Episode 3
The old man leads me through the dimly lit mansion. It seems it’s night now. It’s quiet and a bit eerie with no one around, but more than that, I can’t help but notice the wasteful extravagance and the sheer size of the place.
I wonder how much those stone statues and vases placed here and there are worth. And just how did they get such a long, fluffy carpet like this in the hallway…?
Anyway, it seems the Waslein Family lives a pretty wealthy life. That’s good news. They should have enough余裕 to support one freeloader.
As I’m daydreaming about my future NEET life, we arrive at what seems to be my father’s study.
The bookshelves installed on both walls are packed with all sorts of books and pamphlets.
And in front of me is a heavy, expensive-looking desk and chair. Sitting there, glaring at me with sharp eyes, is probably the Family Head (patriarch), my father.
He’s a dignified, handsome middle-aged man with his blond hair neatly parted, probably in his forties and in the prime of his career. So this is Geld’s father.
What should I call him… Father seems appropriate. I doubt we’re on a first-name basis like “Hey, Dad.”
Furthermore, Maid number one and two from earlier, Shino and the girl whose name I don’t know, are quietly standing in the corner of the room.
“You’ve come, Geld. Do you have anything to say for yourself?”
“Huh? …Ah, it seems I’ve lost my memory. I apologize for the trouble.”
I don’t know what to say even if you suddenly ask me to explain myself. For now, I’m sure I’ll be a huge pain in the ass because of my memory loss in the future, so I’ll express my apologies in advance.
I tried to be a little respectful with that in mind, but Father’s face became even sterner. It seems I failed.
“What’s with that attitude… No, the memory. Have you really lost your memory?”
“Yes, well. Unfortunately, I don’t remember anything. By the way, you are my father, correct?”
“Guh… Really…? And what’s with that polite but insolent way of speaking…!”
“Ah, sorry. I didn’t know how to interact with a father I don’t know.”
I thought he must have been an arrogant person, so I was taking a somewhat condescending attitude towards my father, but my Geld profiling seems to have failed. I should just be respectful to my father.
“Haa… For the next Family Head (patriarch) of the Waslein Family to forcibly try to lay his hands on a Maid (she/her), only to be countered and knocked unconscious… What a disgrace…”
Father is lamenting with his hand covering his face. He looks like a pitiful father being tossed around by his idiot son.
Hmm, I thought he seemed strict, but maybe he’s actually a softie. He might reluctantly indulge some of my unreasonable demands while sighing.
“Hey, I’m talking about you. What are you spacing out for… Oh, right, you don’t remember that either…”
“Ah, was that about me? Um, my condolences…?”
“Y-you…!”
Ah, damn it. Father’s face is turning red with anger.
But honestly… I woke up like this, so even if I’m scolded for Geld’s past misdeeds, it doesn’t really click, or rather, it’s hard to feel involved.
“Haa… Never mind. But if you’ve lost your memory, then the planned schooling is off the table, right? We can consider that after your memory returns.”
“Schooling, huh? Yes, well, I might end up causing some trouble with my memory loss, so I’m thinking of recuperating here for the time being.”
So this world has schooling. Geld is probably around that age.
And from Father’s attitude, I sense a forcefulness that suggests he was originally against schooling. He might have been worried about letting his mischievous son out.
“It seems like you’d cause more trouble if your memory returned… Well, whatever. Then there’s the matter of… Shino. Michael, what do you think?”
“Yes. Although there are extenuating circumstances in this case, her actions against the Family Head (patriarch) are inexcusable…”
I was wondering who Michael was, but the old man standing behind me stepped forward. So that’s his name, huh.
“But you know… It was a spur-of-the-moment thing, and I can understand the urge to hit him.”
“Even so, to the point of losing his memory… At least she could have pushed him away or something…”
Hmm? Is Grandpa Michael planning to impose a strict punishment, or is he just putting on a show?
On the other hand, Father is sympathetic to Shino. But I wonder about understanding the urge to hit him. It feels like he’s speaking from experience.
While they’re talking about this and that, Shino, the person in question, is once again turning pale in the corner of the room. Her fate is about to be decided right in front of her. She must be on edge.
Shino’s height is about the same as the Maid (she/her) number two standing next to her, neither tall nor short. But from the slenderness visible even under the Maid (she/her) uniform, you could say she has a slender figure overall.
Her slightly dull gray… ash-gray hair is tied up in a chignon, and her features are on the cool side, giving her the impression of a capable Maid (she/her).
But she still retains some childishness, enough to tell that she’s about the same age as Geld. She’s in her late teens.
“Surely banishment from the territory is… Just for hitting him once…”
“But what other punishment is there…? And one wrong move could have even endangered his life…”
Maid (she/her) number two standing next to Shino should be pretty beautiful, but Shino is so overwhelmingly gorgeous that she fades into the background. She’s incredibly cute.
And now these old men are having an unsettling discussion about banishing such a beautiful girl. This is outrageous.
But I can’t actively defend her. It wouldn’t be appropriate given my position, and even though I’ve lost my memory, I did just sexually assault her. It would be taken the wrong way.
Is there some good pretext that would make them reconsider banishing her…?
“Geld, what do you think?”
“Huh? M-me?”
I wasn’t expecting to be asked at all, so I replied without thinking. Now that I think about it, is “boku” the right pronoun for me?
“You’re the one who was directly harmed… no, the perpetrator… well, anyway, what’s your opinion?”
“Even if you ask for my opinion, I don’t remember being hit, so I don’t have any particular thoughts.”
“Hmm, I see.”
Ugh, damn it, I’m going to waste my chance to speak like this. I need to say something good right now to somehow prevent that super beautiful girl from being banished from the mansion…!
“Um, well… That’s right. From the perspective of the persona that emerged after being hit and losing my memory, I was born because… Shino hit me, so… she’s my mother, yes, she’s like a mother to me. So I would like to ask for a lenient punishment…”
“………What are you talking about?”
“N-no. It’s an analogy. It’s just an analogy. But since she’s the first person I saw after being born, I feel like I might follow her if she’s banished, that’s what I’m thinking.”
I feel like I said something pretty outrageous because it was spur of the moment… How is it? Does it make sense…? No, it doesn’t. This is no good.
Father is holding his head and groaning. Of course he is. But what’s done is done. What will be, will be.
“Ah… Geld. Even if we don’t punish Shino… Given the circumstances, we won’t let Shino get close to you in the future… Do you understand that?”
“Of course. I don’t remember doing anything, but I understand that even my appearance would be a burden to her.”
“Then that’s good. Shino will be relieved of her duties as Geld’s attendant, even though she won’t be punished. Is that okay with you, Geld?”
“Ah, she was my attendant… Yes, I understand.”
What have you done, Geld? If I had just stayed quiet, I could have been taken care of by Shino… No, if I hadn’t laid a hand on her, I wouldn’t have taken over his body. Good job, Geld.
“Then that’s all for today. It’s late. Everyone should go back to their rooms and rest. Geld, you should recuperate for a while. And get your memory back soon… No, well. You should take it easy for a while.”
“Ah, yes…”
To be told by my own father that it’s okay if I don’t get my memory back, what did I do to make him say that?
Well, anyway, let’s be happy that thanks to this unnecessarily tiring discussion, I’ve gained the right to laze around indefinitely. And let’s celebrate the best possible outcome of preventing Shino’s banishment.
All that’s left is to go back to my room and get a good night’s sleep, and then think about the future tomorrow–
“Wait, the bed is covered in blood! S-Shino! Shino-!”