C 129
"What do you need help with?"
"My brother..."
Phil, whose lips were trembling, caught Richard's gaze and closed his mouth as if he were nervous.
Since the word "brother" came up, it was clear that it was probably about Hill Rosemont.
After thinking for a moment, I turned and looked at Richard.
"Richard."
"Yes?"
"I have something to talk to Phil about... Is it okay if we go separately on the way back?"
"Ah..."
Richard squinted his eyes.
I didn't feel like hiding it, but if it was about Hill Rosemont, there was a high probability that it was something unusual.
"If? Please."
When I asked, clasping my hands together, Richard nodded, pursing his lips with a reluctant expression on his face.
"Instead, come visit my house next time."
"Yes."
Richard glanced disapprovingly at Phil Rosemont, then turned and left the mansion ahead of us.
Before heading to Laurent, I walked with Phil Rosemont to a secluded spot for a while.
"What's going on?"
Just today, I was very anxious because I had entrusted the escort of Sharnae to Hill Rosemont.
"That is..."
Phil Rosemont tightly closed his eyes and cautiously opened them.
"Please help my brother..."
"Why Hill Rosemont...?"
Was that person someone worthy of my help?
Even when we first met, he seemed quite fine. Except that he simply took off the mask.
"I think my brother is going to kill someone."
I looked at Phil Rosemont with a somewhat puzzled expression.
Although human life is not taken lightly, Hill Rosemont was originally someone who killed people when he was in a bad mood.
As someone who believes that the world is filled with people of pure malice, what Phil shared didn't seem like a story worthy of seeking help now.
"Doesn't Phil know what kind of person his brother is?"
While hesitating for a moment to respond, Phil Rosemont added.
"M-My brother... actually..."
Phil Rosemont tightly closed his eyes.
"Sometimes when he's angry... Very occasionally, to a person, well... There are times when he kills..."
Phil Rosemont swallowed hard and looked at me.
"Yes, I know."
I knew very well how cruel he was and when he started killing.
I don't know if this can be described as a novel, but it came out in <Adopted>.
"My older brother... isn't really a scary person."
I don't think that's correct.
When I showed a surprised expression, Phil Rosemont shook his head with tears in his eyes.
"In reality... h-he's someone who sacrificed a lot for me since childhood..."
As I looked at Phil Rosemont's expression, I felt like teasing him for no reason.
I shook my head and nodded.
"Yes."
"But I think my brother is going to die."
"...Why?"
"M-My uncle..."
Albion?
Why did Albion come up here? Haven't they returned to where the orphanage is?
"I think my uncle is going to kill him."
"...Oh?"
I wonder if the story suddenly jumped too far.
As I couldn't hide my embarrassed expression, Phil Rosemont clung to the hem of my clothing and lowered his head.
How did this turn out like this?
"In reality..."
Phil Rosemont looked around nervously and cautiously opened his mouth.
"My brother... tried to destroy the orphanage."
"...What?"
"My uncle knows..."
I opened my mouth and then closed it again. It's because I now have an idea of what Hill Rosemont has done.
"No matter how much he wants to dominate Albion..."
I frowned.
Hill Rosemont's violence was quite notable in <Adopted>.
In particular, he had a great obsession with Sharnae, who tamed the wyvern, but this time, has that being turned into Albion?
"The wyvern... Hasn't it hatched yet?"
Although it's been quite some time, there haven't been any updates.
"I think it will be born soon."
"It will have to imprint..."
Due to his personality, it seemed like he would never leave the wyvern egg, but it was a bit hard to believe he was doing that with Albion.
"How did Mr. Albion find out about that?"
"That..."
Phil Rosemont wiggled his fingers and closed his eyes.
"I told him."
"You, Phil?"
"Yes..."
It was a refreshing shock.
The words spoken by Phil Rosemont, who I had always thought would only obey Hill Rosemont's words, were quite unexpected.
"Why...?"
"I thought my brother would regret it."
"He would regret it?"
"Yes, my brother... If he doesn't get what he wants, he always breaks it. I know it's wrong. He doesn't know any other way."
Phil Rosemont tilted his head. Certainly, Hill Rosemont could have done that.
"But my brother... he just can't trust anyone."
"..."
"My parents..."
Phil Rosemont moistened his lips and closed his eyes tightly.
The child slowly opened his mouth as he breathed with difficulty, as if he were forcibly bringing out a forgotten fear.
"In reality, they were bad people."
"Bad people..."
"They scolded me every day if I didn't do what they told me. I was so stupid that they always locked me in a small room."
Every word that came out of Phil Rosemont's mouth was a sign of abuse.
The corners of Phil Rosemont's lips trembled slightly, as if the fear was still imprinted on him.
"They scolded and beat me every day. My brother always brought me bread and protected me from starving or getting beaten."
Listening to only his story, Hill and Phil seemed like very friendly brothers.
"Hill Rosemont too..."
Could it be that he wasn't such a scary person before?
"But one day... I made a big mistake, and my father tried to kill me..."
Phil Rosemont, who continued to speak cautiously, swallowed hard.
"That day, my brother protected me."
I had a rough idea of what happened on the day Phil Rosemont was talking about.
"It was probably the day when Hill Rosemont killed his parents...."
The more I heard the story, the more shocking the truth became, and I couldn't bring myself to utter any words of comfort.
It would be more accurate to say that there was nothing to say. No matter what I say, it won't heal the wounds that have already been inflicted.
"Many of our relatives came to visit and said they would take care of us because we would be alone."
I tightly closed my eyes at his horrific story that was not yet finished.
"They all consoled us and said kind words, saying that we must be very heartbroken, and everyone came close to help us."
"Philip..."
"And... soon we were alone again."
What Phil Rosemont continued to say were terrible stories to hear.
Stories that showed the ugliest side of humanity. Just hearing those words made me feel like I was going crazy.
"There was very little money left in the family, no servants, no money, no honors, nothing..."
Phil Rosemont fell silent.
When Phil Rosemont confessed that he once chewed on the root of a tree, my anger increased.
"In less than a year, money started coming in again because of what my brother did..."
"Yes."
"From then on, my brother stopped trusting anyone."
I would be wary of humans too. When I nodded, Phil Rosemont took a deep breath.
"Yes, my brother doesn't trust me either."
"Is that so...?"
"When he does business with people, he always looks for their weaknesses."
"Yes."
"However... I suppose my brother liked my uncle."
Phil Rosemont spoke cautiously.
"Albion is definitely pure and innocent."
He considered children so important that he didn't care whether they were commoners or nobles.
Perhaps because he himself was a powerful person, he didn't easily abandon his beliefs.
The loss of his daughter made him unable to take a single step back.
"Well, of course, I like my uncle too. Normally, I wouldn't have interfered with what my brother was doing. But this time, I thought it was wrong."
Phil Rosemont nodded at my words. In fact, I was a little surprised that Phil had this courage.
"Yes, because what my brother says is always right. However..."
Phil Rosemont clenched his fists.
"Yesterday, my brother placed explosives in the orphanage."
"...Crazy."
"Well, of course, I quickly went and told my uncle so it wouldn't be a big deal!"
"That's good."
"Then my brother..."
Phil Rosemont almost crouched on the ground and suddenly started shedding tears.
He looked genuinely sad.
"He kicked me out of the house..."
Phil Rosemont buried his face in his hands and murmured.
["Because he seems more anxious about his naughty nephew than his obedient nephew."]
["I don't like the fact that the only adult I've met from a proper family is the director of an orphanage that takes care of illegitimate children, but stupid Phil needs a family like that."]
["I'll be a knight, so please be kind to my foolish younger brother."]
Suddenly, I remembered the conversation I had with Hill Rosemont before.
"You know, no matter who it is, no one will hate you, okay?"
"Yes, of course."
Phil smiled cheerfully at my response.
I couldn't tell which part was the truth and which part was Hill Rosemont's sincerity.
"They can't just... Isn't it like a brother complex?"
A very small sense of anxiety lessened for a moment.
