Unworthy (2)

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It was embarrassing.

'Ian can't eat seafood?'

She felt a surge of shame upon realizing she hadn't known her son had an allergy until he was an adult. Moreover, she had learned about it from her son's friend.

It might sound unbelievable, but Leticia had never considered the possibility of Ian having an allergy.

'How… how could that be?'

They hadn't started out eating seafood. Killain preferred meat over seafood, and given the northern region's characteristics, sourcing seafood required significant time and expense.

They couldn't afford to indulge in such luxuries unless it was a special occasion.

However, after discovering that Ariel liked seafood, their diet had changed drastically.

'From when Ian was about four years old, our meals have always been centered around seafood.'

Ariel's favorite food was seafood, particularly crustaceans.

She had been enthralled when she first encountered seafood during a dining out in the capital, and seeing her happy smile, Leticia had started preparing seafood-heavy meals.

Eating meat had become something rare, reserved only for late-night snacks with Killain.

In other words, Ian had been eating meals filled with things he shouldn't.

'I didn't know. I really didn't know Ian had a seafood allergy…'

It might seem unbelievable for a mother not to know her own child's allergy, but Leticia truly hadn't thought about it that way.

He never complained about the food and ate whatever was given without a word, so she thought he liked it.

The reason she prepared a seafood-centric meal this time was because Ariel was coming and she had stocked up on seafood to cook something delicious.

But it was a misjudgment.

'He had an allergy…'

Leticia recalled how Ian used to eat his meals in the past. When their diet was seafood-heavy, he would only pick at his food. At the time, she had dismissed it as a child's fussiness.

'If only I had asked, 'Why are you eating so little?' It would have been resolved. But I didn't.'

Just looking at Ian's face made her feel downcast and angry, and instead of inquiring gently, she would reprimand him for his poor table manners.

'Not knowing that… What have I done?'

The atmosphere quickly turned icy. Leticia froze, unable to do anything in response to Igor's words, and the maids who had been watching the situation bowed their heads in shame.

"T-That… I thought Ian liked seafood…"

Flustered, Leticia tried to explain hurriedly.

"Excuse me, Mother, but I need to say something. Our Ian can't eat seafood. He has an allergy! He can eat grass, meat, insects, but not seafood!"

Igor was relentless, pushing Leticia to the brink. Any sensible person would realize it wasn't the time to speak, but Igor was not such a person.

The first reason was that he had lived in Vishen, where everyone was equal except for the chieftain, so he didn't know the etiquette required of nobles.

The second reason was more specific.

"Igor! What's wrong with you? Are you drunk? Apologize right now!"

"Drunk? I had a bit to drink because I was exhausted from digging potatoes! So what? It doesn't make sense! Ian has worked so hard to revive the family! How could a mother do that to her own son?"

The fact that he was more inebriated than usual made his judgment even cloudier.

Igor's face turned red as he continued speaking in a slurred voice.

"If I didn't know what Ian liked, I wouldn't say anything! Serving something he can't eat… What is this?"

Igor scowled deeply.

Initially, they had met as competitors, but through Ian's teachings and fighting alongside him, Igor had come to understand what kind of person Ian was.

He realized Ian was someone truly worthy of respect. Seeing Ian treated like this made him so indignant he could barely stand it.

Realizing the situation was getting out of hand, Lia kept trying to stop Igor, but her small frame was no match for his large build.

'What a mess.'

Having made his judgment, Ian turned his gaze to Eri.

"Eri, tell Shulkin to prepare a carriage to head to Ashlan. You and Lia wait in the carriage."

"A carriage? Where are you going?"

"There's a tavern near Blue Moon Pavilion. We'll go there."

"…Understood."

Eri nodded without any argument, understanding his whispered instructions.

Though she wanted to say something herself, she knew causing a scene wouldn't help.

"I'll be waiting. Take your time."

Eri stood and used her spirits to guide Igor outside.

Ian, who had been observing the now solemn atmosphere, slowly approached Leticia, who was in tears.

She must have felt terrible. She had prepared everything only to ruin it with a single mistake.

Perhaps she had hoped to mend their strained relationship through this occasion.

Ian felt equally troubled.

'Even though I had prepared myself…'

He had held a sliver of hope for Leticia. Despite knowing about his allergy, he thought she might have intentionally made a seafood-heavy meal for Ariel.

After all, he reasoned, even a parent who dislikes their child would be aware of their allergies.

He hoped that if she knew, she might have prepared something else.

'Was I being too optimistic?'

Perhaps it was too much to expect.

Feeling his heart shatter, Ian silently thanked whatever gods there were that his emotions had mostly faded since he possessed this body.

Even now, it was difficult, and without that detachment, he might not have been able to endure.

'It would have been unbearable.'

He approached Leticia, who was weeping profusely. In a calm tone, he spoke.

"I can't eat the food, but I appreciate the effort. Thank you."

"Ian… I'll do it again. Please, don't go."

"No, it's fine. You've worked hard. Please rest now."

"I didn't do it on purpose. If I had known, I would have used different ingredients! Ian! Please, just once more…"

"Take Mother to her room. Preserve the food with magic, and either give it to Ariel when she arrives or dispose of it."

Leticia clung to him, desperate, but Ian steeled his resolve.

He had anticipated this—both the life of being unloved and this miserable reality.

Thus, he calmly instructed the maid.

"Understood… and I'm sorry, Young Master."

"No need for apologies. Just take care of Mother."

With that, Ian turned and left the dining room.

"Ian… no, my son! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! Please…!"

Leticia's desperate voice echoed behind him, but Ian didn't look back as he exited.

***

Even after moving to a tavern near Blue Moon Pavilion, Igor continued to drink heavily, unable to quell his anger.

'He drinks a lot, even for someone drunk. He must have a strong tolerance, though it's strange he got drunk after just a few drinks in the field.'

Ian speculated that Igor might have drunk a lot while working on the farm and then taken a shower, which could explain his sudden intoxication.

Many have experienced this—having a few beers after work, then getting drunk quickly after a shower.

'At least he didn't cause too much trouble.'

Despite his size, Igor's drunken behavior was limited to rambling.

"How could someone like her be a mother? Even my mom knew not to feed me what I couldn't eat. What will happen to our Ian?"

"So heavy! Really."

"Heavy? Of course! My beliefs are heavy. I don't care if they're nobles or whatever! I say what I want! Haha!"

"Alright, alright, now get some sleep."

Ian finally managed to drag the endlessly chattering Igor to a spare room in the Blue Moon Pavilion and sighed in relief.

From a distance, he saw Lia approaching.

"Ian, you worked hard."

"Did you take Eri home?"

"Yes. Who knew Eri couldn't handle her drink?"

Lia scratched her head sheepishly.

It was unexpected that Eri would pass out after drinking.

'She only had a few drinks while listening to Igor's complaints.'

The liquor wasn't particularly strong, but she eventually collapsed on the table after a few drinks.

It was surprising, given her usually perfect demeanor.

"Maybe she couldn't handle the drink, but she might have been tired. She must have been working on documents constantly."

"That's true. I was worried because she kept summoning spirits. I guess it was too much for her."

Lia forced a smile but shared the same concern.

"You worked hard too, helping Eri. You must be tired, so get some rest. You did well today."

"No, Ian, you worked harder. I should have stopped Igor…"

"It was my fault for not preventing it. It would have been strange for a guest to intervene. I guess I let you down."

"No! We had a drink together earlier, and that was enough for me."

Ian felt a gentle smile form as he watched her wave her hands.

Despite witnessing his family's disgrace, she still thought of him, which made him grateful.

"Then, go rest now. You did well."

"Okay…"

Just as she was about to turn away, she paused.

"Hey, Ian!"

"Yes?"

"Would you… like to take a walk with me? The weather is nice."

Ian nodded lightly, seeing her blushing and smiling shyly.

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