265 - Grandfather VS Granddaughter
A bad feeling usually turns out to be right. The person Kyuubee guided in as a visitor for me was Bertrand, someone I could safely say was the person I most wanted to see right now.
...Why is Bertrand-sama here?
As I stared at him with eyes that could not hide my suspicion, Bertrand greeted Ethelbert. He was announced as a guest for me, but this was Ethelbert's detached palace. To say more, I had come to the detached palace as Ethelbert's guest. There was no way he could ignore Ethelbert, the master of this place.
"It has been too long, Ethelbert-sama. You seem to be in good health, unchanged as ever. That is a fine thing."
"You are as stubborn as ever too, I see."
After that peaceful exchange, both of their gazes turned to me. The greetings were merely formalities. The real subject was me after all. I stared back at Bertrand, who was staring fixedly at my face, steeling myself. Without Nadine and Felicia as a double barrier, the odds were somewhat against me. If it came down to it, I would have no choice but to sic my escort Aaron on him.
"...It seems you are quite disliked."
"I cannot think of any reason I would be."
Bertrand called my name, Christina, and turned his body toward me. When I stared back in silence, not even trying to hide my wariness, he seemed slightly exasperated that I would not even greet him.
...I am still deciding whether to greet him or not. It is not like he was someone I wanted to see.
When I just glared at Bertrand without reaching a conclusion on my end, he seemed to give up on getting a greeting out of me. I could tell he was inwardly irritated from his twitching brow, but it seemed he chose to first establish a position of superiority.
"Christina. I will be blunt. You are my granddaughter."
He said it had taken some time because he had people investigate, but he had also confirmed it with the Church of Sopdejania, which governed law and order. He pulled out a document from his breast pocket.
"Annoyingly, the marriage notification for that stupid son of mine and that harlot was sent to the Church of Sopdejania thirteen years ago, and your birth certificate was filed eleven years ago."
"How brazen," Bertrand spat out. Apparently he found it displeasing that, despite eloping and running away from home, they had still properly filed what needed to be filed. My mother Chloe had not changed her name, and my father Saromon had filed under the name Saro, but what surprised me more was that a pseudonym apparently still functioned as a legal document.
"You are the daughter of my hopeless son Saromon and the harlot who seduced him. You are my granddaughter."
"My name is Tina, and my father is Saro. He does not go by a name like Saromon, and my mother's name is also Chloe."
I shot back that my mother was not named anything like "harlot." I would think that insulting the mother of someone you were trying to win over was nothing but a terrible move, but I wondered if Bertrand could not even see something so simple.
"I am telling you, your name is not 'Tina.' Tina is a nickname. Your real name is Christina Saromon Cantal."
"That is a different name from what Leonyaldo Big Brother told me, so you must have me confused with someone else."
I had heard the name Christina Saromon Cantal before, but Leonardo had told me the name carved into the ring my father made for me was slightly different. Apparently the wooden ring had my name followed by my father's and mother's names carved into it. It was not a family name like Cantal or the name of any territory... it was my mother's name. And my mother's name was not 'Uri' or 'Harlot.' It was Chloe.
"Leonardo Big Brother told me Tina is a nickname, but my name is Christina Mey. Christoph-sama himself told me so."
I lightly struck with Christoph's name for now. My name was Christina Mey, officially recognized by the King. I would not acknowledge being called Christina Saromon Cantal. I was Saro and Chloe's daughter, not the granddaughter of a man who called my mother a harlot. I added that if he had any objections, he should go take it up with the King. If he was going to find fault with a name officially recognized by the King, he should first go confirm it with His Majesty. Whether he could get an audience with the King over such a trivial matter, I neither knew nor cared.
As I stuck my tongue out at him internally, I could tell Bertrand was slightly thrown off. Even if he was retired, he was a former Black Knight who had pledged loyalty to the country. I thought that if I brought up the King, he would not be able to deny my words so easily.
"...Why does Christoph-sama know your name?"
"Huh? That is what you are asking?"
I had thought he was hesitant because he could not easily get an audience with the King, but it seemed I was wrong. He was surprised that Christoph knew my name, or rather, that he knew a commoner like me at all.
...Ah, right. Normally, there is no way he would imagine that I am a reincarnator who was given a detached palace by the King and lives there, right?
He probably did not know why I was in the capital. If Bertrand could imagine anything, it might be that I had followed my brother Leonardo's transfer and ended up staying at Felicia's detached palace. It was quite far from the truth, but I did not feel like correcting him. I had already ended up with him clinging to me just because I was supposedly his granddaughter. On top of that, I should not give him any information that would raise my value, like being a reincarnator. If he got motivated to try and claim me for himself at all costs for the sake of meritorious deeds, it would cause me even more trouble than now.
"...Well, fine. Your name is not Christina Mey. It is Christina Saromon Cantal, and you are my granddaughter."
"My name is Christina Mey, officially recognized by the King. I am Leonardo Dupre's little sister, and Saro and Chloe's daughter. I have no grandfather."
I continued, saying that I had said this before too. If I had a grandfather, my father would have told me at his deathbed. That I should rely on my grandfather or relatives when something happened. Since there was not even that, I had no grandfather, I answered while glaring into Bertrand's purple eyes. His face did not resemble my father's much, but the color of his eyes was the same.
"If I were to think of anyone as a grandfather, it would be Oban-san."
"Oban... who?"
"The husband of the elderly couple in Mey Village who were kind to me."
Now that I knew the circumstances, I figured they had been kind to me as a substitute for their own child. But the fact remained that they had been kind. They had listened to my parents' troubles with genuine concern and shared a lot of side dishes with me. And when I was taken by the spirits, they were the first to come see me off. Even without blood ties, they were my family.
"I think a grandfather is someone like Oban-san, a person with love."
"If you become my granddaughter, I will dote on you as my granddaughter."
"I will have to decline. I do not want a life with a grandfather who hangs me from a tree when I misbehave or makes me run around the mansion until morning."
What I sought was not a luxurious life as a noble's granddaughter. Having money was better than not, but what I wanted was a life with family who showed me love. Not a grandfather who thought of his grandchildren as his possessions and tried to collect them the moment he learned of their existence.
"And anyway, what business do you have with me now? You left it alone for over ten years since Father eloped. Now, of all times. Really, now of all times."
If he had truly wanted to get his son back, it would not have taken over ten years. In the first place, if he had been properly keeping track of his son, he should have noticed before the elopement. Moreover, the fact that he used people to investigate me meant that if he used people, he could search for someone without moving himself. My mother had not changed her name, so if he had seriously tried to search, he should have been able to find them. Bertrand's actions were truly "now of all times."
"Do not you already have a proper grandchild? You would not need the daughter of your son now, would you."
"Aristalf is frail. I do not know when he might die."
"So you want me as a spare grandchild."
My cousin's name was apparently "Aristalf." Despite already having one grandchild in his care, if he wanted me, it was probably because he needed a replacement in case Aristalf died. He was sickly, and I had heard he nearly died several times a year.
"Your mother was a woman I could not stomach, but giving birth to a daughter... I will at least give her credit for that."
"I do not need you to evaluate my mother."
I glared at Bertrand with the intention of telling him to shut his mouth. Calling his son's wife and his grandchild's mother a harlot, a woman he could not stomach... it was a terrible way to speak.
"You do not treasure the only grandchild you have left, and you insult the daughter born from a woman you could not stand... how do you expect to be thought of as a grandfather?"
That was my treatment if Aristalf, the grandchild he currently had, were taken in by Bertrand. He would provide food, clothing, and shelter, and then just ignore him. And if a healthier-looking grandchild appeared, he would switch over without a second thought.
And to the grandchild he was trying to switch to, he badmouthed the mother, calling her a harlot. This was completely counterproductive. Even if the parent-child relationship had always been bad, badmouthing the other party was a terrible move. It was practically introducing yourself as "someone who speaks ill of others." There was no way someone like that could win over a child.
"You want an heir, right? Congratulations. I cannot become your heir."
I could feel my own heart growing sharp and jagged. I was irritated by him speaking ill of my mother, but what I found most unbearable was Bertrand's unshakable delusion that 'I am in an absolutely superior position' and 'a grandfather is inherently greater than his grandchild simply by being a grandfather.' I could not accept it, but my lips curved into a smile that I would not want Leonardo to see. I had learned from Felicia that a smile could be a weapon.
"Christoph-sama and the Royal Peers apparently do not want me to bear children in the future. I have no plans to have children, so I cannot become your heir. What a shame."
I gave a demure "fufu" laugh, but the intent behind my words was 100% malice. Ethelbert had told me I could have children if I wanted to. But since it was convenient, I decided to conveniently use what Alfred had told me. The King and the next King did not want me to bear children. If Bertrand was truly a loyal knight, he would not be able to make me his heir. If he wanted to continue his house, he had no choice but to carefully raise the grandchild he already had.
"You did well, young lady."
After seeing Bertrand off, I let my strength drain and put my weight into the chair. I could not adopt too unsightly a posture, but I hoped I could be forgiven for relaxing a little.
...I think I put too much force into my glare. My head hurts a little.
As I closed my eyes lightly and massaged between my brows, Kyuubee brought me warm tea and sweets. I gratefully accepted Kyuubee's thoughtfulness and let out a sigh of relief.
"...Do you think that will make him give up?"
I had essentially stuck my tongue out and told him I could not function as an heir, but I still could not quite read Bertrand's reaction. He must have decided he could not make any progress with me showing only refusal, so Bertrand first confirmed with Ethelbert whether Christoph and I knew each other. When Ethelbert gave his seal of approval, saying I was a favorite, Bertrand's face went blank. He also let slip some extra information... that he had wanted me as a daughter-in-law and been refused, and as an adopted daughter and been refused... but that was fine. For now, Leonardo seemed to hold my parental rights, and Christoph, who understood that he could not afford to upset a reincarnator, probably would not side with Bertrand. He should be able to tell that if he did such a thing, my resolve to come to the capital when I turn twenty might change.
I had a feeling Bertrand would be causing a commotion around me for a while, but if he tried to use force, I could also eliminate him by force, so it might actually become simpler. That said, I had no intention of provoking him, so I would watch and wait for a while.
"That man has a strong will. He will not give up easily. He will not admit his mistakes either, and he will not notice them."
"What is that? That sounds terrible, does it not?"
I voiced my complaints with a grumble and let out my stress. After drinking some tea, I felt a little better, so I put my lady's mask back on.
"Was today's invitation to the detached palace arranged so I could meet Bertrand-sama?"
"We are old acquaintances, after all. I thought it might be good for you to speak with him at length, so I set the stage."
"You could have told me in advance."
"If I had told you, would you have shown your face, young lady?"
"Of course not."
Who would come out of the detached palace knowing trouble was waiting? I answered bluntly. If Bertrand were a grandfather with a particularly good reputation. Or if I had known there was no conflict between him and my father. My attitude would have been different.
But unfortunately, Bertrand's reputation as a head of household was terrible, and not only was there conflict with my father, his remarks about my mother were too awful. That made me not want to listen to anything he had to say, and no feelings of endearment toward him as a grandfather stirred.
"Why is Bertrand-sama... like that?"
I could not be bothered to give specific examples, so I asked vaguely, but Ethelbert understood what I meant. He prefaced by saying it was a path Leonardo would likely have to walk someday, and I straightened my back as I listened.
"Simply put... Bertrand is a commoner who earned peerage through meritorious deeds. I am sure you can easily imagine that there would be those who scorn him as an upstart."
"That is..."
Indeed, it sounded like a story Leonardo might go through. Leonardo, who earned merits in the war a few years ago, was said to become a Merit Peer after retiring as a Black Knight, joining the ranks of the nobility. A commoner becoming a noble. There would naturally be friction with the surrounding nobles. Especially from Flower Peerage families on the verge of ruin, he would likely be resented.
"That man himself was certainly aware that he was an upstart. Therefore, to ensure even his sons would not be looked down upon, he raised his sons strictly as nobles."
So far that was fine, but Bertrand subjected his sons to the same training he himself underwent. The same training that he, with his robust physique that had even opened the path of a knight despite being a commoner, inflicted upon his sons born from the slender wife of royal lineage.
"That is... how should I put it..."
When I imagined Bertrand's and my father's builds, they seemed like entirely different species. I could understand it if large-built Bertrand and Leonardo were father and son, but slender Saro and large-built Bertrand as father and son would be hard to tell just by looking. Even now that I had been told so, I could not believe they were father and son.
"He raised them strictly so his sons would not be looked down upon, so they could live as nobles without any inconvenience. Even if he was the third son, he had absolutely no intention of letting him marry a commoner's daughter."
My mother Chloe had worked as a maid in Bertrand's mansion. Father fell in love with her and chose a future with the woman he loved instead of living as a noble. At that time, the eldest son, the heir, was still alive, and the second son, the spare, was also alive. It seemed like no problem for Father, the third son, to leave the house, and in fact, Bertrand did not chase after Father when he left. But misfortune piled up, and the eldest and second sons remaining with Bertrand both died, and the grandchildren from them also died, leaving only one. And the last remaining grandchild was so frail he nearly died several times a year.
"It is certainly too late now, but you cannot blame him for starting to search for the son who left the house."
"But I do not think he really needs an heir, do you?"
I continued, saying that perhaps it just was not meant to be. If it were a Staff Peerage family that had protected a noble lineage for generations, the extinction of the house might be a major incident that affected the territory's people, but the Cantal family, including the grandchildren, was only into its third generation. Even if it ended because they could not produce an heir, there would not be much impact. Besides, Bertrand was a Merit Peerage. If they did not achieve new merits within three generations, they would return to being commoners from the fourth generation. If they were going back to being commoners, unless they ran a business, there was no need for an heir.
"Young lady, you are surprisingly cold-hearted."
"I think it is because I do not want to think of Bertrand-sama as my grandfather. If it were Leonyaldo Big Brother, I would stop him before he harmed his children's health, and I would scold Leonyaldo Big Brother to talk things through before running away from home."
And with that, I realized something.
...Is Bertrand-sama Leonyaldo-san's future self?
Leonardo, rising from commoner Black Knight to noble, would be scorned as an upstart. Leonardo, who doted on and treasured even a sister not bound by blood, would never allow his own children to be looked down upon. I could easily imagine he would try to give them sufficient education and discipline them strictly.
...But I will not let Leonyaldo-san walk the same path as Bertrand-sama.
It seemed Bertrand did not have anyone who would stop him by kicking his shins, but I was by Leonardo's side. If Leonardo was too strict with his children or tried to make them train to the point of harming their health, I could tell him he was going too far and admonish him with the baptism of custom-made shoes. I would not let Leonardo walk the same path as Bertrand.
Still a little more continues.
I will fix typos and errors at a later date.