* * *
“Am I dreaming right now?”
“To think that the son I believed to be dead would return alive…”
The first stage: denial.
“Y-Y-You, re-really, sob…”
The second stage: tears.
“How did my child return?”
“Yes, well done. No matter what happened, I’m just glad you’re back.”
The third stage: acceptance.
Having gone through all these textbook stages, the entire Kalinos family fully accepted Arseno. However, there was one person left who was still denying reality. It was Garno, the former duke and Arseno’s grandfather.
It was during a family meal where everyone except Riwes had gathered. Garno pointed his finger seriously at Arseno. “Have you all given him your hearts already?! To that guy!”
The atmosphere at the dining table cooled down drastically.
“Yes, and?” I replied dryly with dead fish eyes.
Garno then spoke in all seriousness. “But take a good look! That guy could be a monster!” Having once fallen victim to Hwairi’s sorcery, he was not quick to trust people.
Besides, he’s probably terrified. Just because of that one-in-a-million possibility. But still… “Grandpa, why do you trust the untrustworthy and doubt the trustworthy? I’m telling you, Lord Arseno really has returned.”
At my cheeky response doubting his intuition, Garno could only let out a groan and scratch his head. After all, he was a sinner who had defended Hwairi in front of me.
I casually tapped the dining table and said, “Grandpa, hurry up and sit down already. Your food is getting cold.”
“Ri-Right. If Giselle is telling me to sit, I will.” Garno clicked his tongue and sat down. Then, looking at Arseno with suspicion, he muttered, “I still doubt whether he’s truly my grandson.”
“I can hear you just fine, Grandpa. I’m indeed your grandson.”
“Lo-Look at that. My eldest grandson was never such a villain! He used to call me ‘Grandfather’ without fail!”
“I became a hermit and forgot all my manners.”
Yeah, he definitely looks that way.
I grinned as I watched the two of them. True to his role as a grumpy grandfather, Garno clutched the back of his neck and let out a sigh heavy enough to sink the earth. Even as he said that, he’d accept Arseno in the end.
Garno, who was simply going through his denial phase, wasn’t the big issue. I knew the real problem lay elsewhere.
During mealtimes, there was a little boy who always fought with Vientin for the seat beside me. But Riwes was nowhere to be seen. Everyone knew why he had gone missing, including me. With Riwes gone, there was no way I could enjoy my meal comfortably. After lightly wiping my hands with a napkin, I stood up.
“Where are you going, Giselle?”
“To find someone.”
“Ah.” Vientin looked at me.
I grinned as I continued. “Just sitting around isn’t really my style.”
At my cryptic remark, everyone’s eyes turned toward me.
Since I couldn’t be bothered to beat around the bush, I shrugged. “I’m going to bring Riwes back.”
* * *
Riwes was sitting alone in the garden, looking lonely. Sitting by himself on the dusty ground, he stared at a beautifully sculpted flower.
I have a dad now?
Neither his grandmother, grandfather, nor uncle understood how he felt. They had simply smiled broadly at him and spoke.
“Riwes, congratulations!”
“My baby, aren’t you happy your dad is back?”
However, Riwes’s feelings weren’t that simple.
What even is a dad?
Originally, Riwes was an extremely shy child, timid to a fault. He had zero immunity to having a newly gained father.
Everyone is congratulating me, but I feel so strange…
He didn’t know how to act around a man whose eyes grew teary whenever he looked at Riwes. That was why Riwes kept avoiding any place where he might run into Arseno.
Of course, after meeting Giselle, Riwes had grown a lot. Although he still couldn’t speak his mind as recklessly as Giselle did, he had nonetheless become quite mature. His short tongue had gotten much better at articulating words, and he was practically all grown up now.
“But I’m still a child.”
As he muttered softly to himself, a dark shadow fell over him.
“Riwes.”
“Gasp!”
It was Giselle.
Looking as though his innermost thoughts had been discovered, Riwes flinched and hurriedly stood up. “…Mmm?”
“Why are you hiding here? You haven’t even eaten.”
Riwes gazed at Giselle for a while before his cheeks turned red. For some reason, he suddenly felt embarrassed. “No, I wasn’t hiding…”
In the end, what came out was a childish whine. But Giselle simply brushed the dirt off Riwes’s hands and smiled warmly.
“Looks like Riwes has a lot on your mind, huh.”
“…”
She then took Riwes by the hand and sat him down on a long bench in the middle of the garden.
“Just imagine this is a bamboo grove.”
Whether this was Giselle’s way of being considerate or not, Riwes didn’t know. But he was relieved that even though it was Giselle, he didn’t have to look her directly in the eyes. Slowly, he began to untangle the whirlwind of emotion inside him.
“I don’t know what a dad is.”
“You can find out from now on.”
“It feels awkward.”
“Everything feels awkward at first. You and I were awkward in the beginning too.”
“…”
What is this? Why is it so simple?
Just as Riwes’s eyes filled with confusion, Giselle flashed him a grin. “Try talking about it.”
“…”
“You have to say what you’re feeling if you want the situation to change.”
“But I want to avoid him. I’m scared.”
At the intimate truth he had tossed out so abruptly, Giselle shrugged. “You can avoid him if you want, but someday you’ll have to face him.”
“…”
“There’s nothing complicated about it.”
…How strange. Why did those words, so bluntly simple and charge-straight-ahead, feel so comforting?
At that moment, Giselle grinned. “Your dad is over there. Go have a conversation with him.”
She was right. Arseno was standing in the distance, fidgeting awkwardly.
Riwes clenched his fists. Should I just keep it simple and charge ahead…?
* * *
Arseno sat down where Giselle had been sitting.
“Hi, Riwes.”
“…”
Watching his son’s lips move without a sound, Arseno’s expression trembled slightly. Riwes seemed to be having a very hard time.
Arseno felt a deep affection toward Riwes. He had only stayed still, yet his son had grown up all alone without him. The thought made him ache with regret over all the time that had been lost. Nevertheless, Arseno knew that he had to be the first to reach out to that boy. If that boy wanted to avoid him, then Arseno would approach him and gently wrap him in a warm embrace.
“Riwes.”
“…’
“It’s Dad.”
“…”
But Riwes said nothing.
Arseno spoke softly. “I’m sorry I couldn’t come for so long. You might not understand, but there were circumstances. Still, I miss you every single day.” He honestly conveyed his feelings.
Riwes’s eyes, which had been wavering without knowing where to settle, began to move again. “You missed me…?”
“Yes, of course I did. Riwes.”
“…”
Riwes remained silent for a long time. He looked as if he were mulling over the words he had just heard. Arseno quietly waited for him.
After a long silence, one that might mark the beginning of a new relationship between them, Riwes found the courage to speak. A few disjointed words followed. “…But, Riwes doesn’t have Dad.”
“Why wouldn’t you? Your dad is right here. I came back from the dead just to see you, Riwes.”
“…”
“For such a long time, all I wanted was to see you.”
“So…” After a brief silence, Riwes was the first to let out a few words, like a sigh.
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