Chapter 60…
It honestly felt a little awkward returning home after so long.
And of course it would.
In his previous life, he had been away from the family estate for decades. Even after regressing, he had only stayed a few days before heading off to the duchy.
Feeling awkward was natural.
But that wasn’t the only reason.
There was a deeper issue.
“Quiet.”
The mansion was deathly silent.
The many servants were nowhere to be seen, and even the officials who helped with domain affairs had noticeably dwindled in number.
As a result, the mansion was filled with nothing but heavy silence.
“You left for such a dangerous place without saying a word to your mother. Do you know how frightened I was?”
Lucia.
Dante’s stepmother.
She wrinkled her beautiful face slightly as she lifted the teacup in her hand and took a sip.
“…I apologize. It was decided so suddenly, I had no time to ask for your permission beforehand.”
Dante bowed his head a beat later than he should have.
“I heard from Sir Patrick. It was an order from His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the Grand Duke?”
“It seems they’ve chosen to look favorably upon someone as unworthy as me.”
At Dante’s words, Lucia’s eyes curved softly.
“You must have inherited your father’s blood completely.”
A gentle voice.
A warm smile.
And yet…
A hidden dagger.
Dante knew full well how sharp the blade concealed behind those affectionate eyes could be.
If he ever showed the slightest opening, she would stab without hesitation.
Which was why he could not afford to show the slightest weakness.
“You flatter me. I merely benefit from being under Father’s shadow.”
“Do you truly think that?”
This time, he didn’t answer.
Instead, he casually lifted the teacup from the table and drank without hesitation.
At that, Lucia’s expression stiffened slightly.
A very subtle change—
but to Dante’s eyes, it was obvious.
“At the time, I was only ten years old. Far too young for anyone to judge talent, wouldn’t you agree?”
With those words, silence fell between them.
But it wasn’t the silence of distraction.
Quietly—
each was probing the other’s thoughts and intentions.
Then suddenly—
“Come to think of it, I heard there was a bit of a misunderstanding on your way here.”
Lucia spoke in an offhand tone, as if it were nothing serious.
A misunderstanding…
Unconsciously, Dante’s lips curled into a smile.
It was something he would never have done before.
And yet Lucia showed no reaction.
That made it even more unsettling.
Looking straight into her eyes, Dante replied:
“It was no misunderstanding. Sir Bersion’s attitude was disrespectful, so I merely gave him a small lesson.”
“Disrespectful?”
“Yes.”
He didn’t bother to explain what exactly Bersion had done wrong.
Nor did he want to.
Instead, he added one more line:
“Perhaps because they were not personally knighted by Father, their discipline seems to have slackened somewhat.”
Sharp words delivered in a gentle tone.
Of course, they had no effect on Lucia.
“In that case, punishment is only fitting. To show such insolence to the young master of House Aquites—well done.”
Instead, she praised him.
This is what makes her terrifying.
She never removes the mask from her face, no matter when or under what circumstances.
Perfect control.
Even knights, who trained both body and mind, found such composure difficult. Yet Lucia managed it with ease.
“In any case, this mother is overjoyed that you have finally returned. I would love to talk longer, but you must be tired from your long journey. Rest for now, and we’ll speak more later.”
That was exactly what Dante wanted.
This meeting was already pushing the limits of his patience.
Every passing second, he had to suppress the urge to draw his sword, until his muscles ached from the restraint.
“Thank you for your consideration.”
When Dante bowed politely, Lucia made a mock-pouting expression.
“The adorable little boy I knew has returned a grown man after four years. This mother finds it so very bittersweet.”
“I am fourteen now. I cannot remain a child forever, can I?”
“My mind understands, but my heart refuses to accept it.”
A conversation disguised as affectionate longing.
Both Dante and Lucia knew the truth.
Their relationship could never return to what it once was.
They simply didn’t show it on the surface.
“I’ll try to rid myself of the stench of the battlefield little by little.”
Lucia smiled at that.
“Don’t push yourself too hard. Ah yes, on your way, greet your younger siblings as well. They’ve missed you dearly.”
“Of course. They’ve grown a lot, I see. I’ll go out and give them a hug—it’s been too long.”
With that, Dante gave her a polite farewell and left the room.
Click.
As the door closed, his expression vanished.
As if he had never felt any emotion at all.
Missed me, have they?
Impossible.
Though they shared the same father, half their blood came from Lucia.
Perhaps because of that, they had always been hostile toward him.
In his past life, and surely now as well…
“Still, I suppose I should see them at least once.”
He walked on.
The hallway remained steeped in silence.
…Later
“Brother!”
“Big Brother!”
His younger brother, Cariel, three years younger.
And his younger sister, Ceres, four years younger.
He hadn’t noticed at the gate earlier, but now that he looked…
They’re so young.
Far too young.
Naturally so—
they were only eleven and ten, just children.
At an age when they knew nothing of the world, and playing was their greatest joy.
Hmm.
Dante gazed at them with complicated feelings.
Their faces bore both Lucia’s noble beauty and their father’s strength.
Still pure.
Though there was a hint of awkwardness and caution, there was none of the scorn or hostility they had shown in his past life.
Not yet, perhaps?
Looking back, he too had gotten along well with them in his early years.
Things only soured after he took up the sword—
after his unusual talent was revealed.
But in this life, that chance had never come.
Barely days after picking up a sword, he had left for the capital to meet the Sword Queen.
Given their young age at the time, they couldn’t possibly hold strong feelings toward him.
To them, I must feel like someone they barely remember, meeting again after years apart.
The awkwardness on their faces made sense.
“Brother?”
Cariel tilted his head, puzzled as Dante simply stood there silently.
Only then did Dante collect himself and speak.
“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”
It sounded less like a reunion of siblings, and more like a knight-commander on inspection.
Cariel flinched at the tone—understandably so.
But Dante paid it no mind.
Or perhaps, he didn’t even realize what was wrong.
This wasn’t awkward only for his siblings.
It was just as awkward for him.
“You’ve both grown a lot. You were still small when I left.”
The more he spoke, the more they seemed to shrink back.
It felt less like facing an older brother, and more like facing their father.
“D-Did you return safely? We sometimes heard news about you…”
Cariel tried to straighten his shoulders as he asked, while Ceres peeked nervously from behind his back.
“Of course. It was a rewarding and meaningful experience. If you get the chance, you should experience it too.”
They hadn’t expected that reply.
Both children paled instantly, as if worried he might ship them off to the battlefield right then and there.
Hmm.
It might actually have been easier facing Lucia.
“It isn’t something to fear. As children of House Aquites, it’s only natural to go through it someday. What you truly need to learn isn’t only what your tutors teach here at home.”
The longer he spoke, the paler they became.
Only then did Dante sense something was off.
He had meant only to greet them lightly, yet here he was delivering a speech.
Perhaps because of that—
Cariel stood ramrod straight like a drilled soldier, while Ceres blinked nervously, constantly gauging his expression.
This is…
He didn’t know exactly what was wrong, but he was certain he’d made a mistake.
What do I do?
Having lived only for the sword, he had no idea how to handle such situations.
He wanted to say something to lighten the mood, but all that came to mind were words suited for the battlefield.
Just then—
“You look ready to devour the two of them, Sir Dante.”
A familiar, amused voice approached.
Dante turned his head.
“Sir Patrick.”
It had been four years since he’d last seen him.
Patrick smiled as if no time had passed.
“I’m so relieved you returned safely.”
He greeted Dante with courtesy.
“It’s been a while.”
“You’ve matured greatly since we last traveled to the capital together. You’re hardly the same person.”
“Have I?”
It wasn’t an exaggeration.
Though not fully grown yet, Dante had developed so much that it was hard to believe he was only fourteen.
“It’s been a while for you two as well. I’ve been too busy to visit.”
Patrick also greeted Cariel and Ceres.
“Sir Patrick.”
“G-Good to see you.”
“But I must apologize.”
“Huh?”
Puzzled, they tilted their heads. Patrick continued:
“There are matters of importance I must discuss with Sir Dante. Would you mind if I borrowed him for a while?”
He wore an apologetic expression—
but his siblings’ faces lit up with relief.
As if saved.
As if they could finally breathe.
“It wouldn’t be right for us to take up his time, then.”
“O-Of course not.”
They nodded eagerly.
Dante blinked.
Strange.
This was so unlike the siblings he remembered.
So they could make faces like that too.
Because they were still children.
Still untainted, still untouched by the world, and still not fully shaped by Lucia’s influence.
“Thank you.”
When Patrick bowed, the children glanced at Dante.
“…I’ll make time for you again later.”
After a brief pause, Dante said that.
Cariel and Ceres bowed quickly, then scampered off.
As Dante watched their retreating figures, Patrick murmured quietly beside him:
“So even you aren’t perfect at everything, Sir Dante.”
It was something he couldn’t deny.
