𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐟’𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞
My dad is quite a peculiar man.
He’s competent at work, but everything else about him is bafflingly strange. Whenever he does something outrageous and I ask him why, he’s simply an enigma. I was the result of an affair he had.
My dad got married for political reasons and my mom became pregnant soon after. She believed him when he said that he wasn’t married and had no girlfriend.
He even said, “I’m using contraception on my end. Since I have a certain social status, it would be troublesome if a child were to be conceived outside. Using contraception on your end might nullify the effects of my contraception.” But he wasn’t using contraception at all.
When my mom realized she was pregnant and confronted my dad, she was immediately taken to the Ouldra Count household. My dad boldly introduced her to his legal wife. Both women were dumbfounded; I still hear that story to this day.
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“. . .You said Oku-sama wasn’t here, right?”
“Yeah, she wasn’t here at the time. She is now.”
“You said you had no girlfriend.”
“I only had a fiancée at the time, and a fiancée isn’t a girlfriend.”
“You said you were using contraception.”
“I was, at first. When you asked me, it was during a period when I was properly using contraception.”
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I really wish I could’ve seen my mom’s slap critically hit, making my dad slump to the floor. My stepmom, livid, questioned him as if he was sub-zero trash.
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“. . .You. I’d like to know why you had an affair. Do you love this commoner that much?”
“I don’t love her. But I had to test whether or not I could have children, right?”
“Excuse me?”
“I wanted to see if I was fertile. If I wasn’t, I’d divorce you early on to give you more options. Also, I’ve heard that younger siblings are more talented. Having an older sibling to learn from would be good for your child. The heir will be your child, after all.”
“. . .So what about this woman’s child? Did you toy with her?”
“I gave her what she wanted—a stable life without fear for tomorrow, my love, and onions. She did say she wanted to eat onions every day. I also want to embrace the person I love, so I was properly in love.”
“Oni. . .onions? You’re playing word games, saying you don’t love her but you’re in love?”
“Oku-sama, I know an apology won’t suffice, but I truly am sorry! Even if I didn’t know the truth, to have done this with a man who is with Oku-sama is. . .How can I even apologize. . .No, apologizing is even presumptuous. . .”
“It’s not your fault. You’re not to blame. . .”
“Good, a happy ending then.”
“You, be quiet!”
“Shut up, onion man! Sure, I like onions, but stop bringing them as gifts!”
“The head of the Ouldra Count household bringing onions as gifts? Really, what can I say. . .Come here, let’s have a proper woman-to-woman talk. Stress isn’t good for the baby.”
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From then on, my stepmom and mom became close friends over time.
Two years after I was born, the much-anticipated legitimate son was born—my younger brother. Despite occasional quarrels, I believe we grew up quite close. The problem arose when I was seven.
That was when I was told the truth. It was confusing, and my young mind couldn’t comprehend much of it, but I understood that my dad was off in some way. I went through a mini-rebellious phase and switched from calling him dad to just Onion Man, at least inside the house. No one minded. Whether I called him Dad or Onion Man, his unflappable responses left me as baffled as ever.
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“Rolf, you’re not the heir, so you have to find your own path. You’re good at making connections and getting into people’s good graces. While you may not excel at anything in particular, you’re a jack of all trades. You’re also good at reading people, unlike me.”
“Don’t make jokes that I can’t understand.”
“I thought it would be a big laugh.”
“It’s not funny at all, so stop it.”
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I may not understand my dad’s thinking, but he doesn’t lie. So, the virtues he mentioned about me must be his genuine thoughts.
According to my top-tier dad’s judgment in business, I was selected to go to parties to network. The one who was flustered by this was my stepmom.
Sure, it’s odd that I’d be introduced publicly before the heir, my brother. The heir of the Ouldra family is supposed to have red hair, and people might get the wrong idea if the patriarch shows up with me. My dad has consistently said my brother is the heir, but nobody knows the future. Both my moms vehemently protested, but they were overruled by my dad.
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“Don’t ruin Rolf’s future. He shouldn’t stay in the Ouldra Count family. If he stays, despite what everyone says, there’ll be a succession feud. It’s better for Rolf to go out and build connections for the Ouldra Count family. He doesn’t seem to be the type to serve someone loyally and gain trust. So he should expand his network now. He’ll likely grow into a man who’s good at buffering in any situation.”
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The shock of being called a ‘buffer’ was indescribable. Even my stepmom was momentarily stunned and stared at my dad.
Gradually, the family atmosphere started to become tense. My brother genuinely admires me, and I cherish him. But to my stepmom, I was the red-haired man introduced before her own son. My brother’s beautiful blonde hair is nice, but in the Ouldra Count family, red hair has always been most important.
The growing distance between my stepmom, who once adored me, and myself was sad. But I’m not in a position to say anything. The rift that my existence created between the two moms was regrettable and heartbreaking.
The good thing about being dragged around was that I met Edgardo. Despite the age difference, Edgardo and I got along surprisingly well. Knowing Edgardo’s situation, I felt powerless but wished to be of help someday.
Being close with Edgardo meant that I hardly ever saw or talked to my stepmom. I’m not oblivious to how people view me being with the heir of the Marquis Valka family, but I wanted to be with Edgardo.
When the grown-up Edgardo was invited to join the newly formed Fourth Knight Order, I decided to leave home, as I received a similar invitation. I don’t want my presence to further chill the atmosphere at home. My brother will miss me, but we both know this is for the best.
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“I’m leaving home. Just as my damn dad wishes, I’ll become a buffer or whatever else out there. If that contributes to the Ouldra family, so be it. The heir is my brother, not me. I never wanted that position! I want the home where everyone used to laugh and drink afternoon tea to come back. . .”
“I wasn’t invited for tea, you know?”
“Dad didn’t invite me either!”
“You, keep quiet!”
“Shut up, onion man! Always bringing only onions!”
“Dad, maybe be quiet for a bit.”
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It was a long time since everyone laughed together. My dad looked dissatisfied, but it’s not like he would invite me for tea.
My mom was saddened, and my stepmom, despite her mixed feelings, lamented our farewell. She is a deeply emotional and intelligent person. I hope she, who has been most affected by my dad, finds some peace.
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And so, Alice arrived at the Fourth Knight Order, where I had come with Edgardo. I didn’t have any particular feelings toward her at first, other than being relieved that I wouldn’t have to go out to eat, and a slight fear of what kind of food a noble lady might make. Fortunately, since she’s not a high-ranking noble, there’s no obligation to eat what she prepares.
However, Alice pleasantly defied expectations. The dishes she makes lean more toward commoner fare, but their rich flavors are a joy to a body that’s been sweating. Her fried foods, in particular, go well with both bread and alcohol.
Initially, seeing that Alice wasn’t comfortable around the opposite gender, I thought it was good that Edgardo wouldn’t get distracted. But before I knew it, the two of them had become close. It all began when Edgardo suddenly said he had plans on his day off.
At that time, I accepted that such days could happen. But when it continued, I became suspicious and secretly followed him to find that he was eating cake with Alice. It was a shock, as if I had been hit hard on the head.
I knew that Edgardo had a fondness for sweets. I had offered them to him several times since he joined the order, but he always firmly declined. Perhaps the scolding he got as a child for secretly eating sweets I gave him left a lasting impression. Edgardo insisted that he ate them on his own accord, thereby protecting me, or so I heard later through rumors.
Even now, that’s the case. It’s not that he fears scolding; he’s doing it to protect my reputation, so that the wrath of House Marquis Valka doesn’t fall upon me. I don’t know what made Edgardo decide to eat a heap of cakes with Alice. Not knowing bothered me, so I decided to just watch for a while.
I had hoped that Alice would turn out to be disagreeable, but that was not the case. Even as I tried to dig deeper into her character, she wasn’t the villainess I had hoped for.
It was unsettling when I realized that I had started to see Alice, whom I had been scrutinizing with a different purpose, in a new light. Why did this happen when I was aware of Edgardo’s feelings?
I searched desperately for a trigger but found nothing. I wished there was some kind of spark—maybe she would look cute while watching animals or say the words I wanted to hear. That way, I could wake up from this love if it turned out to be different from my imagination or reality.
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Alice was always calm and emotionally rich. When I briefly shared my background with her, she neither apologized nor comforted me, unlike people I’ve met before.
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“I see. It’s unfortunate you’re not fond of your beautiful red hair.”
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She simply expressed regret that I disliked my red hair. That was it.
Alice always responds casually and doesn’t delve deep into my affairs, which feels comfortable. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, Alice continues to accumulate in my heart.
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“If you ever find it too hard, Rolf-sama, please come to me for shelter.”
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Alice will likely never know just how much her words, which she may forget someday, meant to me.
Even today, she willingly listened to my complaints and made room for Edgardo and me to talk when he arrived. I said I was also interested in Alice, for Edgardo’s sake. It was supposed to be a phrase to make Edgardo feel at ease. Although I still genuinely want to support Edgardo’s first love, I had a feeling I wouldn’t easily escape this emotion.
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