Rams was at a loss for words.
“That’s right. It’s Prince Rams.”
Lily, who was beside him, answered quietly.
Yes, he’s my son. He’s grown up well...
Resilia’s gaze was focused solely on Rams.
“Did you come to find me, this mother, first? Sob, sob sob...”
Resilia burst into tears.
“Oh, I was just going out for a bit... I just...”
When Rams looked embarrassed, Resilia wiped away her tears and quickly spoke.
“Regardless of the reason, I’m so happy you came. I’ve been waiting. Always praying for our son. Let’s go inside. Let’s talk.”
Resilia took Rams’ hand and turned to her acolyte.
The acolyte quickly pulled a key from his pocket, opened the door, and stepped aside.
Rams was swept into the room by Resilia's hand, as if swept by a wave.
Lily, Moiya, and Moni followed, and Resilia looked them over warily.
"Who?"
Resilia asked Lily, raising an eyebrow.
Lily, as if she had been waiting, gently lifted the hem of her dress with her fingertips, ready to formally introduce herself, but Rams answered first.
"A friend..."
Rams felt he shouldn't reveal to his biological mother that Lily was the princess of the Lapion Empire. He didn't know the details, but he remembered the palace gossip about the strained relationship between Empress Zelda and his biological mother.
And it wasn't just Zelda. He also remembered that his biological mother had hated Empress Rosie, who had raised him, to the point of cursing her.
"...A friend? I see."
"Yes."
Resilia finally looked Lily in the eye.
Then, gesturing to a middle-aged couple standing in the hallway, he asked Rams,
"And what about them?"
“These are the people who helped me meet my mother. I hired them for a while.”
Rams gave a vague explanation, but Resilia nodded, believing him.
“So they bribed the palace servants on their way home from work to slip out of the palace and come see me?”
Resilia thought, looking at the middle-aged couple.
Her gaze returned to Lily.
“Friends of our son?”
“Yes! Please call me Lily.”
The perceptive Lily figured there must be a reason Rams had introduced her as a friend, not the Princess.
So, she simply told Resilia her name.
“Her eyes are confident and bright, so I don’t think she’s a servant. What’s with het?”
Resilia tilted her head, looking down at Lily.
Nobles and royalty had a concept of playmates, so she wondered if Lily was something similar to Rams.
A noble daughter wouldn’t be wandering around unguarded at this late hour.
Still, just in case, Resilia pointed to the middle-aged couple and asked Lily,
“Are they your parents?”
“You’re like parents to me,”
Lily replied after a moment of hesitation.
Resilia found Lily’s answer somewhat odd, but Rams was the important thing right now, so she paid no attention.
“Yes, Lily. Just you come in. You wait outside.”
Moiya and Moni simply replied, “Yes,” and meekly stepped back from the doorway.
The three of them sat down at the round wooden table in the room.
Resilia sat Rams down next to her, repeatedly stroking his face.
“You’ve grown up so well. You look so much like your mother when she was young. I guess that’s why they say blood is thicker than water. When you were a baby, you were blond like your father, but now your hair is gradually turning my color.”
Resilia admired Rams, observing him closely, one by one, as if appreciating a precious work of art.
Lily, sitting before them, was practically nonexistent.
A moment later, there was a knock on the door, and an acolyte entered carrying a tray.
“Warm yuzu tea.”
The priestess placed cups of tea containing candied lemons in front of the three. She picked up a teapot of hot water, poured it into the cups, and then stepped outside.
“I believed you would come to see me someday. I heard that mt son had visited the Lapion Empire. I was waiting for a chance to meet you, and to think you would come to me first...”
Resilia’s tears began to fall again.
“Where... did you hear that I was coming?”
Rams asked with a puzzled expression.
His biological mother was a criminal, moving from convent to convent. If she had information about his whereabouts, it meant there was someone around him who could help her.
“...There’s a court lady who knows this mother well. Thankfully, she brought me news of my son.”
“Where does she work in the Lapion Palace?”
Lily, whose lips were itching to lick her lips, was secretly delighted to find someone familiar with her second mother-in-law in the Lapion Palace. She vowed to hang around that person and make sure to impress her. She needed to know who she was and impress her, knowing that her second mother-in-law might hear about her behavior.
However, Resilia took Lily’s question lightly.
“You dare interfere with my son’s reunion after eight years?”
Lily demanded confidently.
Resilia, her eyes filled with dirt, struggled to open properly.
"That mother and that child! They're just as uneducated! And they're just as violent!"
Resilia began to curse.
"Mother, you're going too far!"
Rams raised his voice at Resilia.
"Son! This mother has dirt in her eyes and can't open them properly. Why are you taking her side?"
Resilia asked in a very hurt voice.
Rams opened his mouth slowly, flustered, when the door swung open.
"Lily!"
Zelda and Bellos rushed into the room.
Hearing the screams outside, his heart sank.
When they entered the room, Resilia was frowning with her eyes closed, tears streaming down her face, and the right side of Lily's face and hair were soaking wet.
"Oh, Mother..."
Lily lowered her head.
"What's wrong? Lily, why are you acting like this?"
Zelda's eyes sparkled.
"It's nothing. Lady Resilia tripped and accidentally spilled the teapot on my face."
She wasn't tattling.
She was trying to reassure Zelda because she truly felt nothing had happened.
She figured her mother would understand, since she was also strong against all heat, including fire.
But contrary to Lily's expectations, Zelda frowned sharply.
She reached out and wrapped both hands around the teapot on the table.
Even without water, the outside was still hot.
A mistake...?
Her anger wouldn't subside.
"Bellos. Take Prince Rams and Lily out."
Zelda ordered Bellos, staring at Resilia's face.
“That’s right. It’s Prince Rams.”
Lily, who was beside him, answered quietly.
Yes, he’s my son. He’s grown up well...
Resilia’s gaze was focused solely on Rams.
“Did you come to find me, this mother, first? Sob, sob sob...”
Resilia burst into tears.
“Oh, I was just going out for a bit... I just...”
When Rams looked embarrassed, Resilia wiped away her tears and quickly spoke.
“Regardless of the reason, I’m so happy you came. I’ve been waiting. Always praying for our son. Let’s go inside. Let’s talk.”
Resilia took Rams’ hand and turned to her acolyte.
The acolyte quickly pulled a key from his pocket, opened the door, and stepped aside.
Rams was swept into the room by Resilia's hand, as if swept by a wave.
Lily, Moiya, and Moni followed, and Resilia looked them over warily.
"Who?"
Resilia asked Lily, raising an eyebrow.
Lily, as if she had been waiting, gently lifted the hem of her dress with her fingertips, ready to formally introduce herself, but Rams answered first.
"A friend..."
Rams felt he shouldn't reveal to his biological mother that Lily was the princess of the Lapion Empire. He didn't know the details, but he remembered the palace gossip about the strained relationship between Empress Zelda and his biological mother.
And it wasn't just Zelda. He also remembered that his biological mother had hated Empress Rosie, who had raised him, to the point of cursing her.
"...A friend? I see."
"Yes."
Resilia finally looked Lily in the eye.
Then, gesturing to a middle-aged couple standing in the hallway, he asked Rams,
"And what about them?"
“These are the people who helped me meet my mother. I hired them for a while.”
Rams gave a vague explanation, but Resilia nodded, believing him.
“So they bribed the palace servants on their way home from work to slip out of the palace and come see me?”
Resilia thought, looking at the middle-aged couple.
Her gaze returned to Lily.
“Friends of our son?”
“Yes! Please call me Lily.”
The perceptive Lily figured there must be a reason Rams had introduced her as a friend, not the Princess.
So, she simply told Resilia her name.
“Her eyes are confident and bright, so I don’t think she’s a servant. What’s with het?”
Resilia tilted her head, looking down at Lily.
Nobles and royalty had a concept of playmates, so she wondered if Lily was something similar to Rams.
A noble daughter wouldn’t be wandering around unguarded at this late hour.
Still, just in case, Resilia pointed to the middle-aged couple and asked Lily,
“Are they your parents?”
“You’re like parents to me,”
Lily replied after a moment of hesitation.
Resilia found Lily’s answer somewhat odd, but Rams was the important thing right now, so she paid no attention.
“Yes, Lily. Just you come in. You wait outside.”
Moiya and Moni simply replied, “Yes,” and meekly stepped back from the doorway.
The three of them sat down at the round wooden table in the room.
Resilia sat Rams down next to her, repeatedly stroking his face.
“You’ve grown up so well. You look so much like your mother when she was young. I guess that’s why they say blood is thicker than water. When you were a baby, you were blond like your father, but now your hair is gradually turning my color.”
Resilia admired Rams, observing him closely, one by one, as if appreciating a precious work of art.
Lily, sitting before them, was practically nonexistent.
A moment later, there was a knock on the door, and an acolyte entered carrying a tray.
“Warm yuzu tea.”
The priestess placed cups of tea containing candied lemons in front of the three. She picked up a teapot of hot water, poured it into the cups, and then stepped outside.
“I believed you would come to see me someday. I heard that mt son had visited the Lapion Empire. I was waiting for a chance to meet you, and to think you would come to me first...”
Resilia’s tears began to fall again.
“Where... did you hear that I was coming?”
Rams asked with a puzzled expression.
His biological mother was a criminal, moving from convent to convent. If she had information about his whereabouts, it meant there was someone around him who could help her.
“...There’s a court lady who knows this mother well. Thankfully, she brought me news of my son.”
“Where does she work in the Lapion Palace?”
Lily, whose lips were itching to lick her lips, was secretly delighted to find someone familiar with her second mother-in-law in the Lapion Palace. She vowed to hang around that person and make sure to impress her. She needed to know who she was and impress her, knowing that her second mother-in-law might hear about her behavior.
However, Resilia took Lily’s question lightly.
“You dare interfere with my son’s reunion after eight years?”
She glared at Lily with a disapproving expression.
Unable to read her intentions, Lily met Resilia’s gaze and smiled.
“You seem to have many acquaintances in the Lapion Palace, don’t you?”
Resilia asked sarcastically.
“Well, there are probably more people who know me than I do.”
“Huh?”
Resilia snorted at Lily’s answer and spoke sternly.
“Honey, I wish you hadn’t spoken before I asked you to.”
“It’s Lily.”
“...Yes, Lily. If you interrupt my conversation one more time, I’ll have you thrown out.”
“Oh, yes. Sorry~.”
Lily, unlike Rosie, thought her second mother-in-law was pretty in appearance but rather prickly in personality, and kept her mouth shut.
But she wasn’t discouraged.
Rams was very upset at how she treated Lily so rudely.
The goodwill he had built up from vague expectations toward his biological mother was gradually fading.
“Um... well, I’ll ask His Majesty the Emperor to make you a little more comfortable from now on.”
Lily blurted out again, eager to impress Resilia.
“How can someone like you possibly have anything to do with Emperor Linel?”
Who is your father?
Resilia sneered.
“Are you interrupting my conversation with my son, Lily? You should leave.”
Unable to read her intentions, Lily met Resilia’s gaze and smiled.
“You seem to have many acquaintances in the Lapion Palace, don’t you?”
Resilia asked sarcastically.
“Well, there are probably more people who know me than I do.”
“Huh?”
Resilia snorted at Lily’s answer and spoke sternly.
“Honey, I wish you hadn’t spoken before I asked you to.”
“It’s Lily.”
“...Yes, Lily. If you interrupt my conversation one more time, I’ll have you thrown out.”
“Oh, yes. Sorry~.”
Lily, unlike Rosie, thought her second mother-in-law was pretty in appearance but rather prickly in personality, and kept her mouth shut.
But she wasn’t discouraged.
Rams was very upset at how she treated Lily so rudely.
The goodwill he had built up from vague expectations toward his biological mother was gradually fading.
“Um... well, I’ll ask His Majesty the Emperor to make you a little more comfortable from now on.”
Lily blurted out again, eager to impress Resilia.
“How can someone like you possibly have anything to do with Emperor Linel?”
Who is your father?
Resilia sneered.
“Are you interrupting my conversation with my son, Lily? You should leave.”
A summons was issued.
“Oh, I shouldn’t be leaving now!”
Her mind raced.
“Actually, if it were up to me to tell you...”
Lily began, but Rams shook his head as if to dissuade her.
But Lily ended up revealing her identity.
“I am the Princess of the Lapion Empire. Let me formally introduce myself again. I am Princess Lily Guardion Edpa.”
Lily rose from her chair and bowed with the restrained demeanor befitting a royal family.
Resilia’s eyes nearly popped out.
“The Princess of the Lapion Empire... This child is Zelda’s daughter?!?”
Looking back, the child looked remarkably like Zelda when she was young.
Lily continued to grin, watching Resilia’s shocked expression.
Resilia suddenly remembered the smile Zelda had given her long ago.
Even then, she had smiled so brightly despite having nothing special about her.
Zelda couldn't be happier than she, the Princess. She couldn't smile brighter, nor could she be more generous.
Resilia hated that smile and wanted to make it so she'd never smile again.
That's why she'd poured the red potion on Zelda's face. Because it was right for unfortunate people to have unhappy expressions.
But reality wasn't fair.
She herself, now stripped of her Princess status, wandered between the monasteries of the Kingdom of Shattonil and the Pasha Empire, while Zelda was treated as Empress and raising a child.
"Whose position is that!"
“Oh, I shouldn’t be leaving now!”
Her mind raced.
“Actually, if it were up to me to tell you...”
Lily began, but Rams shook his head as if to dissuade her.
But Lily ended up revealing her identity.
“I am the Princess of the Lapion Empire. Let me formally introduce myself again. I am Princess Lily Guardion Edpa.”
Lily rose from her chair and bowed with the restrained demeanor befitting a royal family.
Resilia’s eyes nearly popped out.
“The Princess of the Lapion Empire... This child is Zelda’s daughter?!?”
Looking back, the child looked remarkably like Zelda when she was young.
Lily continued to grin, watching Resilia’s shocked expression.
Resilia suddenly remembered the smile Zelda had given her long ago.
Even then, she had smiled so brightly despite having nothing special about her.
Zelda couldn't be happier than she, the Princess. She couldn't smile brighter, nor could she be more generous.
Resilia hated that smile and wanted to make it so she'd never smile again.
That's why she'd poured the red potion on Zelda's face. Because it was right for unfortunate people to have unhappy expressions.
But reality wasn't fair.
She herself, now stripped of her Princess status, wandered between the monasteries of the Kingdom of Shattonil and the Pasha Empire, while Zelda was treated as Empress and raising a child.
"Whose position is that!"
She even had a son?
Resilia's face contorted.
The more she looked, the more Lily resembled Zelda as a child.
Zelda was probably around that age when she got the burn on the right side of her face, wasn't she?
"Since our son is eight, you must be seven now, Princess."
"Yes, Mother."
Resilia's face contorted.
The more she looked, the more Lily resembled Zelda as a child.
Zelda was probably around that age when she got the burn on the right side of her face, wasn't she?
"Since our son is eight, you must be seven now, Princess."
"Yes, Mother."
...Mother?
Resilia asked Lily, her lips twisting.
“Yes. The Princess’s mother... is she still doing well?”
“Yes, Mother is healthy, and my parents always live like newlyweds. When I get married someday, I want to live like my parents.”
“I see.”
Resilia forced a smile.
Looking at Lily, an uncontrollable anger towards Zelda surged through her.
‘What would it be like if that pale face got burned like Zelda’s?’
Resilia became very curious.
Will that child overcome her fate like Zelda?
Will she still be able to smile brightly?
“I should ask them to bring me some cookies. Oh, and water from the teapot.”
Resilia stood up, holding the steaming teapot in her hand.
Lily, who was feeling hungry at the moment, smiled at Rams, mouthing, “Actually, I was hungry.” Rams’s tense heart relaxed slightly at Lily’s bright smile.
At that moment, Resilia stumbled and leaned toward Lily.
“Oh my!!”
Just as she was about to fall, the lid of the teapot she was holding fell, spilling hot water all over the right side of Lily’s face.
Hot steam rose into the air.
“Ouch, it’s hot!”
The scream came not from Lily, but from Resilia.
Resilia burned her hand as she poured the teapot on Lily.
“Your Highness!”
Rams abruptly stood up from her chair.
Leaving his mother, who was shaking her burned hand and groaning, Rams examined Lily.
“Are you alright, Princess? Let’s go to the palace doctor, no, to the Magic Tower Lord, and get treatment! Hurry!”
“I’m fine, Your Highness. I’m fine, aren’t I?”
Lily said, wiping the right side of her face, which had been drenched in hot water, with the back of her hand.
Unlike Resilia, who was fussing, Lily looked refreshed, as if she had just washed her face in cold water.
“Oh, what happened?”
Lily really wasn’t burned.
His mother’s hand was already red, but Lily seemed unfazed.
“You, you!”
Resilia glared at Lily and shouted.
“Mother, I have a very small talent.”
Lily spoke with a determined expression, taking this as an opportunity to show off her abilities to her second mother-in-law and earn points.
“I know how to handle fire, thanks to my mother’s influence. Aside from lighting a brazier or raising the temperature of water, I can handle hot water or objects without any problems. Heehee.”
Lily had no idea that Resilia had deliberately spilled the hot water from the teapot on her.
“Why, why are you hanging out with our son?”
Resilia snapped at Lily, momentarily stunned.
Lily, realizing it was coming, opened her mouth with a serious expression.
“I’m going to marry Prince Rams.”
“!”
What?!
She was only briefly startled, but Resilia immediately shouted with a serious expression.
“This is impossible! Absolutely not, not until dirt gets in my eyes!”
She had no intention of taking the daughter of her enemy as her daughter-in-law.
Lily, who had been smiling the entire time, hardened her face.
“Adults really make things difficult.”
Lily reached into the bag she was carrying, then withdrew it, quickly and accurately sprinkling dirt into Resilia’s eyes.
“Ahhh!!”
Resilia's scream echoed throughout the room.
'Success!'
Resilia asked Lily, her lips twisting.
“Yes. The Princess’s mother... is she still doing well?”
“Yes, Mother is healthy, and my parents always live like newlyweds. When I get married someday, I want to live like my parents.”
“I see.”
Resilia forced a smile.
Looking at Lily, an uncontrollable anger towards Zelda surged through her.
‘What would it be like if that pale face got burned like Zelda’s?’
Resilia became very curious.
Will that child overcome her fate like Zelda?
Will she still be able to smile brightly?
“I should ask them to bring me some cookies. Oh, and water from the teapot.”
Resilia stood up, holding the steaming teapot in her hand.
Lily, who was feeling hungry at the moment, smiled at Rams, mouthing, “Actually, I was hungry.” Rams’s tense heart relaxed slightly at Lily’s bright smile.
At that moment, Resilia stumbled and leaned toward Lily.
“Oh my!!”
Just as she was about to fall, the lid of the teapot she was holding fell, spilling hot water all over the right side of Lily’s face.
Hot steam rose into the air.
“Ouch, it’s hot!”
The scream came not from Lily, but from Resilia.
Resilia burned her hand as she poured the teapot on Lily.
“Your Highness!”
Rams abruptly stood up from her chair.
Leaving his mother, who was shaking her burned hand and groaning, Rams examined Lily.
“Are you alright, Princess? Let’s go to the palace doctor, no, to the Magic Tower Lord, and get treatment! Hurry!”
“I’m fine, Your Highness. I’m fine, aren’t I?”
Lily said, wiping the right side of her face, which had been drenched in hot water, with the back of her hand.
Unlike Resilia, who was fussing, Lily looked refreshed, as if she had just washed her face in cold water.
“Oh, what happened?”
Lily really wasn’t burned.
His mother’s hand was already red, but Lily seemed unfazed.
“You, you!”
Resilia glared at Lily and shouted.
“Mother, I have a very small talent.”
Lily spoke with a determined expression, taking this as an opportunity to show off her abilities to her second mother-in-law and earn points.
“I know how to handle fire, thanks to my mother’s influence. Aside from lighting a brazier or raising the temperature of water, I can handle hot water or objects without any problems. Heehee.”
Lily had no idea that Resilia had deliberately spilled the hot water from the teapot on her.
“Why, why are you hanging out with our son?”
Resilia snapped at Lily, momentarily stunned.
Lily, realizing it was coming, opened her mouth with a serious expression.
“I’m going to marry Prince Rams.”
“!”
What?!
She was only briefly startled, but Resilia immediately shouted with a serious expression.
“This is impossible! Absolutely not, not until dirt gets in my eyes!”
She had no intention of taking the daughter of her enemy as her daughter-in-law.
Lily, who had been smiling the entire time, hardened her face.
“Adults really make things difficult.”
Lily reached into the bag she was carrying, then withdrew it, quickly and accurately sprinkling dirt into Resilia’s eyes.
“Ahhh!!”
Resilia's scream echoed throughout the room.
'Success!'
She'd tried it on her father and failed, and her mother-in-law, Rosie, had given up because she didn't see the need to throw dirt, but this time, she finally succeeded.
“Dirt got in your eye, so please excuse me.”
“Dirt got in your eye, so please excuse me.”
Lily demanded confidently.
Resilia, her eyes filled with dirt, struggled to open properly.
"That mother and that child! They're just as uneducated! And they're just as violent!"
Resilia began to curse.
"Mother, you're going too far!"
Rams raised his voice at Resilia.
"Son! This mother has dirt in her eyes and can't open them properly. Why are you taking her side?"
Resilia asked in a very hurt voice.
Rams opened his mouth slowly, flustered, when the door swung open.
"Lily!"
Zelda and Bellos rushed into the room.
Hearing the screams outside, his heart sank.
When they entered the room, Resilia was frowning with her eyes closed, tears streaming down her face, and the right side of Lily's face and hair were soaking wet.
"Oh, Mother..."
Lily lowered her head.
"What's wrong? Lily, why are you acting like this?"
Zelda's eyes sparkled.
"It's nothing. Lady Resilia tripped and accidentally spilled the teapot on my face."
She wasn't tattling.
She was trying to reassure Zelda because she truly felt nothing had happened.
She figured her mother would understand, since she was also strong against all heat, including fire.
But contrary to Lily's expectations, Zelda frowned sharply.
She reached out and wrapped both hands around the teapot on the table.
Even without water, the outside was still hot.
A mistake...?
Her anger wouldn't subside.
"Bellos. Take Prince Rams and Lily out."
Zelda ordered Bellos, staring at Resilia's face.
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