CH 24

In my field of vision, a beautiful woman of indeterminate age appears.

She is none other than my mother, Lavina, the baroness of Valcourt,. She has smoky golden hair and golden-brown eyes that look like melted gold. A stunning beauty like her is what people mean when they talk about a woman who wakes you up.

Where in the Bible does it Say to C...

It seems that she knew Jeremiah was coming to visit, as she is not wearing her usual plain dress without any gold, but a proper evening dress.

Her bright green dress is dazzling to the plain girl I haven’t seen in a while.

Looking at my mother smiling meaningfully in front of me, I couldn’t help but think that she and Aunt Fiorenza don’t look alike at all, even though they are sisters. One reason for this is probably their eating habits. Aunt Fiorenza, who was probably cute when she was young, loves to eat. As a result, she has a plump figure like she does now, but she looks her age, even as she ages.

However, my mother is like a model of anti-aging, so much so that she looks like a mother and daughter when standing next to Aunt Fiorenza. My guess is that the secret lies in the medicinal herbs that my mother cultivates.

However, the tea made from that mysterious herb is a thick, dark green substance. Curiosity got the better of me, and I secretly drank it once, but the pungent and bitter taste paralyzed my nose and tongue, so I have no intention of drinking it again.

For a week, I couldn’t taste anything I ate.

But my mother drinks that every other week.

And yet, she seems to be able to taste it.

The composition of this world, where memories remain in my mind, is as mysterious as it gets.

She’s my real mother… It’s a complicated feeling, but I’m used to it now.

Right next to me, a face similar to my mother’s is smiling a little worriedly.

He is my gentle and handsome brother, Claudio, who I might doubt if he really shares my blood. His kind eyes are a pale gray-green inherited from our father, and his hair is a golden curly inherited from our mother. Just standing there, he exudes a noble aura.

He has a similar atmosphere to Lord Grimani, but my brother has a more dignified feel, while Lord Grimani is like a work of art. This is probably because my brother’s hobbies are swordsmanship and horseback riding.

As I watch my family, whom I haven’t seen in a few days, my mother’s suggestive laughter can be heard.

“Fufu, you came back so quickly, and you already caught a big fish. You truly are my daughter… Now you finally understand that you are my daughter, right? Yes, I knew someone would catch you. That’s why I asked my sister to take you with her.”

My mother says with a very happy face.

It’s like saying you caught a sea bream. Well, it’s not wrong, but… I feel like you shouldn’t say everything as if it’s your own achievement.

“I didn’t really doubt you.”

“Well, that’s good to hear. After all, you’ve always liked Lord Jeremiah, right? Please tell me how you won him over. How did you do it?”

My mother murmurs while gazing at me.

“Yeah, I want to know too. No matter how much I say it, your plain appearance won’t convey your charm.”

My brother, Claudio, asks curiously.

“I want to know that too.”

I answer and sigh. I can’t possibly tell them the truth. Like how I was asked to play the role of his girlfriend and for some reason, Jeremiah suggested that we should just get engaged.

“But, it seems like he liked that I was plain. Lord Castalde also praised my plainness and took a liking to me, and he also liked my unremarkable appearance.”

“Oh, I see~. I didn’t know that his taste was for plain women.

But, well, I think he’s a good match for you. I haven’t heard any bad rumors about him, and he doesn’t seem to be a playboy. But, of course, I have to talk to him properly. Well, I think it’s better to get to know him a little more before getting married, but the problem is his personality.

He’s unresponsive and seems unable to hide his words, so even among gentlemen, there are people who avoid him.”

“I-Is that so? I don’t know much about men’s social circles, but I see.”

As a noble, it is considered impolite to speak bluntly. If you can’t use the storytelling technique of conveying things indirectly and softly, you will be considered a commoner or a parvenu and kept at a distance. Jeremiah is a high ranking noble, but he seems to be not good at that kind of thing.

It seemed that there was a reason why he was annoyed by the young ladies and their mothers in that regard.

“I see. Lorraine, did they say something to you?”

“It’s not a big deal.”

“Hmm, they probably said something like ‘plain’.”

“…”

Bullseye.

As expected of my brother. But how did he know? When he realized he had guessed correctly, he laughed heartily and said, “Ahaha, I knew it.”

“I thought he would say that. I’ve been told the same thing, and I feel like he has a mask-like smile… I realized that it’s painful to be there. Lord Jeremiah is good at reading people.”

“But, Lorraine doesn’t really mind.”

“Well, it wasn’t said to insult me, so…”

I felt a complicated feeling when I thought that Claudio had also been told the same thing. While we were chatting like that, Father and Jeremiah returned. Father, Baron Paul Valcourt had a smile on his face.

Father was thin and looked very poor next to Mother. He had light brown hair and thin, gray-green eyes, and his facial features were noble, but not particularly noticeable.

I could proudly say that I looked like my father.

“Lorraine, welcome back. I heard from him, and I have no reason to object, so I signed it. The wedding will be in a year, as usual, but that’s okay, right?”

“Yes, thank you, Otoo-sama.”

As I said that, he patted my head.

“Well then, let’s have a modest dinner.”

When Father said that, the servants started preparing. Mother stood next to Father, and Jeremiah offered his arm to me. My brother followed behind. As we headed to the dining room, Jeremiah said.

“Since I sent a letter beforehand, the conversation went smoothly. I was worried about opposition, but fortunately, there was none. Now we can make the announcement… I also invited Baron, Baroness, and Claudio to the ball on the last day of your stay. Baron declined because of work, but the other two will be there.

Now everyone can see you in that dress.”

“…Uh, yeah.”

I couldn’t look directly at the cheerful Jeremiah and just nodded vaguely.

Oh, we’ve come to a point of no return. But is this really okay? I still couldn’t come to a conclusion.