“Scatter!”
“You’re not getting away!”
As Phil tries to run, his temples are seized by big hands.
“My templllllles! What is this, some kind of grip strength testerrrrr?!”
Instead of going “squish squish”, bizarre crunching noises that should not be coming from a human body echo in Phil’s mind.
“You…! Running away after seeing your father for the first time in ages, what is the meaning of this?!”
“These are myyyy temples, not some kind of grip toyyyyy?!”
Phil’s screams seem loud enough to resound through the whole hall.
Unsure how to respond to the sudden situation, Milis can only look bewildered.
Then, a woman appears.
“I’m so sorry, my husband is causing a ruckus.”
The woman has a gentle, languid air about her.
Her dignified appearance is striking, her smiling face so charming it pulls the eye.
This woman has the same hair color as Phil.
“Um, excuse me but…who are you?”
“Pardon my late introduction. I’m Phil’s mother, Maria.”
“You’re Sir Phil’s mother?!”
Hearing those words, Milis hurriedly fixes her appearance.
“Oww, owwww! My temples hurt, my temples realllly hurt!”
“There, there, it must have hurt.”
Meanwhile, Kahlua strokes Phil’s head as he cries from the pain shooting through his temples.
Her pose resembles a mother soothing a mischievous child.
“Hmm… From what I briefly heard, it seems Phil and Miss Kahlua’s engagement has been progressing.”
Roy Salemabart, current head of the Salemabart family, mutters while watching the two.
“It hasn’t progressed at all! Don’t just swallow everything you hear whole like a dumb duck! Go back outside with a leek on your back!”
“No, I don’t believe I’m jumping to conclusions. Just looking at Phil and Miss Kahlua now…”
“Pops, you can’t rush things with women. If you’re too impatient, you’ll turn into a premature ejaculator who can’t get chicks!”
“You want another smack?”
“Please accept our deepest apologies for exposing you to such crude behavior.”
Seeing Roy snap his fingers, Phil immediately bows his head.
At least their hierarchical, or rather familial, relationship seems sound.
“I’m sorry, Kahlua. My useless son keeps causing you trouble.”
“Oh no, please don’t worry about it. I’m doing this because I want to.”
“…Even though such a good child is here, I wonder why my son had to turn out like this?”
Looking at the bowing Phil, Maria heaves a huge sigh.
Having known Kahlua for quite a while, Maria is familiar with her personality.
And also how Kahlua feels towards Phil.
Yet Phil doesn’t seem to have any intention of making progress at all.
As always, it makes her head hurt thinking what a waste this is.
Meanwhile, Kahlua smiles placidly at Maria with an expression that suggests she understands and even agrees, yet believes Phil has not turned his feelings towards her yet.
“Um, excuse me…!”
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Milis nervously works up the courage to speak to Maria, immediately bowing her head vigorously.
Perhaps intimidated due to facing someone new, her voice comes out quite high-pitched.
“I-I’m Milis Alamirea! P-Pleased to meet you! Um, so…”
“There, there, Your Holiness. Please calm down.”
“Ehh?! You already knew about me?!”
“Yes, my useless son doesn’t send us any letters even though we’re in the royal capital. But lately, Kahlua here has been keeping us updated on everything. About how the Holy Maiden is staying at our estate, and…”
Maria smiles, looking very happy.
“that Phil is the Hero of Shadows.”
“Hold it, Mother! I have to make clear upfront that it’s a misunderstanding!”
Phil frantically charges at Maria.
Seeing him so unusually flustered, Milis tilts her head curiously.
“Huh? You didn’t tell your parents either, Sir Phil?”
“Those words, I wish you had said them when I was struggling to accept the truth…! Now it’s just too late to say it.”
Once you assume it’s true, there’s no way to deny it.
My efforts to deceive were instantly crushed.
“I had no idea… I only found out when I heard the rumors.”
“Besides my parents, who knew before the rumors spread?”
“Well, it’s quite a small circle… Why didn’t you tell me?”
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
It’s reasonable to think he could have told his parents about being the Hero of Shadows.
After all, only Kahlua and her parents know… Not telling his immediate family leaves a strange feeling.
While it’d be a different story for a notorious sleaze like Zan, if they’re perfectly upstanding parents, it’d make things easier and they could advise him about troublesome situations, so there seems little reason not to tell them.
“You see, my father is the commander of the royal knight order…”
“Wow! That’s amazing!”
“I agree, however… If they found out I’m the Hero of Shadows, they’d definitely force me to “join the knights”!”
Having the freedom to live as he likes, Phil sees joining the knight order as nothing but shackles.
Even leaving inheritance matters to Zan so he can live a carefree, leisurely life, things like training, deployments, guards, etc. are out of the question.
While it would likely make things easier, since he isn’t particularly inconvenienced with the current situation, there was no merit in confiding.
“That’s right, Phil… You should join the knights immediately. Magicians are valuable war potential, so you definitely should serve the nation—”
“Shaddup, musclehead. If I join the knights, who’s gonna handle the territory administration? Because you slackers kept sticking me with it all, I’m doing everything political by myself!”
“Don’t be silly, dear. Phil is going to inherit the family one day, so he absolutely can’t join the knights.”
“Hmm, well you’re right… Even in the knight order I keep hearing about this Hero of Shadows business. Or rather, he’s giving us a hand in places beyond our reach, so we’re quite thankful. It’s only natural we’d try recruiting someone so exceptional, no?”
“Go right ahead if it wasn’t his son.”
Roy snarls in clear rejection to Phil’s adamant refusal.
Meanwhile, Maria alone looks delighted.
“Hehe, I was so worried because he’s usually so hopeless, but turns out he’s a sweet boy after all. When I heard the story, I cried without even realizing it. I knew all along he could do it if he tried, so as his mother, I’m proud ♪”
“H-Hey Mom, not in front of everyone…”
“I doubted my ears.”
“Let your emotions show, Pops. If it wasn’t your actual kid, I know you’d happily pick a fight with me while conceding you can’t beat someone who uses magic.”
Crevasses split Phil’s forehead as he scowls at his father who refuses to believe his own son.
“Well, let’s continue our talk over a meal or something another time… I have to go discipline Zan now or he’ll never learn.”
“Yeah, doesn’t seem like he’s reflecting at all yet. Gotta put some moxibustion on him so he doesn’t trouble people around him anymore.”
“Oh I see. Please go quickly and give him a good talking to, if we keep this up any longer he might throw a tantrum thinking we don’t show him enough affection.”
Despite this being their first reunion in a while, they’re quite quick to part ways.
While it may not be the final farewell of this life, feels like there should have been more to talk about, no? That thought might occur to some, but they can’t just dote on Phil alone.
They’re quite busy people, despite appearances. They don’t have time for long interactions with every family member.
“Your Holiness, please ask Phil for help if anything comes up.”
“Y-Yes ma’am! I understand!”
“Kahlua, feel free to stop by anytime to vent. I already see you as a daughter.”
“Thank you for saying that. Then, shall we have tea again soon?”
Maria bows her head before leaving…
And then…
“Well, Phil… Honestly, I had my suspicions.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“As Maria said, I was proud. I’m happy to have such a great son.”
“Me too, Phil. You’ve worked hard… What you’re doing is amazing, but don’t push yourself too much, okay? Even if they call you a worthless playboy, as long as you grow up healthy, that’s all that matters.”
“…………”
Leaving those words behind, he turned his back and walked towards the center of the venue.
Left behind were three young people, including Phil.
Among them, Phil looked a bit frustrated as he gazed at the ceiling.
“Ah, damn it. It’s so unfair to leave with those words at the end…”
“Hehe, is it a mix of guilt and joy, perhaps?”
“Your parents are wonderful people!”
“Yeah… Not that I say it much, but — they’re my prideful parents.”
Just then, a great fanfare sounded through the hall.
It signifies the royal family members’ entrance.
Still dwelling on the many emotions from his family reunion, Phil turns his attention to the hall entrance.
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