Chapter 17 - Volume 2 (2/2)

Although we quickly opened the window, there was no wind so it didn’t offer much ventilation; at the side of the window with Shade, our two sitting forms settled down.

「That guy – do you think he’ll go as far as to come here?」

「…most likely. The other party has the territorial advantage. And our whereabouts will probably be exposed. Even with the barricade, since it’s only made on the spot, I think something like that wouldn’t hold him off. For the time being, once he breaks through the barricade, let’s just throw any of the stuff here at him」

Indeed, since this place is used as the usual storage room, there are a lot of items placed here.

For example, apart from Uncle preparing a ladder in order to climb up, it will probably buy us some time while causing hindrances.

「What on earth happened for it to turn out like this?」

Once the front of his face came into view again, Shade’s complexion seemed even more terrible. I just realized it now, but under the illumination of the moonlight, his pale skin had a small injury that appeared to be a scratch. It was a different injury than what I had caused during the day.

Although my wariness towards Shade hadn’t disappeared, all the same, in this situation his overall acting probably deserved praise now.

「After I was handed over to that man from your hands, I was imprisoned in my room alone. But, once night fell, that guy came to my room. He said he wanted to properly talk with me」

“At long last” probably, and it seems like I wasn’t the only one who had that thought.

「I thought why was it only now, you know. I had already had my feigned friendliness almost peeled off anyway, so since I considered it was finally the right opportunity, I spat out the resentments I’d been bottling up」

「Such as?」

「You’ve been spoken ill of for your incompetency. You’re simply not someone I can respect as a father. Do you truly believe that I’m your son? If I inherited your blood then I should be more of a moron…. of course, in truth, the words I said were even more vulgar than that though」

「Eh? You… were you not related to Uncle by blood?」

「No. While it’s unfortunate, I probably am that man’s son」

In other words, his depression piled up to the extent that if he didn’t say “you’re not my father”, he wouldn’t be able to calm down. Somehow I understood.

「And then… he said『hand over your eyes』?」

「Yeah. He said “hand over your eyes, then leave this house”. That was the first time I heard that guy’s angry voice straight up」

An unpleasant sweat ran down my spine. The sweat might probably be partly because it was getting colder, but it felt like nothing could be done about the unpleasant coldness.

Then in that timing, the door connected to the corridor made a clattering sound.

Ga-tan, ga-tan, a dreadful sound continued to reverberate.

「Lycoris. You’re in there, aren’t you? Come out. I’m not angry with you. You’ve done nothing bad, right?」

Of course, I absolutely didn’t come out and just remained silent.

I desperately removed my presence and even went as far as to shorten my breathing. Nevertheless, the barricade was not as strong as my determination.

Ga-tan. Ga-tan. Ga-tan. Ga-tan.

Just a little bit each time, it carried along the door, after the gap of the door and the barricade was approximately ten centimeters from opening up, it became insubstantial.

Uncle placed his foot into the attic room.

At the moment, Uncle was searching around the attic leaving a huge shadow of a luggage while calling out in a soft, coaxing voice.

「Shade, if you’ve reflected, come out right now and I’ll forgive you. Then, you and Lycoris can be married and make children. Children having red eyes. No doubt they’ll be born possessing magnificent abilities. Grandmother, the one who’ll grant your dearest wish, is not your precious Kaffir! It’s the one you looked down on, the one you shunned – ME!」

His voice had become louder in his excitement, after that, it suddenly became silent.

「Aah, I see. Didn’t I tell you it’s dangerous for children to climb up to such a place」

In the past, I wonder whether Uncle said such a thing.

Rather, in more detail, matters like that were things that left Aunt’s mouth, Uncle should’ve been completely uninterested with how much we played around or anything of the like.

That’s right. Since long ago, Uncle, didn’t have any interest in us.Be it Crinum, or Aunt, they were never a target of Uncle’s interest.Even Shade, his existence was not what pulled Uncle’s interest in the truest sense.

From above, we were supposed to throw things at Uncle or something and gloat about it, but I wasn’t able to move from the side of the window. Just like me, no – even more than me, curling up his frightened body was Shade. No matter how arrogant an aspect of him was, he was still a younger kid than me.

The two of us, possessing no courage to peek from the gaping wide open square hole to the room below out of the reaches of the moonlight, merely nestled close to each other quivering. If I peered below, “wouldn’t a monster having a completely different appearance from Uncle be there?”, was what I truly thought.

Whatever was happening down below, it was making a clattering sound.

I was increasingly petrified. Even without preparing a ladder, if it was an adult, they’d be able to come here by climbing up if there was a slightly tall stool, was what dawned on me.

A long time ago, when the young Crinum and I took refuge here, I realized now that the reason we were left alone was because of Aunt and Uncle’s compassion.

I shut my eyes tightly and continued to block my ears, huddling up my body in order to cover Shade. Most likely, with a squeezed out voice, I called out for someone to save us.

Gan. Ba-tan. A loud thud sounded from below.It was a sound that reached even my blocked ears.Then a voice.

「Don’t treat the children as your toys! Especially not my daughter!!」

With my father’s strong words, tears spilled over from my eyes.

(1) At first, I considered using “top priority”, but the meaning I understood is that, as long as Shade escapes, Lycoris and Wolf won’t be harmed. So she wants to let Shade escape, before she gets Wolf involved to settle the matter. It kinda sounded like she wanted to involve Wolf in the mess, which I don’t think so…