THDK Chapter 36

Reunion with the Past (Part 4)

“This seems to be the entrance.”

“There are signs of people coming and going here.”

Oreole pointed it out, and I carefully observed the entrance. The lattice gate was slightly ajar, and there were what appeared to be footprints on the ground. I stepped inside and began exploring the garden, looking around as I walked.

“I think it was around here…”

“What are you looking for?”

“My brother’s grave. When he passed away, he was buried in the estate’s garden.”

Even after my brother’s death, my parents didn’t want to let him go. Normally, he would have been buried in the family cemetery, but due to their strong insistence, he was buried on the estate grounds.

“Ah, there it is!”

“The area around the grave is oddly well-kept.”

“You’re right.”

Though slightly moss-covered, the area around my brother’s grave was adorned with blooming flowers and clearly well-maintained.

I approached the grave, clasped my hands, and bowed in greeting. My eyes grew slightly moist—perhaps from nostalgia.

“It’s been a while, Brother. It’s Sol. Do you remember me?”

“Little Sol…?”

As I spoke to the grave, I was startled to hear a response. Graves don’t talk, so I turned my head. There stood an elderly man holding flowers, his face filled with shock. He looked vaguely familiar.

“Is that really Little Sol!?”

“…Could it be… Gil?”

“Yes! It’s me, Gilbert, the head servant of the Kelly Viscount’s estate.”

Gil had been the head servant of the Kelly Viscount’s estate. He had tried to help me when my parents mistreated me, speaking up on my behalf and leaving me leftovers from meals. He looked much older now—time had taken its toll. His once-familiar brown hair had turned gray.

“So, it was you who’s been keeping Brother’s grave clean.”

When I asked Gil, who was placing a bouquet in front of the grave, he nodded in confirmation.

“…What happened to the viscount’s estate?”

“After you disappeared, the master and mistress lived here alone for a while. With no heir, they considered finding a successor, but the following year, the master fell ill… The mistress was a spendthrift, and without him, she couldn’t sustain the estate. She fled in the night, and her whereabouts are unknown. After that, the estate gradually fell into ruin, ending up like this. I thought the least I could do was take care of Ruin’s grave, so I come here occasionally to tend to it.”

I wasn’t surprised that my parents had reported me as missing. But I was stunned to learn that the estate had fallen into such disrepair.

“So, the viscount’s family is…”

“…You are the only surviving member. I’m so glad you’re alive…”

I watched as Gil, tears streaming down his face, gripped my hand tightly. My feelings were complicated. I didn’t feel sad or happy about my parents’ disappearance. My relationship with them had never been what you’d call familial.

“Thank you for looking after the grave.”

That was all I could think to say. I smiled, and Gil nodded deeply. As he cried, lamenting that he couldn’t save me, I reassured him and gently patted his back.