8
Feeling a bit of disappointment on multiple levels, and with it debatable whether he had even actually gotten anything done, it was still time to go.
Judging that, Garfiel and Mimi left the Thompson house.
“I’m sorry again for not being able to provide anything.”
“It’s fine! Also, sorry, I guess, for Garf crying like a baby!”
“Who asked you?! Don’t go bringin’ that back up.”
Lifting Mimi by the collar as Liara saw them off, Garfiel sighed and looked at Liara and his two siblings hugging onto her.
“You two don’t need to worry so much. I ain’t gonna steal your mom away from you.”
“I think so, too, but…”
“Hmph! Even if our father isn’t here, I won’t hand over our easy target of a mother!”
“I can’t say I disagree, but…”
Garfiel let out a wry chuckle as the two of them stiffened their guard.
As a result of Liara’s weird explanation, the two of them seemingly had misunderstood that he was there to steal away their mom— He had no intention of that, naturally, but them thinking that was a fortunate thing for him.
“So that’s how it is, huh… Fine, I get it! The bad guy’s leavin’ now.”
“Come again anytime. I’ll lend a shoulder if you ever want to cry again.”
“I’ll be workin’ hard to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
Feeling a bit like he had been poked again in a sore spot, he turned his back on them. Still carrying Mimi, he turned his back on the family that he still had not told was his family.
As he started to leave, Liara clapped her hands.
“Come on now, both of you, say a proper good-bye.”
“Bye-bye, Gorgeous Tiger. See you next time.”
“Mrgh.”
His brother obeyed, but his sister pouted and refused.
Liara looked troubled by her adamant refusal.
“You’re the older sister, right? Set a good example for your brother. Rafi! Rafiel!”
“ ”
Looking irritated, Liara called her by name.
When he heard that name, Garfiel felt like he had been struck by lightning.
“Ra…fiel…?”
“Yes, Rafiel… Oh, did I never introduce them properly? That’s her name. My two children, Rafiel and Fred.”
Rafiel and Fred.
He had heard the younger brother’s name plenty of times already. The reason he had not dwelled on it was probably because he was scared to notice.
Rafiel and Garfiel. Fred and Frederica.
Liara’s two children and Lisha’s two children. The similarity of their names and the meaning behind it.
“You probably don’t think it sounds much like a girl’s name, do you? I can tell that much myself.”
Coming to the wrong conclusion as to why Garfiel fell silent, his sister’s, Rafiel’s, cheeks puffed out. Hearing that, he shook his head.
“No, I think it’s a good name— Really, I do.”
“—Ngh.”
“Isn’t it?!”
Rafiel’s cheeks reddened at his heartfelt response as Liara broke into a smile.
“I named both of them. For some reason it just felt like ‘this is a good name’…and…”
“You named them?”
“Yes. When I was trying to think of cute names for them, those just naturally came to me.”
—There was no greater proof of love.
Even without her memories, without knowing anything from her forgotten life, his mother had not lost her kindness or generosity, and she had provided the love for the children she had forgotten to the new children she brought into this world.
“ ”
Garfiel had every right to be angry, to be mad. He had the freedom to pick that.
But those feelings were not what he felt in that moment.
His mother’s, Lisha Tinzel’s, love had been proven.
And the love of his younger brother and sister’s mother, Liara Thompson, had also been proven.
—So that was enough.
“Ha-ha-ha! Ha-ha-ha-ha!”
He broke into a laugh.
The last reservation that had remained in his heart throughout it all finally disappeared.
The feeling of his own helplessness at not being able to say what he should have said, not sharing his connection with them, all of that disappeared.
This is fine for now.
Because that’s already proof enough that we are connected.
“See you, Rafiel, Fred. I’ll come by again sometime.”
“—! Yeah, bye-bye!”
“N-next time, make sure you don’t cry!”
Tousling both of their heads roughly, this time there was a proper affection in his palm. And finally, he waved to his mom.
“Thanks, Mom. I’ll stop in again.”
—He wanted to come again, even after he left Pristella and went back to Roswaal Manor. And when that time came, he would surely bring his older sister and grandmother with him.
So until then, this is fine— Next time would be with a more positive feeling.
Because he would be able to talk about his family with all of his family.
“Until then, take care!”
Garfiel clenched his fist and was able to at least say that much resolutely.
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