Chapter 9: Is this the truth?

After Ghyna finished explaining, we left the room.

Ghyna locked the door again, and at the same time, another door opened. In front of us, a woman stepped out of her room. Seeing her reminded me of the photo I saw inside earlier. The woman looked like Ascella’s mother in that picture. No, she really was Ascella’s mother. But something about her felt different from what I had imagined.

Ascella’s mother walked toward us. Her height was almost the same as my mother’s, and when I looked closely, her face resembled Ascella’s. She finally stopped in front of us. I looked at her, but our eyes did not meet.

“Good morning, Madam Riana,” said Ghyna. Out of nervousness, I followed her, “Good morning.”

“Morning, Ghyna,” replied Ascella’s mother.

“It’s almost noon. There are many things you need to do.”

“I’m sorry, Madam. I just wanted to show the young master around the house,” replied Ghyna.

“In that case, finish it quickly. By the way, where is Ascella?” asked Ascella’s mother.

“I believe Miss Ascella is cleaning herself right now,” answered Ghyna.

From behind me and Ghyna, the sound of hurried footsteps approached.

“Are you looking for me, Mother?” asked Ascella.

“You just finished bathing, didn’t you?” Ascella’s mother examined her carefully, then reacted as if realizing something.

She held Ascella’s hand and touched it gently.

“Your hands are so cold, your face is pale,” said Ascella’s mother softly.

Then her hand moved to Ascella’s left chest.

“Your heartbeat is irregular.”

“Ascella, I’ll be waiting for you downstairs,” said her mother. For some reason, since the first time I saw her, Ascella’s mother always had a flat expression.

“All right,” replied Ascella. Her voice was so quiet that I could barely hear it.

Ascella’s mother walked away, but our eyes met as she passed me. Her sharp gaze made me feel uneasy. Somehow, I felt like she disliked me—and it seemed Ascella noticed that too.

As Ascella’s mother passed by me, she stopped for a moment.

“Ghyna, in five minutes you must be in the kitchen.”

Then she continued walking, leaving the three of us behind.

When Ascella’s mother was no longer visible in the corridor, Ascella finally spoke to me. She said that her mother had always been like that, but deep down, she was actually a very loving person.

Ghyna agreed with what Ascella said. I decided to just believe them.

“It’s best if you take a bath and rest soon, Sinhart. After such a long journey, you need to clean yourself,” said Ascella to me. After that, she left—probably to follow her mother who was waiting downstairs.

“In that case, I’ll escort you to the bathroom, Sinhart,” said Ghyna as she reached for my hand.

“That’s not necessary, I already know where it is,” I replied.

“Then please wait in front of the bathroom door. I’ll be right back,” said Ghyna before leaving quickly.

I didn’t see which way she went. Then I walked toward the bathroom downstairs. From what I knew, there were two bathrooms in this house, both on the same floor. I went down the stairs, took the hallway to the left, and stopped in front of the bathroom after passing several doors.

Just as Ghyna told me, I waited in front of the door while looking around. On the wall near the window that faced outside, there was a photo I didn’t notice earlier when I was with Ghyna. The picture was dim, shadowed by the curtain. When I looked closely, I recognized two faces—Uncle Grats when he was young, and Sega Sevilla. According to Ghyna, Sega Sevilla was Grandma’s brother, my great-uncle. But there was one more face in that photo, one I didn’t recognize. He looked about the same age as Uncle Grats.

Bjdkkk!?

A loud thud hit the floor near me. When I turned around, Ghyna had fallen in front of me, a few cloths scattered around her. I immediately helped her up. She looked a little dazed from the fall.

“Are you okay, Ghyna? That was a pretty loud fall,” I asked. A red mark was clearly visible on her forehead.

“I’m fine, just a little dizzy,” she replied softly.

Then she picked up the cloths that had fallen to the floor.

“These are your towel and a change of clothes, Sinhart. Please take a bath, if there’s… anything,” said Ghyna, then turned away from me. I felt like she still had something she wanted to say but didn’t.

“Are you really okay?” I asked again.

“Yes, I’m fine. I just need a little rest,” said Ghyna as she slowly walked away.

I decided to push aside my worries and entered the bathroom to clean myself.

After I finished, I stepped out. Since I didn’t see Ghyna anywhere, I decided to go back to my room upstairs. I went in and closed the door. The clothes I had worn earlier I folded neatly and placed on the bed.

That was when I noticed something—a tray with breakfast still warm placed on my desk. Beside it was a glass of water. It looked like it had just been brought here. Feeling hungry, I sat down and began to eat.

Breakfast consisted of bread, eggs, and porridge in a bowl. I enjoyed it until the tray was completely empty. Then I drank the water, feeling the coolness soothe my throat.

Tkk... tkk...

While I was drinking, I heard a knock on my door.

I stood up to open it, and when I did, I saw Ghyna standing there.

“What is it, Ghyna?” I asked.

“How was the breakfast? Did you like it?” she asked.

“It was good. I liked the warm porridge,” I replied.

“Really? I came to collect the tray, then,” said Ghyna.

I went back to the table, took the tray, and handed it to her. She accepted it and was about to leave, but suddenly stopped as if remembering something.

“Oh right, Miss Ascella said she wants to see you in the library.” After saying that, she turned to go.

But before taking a step, she stopped again.

“Oh, and your dirty clothes—you can put them in the basket under the desk.” Then she finally left.

After Ghyna was gone, I placed the dirty clothes on the bed into the basket. I wouldn’t have known it was there if Ghyna hadn’t told me. Once done, I left my room and headed toward the library.

The library—or book room—was on the upper floor. From where I stood, I walked out of the corridor and into the main hallway. In front of me was another corridor leading to bedrooms. To my left were the stairs going down, and to my right was my destination—the library.

I knocked on the library door a few times, but there was no response from inside. Since no one answered, I decided to enter.

As I stepped in, my eyes immediately searched for Ascella. I looked around. From the doorway, tall bookshelves twice my height filled the walls. I walked forward until I stood before one of the shelves. From there, the hallway split into two—right and left—both leading forward. It seemed both paths led to separate reading rooms.

If I recalled correctly, Ghyna had said there were two reading rooms here. Though she also mentioned that there used to be only one. I assumed Ascella was in one of them—either the right or the left. I hesitated, unsure which way to go.

Looking between both sides again, I noticed a book lying on the floor in the left corridor. I picked it up and glanced at the nearby shelf, but there was no empty space for it. So, I decided to go left.

When I entered the reading room, I found Ascella. She was sitting in a chair with her back to me. On the table beside her were several stacks of books. As I approached, she sensed my presence and turned toward me.

Seeing me there, I walked to an empty chair in front of her. There were two empty chairs beside her, but somehow I felt she needed some distance.

Just as I sat down—

“Who allowed you to sit there?” asked Ascella flatly, her eyes fixed on me.

I wanted to answer, but my mind was filled with too many thoughts, leaving me speechless before her.

Suddenly, Ascella let out a small laugh. She seemed satisfied.

“Just kidding. Sorry, please have a seat.”

That sudden change in her attitude made my confusion fade away. Following her words, I sat on the chair across from her. I felt a bit calmer now, then placed the book I was holding on the table.

“Why did you call me here, Sister Ascella?” I asked. When she heard that, I noticed her hand clench slightly.

Ascella took a deep breath before answering, reminding me of something important I had forgotten all this time—the reason why I was here. This was the moment I would finally learn the truth. But… somehow, no matter what that truth was, I felt like I had already accepted it. I would help in my own way.

“Aunt Fyna— I mean, your mother— told me to explain a few things to you,” said Ascella hesitantly. I just listened quietly without interrupting.

“Your mother is now on her way to the city of Miosmo with Uncle Grats. They left by train. And starting today, you’ll be living in this house,” she continued.

“Then… why did they go to Miosmo?” I asked slowly.

Ascella averted her gaze from me, as if afraid.

“T-that’s because…” she stammered, then tried to look at me again.

“Your father… h-he’s sick,” Ascella said with a faint smile.

“My father is sick? Why doesn’t he just come home? Is it that serious?” I asked.

“Actually, your father was part of a special team formed on short notice. That team was sent to explore a new dungeon with a danger level classified as Periculosu.”

“Uncle Grats once told me that a Periculosu mission means the level of danger is unknown. And according to the letter Grandma received, that special team failed their expedition. The failure caused half of the members to die, though luckily, the other half survived.”

“But… the letter also mentioned that the survivors were infected by a disease carried by dungeon monsters. That disease—”

“Was my father among those who survived?” I interrupted, hearing her unclear explanation.

“Y-yes, your father was among them.”

Ascella looked at me as I listened seriously. Then she continued where she left off.

“Because of that disease, your father is now in critical condition and being treated at a medical facility.”

“…That’s why, perhaps Uncle Grats and your mother will stay there until your father’s condition improves.”

For some reason, memories of my father flashed in my mind. But for a brief moment, I felt as though I remembered two different sets of memories. Those memories made me sad—because there was a chance I would never see my father again.

This feeling… it was too familiar. As if I had lost him before, but in a place I couldn’t remember.

“Sinhart!”

That feeling made the sadness inside me feel oddly normal. As if I had already, and always would, accept it. I hoped I could see my father again soon.

“Sinhart, are you all right?” said Ascella. Without realizing it, she was already beside me.

“I’m fine. Thank you for telling me everything,” I replied calmly.

“I know… no one wanted this to happen.”

---

I was a little surprised hearing Sinhart say that. I thought he would show some emotion. Maybe what Aunt Fyna said was true—sometimes Sinhart really did feel like a different person.

“By the way, what book are you reading, Sister Ascella?” asked Sinhart.

I felt something strange, but still decided to answer.

I took one of the books from the pile beside me and showed it to him.

“The one I’m reading is a fiction book.”

Sinhart looked interested. His expression slightly changed.

“Are there all kinds of books in this room?” asked Sinhart curiously.

“Yes, there are books about… fiction, nonfiction, biographies, encyclopedias, and many more,” I answered while pointing to the bookshelf beside me.

“Hmm… interesting, though I don’t really understand what fiction and biography mean,” replied Sinhart, picking up one of the books on the table.

“I don’t understand them either, but since I have a lot of free time, I try to read them,” I continued.

“Most of the books here were gifts from the Butleyne family. They gave them because Grandma loves reading,” I said.

“The Butleyne family… why are they so kind to us?” said Sinhart.

“I don’t know much about that, but—”

“But what?” asked Sinhart quickly, his eyes full of curiosity.

I looked down for a moment, then my voice softened.

“Grandma once said she deeply respects them, especially my late grandfather,” I answered.

“My late grandfather… what kind of person was he? There are no photos of him anywhere in this house,” Sinhart asked again.

“His photo is kept in Grandma’s room. If you’re curious, just ask her to show you.”

“But I also want to know, since I’ve never seen it myself,” I added softly.

“Did he pass away before we were born?” asked Sinhart while flipping through the pages of the book he held.

“Yes… but my brother didn’t.”

“Wait—Sister Ascella, you have a brother?” said Sinhart quickly. For a moment, he looked genuinely excited.

“Why didn’t you tell me? I want to meet him!”

I clenched my hands tightly.

What did he mean by that… why did Sinhart want to meet Brother Fiana so badly?

Starting from Grandma, Mother, Uncle Grats, Uncle Chris, Ghyna… and now Sinhart.

Why always—always, always, always…

hate… hate… hate…

This feeling… it’s so strange. I hate this feeling.

---

I was truly curious what kind of person Ascella’s brother was. I had never seen his picture, but imagining it… maybe he was the reliable older brother type. Or maybe… someone like Uncle Grats.

“Why do you care so much about someone who isn’t here right now?” Ascella’s voice sounded flat, but in my ears… it felt cold.

Her words were gentle, yet her fingers gripped the edge of the table tightly.

As if there was something behind that cold tone—not just anger, but fear of losing something.

The air around her seemed to move slightly. But what made me most uneasy was her expression. She lowered her head onto the table, yet I could see the frustration in her eyes. I had never seen her like that before—angry, but also… sad.

“I’m sorry… did I make you angry, Sister Ascella?” I asked carefully. At that moment, the strange wind around her slowly faded away.

“N-no, it’s nothing,” Ascella replied briefly. She stood without looking at me, then walked toward the door.

“Grandma has expectations for you,” she said suddenly. “To reach the same ability as my brother.”

She looked straight ahead. “Grandma will return from Miosmo tomorrow. Now get some rest. I have an appointment with Ghyna—I’ll be going out for a while.”

When the door closed, the book room fell silent.

Only the ticking of the clock remained, soft yet piercing.

I looked at the table where Ascella had rested her head.

The same ability as her brother…

I repeated those words in my mind, but they made no sense to me—only an emptiness pressing down on my chest. But seeing her like that, I knew—she was indeed angry.

I should… apologize to her later. Properly.

~

Thank you for reading :3