CH ss - 3

Regrets of a Mother

From the next day, Nathaniel always began to lift his cane.

The next destination was Aldrelm. Kyrie wondered how the doctors were doing. The two chartered a station waggon heading to Aldrelm.

“Come to think of it, Aldrelm has the most traces of the apocalypse. Is there a reason why?”

[I mean, there was someone who used me smarter than you.]

“But I’m your last person.”

Nathaniel glanced at Kyrie.

Clear purple eyes.

Kyrie didn’t seem to realise at all how cutely she said it. Nathaniel slowly kissed Kyrie on the cheek.

[Yes. In the end, it means that you were smarter than anyone else]

Dr. Poe, who had been contacted in advance, was at Aldrelm Station. He was wearing a white spotted fur coat that fit his body. He looked like a fat owl.

“I didn’t know you’d come all the way here! I was so surprised when I got the message. It’s been a really long time, right?”

“I know. You look healthy.”

By the end of the greeting between the two, Nathaniel got off the waggon. When Nathaniel appeared gracefully as if sliding with a slim body, everyone dropped the objects they were holding after seeing him.

Dr. Poe took a deep breath with his tensed face, and then greeted Nathaniel with the fine manners he probably learned.

“I see the Legendary Lord. I am Salamis Po….”

Nathaniel blinked and looked down at the top of Dr. Poe’s head. The beautiful blue jade-like eyes soon moved slowly to Kyrie. It’s asking the answer.

Kyrie shrugged. Nathaniel turned his head again.

[Yes.]

Dr. Poe was thrilled and sniffled even at his single answer that could be said to be arrogant.

“I’ll guide you…….”

The three of them moved to the square building that Kyrie had already been to. People who saw Nathaniel dropped objects one after another and made a way.

After seeing the legend, the hardened scholars couldn’t even scream and greeted him, Dr. Poe politely stood behind Kyrie.

“Lady, would you…… Would you like to meet Dr. Hartwood?”

Dr. Poe’s question was cautious. He already knew that Zhenya and Kyrie were not in a smooth mother-daughter relationship.

Kyrie tilted her head and was lost in thought for a moment.

In fact, she almost forgot about Zhenya. She also sent an invitation to the wedding, but Zhenya did not come. And Kyrie didn’t care about it either.

“Should I?”

Dr. Poe clapped his hands excitedly.

“Dr. Hartwood will be waiting for you!”

“I don’t know if that’ll happen. Nathaniel, will you go to the drawing room first? People will serve you tea.”

“Of course! We will treat him with delicious tea!”

Scholars gathered like frog eggs nodded fiercely from behind.

In fact, Nathaniel was startled.

[My Excellency Lord Protector, it seems that you are not regretful by staying away from me]

“Are you sad?”

[Of course]

“It’s very short.”

[I hate not seeing you for even a second]

Oh, my. Oh, my. Scholars exchanged their eyes, raising their hats from behind. Kyrie coughed in vain.

“Someone like that makes the whole city like a theatre and makes me run away….”

[Where’s the drawing room?]

Kyrie turned around with a smile.

Unlike the first floor where scholars gathered, the second floor where the laboratory was there was quiet. On the door of the laboratory at the end of the hallway, “Heartwood” was written in colourful and hard-to-recognize cursive..

Kyrie knocked on the thick wooden door.

“Come on in.”

In the room, a blonde woman stood by the window, smoking the long cigarette.

“Mother.”

Zhenya turned around.

“It’s been a while.”

Dr. Zhenya Hartwood with a cigarette holder was still beautiful. There was no surprise on the face, which had matured beauty due to wrinkles.

“You came to me on your own.”

“I know. I stopped by on my way.”

“Since when have we been so polite?”

“That’s true, too.”

Kyrie smiled brightly. Zhenya raised her chin. The wind slightly slipped the silver-rimmed glasses on her nose.

“The atmosphere changed a lot, hasn’t it?”

“Mother hasn’t changed.”

Zhenya’s one eyebrow went up. If someone else had said it, she would have thought it was sarcasm. However, Kyrie’s face was calm.

“It looks good.”

“I don’t think you are being sarcastic.”

“Why would I come and be sarcastic?”

Zhenya was silent.  She looked at the pipe she was holding and put the beak in her mouth.  Her pronunciation became unclear.

“Yes, if it were me, I would have been sarcastic, but I was not the one who raised you.”

“Right.”

There was silence.

Zhenya lowered her beautiful green eyes. An opaque regret was seen.

“Kyrie.”

“Yes.”

“Do you resent me?”

Kyrie received words of unknown meaning smoothly.

“Do I look like that?”

“No.”

“Then I think that’s it.”

“……Is this my daughter? You didn’t even look like that when you were my human daughter.”

Kyrie shrugged like a child. Zhenya laughed. It was a strangely regretful smile.

After another silence, Zhenya hesitated and opened her mouth.

“I’m sorry.”

Zhenya said words that she had never said before in her life.

“Ha, that’s funny. I have gotten old.”

“…….”

“It’s just… I could have taken better care of Gray and you, but that’s what I thought.”

She wriggled her cigarette.

“Even if Cesar annoyed me, I shouldn’t have solved it by giving up my responsibility.”

The end of the sentence has subsided. She seemed to have heard about Gray. Kyrie stared at Zhenya without a word.

“I don’t regret the choice at that time. Research was more important to me, and research is still more important to me. But that doesn’t absolve me of my fault.”

Kyrie gently pulled the corners of her mouth and smiled. And after some time, I opened my mouth with a friendly voice.

“I’m thinking about staying for a few days.”

“…..Right.”

“Stay healthy.”

Greetings without forgiveness, disgrace, gratitude, or expectation. It was the aloofness that could be seen by a person who was completely out of the bondage of blood.

Zhenya’s shoulders were weak.

“……You’ve really become an adult. Unlike me, a proper adult.”

Kyrie shrugged. Zhenya turned her head to the window again.

“Stay healthy, too. It’s late, but congratulations on your wedding.”

***

Nathaniel was in the drawing room.  He was drinking tea from a crude cup with his legs crossed.  And the scholars watched it from the other side.  Their faces were all red.

“Is that a replaceable beauty….”

“Maybe he’s a god.….”

Nathaniel really deserved the attention of others but he completely ignored the scholars’ murmur.

As Kyrie entered, he immediately put down the cup and smiled affectionately. It was only after Kyrie returned that blue eyes, which were just beautiful, came to life.

[Kyrie. Throwing me to this herd of sheeps]

“Which side is the sheep on?”

Kyrie smiled and sat next to Nathaniel. On the opposite side, Dr. Poe held out a cup.

“Did you finish your conversation well?”

“Yes. Moderately. Although we don’t have anything to say.”

“Is that so….”

Dr. Poe, who smiled vaguely, changed the subject.

“I didn’t expect you to come in person like this. I guess it’s because of the Duke of Buchanan, right?”

“Did you hear the news?”

“Because there’s Dr. Hartwood.”

“Ah”

Come to think of it, she didn’t ask if she was going to attend the funeral.

Kyrie lifted the cup.

Well, it doesn’t matter.

“How’s your research going?”

“Oh…”

Dr. Poe made a sullen sound.

“It’s not really like that. Since there are few historical materials in the founder’s book…….”

“Did the data I gave you help you?”

“It helped  a lot! But it’s true that we don’t have enough research data.…. There weren’t many materials in the royal library either.”

Dr. Poe sat down with his legs together in a sullen manner. The wrinkled faces of scholars gathered behind Dr. Poe also became sullen.

“You were supposed to have an interview with Leschaux….”

However, Leschaux went back over the horizon. Give yourself strength. She felt weak guilt.

“Well…”

Kyrie, who was looking around, gently bumped her shoulder against Nathaniel.

“Nathaniel.”

[I refuse.]

“Can’t they ask you one question?”

Nathaniel opened his mouth gracefully without losing or embarrassing his smile.

[Why me?]

“Sympathy?”

[Try to make me laugh, you succeed]

“I’m so pretty. Can’t my friend ask a question?”

[You’re old enough for a friend]

Kyrie clapped her hands naturally.

“Oh, my. That’s amazing! My husband is a little older, too. Maybe I’m the type of person who is loved by older people.”

She smiled and bumped her shoulders again.

“Right?”

[…….]

“Isn’t it?”

[…….]

“Isn’t it pretty?”

Nathaniel laughed in vain.

Nathaniel saw a cute seven-year-old sheep. It’s a disgusting look. However, Kyrie was confident that he would do her a favour.

Look. Even if he thinks it’s ridiculous, the corners of his lips are up.

[Then put your name on it]

“My name?”

[Yes]

Kyrie blinked.

‘I’ve seen Lord Leschaux do it.’

Kyrie rolled her eyes awkwardly and spoke slowly one word at a time.

“Then, with my name on the line, if you answer the question of these people, I’ll grant you a wish. However, I’ll do everything. Except for hurting others.”

As soon as the words were over, something like a disturbance spread around Kyrie. Neither the sound nor the interference pattern spread, but she felt it.

With an unfamiliar sense, Kyrie fiddled with her shoulders and looked around. People didn’t seem to feel it.

“What was it?”

Nathaniel lifted the cup leisurely. Somehow, his smile deepend.

[The providence of the goddess in high places.  If there is a strong power, there must be a reins somewhere to fill it.]

“Can’t I back down?”

[You can’t back down]