CH 488.2

Conversation with Okaasama (1)

“Okaasama, come in.”

I let Miria rest first, so I asked my chambermaid for hot water only, and I brewed green tea myself and served it with youkan (sweet bean jelly).

“Thank you. I should remind you that a young lady should not snatch a maid’s job… but there’s nothing I can do about it now.”

Okaasama let out a sigh and reached for the cup of green tea.

“I’m sorry for being such a bad daughter in so many ways…”

When I apologized dejectedly, Okaasama shook her head.

“No, I think you are doing very well at acting as a young noble lady nowadays. I thought you didn’t like to study, but before you entered the academy, you received recommendations of the teachers without any difficulty.”

It’s true that before the memory of my previous life returned, I was not so keen on studying, partly because I was afraid of the outburst of my magic power.

“Cristea, what do you think of Norman?”

“Eh? W, what… do you mean?”

“Geez, you… have been unladylike since the beginning. You have stayed in the fief for so long that you may not be used to it, but be careful how you handle yourself in the academy.”

“Y, yes…”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before that Norman is not your biological brother. But because you looked up to Norman as your brother, we became a family.”

“Eh…?”

Okaasama took a sip of the green tea and put down the cup.

“You have heard that Norman is Christina’s child, right?”

Okaasama moved next to me and patted my head.

“She fell in love with the second son of a Viscount she met at the academy and, not wanting to marry against her will, eloped right after she graduated from the academy. Your energy is very similar to hers.”

Okaasama let out a chuckle and combed my hair.

“Father-in-law was furious and disowned Christina, even though Mother-in-law and the rest of us tried to stop him. But a few years later, some time after Stewart and I got married, we found out where she was living. They seemed to have lived modestly, working diligently. And when we found out that Norman had been born to them, she was finally forgiven by Father-in-law. Stewart was taking over the Dukedom at that time, and Christina’s husband was supposed to work for him as an assistant…”

The hand that was gently stroking my hair stopped.

“They were on their way to the estate when they had an accident. They were holding Norman protectively, but by the time we found them, they were already…”

Okaasama’s words cut short, and she held me close.

I couldn’t say anything, so I gently put my hand on her back.

“So we decided to take Norman, the only one left, in as our adopted son. When we arrived home, young Norman was very rough and out of control…”

Oniisama… he must have been in shock at the loss of his parents…

Just imagining that moment brought tears to my eyes.

Perhaps in sympathy with my grief, Mashiro and Kurogane turned into their Sacred Beast forms and cuddled up to me.

Thank you for comforting me, Mashiro, Kurogane…