Chapter 143 - Charge! Dinner on the Road 7: Portrait of a Certain Family 1
"I'm home."
Even though we were leaving for Merite tomorrow to resume our journey, my old man had dumped a chore on me. I had gone alone to the official entrance of the Spirit's Lost Forest and only just gotten back as the sun was starting to set.
The official entrance is the one with that door we first passed through. That entrance is the closest to the Traveler's Highway, a place where ordinary travelers would be likely to wander in. Since I'd been hanging around Merite lately, I hadn't used this official route, but if I ever came back here after traveling again, that's where I'd enter.
After lunch, my old man had started saying there was something wrong with that forest.
"You know, Ritz. Sorry, but I have something to do, so could you go check it out by yourself?"
I didn't know what kind of business he had, but his intention to dump the面倒 on me was plain to see. So, to refuse, I came up with a suitable excuse.
"I'm leaving tomorrow, you know? I don't have time for that either."
No matter how you looked at it, that was an irrefutable excuse. I really was leaving on a journey. My luggage was packed, but the task of loading it had to be done early in the morning, so I had to finish most of the tidying up now.
"Hmm. But I have something to do too."
My dad sighed theatrically as he said this.
"What kind of business?"
"A ve~ry important business. It's a secret from you."
"What's that supposed to mean? If it's business you can't even talk about, then investigating the abnormality in the forest is more important, isn't it?"
As I was arguing, an unexpected reinforcement appeared for my dad. The strongest and worst kind of reinforcement.
"Ritz, it's your last day, so you should be a good son to your father."
It was Anna. Anna wielded her power over me without even knowing how much she had. Besides, shouldn't Anna be on my side in this situation? I thought, but Anna's eyes were looking straight at me, as if she wanted to say something.
"Whose side are you on?"
I looked at Anna, a little sulky, but Anna paid no mind to my pitiful attitude and declared firmly.
"I'm on your side, Ritz."
"Ugh…"
"That's why I think you should be a good son."
"Ughh…"
"Running away from home and not coming back for forty years, I think things like that are not good. So, I think it would be better for you too, Ritz, to properly show your filial piety to your uncle and aunt."
Being told that by the woman I hold so dear, I was not one to argue. Pathetically so.
"I get it. I'll go."
I left just after noon, so more than three hours had passed. I had given it a quick look-over, but for someone who couldn't use spirits, it was impossible from the start to check that whole vast area. It must have been Karl's way of harassing me.
The thought of it made me furious, but that was that. If Anna was there to welcome me with a smile, it couldn't be helped.
"I'm home… huh?"
It was strangely quiet.
"Is no one here?"
Muttering, I entered the house and went out to the terrace where Edward had been spending his time around this hour for the past few days.
"Ed?"
No one was there. Thinking he was probably sprawled out on his bed reading a book like usual, I went up the stairs to Franz's room.
"Hey, Franz… you're not here either…?"
Next, I peeked into what was originally my own room. No one was there. At this time, Anna should be in the kitchen with Ciela. I went down the stairs and headed for the kitchen.
"Anna."
There was no one in the kitchen.
"What is this?"
Suddenly left behind by everyone, I stood there, stunned. A strange sense of unease washed over me. I had the bizarre illusion that it was actually the year 1572 of the Yuresla Kingdom Calendar, before I met Anna, before I met Franz, before I reunited with Ed. That maybe all the time with my companions had been a dream, and I had actually just returned home for the first time in forty years.
I shivered, alone. That thought was… quite terrifying.
"Ed, Franz, where are you? Come on out."
No answer. Wait a minute, did I get left behind while I was checking on the forest? Or was everything up until now a dream?
"Anna! You're here, right?"
I couldn't help but shout for Anna. It's pathetic, but without Anna, I get anxious like a little kid. And it's all because Anna got herself into that terrifying situation of being kidnapped and almost assaulted.
I wish I could be the first man to touch Anna's body… no, that's not right. This is no time for fantasies.
"Hey, Anna!"
Just as I was starting to get genuinely anxious, a hand tapped my shoulder from behind. There stood my mother, tilting her head in confusion.
"Ritz, what are you making such a racket for?"
"Mom."
"Sorry, I'll get dinner ready now."
My mother, without any explanation, went into the kitchen with a smile.
"Hey, wait a minute, Mom."
"What is it?"
My mother, who had put on a vegetable-patterned apron, asked with a bright smile.
"Where is everyone?"
"In Merite."
"Why? Did I get left behind?"
"That's right."
"That's right…?"
"Because Anna suggested it. They've been planning it for a while."
"Huh?"
Anna planned to leave me behind? Wait, wait, has Anna gotten tired of me… no, that's probably not it.
"She said you should spend a day with your family without any distractions tomorrow. Isn't Anna thoughtful?"
"I see."
That's just like Anna. Since Anna doesn't have parents, she was probably concerned about me being away from home so often. But, I wish she would have told me. Disappearing like this is really bad for my heart.
"I'm hooome, Honey. Oh, Ritz, you're back early."
My dad returned cheerfully. He must have dropped Anna and the others off in Merite. By now, I could tell that the abnormality in the forest was just a lie to get me away from the house. It's frustrating that I fell for it so easily.
I never would have thought Anna was in on it too.
"Welcome home, Darling."
My mom bustled out of the kitchen to greet him.
"I missed you. The time I can't see you is as bland as basil sauce without basil, I just can't bear it."
"Me too. You are my one and only sun."
And right in front of me, a passionate, lovey-dovey scene unfolded. I sighed, slumped my shoulders in defeat, and sat down weakly in a dining room chair. The sickeningly sweet affection of my parents, which was absent when my companions were around. This was the true face of my family.
I'm so glad they didn't see this… Especially Ed. He would definitely tease me about it.
"We're so in love, yet why haven't we had a little brother or sister for Ritz?"
"You're right. Ritz is leaving on a journey again, I do want one."
"Then, how about tonight…"
"Stop it! Don't talk about that in front of your son!"
"You're so cute, Ritz, getting all flustered. Even though Edward told me you play around quite a bit."
"That's different!"
I don't want to hear my parents' love stories.
The Clan of Light ages slowly, so my dad and mom only look about ten years older than me. For such parents to be discussing their nighttime plans is just too vivid.
But my mom seemed to take it a different way.
"It's okay. Even if you get a little brother or sister, Mommy will still love you, Ritz."
"Like I'd be jealous of a baby at my age."
With a sigh, I rested my cheek on my hand. It was a four-person table, but the two spare chairs were still out. It suddenly felt so much bigger and emptier. As I was sighing, my dad, finally satisfied, let go of my mom and turned to me.
"Ritz, get the bath ready."
"Me?"
"Yes, you. I'm your papa. Honey is your mama. You are the son."
"Yeah, yeah."
"Hey Ritz, how about we take a bath with Mommy for old times' sake?"
"Why?!"
"You don't want to? You used to take baths with me all the time."
"That was a long time ago! I'm not a kid anymore!"
My mom, who always wants to treat me like a child, made a very disappointed face, but I couldn't give in on that point. Why on earth would I take a bath with my mother at this age? But my shoulder, which I had completely shrugged off, was firmly held from behind.
"That's not fair, Honey. Let me join in too."
"Then, the three of us. See? Three is fine, right, Ritz?"
"Abso-lutely not."
"Why are you so embarrassed? Mommy gave birth to you, you know."
"Think about my age, will you!"
When it's just family, I'm immediately treated like a little kid. On rare occasions, my mom even calls me "My cute, little Ritz-chan." I'm not little. I want to shout that I'm definitely not little. I'd welcome a little brother or sister under me. I want to pass on this little kid treatment to someone else soon. So please, by all means, you two be a happy couple. When I'm not around.
"Why not with Mommy? Is it because of youth?"
"Huh?"
"You like young girls, don't you, Ritz? You looked like you wanted to get in with Anna."
I involuntarily slammed my head onto the table.
"Oh my, are you okay?"
"M-Mom?"
I lifted my head while holding my forehead, and my mom muttered with a pout.
"Geez. Boys are no fun when they grow up. You used to be so clingy."
"…I'm going to fill the bath."
Staying here any longer would just waste my energy, so I staggered off to draw water for the bath. It's at times like these that I think I'll definitely be exhausted if I stay in this house.
In the end, in this house, I am the pitiful only son, worked to the bone and relentlessly teased by a lovey-dovey couple.
There was another commotion when it was time for the bath, but I somehow managed to secure my solo bathtime and was now sitting at the dining table. Before me were a large platter of pasta, individual bowls of vegetable soup, and another large platter of salad.
"Hah…"
This again, I sighed.
When Anna and the others were here, this ridiculously large platter of food never appeared on the table. It was always served in proper portions. But since it was served like this, it meant my dad was up to something again.
The large platter of pasta was a bolognese with chicken and plenty of tomatoes, with diced eggplant. The large salad was topped with plenty of tomatoes and fresh cheese. A generous amount of garlic and onion dressing was to be poured over it. It went well with alcohol, and it was my favorite. And the soup was a consommé-style vegetable stew.
It was a perfect dinner, but it would be even better if it were served in individual portions so I could eat peacefully. I couldn't help but think this, even though I knew it was pointless.
"Well then, let's eat."
My dad said as he sat down at the table. My mom was already sitting there too. My mom had already lit the lamp on the ceiling using a fire spirit.
"Let's eat!"
As I shouted that, a sense of tension filled the table.
As sparks flew between me and my dad, my mom casually secured her own portion on her plate. Who would move first? That was the deciding factor.
"Come at me from anywhere, Ritz."
"…You know."
"What is it?"
"Can't we just eat normally?"
It felt so stupid. I stabbed a slice of tomato in front of me with my fork. I stabbed some cheese along with it.
"Hey Dad, just for once, peacefully…"
As I was saying that, my dad skillfully snatched only the cheese from my tomato.
"Dad…"
"Hahaha. Cheese is my favorite."
"It's my favorite too!"
"You just eat the tomatoes. I'll take the cheese!"
With that declaration, my dad started popping the cheese sandwiched between the tomatoes into his mouth.
"What did you say?!"
Furious, I blocked his fork with my own, and with my other hand, I grabbed a knife and reclaimed the cheese. I popped it into my mouth before he could take it.
"How about that!"
"Hmph. Not bad, my son!"
In the end, I got caught up in his pace. Wielding a knife and fork, sometimes a spoon for a three-sword style, my dad and I devoured the food at an incredible speed. For some reason, we both thought that the first one to stop eating would lose, so this battle continued until everything was gone.
Before I knew it, in less than thirty minutes, the large platters were completely empty.
"You eat so well. It makes me so happy."
My mom said with a smile as she cleared the dishes. As usual, both my dad and I were so full we could barely move.
Then my mom appeared with a small-sized pudding for this house, served on a plate, and some cutely shaped cookies. The pudding was unusually served one per plate.
"Today's dessert. What do you think it is?"
"What do you mean… cookies and pudding."
Looking at what was placed in front of me, I answered casually.
"And tea?"
"Half correct."
"What do you mean, half?"
"The correct answer is, pudding and cookies made by Anna~"
"!"
I couldn't help but stare at the pudding. Now that she mentioned it, it did seem to be made rather cutely. The caramel, and so on.
"She was working hard making it this morning. She's very skilled at making sweets. She said it was for me, Darling, and Ritz. As a thank you for letting her stay at our house."
"Wow… Anna makes things like this."
My dad, looking impressed, also held his plate up to eye level and examined it closely. I was already satisfied just looking at the lovely pudding.
"That's right. She said she often makes them for the birthday parties of the children at the orphanage."
Come to think of it, Anna had helped me make a cake once before. I see, she's good at sweets in general, I thought with understanding. If she was making sweets as a gift for the children, she must have been handling the whole process herself, unlike with daily meals, so it made sense that she was skilled.
A little moved, I gently prodded the soft pudding with my spoon. It had a nice elasticity.
"Ritz, if you don't like sweets, I can eat it for you."
My dad, feigning kindness, brandished his spoon. He has a sweet tooth.
"Like I'd give it to you! It's mine!"
I hugged the pudding plate. If I didn't, he would really eat it.
"No, Darling. This was made by Ritz's beloved Anna."
"I know, Honey."
"Anna put her heart into it, so you have to savor it, okay?"
"I know."
For some reason, hearing that made this pudding seem so precious that I was reluctant to eat it. But pudding is perishable. I can't keep it forever. I thought about secretly keeping the cookies and savoring them little by little, but if Anna found out, that would be awkward.
"Thank you for the food."
I took small spoonfuls and brought them to my mouth. The egg and cream melted together perfectly, giving it a smooth texture. The butter used to grease the mold also had a light, fragrant accent. I usually finish pudding in a few bites, but for the first time in my life, I savored each and every bite.
Was pudding always this delicious? As I was savoring this feeling of happiness, my mom suddenly asked.
"By the way, Ritz, how far have you gone with Anna?"
I froze, my spoon halfway to my mouth.
"How far?"
When I asked back, my mom had a serious expression.
"You've at least kissed, right?"
"N-No, we haven't! W-wait a minute. What kind of misunderstanding do you have?"
"But, you came home at dawn. And when I asked Anna, she said nothing strange happened, so I'm worried."
"About what?!"
"About you, Ritz. I wonder if you can properly make Anna your bride."
"Wait, wait, wait!"
"Because, it doesn't seem like any girl other than Anna can handle you."
I quickly hid the half-eaten pudding out of my dad's reach and turned to face my mom.
"Anna and I are not in that kind of relationship."
"But you like Anna, don't you, Ritz?"
"U-uh, well…"
"You love her, don't you?"
"W-well…"
"I knew it!"
My mom declared it firmly. I gave up and admitted it.
"I do like her. I love her, but we're not in that kind of relationship. You know, to her, I'm more like, well, Father Anton, like family…"
I answered, fumbling for words.
"So, like a really close big brother?"
When I put the current situation into words that best described it, for some reason my dad sighed.
"How pathetic, and you're my son. You probably haven't even told her you like her, have you?"
"No, Darling. That can't be true, right, Ritz?"
"…I haven't told her. And I don't plan to."
When I answered honestly, the two of them fell silent with serious expressions.
"I'm perfectly fine with how things are now. You two shouldn't worry about your son's love life."
"How truly pathetic. To think that the son of Karl Alster would be like this. You play around with women one after another, so why are you so weak when it comes to the real deal, Anna?"
"Shut up."
"Darling was really popular, you know. Because you don't know, do you, Ritz?"
"What?"
"You see, I'm Karl's third wife."
Hearing something so completely unexpected, I froze. Considering their abnormally good marital relationship, I had never even considered that possibility until now.
"No way."
"It's true. The first two were human wives."
"Human? But…"
"Yes. I took care of them until they passed away."
My dad said it with a smile, as if it were nothing. I was so surprised I couldn't speak.
"My first marriage was when I was… let's see, seventy. My partner was the daughter of my sister's friend. The next was when I was around one hundred and thirty. She had a short life. But unfortunately, neither of them could have children."
"If they had had a child, Ritz, you would have been a younger brother."
My mom said this with genuine regret. It seemed my mom knew everything about my dad before they got married.
But for a member of the Clan of Light, who live for a thousand years, to marry a human is a huge deal. It means both parties knew that separation would come, and yet they still took each other's hands. I could never do something so bold.
"I met Ciela and fell in love when I was around one hundred and sixty? It was love at first sight. You were so beautiful, Honey."
"Oh, stop, Darling, you were wonderful too."
My parents looked at each other and smiled happily. These two have been like newlyweds ever since they met. That's amazing in a different way.
"I've been devoted to Ciela for two hundred years since then. It was a fateful encounter, after all."
My dad puffed out his chest proudly. That was truly something to be proud of. Because it was something I could never do. Seeing me silent, my dad looked at me straight on with a somewhat pitying look.
"If you've decided Anna is your fated person, you should just go for it head-on."
"No…"
For now, just having her in my arms like that is more than satisfying. She lets me kiss her cheeks, hair, and forehead without any fuss.
According to Anna, a kiss on the lips is for lovers and married couples. All other kisses are signs of affection for family and trusted people. In other words, I, who have secured the best position after Anton, have been granted permission to kiss Anna anywhere but her lips.
There is no happier situation than being allowed to do as I please, as long as Anna doesn't mind. So, if I were to ask for anything more, it would be too extravagant, and I have a feeling something bad would definitely happen.
"With Honey, I went straight for it, didn't I?"
"That's right. Darling, you came on so strong. We went for walks, went out on the town, you gave me birthday presents, we went on trips together…"
"Because I knew from the first impression that Honey was the one for me."
They really were an incredibly happy couple. As my dad looked straight at my mom, my mom also blushed and looked at him with adoration.
"And in the end, you took everything from me, who knew nothing, Darling."
My parents' conversation was starting to get weird.
"Oh come on, Honey. That makes it sound like I forced myself on you."
"It was close, wasn't it? Not that I minded at all."
So, my dad pushed down my mom, who still knew nothing about such things, and created a fait accompli to get married.
"That's the worst."
Until a moment ago, the mood had been heartwarming, but this was a shocking story of how my parents got together.
"What did you say? You know, by that time, Honey was already in love with me. I don't want to hear that from a coward like you who can't even confess his feelings."
My dad pouted like a child.
"What do you mean, coward…"
"If you're so frustrated, try winning Anna over like that. If you can properly court Anna, be loved by her, and then win her over, I'll give you the right to complain."
That was a completely impossible task. I let out a big sigh, placed the hidden pudding back in front of me, and stabbed it with my spoon.
"Impossible. For me."
"What?"
"And even if I did court her, she's so young, I could never make a move on her. It's a crime, basically. And besides, she doesn't know anything."
"Anything about what?"
My dad tilted his head, seemingly not understanding. So, I explained while bringing small amounts of pudding to my mouth again.
"…Mom knew, right? To some extent. What a man wants to do in those situations."
"Um… I knew to some extent."
"See? For example. Let's say I pin Anna down on the bed."
As I said that, I brought some pudding to my mouth. It was sweet and delicious.
"Then, she would say this: 'Ritz, what's wrong? Are you not feeling well?'"
After all, she was a woman who had no idea what was being done to her even when she was attacked by Jin. If it were me, she would undoubtedly think we were just playing around and having fun. On the contrary, she might even say something like, 'If you're not feeling well, I'll stay here and pat you, so you can just sleep, okay?' and end up putting me to sleep. Well, that would be nice and happy in its own way.
"But look, if you were to proceed further…"
"Touch her cheek or the nape of her neck with my lips? She'd laugh her head off because it tickles."
"…Then, what about the next step?"
"Let's see. If I touched her chest, she'd say, 'You want to touch my chest? You're such a baby, Ritz,' and treat me like an infant wanting its mother's milk. I'm not having that."
I slowly brought the last bite of pudding to my mouth and savored its taste.
Ah, that was delicious. Thank you, Anna, I ate it all. It was super delicious.
"You know, Dad. No matter how much love there is, if she doesn't understand a little about that stuff, and doesn't get embarrassed or flustered, that kind of relationship just won't work."
"Yeah, well… it seems so."
"So, if by some chance I became her lover, I, being the closest to her, would have to teach her everything from the beginning about what lovers do. Doesn't that sound like I'm rushing her to get it on?"
"That's…"
"I absolutely hate that kind of thing. End of discussion, thanks for the food."
I quickly wrapped up my dad's leftover cookies in the paper liner and put both servings in my pocket. I'll have to eat these little by little every day so Anna doesn't find out. It would be a waste to eat them all at once.
"You know, I'm completely not seen as a man by her. I'm a completely safe guy. It's a little disappointing, but I'm actually quite comfortable with the way things are now."
It's strange. Even though Anna accepted me after knowing my entire past, I've completely stopped feeling the need to desperately pursue her like I used to.
If you ask me if I don't want Anna, of course I want her. I want her more than anything. But I feel like I can wait with余裕 until Anna turns to me, until she becomes an adult.
Full, I stood up from the dining table. Then, a certain question occurred to me.
"By the way, why are you so eager to get me and Anna together?"
"Because, you know?"
My dad and mom looked at each other.
"We just can't give up. We were planning to adopt Anna since she was a baby."
"So, you and Mom wanted Anna as a daughter?"
"Yes! A daughter like Anna, not a son like you who never comes around!"
So, if she became my wife, Anna would automatically become their daughter, which means…
"You're trying to use me as bait?"
"I guess you could say that?"
What a pair of parents. But these were, without a doubt, my blood-related parents.
"I'm going to bed. Good night."
With a sigh, I went back to my room on the second floor. After closing the door, I let out a big breath and carefully tucked the cookies away on top of my luggage, which was all that was left. They'd probably last about a week in this season. I'll savor them.
Then I flopped onto my familiar old bed, which Anna had been using until this morning. I'd been sleeping in inns or outdoors, so I thought I could finally relax at home, but I ended up on a spare bed, which was pretty tough, though I never said it out loud. Now I could finally stretch my limbs and sleep.
This was the first time I'd slept in a room alone since leaving Sears.
On a whim, I buried my face in my pillow. The faint, sweet scent of Anna's hair lingered. This was quite a bonus. I closed my eyes, burying my face in the happy pillow, and a thought occurred to me.
If, decades from now, we're still together as we are, I'll confess to Anna properly.
No, not a confession. I'll kneel before Anna and ask her to marry me. If we've been together for decades, I think it's okay to skip the confession and jump straight to that.
If we're together for decades, we might become the most important person to each other.
For now, for the next few years, I don't mind if nothing changes. Our time together is still very long.
Tired as I was, I fell asleep without realizing it, enveloped in the joy of having someone to live with from now on.