The Radiant Young Lady of the Dark Family - Chapter 19
Hasa sent invitations to both her father and Dayan. Dayan arrived at the garden first. He was leaving for the academy tomorrow morning. She had worried he might refuse this hastily arranged meeting, but fortunately, he showed up.
Still dressed in all black, he approached awkwardly and sat down, grumbling about why she called him here when she could have just barged into his room like usual if she had something to say. Not long after, their father arrived.
Hasa glanced at both of them while pouring herb tea. Both men, who spoke well enough when alone with her, now wore faces cold as ice.
To break the awkward atmosphere, Hasa spoke up. “I realized it’s been a while since the whole family was together at the mansion. Since Dayan will soon return to the academy and Father has a business trip, I thought it would be nice to spend time together before that.”
Though she finished with the brightest smile she could manage, both just drank their tea without much response. Hasa felt like breaking into a cold sweat at the heavy atmosphere but pretending nothing was wrong, she brought up old memories.
“I think we used to play here often when I was younger. When Dayan or I would cause trouble and try to blame each other, Mother would bring us here for nights in the garden like this.”
“When was that even?”
Dayan muttered. Hasa cleared her throat softly and continued. “That’s why I thought it might be nice to have a night in the garden again after so long.”
Hasa spread her hands and made a “ta-da” sound. Though she hadn’t expected applause from the two stoic men, they both just stared at her with round eyes.
Dayan spoke first. He pulled his chair back as if to stand and said, “No, it’s bothersome.”
As Dayan tried to stand without properly looking at their father, Hasa responded in a whimpering voice.
“Really, you’re going…?”
Surprised by Hasa’s tear-filled voice, Dayan turned his gaze to her. Hasa clasped her hands together and spoke mournfully in a voice that seemed ready to cry.
“I brewed this tea myself specially for Father and my brother, and who knows when the three of us will be together again after today. I know you’re used to drinking alone, but I thought it would be nice if the whole family could drink together, at least on a day like this…”
Though speaking in a commanding tone like last time might work better with Dayan, after talking with Father, she didn’t want to use that method anymore.
Instead, she found this approach. Dayan, who took after their father exactly, became strong in front of strong opponents but didn’t know how to handle vulnerable ones.
“Fine, I’ll do it. We’re not children anymore, what lies could we possibly have to tell?”
Sure enough, Dayan sat back down with a flustered expression. Hasa turned to Vanwilhelm with a bright face, all traces of her near tears gone.
“Then Father is fine with it too, right?”
“…Yes.”
Having finally obtained both their consent, Hasa silently rejoiced and responded energetically. “Then I’ll ask the first question, and we’ll take turns asking one question each.”
***
“When is your next business trip?”
“Next month.”
After answering Hasa’s question sharply, Vanwilhelm shifted his gaze to her and asked indifferently.
“Hasa, are you angry with me?”
She had planned to start with light questions to warm up, but her father, apparently unfamiliar with curve balls, threw a direct question about what he wanted to know. Wondering how to answer, Hasa rolled her eyes while choosing her words. Then, seeing her father’s face as he silently watched her with folded arms, her lips moved simply.
“…Yes. A little.”
As Vanwilhelm’s lips parted to respond to her affirmation, she quickly reminded them that it was one question per turn and turned to her brother to indicate it was his turn.
Dayan looked at Hasa as if he’d been waiting and asked, “When did you start studying ancient language?”
Hasa touched her chin while trying to gauge the timing, but she had been able to read and write the ancient language well for as long as she could remember. In her memories, she could only hazily recall her mother with long pink hair just like hers.
“…I don’t remember, I think since I was very young.”
Though it wasn’t a satisfying answer, Dayan seemed to accept it, nodding his head. The night in the garden seemed to be progressing smoothly, but then…
“Hasa, why are you angry with Dad?” “Hey, why did you help with my assignment?”
The two men folded their arms and turned completely toward Hartbisa, beginning to pour out questions. Hasa unconsciously backed away from their obvious stares, raising both hands.
“Wait a moment, it’s too one-sided if you only question me.”
Hasa’s intention had been to naturally create opportunities for Father and Dayan to talk, but at this rate, she would be the only one speaking. Hasa spoke straightforwardly.
“You two should ask each other questions too.”
Only then did the two men briefly meet each other’s eyes. With black hair and eyes, unlike Hasa who took after their mother, Dayan was the spitting image of their father, and anyone could see they were father and son.
Even their habit of moving their lips awkwardly without being able to meet each other’s sharp gazes was the same.
Vanwilhelm blinked and turned his gaze to his son, unable to resist his daughter’s sparkling, expectant eyes. He quietly observed Dayan, who looked just like himself from decades ago and finally opened his mouth.
“I heard you ranked first in your department.”
“It’s only natural.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“…”
Hasa felt parched. This time, as if it were Dayan’s turn to speak, Vanwilhelm closed his mouth, and Dayan just fiddled with his teacup as if he truly had nothing to say. Hasa swallowed dryly, growing more anxious, when she suddenly remembered Dayan looking at the succession document in the library.
The page he had been reading was about the symptoms that come to the successors. Hasa leaned toward Dayan and whispered. “Ask about the book you were reading in the library. It was about the symptoms, wasn’t it? It would help to ask directly.”
“No need.”
As Dayan refused with a serious expression, Vanwilhelm asked. “Symptoms?”
Though they had whispered, it seemed he had heard that far. Hasa closed her mouth and passed the opportunity to answer to Dayan. When Dayan remained tight-lipped and silent, Vanwilhelm’s expression grew serious and he asked again.
“Dayan, what symptoms?”
At the commanding tone, Dayan clicked his tongue softly before raising his eyes to meet his father’s. Then he answered quietly.
“…The nightmares I used to have occasionally, I have them every time now.”
While symptoms varied for each successor, nightmares were a typical sign of succession. Even with the same blessing, each successor’s abilities varied greatly, and the symptoms could give a sense of the successor’s potential abilities.
That’s what Wolfgang had said in the past. The stronger and more intense the symptoms, the more powerful the ability holder would become. That statement seemed strange even now upon reflection. To inherit the blessing, one had to cross through the most painful and frightening time to receive strong abilities.
Hasa observed Vanwilhelm’s expression. He looked down at his teacup that still had faint steam rising from it and asked in a quiet voice.
“What appears in the nightmares?”
Dayan was reluctant to answer and was about to brush it off as nothing when he closed his mouth firmly. The garden with its brightly blooming lily of the valley caught his eye, and he realized the night in the garden was still ongoing.
Though the rule was that no lies could be told, there was no way to know if someone lied. It was just that in the past, when her mother would look at them with gentle eyes and ask, they couldn’t lie, and that naturally became the rule.
Even now, without their mother, the three of them didn’t lie despite there being no real penalty. Perhaps because lying felt like it would disturb the memories left by Anelia who had passed away.
Now, their mother had become the night in the garden itself for them. That’s what made the three of them keep the rule.
Dayan smiled faintly at this realization, then was surprised at his own smile. It had been a while since he’d thought about his mother for this long, and yet it wasn’t painful or frightening.
He had wondered what meaning there could be in the three of them sitting together now, but perhaps there was meaning after all. After such thoughts, Dayan glanced at his clear-eyed sister once before turning his gaze to Vanwilhelm and answered.
“Everything I touch turns completely, utterly black and rotten until in the end it becomes unrecognizable. Flowers, bedding, servants, Father, and Hasa too.”
