Side story 6 - Having met you + (1/2)

~Keith Claes~

“It would have been better if you’d never been born.”

“It’s annoying to have to take care of that nuisance.”

“Get away from me! Monster!”

Why, why, why does everyone hate me? Why doesn’t anyone want me around them? I don’t like being by myself. It’s lonely. Please, someone, anyone is fine, be by my side.

When I woke up, I saw a ceiling that I had gotten used to in the last few months. That’s right, this is Duke Claes’s house, and I’ve become his adopted son. I let go of my breath.

Ever since I was born, I’ve always been treated as a nuisance and someone to be hated. But, ever since coming to the Claes family, I’ve been treated so nicely. We ate hot meals together as a family, and they had gentle hands that cared about me. Up until now, all the things that I had always wished for but never gotten were finally in my hands.

Even so, from time to time, I would still dream of the old days. The people that denied and despised me. Even though it’s things from long ago…… My chest still hurt.

Today, I’m supposed to attend a tea party together with my stepsister Katarina. With some pain still remaining in my chest, I began preparing.

“Keith, thanks for coming along with me today.”

In the horse-drawn carriage on our way to the tea party, the always bright Katarina was grinning as she said so to me. At seeing Katarina’s smiling face, the pain in my chest lightened a little.

“I’d feel a bit lonely if I was alone, since I’m not that good at remembering people’s faces. It’s such a great help since Keith’s coming along.”

As she said so, Katarina’s light blue eyes were looking at me directly.

“Keith. Thank you for coming to the Claes family. I’m so happy to have become siblings with you.”

At her words, I thought I was involuntarily going to cry. A warm feeling completely replaced the painful feeling in my chest left from the dream earlier.

Katarina Claes is really such a mysterious girl. When I wanted it the most, she gave me the words I wanted to hear.

“……Me too, coming to the Claes family, and having met nee-san, I’m really happy.”

When I said so, Katarina gave me a gentle smile again. I’m really glad to have met this person, is what I thought from the bottom of my heart.

~Mary Hunt~

After meeting Katarina, I decided to become a splendid lady in order to stand next to her, and several months have passed since I first started working hard. There was so much I had to do in matters such as academics, dance, and etiquette.

But originally, I didn’t have any special talents or anything, and since my tempo was slower than others, I couldn’t do anything smoothly. That’s why, I had to put in double the effort of others, and worked as hard as I could.