The day after Aman returned, the children also hurried to prepare to return.

The vacation was nearing its end, and Nella had also decided to go to the academy.

The children, who had spent most of their vacation at Lucas's house, exuded a sense of regret even at the moment of their departure.

"Ah... I'm sad."

"That's right. It's quite sad."

"We'll see each other at the academy in a little while anyway."

The children stood in front of the carriage, fiddling with their feet and dragging their time for a long time.

"Nella, when you come to the academy, you have to come to the room next to your sister's!"

Pola, who held Nella's hand tightly, urged her again.

"That's not something you can decide on your own."

"Hmph! I know that too. But if I ask Professor Aman, he might listen."

"Haha, right. I'll ask Professor Aman too."

A smile spread across the faces of the Count and Countess as they watched the children.

"Please take good care of our Lucas and Nella."

"Don't worry, my lady."

Skir, who was now approaching sixteen, was now shedding his childishness.

He even looked quite dignified when he struck a pose.

"Right, Skir. This aunt is relieved because you're here."

Blaine's touch was gentle as she tucked Skir's silver-white hair behind his ear.

"Ahem, ahem... then I've been indebted to you for a long time."

"Hoho, not at all. Come and visit anytime."

"I've also been indebted to you a lot! I can come and visit anytime too, right?"

"Of course, of course. You can come and visit anytime."

Pola had already become so close to the couple that one would believe she was the daughter of the county.

"Then, I'll be going."

"Goodbye!"

As the carriage carrying the children left, a rare silence fell upon the county.

A sense of bitterness settled on the faces of the Count and Countess as they watched their carriage.

'If even the kids leave...'

Blaine held Lucas's shoulder with one hand and Nella's hand tightly with the other.

***

"Hey, give me that snack basket down there."

By the time they were leaving Citata, Pola, who was already getting hungry, gestured towards the snack basket with her hand.

"When are you going to treat me as an older brother?"

Even though he was two years older than Pola, Pola had never once called him 'oppa'.

Skir, who was grumbling at Pola but silently handed her the snack basket, pouted his lips.

"Hmph, you have to be like an older brother to be called an older brother!"

"Ha, you may not know, but I can soon become a partner for the young ladies who are going to the debutante."

"What-tante?"

"Debutante! It's a coming-of-age ceremony for nobles... something like that."

Pola, who was rummaging through the snack basket that the county had packed for them, took out a piece of bread and began to munch on it.

"I don't know much about that. Wow, this is really delicious!"

"You ate that this morning too."

"Really? Is it more delicious because I'm eating it in the carriage... gak! Gak!"

Pola, who was stuffing her mouth full of bread, coughed continuously as if a piece of bread was stuck in her throat.

"A-are you okay!? Here's water! Drink water!"

He, who had quickly opened the lid of the water bottle next to him and handed it to her, and Pola, who had taken it and drunk it for a long time, let out a long sigh.

"Hoo... I almost died!"

"Then you should just eat slowly!"

Skir, who was so surprised that he was stroking his chest.

"Ah, more importantly, that-tante... if you go there, are you an adult now?"

"Not necessarily... well, it's a place where the children of noble families who are coming of age gather and get to know each other. I might go as a partner for one of the young ladies who are going there."

"Well, aren't all nobles friends? Then if you're friends, you're not not friends when you become adults, so why do you even do that?"

Pola, who had taken a couple more sips of the water in her hand, tilted her head.

"No, it's difficult for nobles to become true friends."

"Why? Because you're so noble and great?"

"More than that... because you don't know when you'll become an enemy."

"Why? You all have a lot of money and live well, don't you?"

"You don't need to know."

"Tsk. Annoying."

Pola, who had put the water bottle down next to her, began to look out the window.

"More importantly... what do you want to be in the future?"

"What do you mean by that?"

Pola, who had taken her eyes off the window at the sudden question, asked.

"Just. Everyone has a dream, don't they? I mean, what kind of person do you want to be."

"Come on! What kind of person? I just want to earn a lot of money."

"Money?"

"Right. Money."

"Why?"

"Ha, you don't need to know. And you don't really want to know, do you? You, who has a lot of money."

Skir's expression hardened at Pola's sudden sarcasm.

"What do you mean by that...!"

"Hey, have you ever worried about money?"

"..."

"You haven't, right? Then what can I say to you?"

"I'm sorry."

"What's there to be sorry about... ah, so annoying!"

Skir couldn't understand this situation at all. It was true that he was annoyed by his question, but she was getting more annoyed when he apologized? What in the world was he supposed to do!

But Pola also didn't feel good.

Skir must have asked because he really didn't know, but she felt uncomfortable because she had gotten angry like this over something he didn't know because their situations were different.

But she was angry again at the irony of her anger rising even more because that fool was just sitting there and apologizing.

"Hey. Are you a fool? Why are you apologizing? It's not like you're rich because you wanted to be. I'm not poor because I wanted to be either."

"I just... thought you were annoyed..."

"I'm sorry. Actually, I'm not annoyed at you. I'm annoyed at myself."

Pola, who had frowned slightly, scratched her head.

"Actually, I've never thought about what kind of person I want to be."

"..."

"It's just that mages earn a lot of money. So I just want to be a mage."

"I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing. It's annoying."

"I'm sor... no. Okay."

Skir quickly took back the words of apology that had come out of his mouth without him realizing it.

"Ha, never mind. What about you, what do you want to be?"

"...A mage."

"You're already a mage, aren't you?"

"I want to be a greater mage than my older brother."

"Older brother? Your older brother is a mage too?"

Skir, who had nodded his head slightly at Pola's question, continued.

"Right. My older brother is also a graduate of the academy. Unfortunately, he missed the top spot, but I know he's a mage of great skill."

"Wow, then your brother will teach you magic at home, right?"

"No. That won't happen."

"Why?"

"We're not very close."

Pola, who saw Skir's hardened expression, decided not to ask any more.

'Everyone has their own circumstances.'

Pola, who had finished her thoughts, rummaged through the snack basket, took out a cookie, and handed it to him.

"Here, you eat too."

"Thanks..."

As Skir, who had taken the cookie, smiled slightly, Pola felt a strange sense of embarrassment.

Pola, whose cheeks were flushing, lowered her head and diligently chewed and swallowed the bread.

'What, why is he suddenly smiling?!'

***

"Young master, you've arrived."

"Right. What about my father and mother?"

"They have attended the imperial palace ball with the older young master."

Skir, who had returned to the duchy, swallowed a bitter smile at the butler's answer.

"Right..."

"I will order a bath to be prepared."

His parents' favoritism was not a one or two-day affair, so he was used to it.

It was nothing that they loved his older brother a little more. It wasn't as if they didn't love him either.

But his chest felt heavy and scratchy, as if it were filled with sand. He didn't know if it was because his parents weren't at home when he had returned after several weeks.

Skir, who had entered his room, looked around his spacious room once.

The duchy, which he had returned to after dropping Pola off at the academy first, was empty.

He missed Pola and Lucas as soon as he returned.

Lucas's house was somehow warm.

"My heart was at ease too..."

The luxurious tapestries, the chandeliers. There were no expensive furniture, but everything that existed there had made his heart at ease.

As his thoughts about the Rodrigo County continued, he suddenly began to feel that his own room, where he was standing, was unfamiliar.

"No. That's not it."

Skir, who was thinking about the blue deer meat he had eaten at the county, shook his head violently.

It was the best way to shake off the empty feeling he was feeling now.

"Young master. The bath is ready."

At the servant's voice he heard from outside, he headed to the bathroom.

"Hoo..."

As he soaked his body in the bathtub, his fatigue gradually melted away. Skir, who had leaned his head back in a drowsy feeling, let out a long sigh.

"Young master. The Duke and Duchess have returned."

At the news that his parents had returned, Skir quickly finished his bath and left the room.

"Oh, Skir! You're back."

As he went down the stairs, his father, Duke Cirus O'Neil, greeted him.

"Yes. I'm back."

"Hoho, our Skir's face seems a little tanned. Did you have a fun time with your friends?"

"Yes. It was fun."

His mother, Soset O'Neil, hugged him once and let him go, and Skir, who smiled brightly, looked around.

"What about my older brother?"

"Ah, your brother went up first."

Skir nodded his head slightly at Duke Cirus's short answer.

"Ah, yes..."

"Did you... deliver the gift well?"

"Yes. The Count was very pleased. And he sent a gift with me."

"I-is that really true?"

The Duke's eyes widened at the unexpected news that Skir had delivered, and then his face was filled with a smile.

"What do you mean by that?"

As he turned his head at the voice he heard from behind, his older brother, Stun O'Neil, was coming down the stairs with one hand in his pants pocket.

"Ah, older brother."

"I asked what you meant by that. Answer me before you make a stupid face."

"Stun! What are you saying to your younger brother!"

"Isn't it true? I get annoyed every time I see that guy's stupid face."

Although his mother, Soset, scolded him, Stun did not stop and began to criticize him even more loudly.

"I don't know why a stupid guy like you is a member of the O'Neil family. Do you know what I even heard at the ball today because of you?"

"..."

"They say that the O'Neil Duchy has so much money that they can easily pay for the living expenses of their younger brother who is in the beginner class!"

Stun gritted his teeth as if he remembered the situation at that time.

"Can't you stop!?"

"What should I stop? I can't go out because I'm so embarrassed. My father and mother, who even gave a servant and an escort to that guy who has been in the beginner class for a whole semester, have not done well either."

"You bastard!?"

Stun, who seemed to have been greatly humiliated at the ball, did not stop and continued to speak.

"And the Rodrigo County, who is no different from a traitor to the empire? I don't know what my father is thinking, but please send back that gift right away!"

"Can't you stop right now!"

"Ha! Don't forget that this duchy was able to be so prosperous because of the grace of His Majesty the Emperor."

The Duke's expression began to distort with anger as he looked at Stun. Soset, who was watching him, quickly stood in front of him.

"I know you're upset. But you've gone too far. Apologize to your father right away."

"Apologize? My father should be the one to apologize. What should I apologize for? Should I apologize for my stupid younger brother? Or should I apologize for my father who betrayed his old friend..."

-Slap!!

It happened in an instant. His face, which had turned red and turned to one side, slowly turned to the front.

His angry eyes turned to his mother, who had slapped his cheek.

"How... how could you say such a thing!!!"

Soset's body trembled.

"Yes. I understand."

Stun, who nodded his head slightly, sneered.

"I'll leave. There's no reason to stay in this stupid house anymore."

A gentle light appeared on his body as he turned and walked away.

"Stun! Stun!!!"

Soset, who was calling Stun's name as he was casting a teleportation spell.

"Stun..."

As he disappeared without a trace, Soset, who had collapsed in the spot where he had been standing, began to shed tears like beads.

"...Mother."

Skir wrapped his arm around her trembling shoulder.

"Sob... Stun..."

"Let's go in."

Skir, who wrapped his arm around his sobbing mother's shoulder, bit his lip.

(End of Chapter)