My father and Kris returned from the imperial capital today. My father seemed like his usual self, while Kris looked completely worn out.
“I gave it everything during that visit, Sir Reid...” Kris muttered quietly.
Though her voice was soft, I could tell from the look on her face that she was overflowing with confidence. Perhaps reporting back to me had put her mind at ease, because she immediately passed out after that. Everyone panicked at first, but we were eventually able to put her in a guest room and have a doctor come look at her. According to the doctor, she’d likely passed out from exhaustion and should be better after some rest.
“Her Majesty took quite a liking to her, so they were discussing business for a long time,” my father explained. “I’m sure my presence also kept her from relaxing while we were on the road. She should rest in our guest room for a while.”
After hearing the doctor’s diagnosis, my father let the maids know they should treat Kris as a guest. He also instructed Garren to contact the Kristie Trading Company and let them know the situation.
“I have something to discuss with you as well, Reid,” my father said. “After this, I want you to come to my office.”
“Understood. May I accompany you to your office now?”
“Sure. Let’s go.”
We exited the guest room, and Mer was waiting for us in the hallway.
“Welcome home, father!!!” Mer greeted him, bowing her head.
“Mm,” he simply responded. The look on his face hadn’t changed, but his ears had flushed bright red.
“Is the elf lady okay?” Mer asked.
“Yeah, she was just tired,” I reassured her. “She’s sound asleep in bed right now.”
“Oh. I wanted to talk to the elf lady.” Mer seemed disappointed that Kris was asleep.
“I’ll introduce you to her sometime,” I said.
“Really? Thank you, brother!!!”
My father cleared his throat and interrupted, saying, “We’re going now.”
He’d returned to his regular demeanor. Actually, no—he seemed like he was perhaps glaring at me slightly.
“Yes, father,” I responded. I turned to Mer and said, “I’ll see you later.”
My father and I finally made it to his office. It was furnished with a desk, which he used to handle paperwork, as well as couches and a table for receiving guests.
“Sit here for today,” he said, urging me to sit on a couch. He sat on the couch opposite me so that we were facing each other with a table between us.
“This trip to the capital was quite exhausting,” he shared.
“Thank you for all of your hard work, father.”
“Mm,” he responded affirmatively. “So, did you read my letter?”
“Yes. You mentioned that you had something important to discuss with me.”
He leaned back as he stared at me with an emotionless look.
Is he trying to study my expressions or something?
Just as I was about to say something, there was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” my father ordered.
Garren entered with some tea. “I’ve brought some tea, sir,” he announced.
Garren placed the tea in front of us, and steam wafted up from the teacups. He was completely silent as he served the tea, and he appeared to be observing me as well.
What’s going on?
Once tea was served, Garren turned around to leave, but my father stopped him.
“There’s something I’d like your opinion on, Garren. I’d like you to be here for what I’m about to discuss. Also, I’d like you to instruct the rest of the staff to stay away from my office for a while.”
“Very well, sir. I will let everyone know right away. I will return shortly.”
Garren left to carry out his instructions, leaving me alone with my father once more. The atmosphere in the room grew heavy.
“Reid,” my father said.
“Y-Yes?”
“Why has your personality changed so significantly?”
“Huh? I’m...not sure what you’re referring to, father.”
“Earlier, I was being quite menacing toward you. In fact, I haven’t stopped. Yet you seem completely unbothered as you continue to meet my gaze. That isn’t how most young children behave. There’s also the matter of the products we gifted to Their Majesties. Nowhere in this house is there a book that covers such knowledge. Can you explain these abnormalities?”
We’d never discussed such matters before. I hadn’t expected my father to point these things out. I desperately racked my brain for a response that would get me out of this situation.
After much thinking, I ultimately decided to give up. Coming up with a half-baked excuse for a man as stalwart as my father would only hurt me. It was possible that he might limit my ability to act freely.
I should just be honest.
As soon as I’d made up my mind, there was a knock on the door. Garren had returned.
“I’ve spread the word to the entire staff, Sir Reiner,” he reported.
“Understood.” My father turned back to me. “Go on, Reid. Continue.”
Garren was standing by the door with an emotionless look. I took a deep breath and decided to tell my father everything.
“I am prepared to share everything, as preposterous as some of it may sound. However, I would like to ask that Garren step out for this.”
“Why?”
“I am willing to tell you the truth, father. As for Garren, I would like to ask that you first hear my story, then decide whether to tell him. If that isn’t possible, then I won’t be able to speak on this matter.”
My current self was a mixture of my memories from my previous life and Reid’s experiences. There was no way he was going to believe I had memories from another life that could completely change this world. This ridiculous story was something I felt that I should share with him privately.
“Understood.” My father turned to the butler. “I’m sorry, Garren, but I’m going to ask that you step out. I’ll call for you when we’re ready.”
“Very well, sir,” Garren replied before bowing and leaving the room.
“Now that we have our privacy, I want you to talk,” my father said. “Tell me your secret.”
He picked up his teacup and took a sip, his eyes locked on me as he waited for me to speak. I carefully chose my words as I began to share my experiences with my father.
The day that I collapsed in the garden, I woke up in bed to find that I was harboring memories of what was likely a previous life that I’d lived in another world. Those memories mixed with my existing ones, which gave birth to a new Reid.
The previous life had had more experience and a fully formed personality, which made it the basis of the new Reid’s personality. However, it would be wrong to say that the original Reid’s memories and emotions weren’t carried over. There was guilt about Reid’s treatment of his younger sister, Meredy, as well as the way he’d treated the household staff. The strongest of them all were memories of days spent cursing how powerless he was to help his mother, who was just crawling closer toward death every day.
I told my father about how such memories gave me a strong urge to protect my mother and Mer, no matter the cost. I also told him about how Reid always respected his father. Looking back on the original Reid’s memories, there was a strong desire to be like Reiner and a vow to become like him. I explained that those strong feelings had led Reid to feel despair over how powerless he was, which had caused him to lash out and act in a self-destructive manner.
My father listened quietly as I spoke. After a long moment of silence, he finally replied.
“I’m sorry...”
My usually stern father was apologetically bowing his head to me. Seeing him like that was perplexing.
“Father...please raise your head!”
My father kept his head down as he spoke. “Nanalie’s illness made her bedridden, and I saw how that was affecting you. Despite that, I told myself that you were just of a violent disposition. I never knew that you felt such despair. No, I should say that I never tried to know what was going on. I should have confronted you about your feelings. I’ve failed as a father.”
“Father...”