SPMB - Special Side Story 4

This is Claude (4)

"Yeah whatever. Of course."

"Thank you!"

Then, the Little Marquis of Mercy caught Aleaaandro's attention and left the room as if running away.

Only then does Alessandro approach.

"I guess things are a little better now."

"Ah."

"You've been on the brink of death for a week."

"Oh."

"Is it head-to-head?"

"Eh?"

"You go around being poisoned like that."

"Hmm."

"I'm embarrassed and my face is burning."

I think I heard this somewhere...

No, but a week? Really?

"Eat."

Tuk. Alessandro offers stew.

"You've starved for a week, so you probably have no energy. Let's appease your hunger first."

I looked down at the stew with a reluctant face. Then Alessandro sighed deeply.

"I didn't make it."

"Is that true?"

"Yes. It was made by a chef in Addis."

"Then I will eat well!"

After emptying the stew in such a hurry, I feel like I'm finally going to survive.

After the meal, I sipped warm tea and glanced up at Aleasandro.

"Is it really because of me that you came to the capital?"

Then Alessandro narrows his eyebrows. I found it somehow funny, so I asked again.

"Did you really threaten Marquis Mercy? To apologize to me?"

"It's not a threat."

Master Alessandro quietly retorted.

"It was just a recommendation."

Is your recommendation tantamount to a threat? I found it both funny and fascinating.

"Why did you do that?" 

"What?"

"You're not interested in me, are you?"

After speaking, I realized. I'm really being grumpy like a child.

"When I was young, you didn't say anything even when I beat up the Marquis of Mercy."

And I realized it again.

At that time, his indifference hurt me greatly.

I said everything I had already realized.

"When Orsini was beating up others, you scolded him, but you just left me alone."

"..."

"After beating Orsini well with a wooden sword."

"..."

"Why didn't you beat me? I'm sad."

Alessandro's face hardens at those words. He looks at me in confusion and then sighs.

"I didn't know you were thinking like that."

"Haha. I didn't know either. I realized it now."

"It's not neglect."

"Sure?"

"I wondered If I deserved it."

"Yes?"

"Claude Azelle, your father..."

He confesses with a sigh.

"Your father died because of me."

It sounded like the age-old sacrament of penance.

"Your father became the target of the Black Apostle because of me... He died because I made a wrong choice. Because of that, you became an orphan."

His mouth twists crookedly.

"But do I have the right to discipline you?"

I was surprised.

Really, truly. I didn't know. I never dreamed that Alessandro would ever think like that.

And that was strange.

I have spent my whole life by Alessandro's side.

Still, we didn't know what each other was thinking.

Perhaps Alessandro had the same thought. He muttered softly after a while.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you straight away why your father died."

"I knew."

"What?"

"I knew."

Alessandro's eyes deepen. This seems unexpected.

I knew everything.

Shall I be more honest about what has already happened?

"I think my father's death was self-inflicted."

My father, Theodor Azelle, tried to poison Alessandro.

The Black Apostle tempted him by saying that if he succeeded in poisoning him, he would bring his dead mother back to life. I fell for that black voice.

"I didn't think it was Alessandro's fault. Not once."

"..."

"Everyone comes to a crossroads. What my father chose was to assassinate Alessandro. That's it."

"..."

Alessandro looks at me with strange eyes.

Is it an illusion? 

I feel strange because it seems like he's really looking at his son. Of course, it would be an illusion.

"Alessandro, are you going back now?"

"Yes."

"Shall I go with you?" 

"Why are you asking me that? You choose."

Alessandro turns around. And before heading out the door, he says.

"You promised Jonathan, Elizabeth, and Kevin that you would raise them."

"..."

"At least show responsibility for what you say."

With those words, he heads out the door. I stared blankly at the back, then jumped up from my seat. Then I quickly ran after him.

"Alessandro."

"Why?"

"It's not Kevin, it's Robin."

"That's it."

"How are the kids? Have they grown a lot?"

"I don't know."

"I guess Alessandro fed them while I was gone?"

"Annoying guy."

I smiled and walked after Alessandro. As the Marquis of Mercy once said, like a duckling. Or like a stray dog.

"Let's go together!"

Previous            Next