Since Cairn had acted without any hesitation, that only meant that he didnât believe Violet at all.
Roen had already been informed by an attendant of what went on in the townhouse while he was gone. He held back a sigh that was about to slip through his lips.
It wasnât for no reason that Cairn wasnât aiming for the position of the dukeâs heir.
âFine. Iâm sure things have already been explained to you, but I have a feeling you need an additional explanation.â
âAh, sure, yeah. I do need an explanation. Father only gave me a pile of documents that were too difficult to read, and while Sister is the person directly involved, she explained it like dogshit.â
âLanguage.â
âThereâs no one else besides us anyway?â
Cairn, the source of Roenâs stress at this moment, laughed out loud. Roen had a hunch that Cairn would never be accepted by Violet.
* * *
Since then, as Roen explained things thoroughly, Cairnâs simmering anger slowly grew and grew.
Roenâs explanation was strongly self-reflective. He spoke calmly, but his eyes were filled with shame.
âYou did that, yet youâre still the older brother here? Hah. Seriously, this familyâŚâ
âAccording to the report, you drew your sword and pointed it at Violet on several occasions. You even shoved her⌠You donât have the right to say anything.â
âThatâs because she hit Aileen first!â
ââŚâŚâ
Cairnâs excuse once again made Roen narrow his eyes. Still, Cairn wasnât blind to his own wrongdoings. He sat down calmly.
Then, as Roenâs explanation was complete, Cairn ground his teeth audibly.
âFor the empireâs Everett Duchy to have been played in the hands of that damn head maid, seriouslyâŚâ
âItâs difficult to say that itâs surprising. The signs were all there. Anyway, Cairn, if you really want to apologize, youâd better straighten up your attitude.â
âHah. Even if youâre not cursing me out, just shut it! So, did you slash open that head maidâs throat?â
âLanguage.â
In any case, Roen had already dealt with the head maid. He sneered.
The brothers chatted all night.
* * *
âDidnât I tell you to piss off?â
âFather gave me permission to be here though, so what say do you have about it, Sister?â
ââŚâŚâ
The morning after their fateful meal yesterday was filled to the brim with tension. Having no choice but to take upon the guilty conscience of a sinner, Roen killed his presence as much as possible.
âHa. No, wait, thatâs not what I wanted to say.â
ââŚâŚâ
âBut yeah, Iâm sorry! My words are completely sincere, so what gives! Brotherâs also bending over backwards to get your forgiveness, so why canât I do it too?â
ââŚâŚâ
As her younger brother continued to spout nonsense, Violet remained silent. Cairn scratched his head a few times and picked up the gauntlet in front of him to moisten his throat.
ââŚIâve realized that I was wrong. I mean, um⌠At least give me a chance. Isnât it too much to say that I can never appear in front of you again?â
Clatter. As Violet had only been eating quietly while ignoring Cairnâs pleas, she set down her fork. Hearing the stark sound, Roen flinched.
âCairn.â
ââŚY-Yeah?â
âDidnât you say the same thing before? âDonât ever show yourself in front of me again. Not in front of Aileen either. Unless youâre a brainless schmuck, youâll understand, wonât you?â Thatâs what you told me.â
âDid I?â
âLet me give you another example then. The first time you pulled out a sword and pointed it at my neck, it was because I poured cold water at Aileen and left her outside for two hours in the middle of winter.â
âYeah, I guess so.â
âItâs not as if Iâm making excuses for my actions, but yes, I had slapped Aileen across the face because she was breaching proper etiquette, but you pulled out your sword and pointed it at me once again. I clearly said that it was Aileen who crossed me first, but you were utterly unyielding.â
ââŚâŚâ
Cairn fell silent.
Wearing a thin smile, Roen scooted away from Cairn as far as he could. On the other hand, the employees carried on with their duties, expressionless as always.
âTell me, what did you say each and every time?â
âUm, IâŚâ
As Violetâs interrogation continued, Cairnâs voice became smaller and smaller.
ââI donât want to look at your face. At the very least, let me be comfortable, will you?ââ
ââŚIâm sorry.â
âFor what?â
ââŚâŚâ
âYou keep apologizing, but you donât seem to have a clue as to why youâre spouting such a thing. You donât even know what youâre sorry about.â
ââŚâŚâ
âLet me ask you again. What exactly are you apologizing to me about?â
ââŚâŚâ
âEven if you come to realize what your wrongdoings are, will the past change?â
As Violet asked, Cairn could not answer.
âSure, like you said, I can at least give you a chance. But if I donât, people will look at me and deem me to be âa villainess who canât even accept someoneâs sincere apologiesâ.â
âSister, Iââ
âDo as you please. You wonât listen to whatever I have to say anyway.â
Violet rose from her seat. Despite having dropped truth bombs one after another, she left without regard to those who remained, and she walked out of the dining hall with only Mary.