Happy Friday!
It’s been another week, how have you been? How was you July 4th?
This chapter, I had ‘edited’ this earlier, or at least I thought I did, but as I was posting this and adjusting the spaces, I caught some mistakes here and there, so if you see any, let me know. I’ll fix them as soon as I can.
I also want to note that this chapter gives us a better understanding of Mira’s mother’s personality and it’s kind of…violent, SO if you don’t like that kind of stuff, skip that part, and please do not comment anything inappropriate. I do appreciate and love to read your comments and thoughts on the chapter, just make it reader-friendly.
Anyways, enjoy the chapter and I’ll see you next week.
From now on, if my niece, who is deeply involved in this, follows you, so will I.
It seems that Colt-ojisama said this to His Highness Prince Alan. After Mother and obasama came barging into the children's room, ojisama came to call on me.
Spontaneously, I gave a small fist pump in my excitement. Although I felt bad for Dia, whose facial expression was warped due to hopelessness, and His Highness Prince Alan who was being overwhelmed by the power of the madams.
Ojisama's office was, as always, neat and tidy.
「Sorry for giving you so much trouble.」
I sat on the sofa and sitting across from me, ojisama sighed, looking sad.
I put down the teacup and shook my head.
「I should be the one saying that. Since a long time ago, I have caused ojisama nothing but trouble…」
「Not at all. There is nothing you could do about either of your parents. I know that you quickly resigned yourself to it.」
Although their selfishness was also due to ojisama's indulgence of them.
「However, I would've never thought that they would leave His Highness Prince Yuriel's case entirely up to you.」
「But in a way, it was for the best. Since both Father and Mother are people who seem like they would be a bad influence.」
Somehow or another, ojisama had expected that I would say that. The biggest reason for that was that the Mayford Viscount House was behind my quite incompetent family being given the guardianship of Yurii-sama.
「That's true. You are the smartest one in that house. As well as a pitiable child. That's why, I also left the decision up to you.」
So heavy.
「I, am not someone who is able to dedicate my life to the country. Anything is fine as long as I can protect my family. If it's protecting you guys, I would spare no efforts, but don't get too worked up about it. Even if, by chance, the Swain House recovers, I would still look after Claire and you.」
He nonchalantly abandoned Father.
Ojisama was probably trying to make me feel better, but he pressured me instead. In the unlikely event that something did happen, only Father would be down and out. Even though he's that kind of father, he was my beloved father. I needed to prevent that from happening.
「However, if, ojisama is inconvenienced even more so than you already are because of us, at that time, please give up on us.」
「That part of you. Even though you tell my children to depend on you, you yourself do not depend on your ojisama. That part of you is not good.」
Looking a little dissatisfied, ojisama snapped his fingers, making flowers appear with a bang, and tossed them to me.
「The son of Duke Roderick too, make good use of him.」
He said to use him.
「Ojisama is your ally. Don't forget that.」
「Ah, my tears are…」
The current me was because I had ojisama. I carefully thought about this.
「Just now, You smiled, didn't you?」
「No?」
「You did, didn't you?」
「No way.」
「The corners of your mouth is turning upwards.」
「You're imagining it.」
Dia's the one whose mouth was turning upwards.
Although the smile did not reach his eyes.
「I, like how, sometimes, you're unreliable.」
「You are pointing out, in admiration, every single part of me that I don't like.」
If I went back into the children's room, the children would be sleeping and Yurii-sama would be sleeping in His Highness Prince Alan's arms. I don't know if it's true that even if one is sleeping, one still knows, but he's having a nightmare.
Now with the two troublesome madams and His Highness Prince Alan, Dia's situation was different that I had expected.
The two madams were on either side of His Highness Prince Alan and screaming kyaa kyaa. His Highness Prince Alan's skillful way with words, completely enthralled these older ladies with his many natural compliments. Their number ones were their life-long partners, but right now, they were like ladies who were getting excited over an actor.
In comparison, while His Highness Prince Alan was being fawned over, Dia was attacked with, 'compared to him, you are…'
As soon as he saw me, he ran over, so it couldn't be helped when I laughed.
「How cute.」
「You are a good girl, but your personality is not like that of a good girl’s.」
Maa, how mean.
「When you said that you would protect me, that was a lie, wasn't it?」
「It was inevitable. It was out of my expectations when ojisama called on me.」
「Your personality is fundamentally bad.」
「Hasn't it been like this since long ago? You should know this best, don't you?」
'That's true,' he exclaimed. How rude. Even though it's a lie, I needed to deny it.
「That guy is skilled in dealing with women.」
「Araa…just like ojisama before he got married?」
「Yup.」
Compared to him,
「You are close to distrusting all women…」
「Aren't I just being wholehearted?」
「You don't seem like the type to say that about yourself.」
「No, it's true. Because I won't look at anyone else besides you.」
「Ufufu.」
「That smile was clearly filled with ill intentions.」
No way, how scary.
「It's already five o'clock. Why don't we go home?」
The dormitory's curfew was at six o'clock. If we don't get ready to go soon, we won't be able to enter the dormitory. Also, the warning from the teacher would be marked on our records.
I certainly couldn't let His Highness and the Duke's son suffer such a disgrace.
「Aah, it's that time already? Your Highness Prince Alan, please make preparations for returning home.」
Even though I was the one who said that we should go home, the one who was being booed at by Mother and obasama was Dia.
「He's not waking up.」
Even though we had arrived at the forked road that lead to the women's dormitory and men's dormitory, Yurii-sama, who was being carried on His Highness Prince Alan's back, did not wake up at all.
I wanted to go back, but His Highness Prince Alan wouldn't give Yurii-sama back. No, no. I shouldn't be thinking that my superiors are bothersome.
「Miss Swain, one thing before you go back. It will put you in a bad mood, but I want you to listen.」
「Yes.」
Wanting me to listen or anything else, since he hasn't returned Yurii-sama, I have no choice but to listen.
「I have no faith in your father.」
「Do you, suspect that Father may be seduced by the honeyed words, of the queen?」
Certainly, Father was a fallen noble, and on top of that, incompetent. Even if the queen became his backer, it wouldn't be unusual for her to quickly betray him.
However, that's only if, my mother was not Claire Swain.
Dia, laughed scornfully.
「I can confirm that it's impossible.」
「Isn't it…」
Without thinking, I too gave a sarcastic laugh.
His Highness Prince Alan frowned.
「Your reason?」
「There are five on his stomach.」
「Two on his back.」
The part of him, that makes me just barely respect him. The part of him that loves my mother no matter what.
「What are those numbers?」
「The number of scars he has from being attacked.」
「Madame Claire stabbed him.」
「Who?」
「My father.」
I believed that I was a wild child. But Dia said that there were times when I was cold, even now. I don't get hurt that easily.
Because, ever since I was born, I would frequently witness assassination attempts in my house. Mother is a terribly jealous person. Even if, father was at a place that she didn't know talking to a woman she didn't know, she would be agitated. Even if he inevitably had to interact with the other party because of work. Even if it was a woman to whom he only apologized to because he bumped into her in town. Even if it was a female knight that was assigned as his escort.
She would lose her temper.
「She would attack him.」
「With a thrust.」
「The first time you happened to see that, you cried your eyes out. Weren't you six years old?」
「You had an indifferent look on your face and went to call the doctor.」
There were people who said that it was inconsiderate of me to say something like that in such a trivial manner, but for me, I see that kind of scene once a year. Some years, it doesn't happen but after they started living separately, it stopped.
It seems that they did that even before I was born.
「I can't even laugh at that joke.」
「It is fortunate that Mother has medical knowledge. Somehow, she always avoided the vital areas.」
It was also because Father was fat.
「I don't…understand.」
His Highness Prince Alan was still unconvinced.
「Even for me, it had been a complete mystery as to why the Count didn't separate from his wife even when she did that. I understand it now. It is absurd to complain about being loved so much that you could be attacked. It's something that you should be happy about.」
「It's not something that you should be happy about, though? Are you ok?」
Aah, a terrible idea has sprouted in Dia's head.
「Cooperating with the queen. In addition to that, clandestine meetings with the queen. For Mother, that is already an affair. That is suicidal. Father is someone who treasures his life.」
「That means that Alan's worries are unfounded.」
Because it was not something that should be talked about in such a light tone of voice, His Highness Prince Alan still appeared to be doubtful.
「Why don't we go take a look? The scars. Ah, but the newest one seems like it still hurts, so please don't touch it.」
「Aah, the wound from last year. If I'm not mistaken, the madam came to Swain mansion to secretly check up on the Count.」
「She had seen Father giving orders to a new maid that Mother did not know.」
「He was attacked, wasn't he?」
'He's used to it,' I cackled.
So, the Mayford House and the Swain House. It seems that both Houses have not fallen into the hands of the queen.