The Forest Race Clonne

Chapter 10

It seemed I could almost hear the cogs turning in Roil’s head. I pretended not to notice his confused glance. He rubbed his mouth for a moment and then hung his head, letting out a long sigh.

“…Alright. I don’t entirely grasp the details, but you’re confirmed to be related to Lord Rouster, right? That means your maternal family is the Rouster ducal house. So, the Chief of the Security Department is your maternal grandfather, isn’t it?”

“Well, yes, that’s correct.”

“Hey, then that settles it. That’s all that matters. At least no one will undervalue you from now on. Hey, shouldn’t you be dealing justice to all those who mistreated you before? I was so thrilled when Lord Rouster revealed you’re his cousin, I almost cheered. It felt like a decade of frustration was being washed away.”

I was momentarily speechless at his carefree laughter. He hadn’t even lowered his voice, so everyone around could hear what he was saying. Spotting a particularly jittery person whom Roil noticed as well made him chuckle.

“Did you see the Department Head’s face just now? He must be dying inside. He tried to gain your favor too late after treating you like a servant all this time. Honestly, I felt such a rush of relief when Lord Rouster announced your relationship, it was almost euphoric.”

“Weren’t you feeling betrayed by me?”

“Of course, I felt let down. I thought we were close, and then to find out I didn’t even know your true status… That hurt. But that’s a separate issue.”

Is this a matter that can be simplified so easily? I wasn’t sure. Roil, noticing my perplexed look, smiled.

“It’s simple. I just genuinely care about you. Whatever your real status might be, I honestly don’t mind that much. I’d rather see you do well than anything else.”

“…Thank you.”

“For what? It’s nothing… But Lord Rouster seems unaware of your situation. Is that alright?”

His voice dropped again. Of course, it wasn’t alright. I hadn’t planned for this kind of reunion at all. I replied with a forced smile, evading a direct answer, and Roil nodded with a look of understanding.

“He seems to care about you a lot. But not all goodwill leads to a happy ending. What if it backfires in a way you don’t want?”

“I’ll maintain an appropriate distance.”

“Do you think that’ll be easy to manage?”

“It doesn’t matter. I won’t be staying here much longer anyway.”

“Huh? What do you mean by that… Are you planning to leave?”

Roil blinked rapidly, clearly startled. I felt a sense of resignation too. Perhaps the chaotic events of the day had worn down my defenses a bit. Maybe I was leaning on Roil’s accepting nature. Deciding to be even more honest, I continued.

“You get autonomy to move and purchase property once you become an adult. You might think I lack ambition for promotion, but that’s not it. I’ve planned to stay here only until I turn twenty. That’s why I haven’t cared much about it.”

“Whoa, hold on. If that’s the case, there’s less than a year left. Why are you telling me this now…”

“What are you talking about?”

The sudden voice made me click my tongue. When did Camille arrive? He stood there with a stern face. Though we had been speaking softly, he was close enough to have heard.

“Leaving? What do you mean by that? Where to and when?”

Roil, who had started hiccuping, gave me a helpless look. Damn high-ranking knight. This mess wouldn’t have happened if he were in the Imperial Guard where he belonged. I sighed lightly.

“Lord Camille, regular people get startled when someone approaches silently. Please make your presence known next time. Do you need something? For work-related inquiries, please ask the Department Head.”

Of course, the Department Head was too anxious to even make eye contact with Camille. Not that I really meant it as a practical suggestion. Camille, who had been staring me down, bit his lip.

“Let’s talk.”

“I’m working right now, so it’s difficult.”

“Then meet me after work. That should be fine, right?”

“…I don’t really have anything to say.”

“I do.”

Of course, you do. Feeling awkward, I didn’t respond, which made Camille’s gaze grow even darker.

“Don’t even think about running away.”

A chill lingered in the air as Camille turned and walked away. Only after he was out of sight did Roil finally breathe a sigh of relief, his face visibly pale.

“Wow, that was genuinely terrifying. How can a nineteen-year-old have such a presence? They say knights can overwhelm just with their gaze, and it’s true. Can he use Aura too?”

“I’ve heard he’s a prominent candidate for Sword Master.”

“Are you going to be okay? He seemed really angry.”

“Well, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

I never expected things to end smoothly anyway. My simple reply prompted Roil to pat my head sympathetically. His gaze felt somewhat pitiful.

“Don’t push yourself too hard.”

“…I’ve never really overexerted myself.”

“To me, it looks like you’re pushing yourself way too much. You seem like you’re living life too intensely. You don’t have to. You’re still young, why carry so much burden? What I mean is, sometimes it’s okay to lean on others.”

“…”

“Ugh, that was so embarrassing. I’m acting like an adult now and then. But wasn’t it kind of cool?”

Roil’s sudden burst of theatrics was his way of lightening the mood, and I appreciated it.

“Oh, I just remembered! I needed to grab something from the archives! I’ll be right back.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

Watching Roil leave hurriedly, I picked up the documents again. With the chatter gone, I thought I could focus, but the words refused to register. After futilely trying to read, I set the papers down again.

“…Overexerting? What nonsense.”

When had my life ever been so intense? All I did was live cowardly under the shelter others provided.

I’ve always been like this. Unable to explain anything properly, always keeping an escape route open, and dumping everything on others as if it were all their fault. Even though I knew, I couldn’t break the habit. It was much easier to avoid confrontation than to face it.

Still, I shouldn’t have avoided it earlier. It was a sinister love drama entangled with the noble families of the Empire. The fewer people who knew, the better. I wasn’t sure if Roil fully understood, but if he even suspected a bit, it would be burdensome.

‘What’s the point in leaving traces now?’

Roil was right.

I am a hypocrite. A fraud. A liar and a traitor.

I must pay for deceiving everyone.

* * *

Blocking my path to the dormitory after work was Camille. Leaning against the hallway wall, he started walking as soon as he saw me. His back indicated that he expected me to follow. Swallowing a sigh, I walked after him.

Camille didn’t look back even once as we moved. Eventually, we arrived at a quiet place where no one else was around. Only then did Camille turn to look down at me.

“So, now tell me.”

“……”

“You said you’ll leave when you become an adult. Did I hear that correctly? That means you plan to return to your main house, right? It has been a long time since you left. You should return for heir training. Tell me I’m right.”

“Lord Camille.”

“Why do you keep using honorifics? You used to call me just Camille. You didn’t use formal speech either.”

Those were the days of our naive youth. Circumstances had also required it. Frustrated by my silence, Camille loosened the knot of his cravat.

“Why did you hide your status? I heard you applied as a commoner. Was that necessary?”

“……”

“When you suddenly disappeared three years ago, I thought you had returned to your main house. Grandfather himself said as much. I felt hurt that you left without saying goodbye, but later I found out it wasn’t true. The Lavant main family didn’t even know you were gone.”

“You found out all that?”

“How could I just sit around when you had disappeared?!”

I couldn’t help but scoff. The world of nobility is known for pushing even siblings into competition. A cousin of the same age suddenly going missing would typically be a relief, easily forgotten. Yet he had actively been looking for me. It looks like both I and the Duke of Rouster had underestimated Camille.

“Do you know how shocked and confused I was? Grandfather wouldn’t give me any answers. Your whereabouts had completely vanished! I had no idea what you were doing, if you were alive or dead! Then I learned by chance that you were in the Security Department, and I thought there was some sort of deal with Grandfather. He tends to set unreasonable conditions and test people.”

“…”

“The hidden identity was also part of it, wasn’t it? What was the condition? Keep quiet here until you’re an adult, and then he’ll support you?”

“It wasn’t like that.”

“Then what? Why did you suddenly disappear? Why are you here like this? Give me an explanation I can understand.”

An explanation he could understand—was that even a reasonable request? No matter what I said, he probably wouldn’t accept it. I laughed hollowly, and Camille’s face contorted further.

“Seirakia Lavant.”

“I’m just Sei.”

“Don’t play around. I’m seriously angry right now.”

“I’m not joking either.”

“What, so you renounced your status?”

“Yes.”

The brevity of my reply made his green eyes waver. I met his scrutinizing gaze squarely without flinching. After studying me with disbelief, Camille let out a low groan.