“What’s that? Father and mother are?”
Only a few days had passed since Laurier’s birthday party… as per usual, I was buried up to my neck in documents trying to get them all out of the way as quickly as possible to get to family time faster, when Zeke’s sudden report made me raise an eyebrow.
But Zeke didn’t seem to mind.
“Yes. Oscar-sama and Lishana-sama will be arriving soon.”
Callis’ father and the former Duke, Oscar Fall, as well as his wife, Lishana Fall. Those two should have been enjoying a quiet retirement out in the countryside, but…
“If they’re visiting now all of a sudden… it must be because of Sasha’s pregnancy?”
That was the only thing I could think of. But, I don’t exactly remember making that public knowledge at all. But, by process of elimination, I could only think of one person who would have told my parents about this.
“Zeke… are you sending reports to my father and mother?”
“I am merely answering their requests to hear about the wellbeing of Callis-sama and Sasha-sama.”
Zeke didn’t betray any remorse as she said that. Well, I guess that’s fine, but… why can’t I shake this worrying feeling?
Sasha and Laurier, as well as all the servants in the mansion, seem to have accepted my sudden shift in personality, but I couldn’t say the same for the parents that Callis hadn’t met in years.
The memories I have of Callis’ parents didn’t make me think they were bad people, but… perhaps because of Callis’ nature, I don’t think he had a particularly good relationship with his parents either.
What’s more, after Callis took over the running of the household, it took quite a lot of time before Laurier was finally born. One of the very few conversations I could recall with father, before Laurier arrived, had ended with the line ‘just when can I expect a grandchild?’
Callis had told his father that he was busy with his work both as the Duke and as a knight… well, he also said something about being ‘incompatible’ with Sasha in the bedroom, but… considering just what she and I get up to at night nowadays, it’s clear that was a barefaced lie.
Well, maybe Callis had his own circumstances or reasons, but… I have to say, the man had some impressive willpower to be able to ignore such an excellent wife like that for so long.
Or maybe, Callis just plain wasn’t interested in women… or rather, maybe he just wasn’t comfortable around them…? But, all the same, I just can’t understand leaving such an adorable wife like Sasha out in the cold for so long.
Well, I suppose I’m torn as well. On one hand, because Callis barely ever laid a finger on her, I can enjoy Sasha’s first-time reactions to a lot of certain things first hand, so I suppose I’m grateful in that sense, but… I still couldn’t help but feel frustrated that someone wouldn’t appreciate just how wonderful she was for years like that.
Callis’ parents seem to have understood to a degree that he wasn’t exactly incredible when it came to dealing with women, but… since they were never able to have another child after Callis was born, it was only natural that they placed their hopes to one day see grandchildren in him.
Well, I suppose that’s it then… now, what to do…?
“Zeke, how exactly do you think that father and mother would react, seeing me the way I am now?”
“If I may speak frankly, I believe they’ll be moved to tears.”
To move his parents to tears just because Callis finally paid some attention to his wife and daughter, just how sad of a life did he lead… swallowing down those feelings, I kept going.
“I understand… for now, can I ask you to help prepare for their arrival? I’ll talk to Sasha and Laurier beforehand.”
“At once.”
And so, my parents suddenly decided to visit me out of the blue… now, honestly, what am I going to do?