Chapter 108

“Dad, can I have some pepper over there?”

“……”

“Sigh.”

“……”

Clunk.

Dad, with a terrifying expression and his mouth tightly shut, reaches out instead of Mom, who was sighing and extending her hand, and puts the pepper in front of me with a loud thud.

“Oh boy.”

Normally, Dad would have kindly said, “Airis, you shouldn’t eat too salty. I’ll sprinkle just a little for you,” but right now, he’s in his most sulky state.

As I sprinkled pepper generously into my soup, Dad’s lips quivered. Did he think someone would be scared just because he used my full name?

“…Don’t eat it too salty. Airis Yeager.”

In the end, he’s going to be like this anyway. As I unconsciously let out a sigh identical to Mom’s while seasoning my soup, Dad finally started fidgeting and glancing at Mom and me.

“Mom, can I have some too? The soup seems a bit bland today.”

“Asil! What do you mean bland……”

“Oh my, my hand slipped.”

Wow, that’s Mom for you. Dad, surprised by the pepper showering into Mom’s soup, quickly tried to switch it with his own plate, but Mom’s hand was faster, lifting the entire bowl to avoid him.

“Soup is supposed to be a bit salty to taste better. Right, Ari?”

“Of course, Mom!”

While we were in our own cheerful world, Dad’s expression became even more terrifying, but neither we nor the servants watching seemed to care, only wearing expressions of exasperation.

If people outside the Duke’s castle saw this, they might collapse in fear, but the people here know that this is just his extremely sulky face.

Clang-

“Are you done eating, Cassion? You can get up first if you want.”

“…I’ll have tea! I’m not done eating yet.”

“Is that so? Ari, chew your food well.”

“Yes~.”

Dad, who had finished his food quickly as he couldn’t join the conversation, put down his spoon first, but Mom was formidable. At her words accompanied by a bright smile, Dad’s face became even more aggrieved, and he just unnecessarily scolded the servants to bring tea quickly. Even for that, he got scolded by Mom.

“Sigh.”

“Sigh.”

Flinch.

Finally, at the deep sighs that escaped again, Dad, who had been pretending to drink tea while observing us, rattled once more and then hung his head low.

“Isn’t this. Isn’t this too much? Asilia, Airis……”

Well, I didn’t mean to, but it does make me feel sorry seeing him so dejected. As Dad showed a pitiful appearance almost like he had lost his country, I bit my lip and glanced at Mom.

But Mom just shook her head and gestured for me to go.

“Why are you crying, Cassion? We just have some things to talk about among us girls. As you know, our Ari is a bit precocious, right? Oh, come here, come here……”

In the end, Dad, with his large frame hunched over, went into Mom’s arms as she comforted him. I got up, almost fleeing from the love-filled kitchen while side-eyeing Dad.

The servants moved silently, preparing desserts and snacks for me.

‘Thank you’

When I mouthed my thanks, the servants melted into expressions as if they had seen the cutest angel in the world and groaned. Well, I am pretty cute.

I received quite a buff from reincarnation after all!

***

The so-called ‘Dad Ostracism Incident’ occurred on my 9th birthday.

That day, I was sick with an inexplicably high fever for a whole day, and the moment I woke up after falling asleep as if I had fainted, I realized my past life.

‘…Ari. Airis. Look at Mom’s eyes properly.’

‘Ung. I’m scared, Mom……’

‘A nine-year-old’s tongue is not as short as you might think. You….. Did you perhaps remember your past life?’

‘Gasp’

‘This is inside a book? And there’s a separate protagonist?’

‘Gasp!’

‘…Can this be inherited too?’

I’m a golden spoon! And this beauty! Oh my, I have it all! But the joy was short-lived as Mom caught on immediately. Perhaps due to the memories of my past life, my behavior was either too mature for a nine-year-old or seemed like I was pretending to be too young. Dad would have just found everything cute no matter what I did, though.

‘Ari. Even if you had parents in your past life, I’m your parent now. And I love you with all my heart.’

‘Oh, I know. There’s too much love, if anything.’

‘Even if there’s a separate protagonist, stories are bound to change. Don’t forget that you’re always the protagonist of this life.’

Mom spoke to me in solemn and difficult words that seemed too complex for a nine-year-old child. Seeing as she mentioned inheritance, I wonder if Mom was the same?

‘Mom, did you also reincarnate as a supporting character?’

‘Yes, but now I’m the protagonist. I even stole the male lead!’

‘Well, it would be strange if Dad wasn’t the male lead with that face.’

‘I never thought I’d have this kind of conversation with my daughter.’

Me neither.

Actually, the moment I realized I had reincarnated into a book, I was happy but… also anxious. Because of my condition I seemed so out of place. Moreover, because of the future, I didn’t know how the shackles of the ‘original work’ would apply to.

Finally, with a lonely feeling that I now had a secret to keep forever, all to myself.

‘Hehe…… Mom. I love you.’

But all worries vanished like a mirage in Mom’s embrace.

That’s why we were more clingy than usual, just Mom and me…… This is the untold story behind the birth of sulky Dad.

“Now, let’s have a family meeting.”

Dad’s shock must have been so great, or maybe Mom had something else in mind, but it seems that Mom’s consoling him in the dining room this morning wasn’t enough to soothe his hurt feelings.

In the end, less than a week after I realized my past life, a family meeting was held at the tea table set up in the garden.

“Thank you. Please leave just the tea, and everyone withdraw.”

“Yes, Madam.”

“Eugene, you too.”

“……I must be prepared for any contingencies.”

“What does it matter when Cassion is here. You should step away too.”

“Didn’t you say that my master is Lady Airis?”

Eugene resisted leaving, perhaps finding it suspicious that all servants were being dismissed for what was just a family tea party.

“Eugene. Mom said to leave. Go now.”

“Yes.”

“Cover your ears. Don’t secretly stay nearby.”

“……Yes.”

But I don’t want to broadcast this secret to everyone either, you know?

Somehow, this atmosphere, it feels like Mom is going to tell Dad about me.

“Alright. Cassion. I’m sorry if you’ve been feeling left out. It’s not that we did it on purpose, but there’s been a big change with Airis.”

“……A change? She’s as cute as ever. And you’re beautiful.”

It’s really cringeworthy that those words aren’t flattery but are automatically added.

“Do you remember the secret I told you during our honeymoon?”

If you say it like that, how would he know……

“That I’m the protagonist of a book?”

He knows?! Wait, I’m nine years old? This must have happened at least 10 years ago, is Dad’s head really only full of Mom?

“That’s right. This…… It seems it might be hereditary. Or not? Anyway, our daughter remembers her past life like me. That’s why she’s been following me around anxiously all this time.”

“Ah……”

“Yeah. That’s how it is, Dad.”

Is this it? Is this simple explanation enough? Is it easy because Mom has already paved the way, or is it disappointingly simple how the matter is resolved?

No, it seemed to be resolved.

Dad, who had been staring blankly at Mom and me, soon narrows his eyes sharply and opens his mouth.

“……Then who’s the male protagonist, Ari?”

“Oh my, come to think of it, we haven’t heard about the original story.”

……So, because Mom ended up with the male lead, which is him, he’s wary that I might end up with the original male lead? I’m nine years old.

“What are you worried about, Dad?”

“Just tell me who it is, Ari.”

“No, if there’s nothing uncomfortable, why don’t you tell us everything? Mom is just too curious.”

“Uh…… There’s nothing uncomfortable, but.”

Is it okay to say this?

“I didn’t read the book to the end, so I don’t know who the male protagonist is. There are two candidates, and one is His Highness the Prince.”

“Oh my! How traditional!”

“……That bastard’s son?”

What do you mean ‘that bastard’, Dad? Even if you’re close, that’s the Emperor who just ascended to the throne with high imperial authority.

“The other one is just a street artist. I don’t know if you know, but in the original story, he’s the son of a man named Lorang who receives patronage from our Duke’s house……”

“What?!”

“What?!”

Before I could finish speaking, the tea table shook. Seeing my parents’ mouths gaping open…… it seemed there was some issue with this person called Lorang. Why?

“Why, why? He was described as a very handsome and calm person.”

“Calm? Lorang’s child? Well, his face…… with those genes, he must be handsome. Wait a minute, come to think of it, a few days ago, someone who said they were his lover left a child with him and disappeared……”

“That’s right! It’s mentioned that he doesn’t have a mother, so he has a bit of a gloomy role!”

“No. It’s not him. It must be His Highness the Prince who’s the male protagonist, Ari.”

……I better not mention that in my past life, I shipped the female character with the artist character as the male lead. But compared to the somewhat immature prince, he seemed more mature and mysterious, which triggered my protective instincts.

“Then who’s the female protagonist?”

“The book you saw, Asil, and this book too, not having our daughter as the protagonist, they’re both trash.”

Actually, it is trash. Because that book is…….

“The protagonist is the only daughter of a Baron couple.”

“……I believe the Baron couple’s late child was born last year.”

“Originally, e****c novels tend to have size differences or age gaps, right?”

In the end, caught up in the excitement of the original story and the fact that there are no secrets among family, I said something a nine-year-old shouldn’t say.

I realized I had gone too far when I saw my mother and father, who had only gaped at the story about Lorang’s son, now spilling their tea.

“……Wh-what did you say, my little piggy?”

“……”

“E****c novel……?”

It seems the novel Mom reincarnated into wasn’t an e****c one but an all-ages romance fantasy…… My mouth ran away with me.

Under the suddenly chilly gaze of Mom and Dad, this time my eyes slowly lowered. I haven’t done anything wrong, but what’s with this atmosphere?

“Two men…… E****c novel……”

At Mom’s words, muttered in shock, Dad was the first to come to his senses, his eyes flashing red. As he stood up to prevent the tea from flowing towards me, his shadow fell over me.

“From now on, don’t you dare go near the Imperial Palace or Lorang. Airis Yeager.”

……This time, the name-calling is a little scary.

“Answer me.”

“……Yes.”

But leaving aside this Lorang or whatever, how am I supposed to avoid the Imperial Palace when there will be debutante events? Looking at Mom, who’s covering her face as if collapsing, it seems she’s already realized this.

Well, I’m sure the protagonists will live well on their own?

I’m going to live happily with my family like this!