Kays Translations

Chapter 2: Living in the Stable

"Neigh!"

"Hee-hee-hee!"

"... Is this a dream?"

The sound of a horse neighing echoed in his ears. Startled by the low whinnies, Rest returned from the dream world to reality.

The place where Rest had been sleeping was a small shed in the corner of the mansion's garden—specifically, a stable. A horse inside the fence had bitten Rest's hair, which was buried in the feed, and pulled it.

"I get it. I'll bring water right away. Wait for me."

Suppressing a yawn, Rest got up, brushed off the hay sticking to his body, and went about his usual routine of sleeping in the stable, waking up to horses, and taking care of them. It was his daily routine.

He fed them, changed their water, and carefully cleaned the inside of the stable. Finally, brushing the horses' bodies, he heard the satisfying neighs.

"Neigh!"

"You look beautiful and must feel good, Jenny. Lucy."

"Hihin."

"Ah, I feel good too. I had a dream about Mom for the first time in a while."

Recalling his mother's soft smile, Rest smiled gently.

It had been exactly two years since Rest's mother passed away. The cause was an epidemic. Rest had desperately gathered money to buy medicine, but it was too late. Until the very end, his mother worried about Rest. Thanks to the medicine, she was able to peacefully depart without suffering, which was fortunate in the midst of misfortune.

Rest was twelve years old. He came to this mansion at the age of ten after losing his mother. Since the age of fifteen was considered adulthood in this country, he couldn't get a proper job. Therefore, according to the country's laws, he was taken in by his blood relative—namely, the father who had abandoned him and his mother.

(Well, that father probably didn't want to take me in...)

While raking the feed with farming tools, Rest squinted his eyes with a cold expression. He, too, didn't want to have anything to do with his father. If he had been an adult, he could have been independent, but minors couldn't do that. It seemed that his father was looking for a reason not to take Rest in, but he reluctantly accepted him into the mansion.

Later, Rest learned that his father, an honorary viscount and a court magician, had political enemies, and they were pulling each other's legs. The king who ruled this country was known as a person of character. If a noble abandoned a child who had lost their parents, it would incur displeasure. To avoid giving his political enemies an opportunity, his father reluctantly took in Rest.

(Even so... you can tell how bad that man's personality is by letting me live in the stable. Well, maybe it's his wife’s spiteful nature.)

"Sigh... It’s time again today. I'll be going."

"Hihin."

Rest patted the horse's head with a tired face.

"Cleanse."

As the finishing touch, he activated magic. Immediately, fresh air flowed into the stable, removing any remaining bacteria and odors. The two horses neighed happily.

(If he knew I could use magic, I wonder what kind of face that man would make... Well, I don't really care.)

Shrugging, Rest left the stable. Although the morning routine of taking care of the horses was over, there was still a much unpleasant routine left.

Meeting his father, stepmother, and... half-brother for the first time that day.

It was time to greet the family that looked down on him.

⭕ ⭕ ⭕

His father, Lucas Eberne, an honorary viscount and a court magician, was the second generation of a rising noble family. The mansion he lived in wasn't particularly large for a noble, but compared to the stable, it was like the difference between the moon and a mud puddle. It was well-maintained and had a neat appearance.

There were about ten servants working in the mansion. In the case of a large noble's mansion, the servants would be the sons and daughters of nobles, but since they were a rising noble family, the servants were commoners. For Rest, they were much more familiar than blood-related family.

"Good morning."

"... Morning. Is it that thing again today?"

"Yeah, well."

"I see... Hold on. Don't be discouraged."

A male butler sympathetically patted Rest's shoulder. Entering the mansion and greeting the passing servants, Rest headed to the dining room.

Knocking, he received permission to enter immediately. After letting out a big sigh, Rest opened the door.

"I apologize. Good morning, everyone..."

"Take this!"

"Ouch...!"

As soon as he opened the door, something hard flew at him. What hit Rest's forehead and fell to the floor was a stone the size of a palm.

"Ahahaha, direct hit! I did it!"

Clapping his hands in delight was his half-brother, Cedric Ebern. Seated at the dining table, Cedric, who was sitting at the dining table, was full of smiles, mocking Rest who was bleeding from the forehead.

"Even though they’re brothers, Rest and Ebern are only different in age by six months.

During the legitimate wife's pregnancy, Rest's father impregnated a maid, and that child is Rest.

(Well... even if they are the same age, the treatment is like night and day.)"

Rest took out a handkerchief... or rather, a rag-like worn cloth, and wiped away the blood flowing from his forehead.

There were three people in the room: the master of the mansion and his wife and child.

The dining table was already set with food, and the three were in the midst of having breakfast.

"Good morning Master, Madam and Cedric-sama."

"............Hmph."

Without touching on the injury, Rest bowed and greeted the master of the mansion. His father, Lucas Ebern, the honorary viscount, did not scold his legitimate son, who had played a childish prank, and sniffed in a bored manner.

"Oh dear, it's filthy again today. Just looking at it makes me feel like poverty is contagious."

The one who spoke disdainfully was Lisa Ebern, Lucas' wife and Cedric's mother, the lady of the honorary viscount family.

Lisa directed a disdainful gaze at the trash, and as usual, she pointed her manicured fingers towards the floor.

"Children born from dirty bellies are better off eating like dogs! Go ahead and eat your meal like the filthy blood you are!"

"That's right! Eat quickly, you tainted blood!"

Cedric, sitting defiantly in front of his mother, laughed heartily while repeatedly stomping on the floor. Though it was uncouth behavior during a meal, neither parent reprimanded him.

“........”

Rest, looking down at the floor, saw a plate with something brown on it.

This was their daily routine.

The three were instructing Rest to crawl like a dog and eat his meal.

"...I'll start."

Rest, enduring the humiliation, got down on all fours and began eating. The use of knives and forks was not allowed. If he didn't eat like a dog, he would be whipped on his back.

"Well! How ugly you are! Wanting to eat so badly, it's no wonder the child becomes as lowly as the mother! Truly, a child born of a thief cat!"

Watching Rest eat the mysterious dish like a dog, Lisa remarked with displeasure.

"That woman, and this child... How unsightly. I can't stand having such lowly creatures in the same space!"

While saying she couldn't stand it, Lisa still called Rest to the breakfast table every morning. She hadn't forgiven her husband's infidelity. She despised Rest, the child born of the affair with a maid, and trampled on his dignity like this to vent her frustration.

Allowing Rest to sleep in the stable was also Lisa's decision.

(Women's jealousy is ugly... If she has a complaint, she should tell her cheating husband.)

Suppressing his emotions, Rest mechanically ate breakfast, feeling disgusted with the woman who was supposed to be his stepmother.

The one who cheated was his father, Lucas. He forcibly violated and impregnated Rest's mother, who worked as a maid. The mother was a complete victim, and there was no reason for Lisa to hold a grudge against her.

"Thanks for the meal! Well then, shall we continue with magic training today?"

Cedric, apparently done with his meal, stood up. As he was leaving the dining room, he stepped on Rest on the floor, almost casually.

"Ugh...!"

"Hey, be my practice partner for magic again today! I'll be back after changing, so wait in the garden!"

"...Understood, Cedric-sama."

As Rest groaned in agreement, Cedric left the dining room with a cheerful laugh.

"I apologize, sir, madam. Although it's in the middle of the meal... Cedric-sama has his training, so I'll take my leave."

"Do as you please."

"There's no helping it... if you defy our son, you'll have to face the consequences."

"Of course. I apologize."

Rest quickly left the dining room. Honestly, thanks to Cedric, he was able to escape the uncomfortable breakfast and was grateful.

(Today, too, they were arrogant. What's enjoyable about this?)

Touching the scar on his forehead, Rest activated his magic. The still-bleeding wound disappeared as he used healing magic to treat it.

"Just in case, I'll wrap it with a towel..."

To hide that he had healed the wound, Rest wrapped a cloth around his head. The people in this house were generally indifferent to Rest, and this should be enough to deceive them. Despite living together for two years, no one had noticed that Rest could use magic.

"Now... let's go."

Rest sighed with weariness as he walked down the hallway and headed towards the mansion's garden to accompany Cedric in his training.

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