Chapter 83

They think I'm just being stubborn. They believe that by suddenly turning things around and saying, "I'll praise you a lot from now on," they can make everything as if it never happened.

I didn't feel particularly sad or regretful; it just settled in my chest as a fact.

"Is... is that the same opinion of the other family members?"

"Yes, especially Father, who was very distressed, thinking that the accident at the hunting party was because you were seeking his approval. Even now, knowing the truth from Nina's lie, he says he will properly acknowledge Lilianna from now on."

It sounds like a heartwarming story, but I feel uncomfortable.

Not just Fred, Anna, and Kohaku, but even the viscount who knows the reason why I had a falling out with my family and ran away, frowned.

I'm glad; it's not just me overthinking. Even from an outsider's perspective, what they said was a bit off.

"I apologize for suddenly running away from home and causing trouble for so many people. I also apologize for not contacting anyone since then. However, I will not return home."

"Lilianna, it's time to stop being stubborn..."

"Brothers, I am already an adult. I left home by my own will and am living alone. My whereabouts are now known. No matter how much you disapprove... you cannot forcibly bring me back, can you? Brother Germain."

Perhaps a hundred years ago, when women and children were treated like the property of the head of the household and couldn't even go out alone, it might have been different. But under current law, that's not the case.

"Brother, is it true?"

"..."

"Even if you say Lili is an adult, she's still a child. If the family can't correct a wrong choice...?"

No matter how much the family disapproves, they can't, for example, forcibly bring me back. Doing so would be illegal.

"I have no intention of being persuaded. I will contact you regularly from now on, so please tell the other family members that."

"That's...! It was just a mistake in how we showed our love! To suddenly be declared effectively estranged by a beloved sister... Can you hurt our family like this?!"

I was surprised by Brother Germain's loud voice, which I had never heard raised in anger, even when I was scolded for my shortcomings as the heir of the duke's family.

"Then, if you say you were thinking of my best interests, does that mean anything is acceptable?"

"That's not what I meant..."

"You said it, didn't you? You think that because you did it for my sake and without any ill intent, it's fine. But no matter the reason, the fact remains that it happened to me."

"Still, we really..."

"Since childhood, I've never been praised, while other family members praised each other. I felt very miserable. No matter how much I was recognized by others or won awards, my family never said, 'Good job.' I saw how they praised their subordinates and apprentices in detail. I wondered why they didn't praise me, even though I could do better than those people. I held a lot of negative feelings. That's the truth for me. No matter the reason, even if I know it, I can't... I can't live as a family in that house anymore."

"But...! Now that you know it wasn't like that, right? It was just a misunderstanding..."

"Do you think that if I... if I alone endure and return home, everything will be back to normal? Fine, then let's pretend it never happened. If you can redo everything from sixteen years ago, I'll come back home."

It's an impossible request. I said it to show that I absolutely won't return to the family.

Even if time went back and I became a young child who had never been criticized by my family, I would definitely leave home in the future.

"Besides, if Lilianna... had consulted with us properly..."

"I said it! I said I wanted to be acknowledged just once! But no one listened! Not even the two of you!"

"That's because no one knew the other family members weren't praising you..."

"Right. In the end, it's all my fault, isn't it?"

I thought we might be able to reach an understanding through discussion, but it seems impossible.

Both brothers seemed to have only considered the future where they would persuade me to change my mind and bring me back.

No matter what they say, I have no intention of returning. We're at an impasse.

"You two, it's not Reiana you care about the most, but yourselves. Not just you two, but all the other family members who share the same opinion."

Even though the three of us, the brothers and I, were speaking loudly, Fred's muttered words reached my ears clearly.

"Did you... Fred, you didn't hear that the family's words were out of love and concern for the future?"

"Exactly because I heard it. That's the best proof that you really think it's love for Reiana... Anyway, can you listen to what I have to say? No interrupting, okay?"

Fred usually has a friendly smile, but I can tell he's clearly angry. The pressure from his smile made the brothers reluctantly nod.

"Actually, I've always been curious. Why did you stubbornly refuse to praise Reiana...? There was something off about it. She's a genius, after all. She deserves praise and recognition, not just in one field but in everything. She can read and write in several languages, is a musician, adventurer, magician, alchemist, and excels in everything she does. How highly she's regarded in this town..."

As Fred suddenly started praising her, my heart felt strange. ...What's the reason for saying this? Is it to suggest that there was actually malice behind the excuses...?

"For example, if praise makes someone arrogant, it's necessary to advise them as a family. But was Reiana the type to forget humility when praised? No, she wasn't. The actions of the Agette family are already unjustified at this point."

I was shocked to think that they believed praising her would make her arrogant, and that they wanted to keep her humble by being strict.

I also remembered how sad I felt when I wasn't believed and was thought to be capable of such things during the hunting party.

Fred's words helped me realize, "That's why I felt so sad."

"Actually, being strict to prevent her from becoming arrogant isn't for Reiana's benefit. It's an idea that came from everyone only thinking about themselves."

"What a joke, what evidence do you have..."

"You promised not to interrupt, right?"

"..."

Fred's smile is still there, but the pressure is intense. I didn't dare to interrupt and just listened to the story of the family from a third-person perspective.

"You thought that because the family was spoiling and praising Reiana, it wasn't good for her. ...If you had just mentioned this to the family, you could have solved the problem without hurting Reiana. If you had talked about it even once, the other family members would have realized that they weren't praising Reiana face-to-face."

Ah... Sometimes you only realize things when someone else points them out. I felt like I learned something.

Indeed, when I think about it, it's true. Even though they said they cared, they didn't even share such a simple thing among themselves.

"Actually, everyone knew that no matter how much Reiana was praised, she wouldn't become arrogant. But because you knew, you kept saying harsh words, thinking you were the only one."

"Based on what...?"

The brothers tried to weakly protest, but Fred continued as if he hadn't heard.

"If the other family members had been spoiling her as you thought... Reiana might have been very grateful to the only family member who was strict with her."

This time, neither of them tried to protest.

"Is that what you wanted?"

I remembered all the times I wondered "Why?" since coming to this town. Ah, that's it.

"Even though you claimed to be strict for Reiana's sake, no one... not even once, warned the other family members that 'spoiling her isn't good for her.' It was all for your own sake because you wanted to be the one Reiana looked up to the most."

...I see, it makes a lot of sense.

I was really loved by my family. I was cherished like a favorite toy.

Every time I was scolded, I feared that I would be abandoned by my family if I didn't meet their expectations, but they never meant to criticize me.

They just wanted to educate me to become the "proud youngest sister" they imagined.

I can see now that they truly believed they were doing it for my sake. The brothers, realizing this through Fred's words, were stunned and couldn't even protest.

"I'm glad. It was for your own sake, not for mine."

"Lilianna... What are you..."

I felt so relieved. When was the last time I felt this clear and at ease? The brothers looked at me, puzzled by my sudden smile.

"I've always been very sad that no matter how hard I tried, I was never acknowledged by my family. But if it was 'for Lilianna's sake'... if there was a reason, I felt like it was very wrong to feel sad, and it was very painful..."

I looked at Anna behind me. Fred and Kohaku don't think I ran away on a whim. I believe they will stand by me.

"If it was for your own sake, there's no need to feel guilty... I'm glad it wasn't for my sake."

I felt a deep sense of relief, but the brothers looked deeply shocked by my words.