Chapter 98

A significant incident had occurred, but Leord decided to seal the memory. Isabel came to Leord, who had been spending the time before dinner practicing magic, to inform him that the meal was ready.

"Master Leord, dinner is ready."

"Understood. I'll be there soon."

Leord, who was extremely hungry from being tired, immediately headed to the dining room. On the way, he decided to ask Isabel what she had been doing since he hadn't seen her all afternoon.

"Isabel, what were you doing this afternoon?"

"I was helping around the house. Is there something wrong?"

"Ah, I see. That's good."

Leord had assumed Isabel had gone to report something to Sylvia, but it turned out she had just been helping around the house. He felt a bit foolish for having been wary.

When Leord arrived at the dining room, he confirmed that the family was already gathered. As before, a seat near Beluga was empty, so he sat there.

Leord's eyes sparkled as he waited for the signal to start eating. Then, Beluga reached for the food and said,

"Let's begin."

As Leord ate gracefully, Beluga spoke to him.

"Leord, Olivia told me that you were kicked by Gil."

"Yes, well. But as I told Mother, it's part of my daily training, so there's no need to worry."

"Anyone would be shocked to see such a scene! I was really worried!"

"I'm truly sorry for that."

"Beluga! Say something to him too!"

Olivia probably wanted her father to give Leord a stern talking-to. She turned to Beluga, angry.

"Well, well, isn't that a good thing? Leord is working hard."

Leord had underestimated it. Beluga, despite everything, was genuinely pleased with Leord's growth and couldn't bring himself to scold him.

"Ugh! That's why Leord does such reckless things!"

"Heh. Olivia, I understand your feelings, but telling Leord to stop now won't do any good. Right, Leord?"

"Yes. I know I worry Mother, but I have no intention of stopping my training with Gil."

"Really, why are men like this!"

Olivia wasn't really angry. She was just genuinely worried about Leord. She had thought that if Beluga scolded him, things would improve, but Beluga was on Leord's side.

As the three of them were enjoying their conversation, the sound of forks and knives clinking against plates rang out. It came from two places at once. Looking over, Leord saw Regulus and Rayla with unhappy expressions, glaring at him.

"Thank you for the meal. I'm going back to my room to study."

"Thank you for the meal. Mother, Father, Brother Regulus, I'll be going now."

Leord had hoped for a pleasant family dinner, but the gap between him and his twin brother and sister was still deep. Realizing how badly he had treated them, Leord felt a sense of darkness.

"I can't just tell you not to worry. But, Leord, those two really do love you."

"Really... but..."

"They resent you now. You see, when you were a bit of a troublemaker, people said a lot of things about you, including to them. They couldn't stand the idea of their beloved brother being mocked. That's why they resented you even more when they saw you being mocked and still acting the way you did."

"That's... I see..."

"Think about it, Leord. When you were little, weren't Regulus and Rayla always following you around?"

Now that he thought about it, Regulus and Rayla had indeed always followed him wherever he went. Leord had been confident and reliable as an older brother, for better or worse. However, as he grew, he became overconfident, but until then, their relationship had been good.

"Regulus and Rayla were upset when people mocked you and defended you, but they probably got tired of seeing you act the way you did. Plus, they are kind and were worried about us, which made them resent you even more."

"…What should I do…?"

"Leord, you already know, don't you?"

"Father? What do you mean?"

"You've changed. So, keep it up. Don't let anyone mock the you of now."

"The me of now…"

"That's right. Trust lost isn't easily regained. But if you keep going, they will understand. So, Leord, don't hesitate. Keep walking straight. That's the only and best way."

Leord lowered his gaze for a moment, then looked at Beluga and Olivia.

"Yes! I'll become the brother they can be proud of again!"

"Good. That's the spirit."

"Hehe. I look forward to it. We'll all laugh together again, I'm sure."

This time, he would regain their trust. It would take time, but Leord was determined to reconcile with them.