“Eww!”
At that time.
A scream was heard from behind.
The moment he looked back, Richard was shocked.
'...bread?'
Yes, the man he had asked to be his escort in front of the bakery is kicking open the door and coming in.
'Why?'
A terrifying expression and a massive size. It was as if a ferocious beast were charging at him, a fearsome sight.
'Why did you follow me?'
His body froze for a moment, but he had no time to worry.
“Gyaaaaak!”
Because a surprised Christa screamed.
The Shackles of Bondage
Richard blocked the man's feet, protecting Vania, Alex, and Christa, who were behind him.
“Christa!”
At the same time, Vania's scream was heard.
When Richard turned around, he saw Vania holding onto a startled Christa.
"C-Calm down, Christa! Don't do anything! Don't tear that guy apart!"
“B-Bunny. I, I met that guy earlier, and he was following us...”
“...? No, he's not stalking you! That guy is my dad!”
At Vania's words, Christa and Richard's eyes widened.
And then they looked back at Ryan.
Vania's 'dad' is...
"Ah."
Richard blinked, realizing what had happened, and then released his restraints. Ryan, who had been frozen, staggered.
Ryan, who had already been tied down twice without being able to make excuses, snorted with a rather angry expression.
“Ah... I’m sorry...”
Richard apologized, tilting his head and adding:
Ryan grinned, running his hand through his hair. It was a terrifying grin.
“Yes, little brother. Nice to meet you.”
Two melon buns that Ryan bought.
A loaf of bread, each cut in half, was placed on the table, forming four pieces.
Alex and I sat with Ryan between us, while Richard and Christa sat across from us.
“How tall are you?”
Christa, who was looking at Ryan curiously, asked.
“192.”
“Wow! Do you have a girlfriend?”
“Oh, Clara.”
"Is she pretty?"
"She's the most beautiful woman in the world. She's so pretty, I bet she was able to seduce me when I was twelve."
It seemed like a trivial conversation, but I could see Ryan was tense, trying not to make a mistake.
We don't know the purpose of their presence here, so we had to show them that we were acting like father and daughter and wouldn't talk nonsense.
"Hey, can I ask you a question now? Did Brigitte tell you we were staying here?"
“Oh, yes.”
When Ryan asked hastily whether he wanted to cut off the barrage of questions, Richard answered.
He said that he missed his siblings so much that Brigitte felt bad for them and told them that we were in the capital...
“How did she know about this place?”
“...?”
Richard tilted his head.
“Didn’t you meet my older sister?”
“Yeah, we met.”
“Didn’t you tell my older sister that back then?”
“...”
Ryan closed his mouth. Then he looked at me. We spoke with our eyes.
'I think my sister is following us.'
'Didn't she give up on the Prince?'
It's poisonous, really.
“Yes. That aside. Then, what are you doing here?”
At Ryan's question, Richard looked at me and licked his lips.
“I didn’t come here for any particular reason. I just wanted to see my younger sister.”
“Won’t you get in trouble if your father catches you?”
“I came out secretly.”
“Aha. So that’s why you deliberately left all the guards in the family behind?”
Ryan tilted his head and then whispered naturally in my ear.
“...Ssup. It doesn’t seem like a lie?”
"Bunny! Alex! Try this. It's really delicious. Actually, we tried to buy this for you, but we failed."
Christa pointed to the bread. Alex and I each took a slice, saying thank you.
And we both broke the bread without thinking, as if we had made a promise.
Since there were only four pieces, I thought I should share my portion with Ryan, and it seemed Alex felt the same way.
Alex and I smiled as our eyes met.
I told Alex to eat that, then put half of my portion into Ryan's mouth.
“...It seems like you had a good time.”
Richard muttered. He was staring at us as we shared the bread.
“Ah, yeah. How have you been, brother?”
“Yeah, I...”
“Are you really incompetent?”
At that time.
A sharp question from Christa interrupted Richard and me, who were just beginning our conversation.
I froze for a moment, but Ryan calmly accepted the bread while chewing it.
“Uh. But you can’t go somewhere else and spread rumors that I’m incompetent, right? You understand?”
“Yes. I heard you were in prison. So, wasn’t it you who killed a lot of people back then?”
"That's right. Even incompetent people can kill people, right? We can even set fires."
We were all on edge when Christa suddenly started interrogating Ryan, whether intentionally or not.
Richard was embarrassed.
“Christa? Why are you suddenly saying something like this...?”
"Sorry. Actually, the reason I came here today was that I missed Bunny, but I also really wanted to see you, brother."
Ryan blinked.
"...Me?"
"Yes. I understand now that I've met you. Who really killed the person? Was it my second-oldest brother, since he set the fire?"
“What did you say? I killed them.”
"I know Bunny well. If you were truly a scary person, she wouldn't seem this friendly."
Christa pointed to Ryan and me, who were sitting close together and even sharing a piece of bread.
And looked at me.
"Bunny, I wasn't worried the day I left Windsor Castle, leaving you and Alex behind. I figured we'd meet again anyway."
I was momentarily taken aback. Tears welled up in Christa's eyes, which had been so bright until then.
"I knew you were worried you might be incompetent. But I thought you were stupid. So what if you're incompetent? We're family, so of course we can live together."
“...”
"My incompetent brother, who was kicked out of the house and sent to prison a long time ago, did something bad, but you and Alex weren't, right? That's why I wasn't worried."
The kid looked at Ryan and added.
"But Dad really kicked Vania and Alex out. He said you weren't family. You couldn't come to our house, ever."
This time, looking back at Richard.
"Don't you think it's strange, brother? Could they be family and then not be? They were definitely family, but without this ability, they're no longer family?"
“Christa...”
"Are you surprised I suddenly did this? Sorry. Actually, I've been meaning to tell you for a while that something's been off, but I couldn't. You're always sick, and you miss the kids so much it's hard. I didn't want you to worry."
Christa bit her lip and spoke to me.
"Bunny, Richard hasn't been doing well. He's been worried and sick all day because you and Alex haven't come back."
“Oh, I see...”
"And since I came to the island, I've made friends with a few other nobles, and I learned something truly astonishing. Their parents have been by their side since they were very young. Their parents even gave them their names."
“...”
"I didn't see my father until I was nine. I thought everyone lived like that, but I guess not."
“...”
"But my dad was really good to me and treated me well. He said he was just too busy to take care of me when I was little, so I thought that was true."
“...”
"He stayed by my side late into the night, asking me how I was spending my time at Windsor Castle. I told him I was your best friend. I said I wanted to give you a present when you came, so he gave me a lot of money. I waited for you every single day, buying you presents and decorating your room beautifully."
...That's right. That's right. Before my regression, when I first went 'home' at the age of twelve, the person who welcomed me the most was Christa.
I remember my room, which he decorated herself, and the many gifts I received.
"Dad knew I was waiting for Bunny like that. Yet he kicked you out. You hadn't done anything wrong; you were just incompetent."
“Hey, hey?”
Ryan interrupted, flustered, but Christa didn't stop talking.
The child spoke to Ryan in a calm voice, tears streaming down his face.
“I was stupid. Now I realize what was strange.”
I stared blankly at Christa as she cried and spoke, and realized, like an idiot, that I was just now becoming aware of it.
I hadn't even realized what this child was thinking.
‘Yeah, it’s different from before the regression...’
Christa, who was waiting for me.
If things had been normal, Christa wouldn't have been shocked or disappointed in her father at the age of thirteen.
Before the regression, Alex and I lived together, and I never saw Ryan, so I never had to think about him.
By this time, we were simply happy. We had no reason to doubt our father, who was so loving and offering to give us the love he couldn't give us when we were children.
“Dad asked you to go to prison instead of my second brother, who actually killed someone, right?”
At that time.
A scream was heard from behind.
The moment he looked back, Richard was shocked.
'...bread?'
Yes, the man he had asked to be his escort in front of the bakery is kicking open the door and coming in.
'Why?'
A terrifying expression and a massive size. It was as if a ferocious beast were charging at him, a fearsome sight.
'Why did you follow me?'
His body froze for a moment, but he had no time to worry.
“Gyaaaaak!”
Because a surprised Christa screamed.
The Shackles of Bondage
Richard blocked the man's feet, protecting Vania, Alex, and Christa, who were behind him.
“Christa!”
At the same time, Vania's scream was heard.
When Richard turned around, he saw Vania holding onto a startled Christa.
"C-Calm down, Christa! Don't do anything! Don't tear that guy apart!"
“B-Bunny. I, I met that guy earlier, and he was following us...”
“...? No, he's not stalking you! That guy is my dad!”
At Vania's words, Christa and Richard's eyes widened.
And then they looked back at Ryan.
Vania's 'dad' is...
"Ah."
Richard blinked, realizing what had happened, and then released his restraints. Ryan, who had been frozen, staggered.
Ryan, who had already been tied down twice without being able to make excuses, snorted with a rather angry expression.
“Ah... I’m sorry...”
Richard apologized, tilting his head and adding:
“...Hey, bro?”
“Yes, little brother. Nice to meet you.”
***
Two melon buns that Ryan bought.
A loaf of bread, each cut in half, was placed on the table, forming four pieces.
Alex and I sat with Ryan between us, while Richard and Christa sat across from us.
“How tall are you?”
Christa, who was looking at Ryan curiously, asked.
“192.”
“Wow! Do you have a girlfriend?”
“Oh, Clara.”
"Is she pretty?"
"She's the most beautiful woman in the world. She's so pretty, I bet she was able to seduce me when I was twelve."
It seemed like a trivial conversation, but I could see Ryan was tense, trying not to make a mistake.
We don't know the purpose of their presence here, so we had to show them that we were acting like father and daughter and wouldn't talk nonsense.
"Hey, can I ask you a question now? Did Brigitte tell you we were staying here?"
“Oh, yes.”
When Ryan asked hastily whether he wanted to cut off the barrage of questions, Richard answered.
He said that he missed his siblings so much that Brigitte felt bad for them and told them that we were in the capital...
“How did she know about this place?”
“...?”
Richard tilted his head.
“Didn’t you meet my older sister?”
“Yeah, we met.”
“Didn’t you tell my older sister that back then?”
“...”
Ryan closed his mouth. Then he looked at me. We spoke with our eyes.
'I think my sister is following us.'
'Didn't she give up on the Prince?'
It's poisonous, really.
“Yes. That aside. Then, what are you doing here?”
At Ryan's question, Richard looked at me and licked his lips.
“I didn’t come here for any particular reason. I just wanted to see my younger sister.”
“Won’t you get in trouble if your father catches you?”
“I came out secretly.”
“Aha. So that’s why you deliberately left all the guards in the family behind?”
Ryan tilted his head and then whispered naturally in my ear.
“...Ssup. It doesn’t seem like a lie?”
"Bunny! Alex! Try this. It's really delicious. Actually, we tried to buy this for you, but we failed."
Christa pointed to the bread. Alex and I each took a slice, saying thank you.
And we both broke the bread without thinking, as if we had made a promise.
Since there were only four pieces, I thought I should share my portion with Ryan, and it seemed Alex felt the same way.
Alex and I smiled as our eyes met.
I told Alex to eat that, then put half of my portion into Ryan's mouth.
“...It seems like you had a good time.”
Richard muttered. He was staring at us as we shared the bread.
“Ah, yeah. How have you been, brother?”
“Yeah, I...”
“Are you really incompetent?”
At that time.
A sharp question from Christa interrupted Richard and me, who were just beginning our conversation.
I froze for a moment, but Ryan calmly accepted the bread while chewing it.
“Uh. But you can’t go somewhere else and spread rumors that I’m incompetent, right? You understand?”
“Yes. I heard you were in prison. So, wasn’t it you who killed a lot of people back then?”
"That's right. Even incompetent people can kill people, right? We can even set fires."
We were all on edge when Christa suddenly started interrogating Ryan, whether intentionally or not.
Richard was embarrassed.
“Christa? Why are you suddenly saying something like this...?”
"Sorry. Actually, the reason I came here today was that I missed Bunny, but I also really wanted to see you, brother."
Ryan blinked.
"...Me?"
"Yes. I understand now that I've met you. Who really killed the person? Was it my second-oldest brother, since he set the fire?"
“What did you say? I killed them.”
"I know Bunny well. If you were truly a scary person, she wouldn't seem this friendly."
Christa pointed to Ryan and me, who were sitting close together and even sharing a piece of bread.
And looked at me.
"Bunny, I wasn't worried the day I left Windsor Castle, leaving you and Alex behind. I figured we'd meet again anyway."
I was momentarily taken aback. Tears welled up in Christa's eyes, which had been so bright until then.
"I knew you were worried you might be incompetent. But I thought you were stupid. So what if you're incompetent? We're family, so of course we can live together."
“...”
"My incompetent brother, who was kicked out of the house and sent to prison a long time ago, did something bad, but you and Alex weren't, right? That's why I wasn't worried."
The kid looked at Ryan and added.
"But Dad really kicked Vania and Alex out. He said you weren't family. You couldn't come to our house, ever."
This time, looking back at Richard.
"Don't you think it's strange, brother? Could they be family and then not be? They were definitely family, but without this ability, they're no longer family?"
“Christa...”
"Are you surprised I suddenly did this? Sorry. Actually, I've been meaning to tell you for a while that something's been off, but I couldn't. You're always sick, and you miss the kids so much it's hard. I didn't want you to worry."
Christa bit her lip and spoke to me.
"Bunny, Richard hasn't been doing well. He's been worried and sick all day because you and Alex haven't come back."
“Oh, I see...”
"And since I came to the island, I've made friends with a few other nobles, and I learned something truly astonishing. Their parents have been by their side since they were very young. Their parents even gave them their names."
“...”
"I didn't see my father until I was nine. I thought everyone lived like that, but I guess not."
“...”
"But my dad was really good to me and treated me well. He said he was just too busy to take care of me when I was little, so I thought that was true."
“...”
"He stayed by my side late into the night, asking me how I was spending my time at Windsor Castle. I told him I was your best friend. I said I wanted to give you a present when you came, so he gave me a lot of money. I waited for you every single day, buying you presents and decorating your room beautifully."
...That's right. That's right. Before my regression, when I first went 'home' at the age of twelve, the person who welcomed me the most was Christa.
I remember my room, which he decorated herself, and the many gifts I received.
"Dad knew I was waiting for Bunny like that. Yet he kicked you out. You hadn't done anything wrong; you were just incompetent."
“Hey, hey?”
Ryan interrupted, flustered, but Christa didn't stop talking.
The child spoke to Ryan in a calm voice, tears streaming down his face.
“I was stupid. Now I realize what was strange.”
I stared blankly at Christa as she cried and spoke, and realized, like an idiot, that I was just now becoming aware of it.
I hadn't even realized what this child was thinking.
‘Yeah, it’s different from before the regression...’
Christa, who was waiting for me.
If things had been normal, Christa wouldn't have been shocked or disappointed in her father at the age of thirteen.
Before the regression, Alex and I lived together, and I never saw Ryan, so I never had to think about him.
By this time, we were simply happy. We had no reason to doubt our father, who was so loving and offering to give us the love he couldn't give us when we were children.
“Dad asked you to go to prison instead of my second brother, who actually killed someone, right?”
Christa jumped up and said to Ryan.
"If it were the dad I know, he might have cried, apologized, and begged. But I was fooled. That was just Dad acting. He probably did it to hide my incompetent brother and drive you away."
And then he looked at me and added:
"Bunny, there's a huge secret you don't know. I'm here to tell you."
“...”
“...”
We were all silent and tense.
Finally, Christa's mouth opened.
“My dad is a bad person.”
“...”
“...”
...The silence continued.
After a long time, Ryan nodded with a serious expression.
“That, that’s a really big secret...”
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