisted of upright and diligent men.
Helena, watching us with a small smile and a satisfied look, greeted my brother.
“Long time no see.”
“Oh, Helena...!”
Alternating his gaze between me and Helena with a grin, my brother raised his hand and nodded to Helena.
“This is very desirable.”
“...What exactly?”
“You don’t need to know.”
“It seems to be about me, so why...?”
Grumbling with a feeling of being left out for some reason, my brother poked my side and staggered towards the inn.
“You must be having a hard time because of my clueless brother!”
“That’s right.”
Frowning slightly at the conversation between my brother and Helena, I shook my head and followed behind.
In the first place, the Felix that Helena liked was already dead, so what were they talking about?
Following my brother and Helena, who were entering the inn in a friendly atmosphere while leaving me out, I found the first floor empty.
It looked a bit run-down for the residence of an earl and the next head of the family.
Entering the inn late and looking around, I noticed my father talking to Helena and let out a small sigh.
“Helena, you’re here.”
“Uncle! Long time no see!”
“Indeed. Some rascal and you never came to see me.”
“...Hehe, sorry about that.”
My father, with his smooth skin and a charming middle-aged impression unbefitting his age, was talking to her with a sullen expression.
She tried her best to appease my father’s mood by acting cutely beside him.
“Try to keep in touch more often.”
“Of course!”
Seeing Helena’s behavior, elongating her words and acting cute, I shook my head and approached my father as the corners of his mouth twitched.
“...Father.”
“Felix, you’re here. You ungrateful rascal.”
“Ahem.”
The problem was that I had no rebuttal to my father or brother’s words.
Even though I possessed Felix’s body, from their perspective, I hadn’t contacted them for a month since entering the academy.
At the same time, I disappeared from yesterday’s banquet without showing my face, so I had no choice but to accept this scolding.
I made a small cough and avoided my father’s gaze. Clicking his tongue, he looked at me with a disapproving expression.
“...Yesterday was hectic.”
“Yes, I can understand that. After all, you were in charge of escorting Her Highness the Crown Princess.”
My brother must have known everything too. Judging by his bitter smile, he pretended not to know even though he did.
As I smiled slightly at his appearance, he patted my shoulder and silently comforted me.
Thud...! Thud...!
...It felt like he was scolding me too.
My brother, who was patting my shoulder as if he was going to crush it with his large hand, finally grabbed my shoulder and spoke in a low voice.
“Don’t forget, Felix. You are an Astria.”
“...Yeah.”
With his usual smile, my brother lightly ruffled my hair and raised his voice, trying his best.
“Now, go ahead.”
“Okay....”
“No, don’t go back to the dormitory.”
“...Huh?”
My brother interrupted my words and spoke firmly.
As I blinked slowly and asked back at my brother’s words, he shook his head and continued.
“You have too much on your mind right now. Even if you go today, you won’t be able to do anything.”
“......”
“Since you’ve come out like this, go play with Helena for a bit before returning. There are quite a few things to see here.”
At the sight of my brother winking playfully, I backed away from him with a distorted expression and looked disgusted.
“Don’t do that, it looks ugly.”
“...Ugly? Coming from brother? I’m hurt?”
“Ah, forget it. I’ll get going.”
Seeing my brother treating me no differently than usual, I let go of my heavy heart and waved my hand slightly.
My brother smiled at me and waved back.
“...But where’s my opinion in all this?”
Helena, who failed to keep up with the flow of the conversation and had just finished greeting my brother and father, hurriedly caught up with me and asked.
I smiled playfully at Helena’s appearance and shrugged my shoulders.
“Since when was your opinion important?”
“...What did you say?”
I poked Helena’s side with a chuckle and quickly walked away.
“When I say let’s go, we go.”
“Haha... You’re always doing whatever you want.”
I engrave my father’s words deeply in my heart and my brother’s words deeply in my mind.
I was Felix, and Felix was me. So, the heavy shackles of Astria were something I had to bear as well.
Seeing me trying hard to refresh my heavy heart, Helena also smiled brightly. At her appearance, I spoke in a brighter voice than usual.
“So, where should we start?”
It had been a long time since I went out, and it was my first time freely exploring a city in this world.
It would be a lie to say I wasn’t excited.
“Felix, you’re not good at this kind of thing, right? Just follow me.”
Helena, who was somehow reliably taking the lead, exaggeratedly bent her waist.
“But of course. How could I reject!”
“... Don’t make fun of me!!”
And so, my outing in the city with Helena began.
Translator’s Corner
I double-checked the ending for chapter 36. We got robbed of the dance. Booooooo~
We already have best girl. Let her win already!
-Ruminas