Proving that the lady’s words about preparing the meal with care were no lie, the table—large enough that Ban and Orma could lie down on it and still have room to spare—was packed full of food. Despite the table already being filled with dishes that looked gorgeous and gave off appetizing smells, food continued to be brought in.
‘If I’d known it would be like this, I should’ve brought Jaena along too.’
At Ban’s suggestion that he go sightseeing around Gillia on his own since having someone eye-catching around would be uncomfortable, Jaena didn’t even pretend to decline out of courtesy and readily accepted before dashing out. ……No, wait—recalling how his tail had been wagging excitedly, it was actually a bit irritating. He was probably having a grand time on his own.
But now that he’d regained his composure a little, what bothered Ban most of all was Orma.
While he could force himself to eat if he had to, it looked exactly like he was chewing on tasteless rubber, so Ban no longer suggested or recommended that he eat. Moreover, how rude must it look for him to remain at the dining table with his robe pulled down tight over his head?
Since he showed no intention of eating or revealing his appearance, it was inevitable that Leila, sitting across from him, would glare at him with disapproving eyes. The lady of Lebesi herself didn’t seem to care about Orma’s presence, but in the end, Ban cautiously spoke up about Orma.
“This person is my companion… He has scars on his face and is reluctant to show himself. Also, he happens to have an upset stomach today, making it difficult for him to eat, so please be understanding and forgive him.”
At Ban’s words, the lady of Lebesi slowly raised her head and glanced at Orma. Fortunately, she seemed indifferent as she answered with an expressionless face, “It’s fine, so don’t worry about it and make yourself comfortable.”
What followed was stillness and silence. The solemn and stifling atmosphere, where the only sounds were the occasional soft clinking of tableware, was reminiscent of dining in a temple. As there was no conversation whatsoever—to the point where one had to wonder why they’d been invited to dine at all—Ban’s mood became strange again.
“……”
……Am I the only one feeling this weird and complicated? Isn’t this a situation where I can’t help but feel this way? Including his past life, this was the first time he’d met someone who was a mother, so controlling his emotions to appear calm and composed was far too difficult.
Ban in his previous life had imagined such things before. If he were to meet the parents who abandoned him, what would he say? Would he get angry and resent them, asking why they abandoned him? Or would he expect there must have been some circumstances and pester them to tell him anything, that everything would be fine? Would there be a tearful reunion without asking anything?
……Well, no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t know. After all, such a thing never happened, even until Ban was reborn. It was something he’d never experienced, but in any case, such a dry situation had never been part of his assumptions.
The food was clearly delicious—the finest meal Ban had eaten since being born in this world—yet the process of putting it in his mouth and swallowing felt as difficult as chewing rocks. After poking at meat that looked delicious enough to make his mouth water just by looking at it for a long while, Ban soon realized the emotion he was feeling.
‘……Am I disappointed right now?’
Had he been expecting something tremendous? Some huge emotional explosion like getting angry or crying? But all he’d felt was that small, tickling feeling of getting a bit choked up.
And perhaps, looking at that appearance quietly eating while maintaining a face that revealed nothing of what she was thinking… his mother might not have even felt that much. Not every woman had maternal instincts, but…….
It was when Ban was staring blankly at his plate, unaware that Orma had noticed his dejection and was troubled, that it happened.
The doors of the banquet hall, which had been closed since no more food would be coming in, swung wide open, and someone walked inside. Though everyone’s attention in the banquet hall focused on them at once, there was no hesitation in the striding steps approaching.
A middle-aged man with a tall stature and sharp blue-gray eyes walked straight up to Ban and looked down at him with his silver hair—the same as the man’s own. Their eyes briefly met. Unlike the lady who had recognized him immediately but had gazed at each other for a long while, the man let out a dry laugh and said:
“Looks like we won’t need a paternity test.”
“……”
What should I say in response? Should I say it might still be better to do one just in case? Or maybe, is there even a method for paternity testing in this era……?
However, before Ban could even respond, the man—that is, the Duke of Lebesi—left only those words before walking straight over to sit beside the lady.
“……How did things go?”
“It was resolved quickly without incident, so don’t worry. More importantly, have you been taking your medicine properly?”
“Of course. Leila has been taking good care of me.”
“If it’s Miss Leila, then she’s trustworthy.”
As soon as the Duke appeared, warm conversation began to fill the banquet hall that had been filled only with silence.
Whether he knew Ban was bewildered or not, the Duke worried over his frail wife and frowned upon confirming how little she’d eaten. Though the lady’s voice had no strength as she quietly said she was fine… according to the Duke, it seemed she was unwell. The Duke, who showed gentle eyes and concern toward his wife, appeared to have a good relationship with her—contrary to his cold first impression. Watching this scene blankly without realizing it, Ban somehow felt completely distant from the Duke and Duchess of Lebesi, as if they were in completely separate worlds.
Right, well… they were indeed no different from strangers. But Ban was already overwhelmed just trying to interpret this feeling he was experiencing for the first time—something he couldn’t describe.
The Duke, who had been conversing with his wife as if only the two of them existed in the banquet hall, only turned his head back toward Ban after quite some time had passed, examining him carefully. Then he raised his glass, took a sip of alcohol, and spoke as if conducting business with a merchant.
“I’ll get straight to the point. It seems you’re the son I lost—what do you think?”
“……It does seem that way.”
“Good, you respond quickly. So your name is…….”
“Ban.”
“Ban……. Well, if you like that name, I won’t give you a new one. Welcome back to Lebesi, Ban Lebesi.”
There had never been a more awkward name. ‘Ban Lebesi’? Ban let out a dry laugh without realizing it, but the Duke’s expression looked serious.
“After we finish eating, the butler will be waiting, so tell him which inn you’ve been staying at. If there’s nothing you particularly need, I’ll tell them to throw away all the luggage at the inn…….”
“……Wait a moment. What on earth are you talking about?”
Didn’t we skip over a lot? Why are you suddenly telling me to throw away my luggage? When Ban looked at the Duke with bewildered eyes demanding an answer, the Duke spoke as if it were perfectly natural.
“Well, because you’re… no, since you’re my son now, there’s no need to speak this way. You’re the next Duke of Lebesi, aren’t you?”
‘Duke of Lebesi? Me? ……Why?’
Of course, Ban had heard that the Lebesi family was hereditary nobility. Setting aside the fact that he was apparently the Duke and Duchess of Lebesi’s only child, even if they were hereditary nobles, they didn’t know where he’d been or what he’d done, yet they were just going to give him the title? He’d never received education as the heir to the Lebesi family, so he might lack ability, and he could just be someone who liked to idle around and indulge his own greed, potentially ruining not just Lebesi but all of Gillia. What about him made them trust him enough to do this?
Moreover, wasn’t this too sudden? Ban was simply dumbfounded at how artificially this situation was unfolding. He was suspicious enough to wonder if this was actually a hidden camera show or something like the Truman Show.
Unable to say anything and just making bewildered expressions for a long while, Ban watched as the Duke shrugged his shoulders.
“……Ban.”
In that moment filled with silence, Orma called to him quietly. Just that alone was enough to startle Ban as he jumped up and said:
“I apologize, but I must decline.”
“What?”
“I’ve never once wanted to become the next Duke of Lebesi, nor do I have the ability to do so.”
“……Haha, it’s the reaction I expected. If you had ambition, you would have sought us out long ago. But I’ve already decided you’ll be the next Duke of Lebesi. I plan to announce it publicly tomorrow as well.”
So the refusal was being refused. This situation of being bulldozed over recklessly was simply dizzying.
“Why are you doing this to me……?”
“Because you’re my son. If I’m passing my title to my son, is there a problem?”
His confident words left Ban speechless. Of course there’s no problem, there isn’t, but……. How could he escape this situation? As Ban fretted anxiously, Orma, who had been quietly watching, finally stood up following Ban’s lead. Then, in a sarcastic tone, he pointed at Ban and said:
“Ban is mine, so you can’t attach the name Lebesi to him. Who said you could mess with Ban as you please? How annoying.”
“What? Who are you?”
“I am…….”
“My lover!”
He had to stop Orma from introducing himself as the Evil God Orma, and he also had to escape this drama-like situation where he’d become Duke of Lebesi if he hesitated even a moment.
And so, Ban blurted out the thought that suddenly flashed through his mind, ultimately causing an incident.
“This person is my lover. As you can see, he’s a man, and… I, I… like men……!”
