Chapter 12
Translated by: ME
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*****
「I wonder if Dad is doing a good job asking Rose-san to marry him?」
Josh checked the clock before plunging a large spoon into his dessert pudding. Today’s dessert was a massive platter: bite-sized cubes of cake with ice cream on the side, topped with a mound of pudding and fruit in the center. Alfred, who had a small appetite, had long since handed over his portion of the roasted thigh meat to Josh, but he was determined to finish every last bit of this particular plate.
「It’ll be fine. Mother likes Lord Logan too. She’s a bit dense and doesn't seem to realize it, but I’m sure everything will go well tonight.」
Alfred popped a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth and gave a knowing smirk.
In truth, the road to this point had been anything but easy. Alfred looked back on the five months since they had taken refuge with Logan.
***
Ever since he had seen the Earl of Goldsmith sitting in the parent's section at the academy, Alfred knew the man harbored feelings for his mother. At the entrance ceremony, from his position on the stage delivering the freshman greeting, the parent's section was perfectly visible. Until his father (Siegfried) finally arrived late and took his seat, that large, silver-haired man had been staring at Rose with eyes full of longing.
(Something must have happened between them in the past...) Alfred easily imagined.
When he looked at his mother, she seemed completely oblivious to the man’s intense gaze; she simply waved happily the moment she made eye contact with her son.
My mother really is cute. Alfred smiled to himself. Even if her dress was old, the natural, doll-like beauty of her skin remained intact. Her light makeup made her look even younger compared to the other mothers with their thick, painted-on faces.
His beloved mother, Rose. She was always smiling, brilliant, and loved by everyone.
Alfred had realized from a young age that his father was the lowest of the low. It was obvious just by looking at the family of the Viscount Kirkland household for comparison. Siegfried was a man who seemed to have a fundamental defect; he had no understanding of a father's role. He was the type of person who lacked the character to even put in the effort to improve his shortcomings.
(Is it because he couldn't even graduate from the academy properly that he doesn't understand these things? No, the entire Pendleton house itself is just warped.)
From a young age, Alfred had grown dependent on his mother, who taught him his studies in a true partnership. Rose was affectionate and cherished him. Compared to her, his father was...
One day, Alfred had grown curious about his father's daily rhythm and began tracking it in a notebook. It seemed his father did work hard, but he put just as much effort into chasing women. Because he was an idiot, he left evidence everywhere, and his stories never stayed consistent. He probably forgot what he said the moment the words left his mouth.
(Birdbrain.)
His father seemed to take great pride in his good looks, but his foul personality and frivolity were manifesting on the surface more with each passing year.
Mother is not someone a person like you is allowed to mistreat.
Between his father and the servants, Alfred had spent his time hating, hating, hating the Pendleton house, thinking only of the day he could leave.
***
Since he was curious about the Earl of Goldsmith, Alfred had immediately approached Josh Goldsmith. He had recognized him instantly at the entrance ceremony because Josh was a rare noble participating with only one parent. He was tall, had striking silver hair, and looked just like his father. He was cheerful and seemed to have never known a day of hardship. That was the impression he gave, but he was apparently starving for maternal affection; when Alfred spoke of Rose, Josh became intensely interested. In return, Alfred asked countless questions about Logan.
Josh was a good, straightforward boy. Alfred liked him. He imagined that if they were always with this family, everything would work out. So, he began to spill the internal secrets of his household to Logan, bit by bit.
The fact that his father never came home.
The fact that his mother was being bullied by the servants.
The fact that despite the money coming in, none of it was being spent on them.
The fact that a classmate was the daughter of a jewelry shop owner.
And the details about his uncles in the Kirkland family.
Whenever they sat across a chessboard, Alfred would reveal these things as if they were casual small talk. Logan began to sink into thought more and more frequently. Learning that the woman he cared for was in an unhappy marriage clearly made him angry.
That's right. You’re the only one who can save us...
It was truly a chore to get a man as overly serious as Logan to make a decision.
Furthermore, Alfred had made sure his father received an invitation from the jewelry shop owned by his classmate's father. Since the girl had a crush on Alfred, getting the invitation was a simple matter of asking. He made sure the Pendleton house was invited to a "Special Exhibition" reserved for top-tier clients.
As expected, his father took his current obsession—his mistress—while Alfred and his mother stayed home. But that was fine. The foolish mistress, mistakenly believing Siegfried was a high-spending regular at such a high-end shop, began to demand more and more accessories. That shop didn't carry anything cheap.
Once the mistress had her new jewelry, she naturally wanted to show it off at evening parties and begged Alfred's father to escort her. At first, his father wouldn't take a mistress to parties where it was proper to bring a wife, but eventually, he lost all sense of propriety. In the final year, he dragged that woman everywhere.
The Earl of Goldsmith saw this many times and gradually began to look out for Alfred.
「How was your father last night?」
「Father didn't come home. Lately, on the nights of evening parties, he says he's staying at a friend's house and doesn't return.」
「Last week was the grade announcement. You were selected as a top student. Congratulations! By the way, did your father give you a celebration?」
「Father didn't graduate, so I don't think he understands such things. But my mother and my uncles from the Kirkland family held a dinner for me. My father? He wasn't there; he was staying at a friend's house. Our dinner at home was just vegetable soup, so I'm quite hungry today... Sorry for eating so many of your snacks.」
「Uncle Logan is such a wonderful father. I can tell Josh is proud of him. I'm quite envious just watching from the side.」
「It seems my mother never really liked my father's handsome face that much anyway. My Kirkland uncles are far from handsome, after all. Noble matchmaking is quite difficult, isn't it?」
****
As he continued to talk like that, the incident finally occurred. A boy from a Duke’s house had tried to kick Alfred down from his position by spreading rumors using his father as ammunition. That had been an unexpected development.
To think I would be belittled because of that piece of trash father!!
Alfred had been so angry he briefly acted out like a child (well, he was still a child). However, it seemed that Uncle Logan finally made a decision because of that event. He had decided to persuade Rose, and he kicked the boys out of his office that day.
I didn't really do much. I just wanted to get out of the Pendleton house. And I have a feeling that wish is about to come true.
When the trial started, Uncle Logan, wanting to keep Mother close, gave her a job as a tutor. Life under the same roof began!! It made Alfred so happy.
However, the late-blooming and serious Uncle Logan wouldn't easily reach out to his mother. Alfred found himself thinking, Am I overdoing it? as he let his mother wander around in her nightclothes, or maneuvered the two of them into a very small study together late at night, or encouraged them to drink alcohol.
Even so, Uncle Logan wouldn't say things like 「I like you」 or 「I love you」 like in a novel. Even though Mother is the type who won't understand unless you say it clearly!! Just as Alfred was worrying, the old butler started dropping hints to Uncle Logan. The servants of the Goldsmith manor were truly sharp.
But one night, when Alfred woke up to use the restroom, he saw Uncle Logan pouring Mother a drink and trying to take her hand.
「Mother... I had a scary dream. Will you sleep with me?」
His mother flew to him and pulled him into a hug. Peeking through the gap in her arms, Alfred saw Uncle Logan’s shoulders visibly slump in disappointment.
Well.
I still want to keep Mother all to myself for just a little longer.
Lately, Mother had been praising Uncle Logan a lot. She surely thought well of him. He was sincere, polite, followed proper decorum, and his character was good. A man like that wouldn't grow to hate Alfred.
The Pendleton title? He didn't need it. He would become a civil official, earn his own merit, and if he really wanted a title, he would earn his own peerage.
He was brilliant, after all. Brilliant enough that other people looked like fools to him. With the backing of Rose and the Earl of Goldsmith, he felt he could succeed in whatever business he chose.
The trial was finally over, but like his mother who fought so hard, Alfred intended to carve out his own life. Life isn't interesting if you leave it to others, and it leads to too many regrets. By studying straight toward his goals, he wouldn't lose sight of what he wanted to achieve.
He had been searching for a new father and a person who could make Rose happy. He had been steadily working toward that image, and it had led to today.
Since they won the trial, his wish was nearly fulfilled. Human feelings aren't as certain as a mathematical formula, so perhaps Mother might not give Uncle Logan a positive answer. But one major goal—leaving the Pendleton house—had been achieved. Mother had become quite cute again lately, and if she entered the adult social world, there would surely be plenty of other father candidates.
A strategy always needs more than one plan. If Plan A fails, you have to launch Plan B, right? That’s why he was chosen as a squad leader.
But Alfred liked Josh, and if possible, he wanted to stay in the Goldsmith house just as things were.
Uncle Logan! Do your best!
It was a bit past his usual bedtime, but his mother and Logan hadn't returned yet.
...So, I guess that means it went well?
*****
Alfred: All is as Keikaku.
Keikaku means plan.
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