Thinking of his mother gave Carcel a throbbing headache.
Since she always just stared at him with an expressionless face, he rarely had a proper conversation with her.
As a child, Carcel grew up believing that family was a distant and distant entity.
However, that was only himself.
Instead, he felt a strong sense of camaraderie with the comrades with whom he had risked his life on the battlefield, but there was one difference between him and them.
'The reason tjey was relentlessly hunting down monsters was to return safely to their waiting family.'
Watching them, Carcel would often feel a sense of alienation in a corner of his heart.
Come to think of it now, the cause of that discomfort was probably... some kind of lack.
A certain longing for a place to return to, which he had never experienced, had always slumbered deep within Carcel's heart.
Someone approached Carcel, who was lost in thought for a moment, panting heavily, and asked.
"Marquis, shall I permit communication with Countess Asha Delmore?"
It was Pion, the aide who had rushed from afar to deliver this news.
At that moment, a blue glow flickered in Carcel's eyes.
"Connect immediately."
"Understood!"
Carcel cast aside the rose and everything else and strode straight toward the mansion.
He couldn't keep Asha waiting. Fortunately, Carcel was able to hear Asha's voice just in time.
[ Um, Carcel? Are you free tomorrow? If so, may I bring Linea to the Marquis's mansion?]
And thankfully, her communication was the very kind of contact Carcel had been waiting for.
***
The next day, I headed to the Marquis Rivandel mansion with Linea.
"Linea, the person I'm meeting today is..."
After saying all that, I was left speechless.
What on earth should I say to introduce Carcel?
'Even if Carcel and I were to get married, he couldn't possibly act like a stepfather to Linea, who doesn't consider me her mother yet.'
Linea didn't realize the situation was like this in the first place, so she was waiting for me to finish speaking.
"So, um, I'm going to look at a house."
I omitted the fact that it could be a newlywed home.
"Maybe Linea could live in that house in the future, too."
"Ah..."
Linea opened her eyes wide and soon quietly asked me.
"Are you... remarrying by any chance?"
"Where did you hear the word 'remarriage'?"
"Grandma said that Mom could remarry and leave at any time."
Ah. As expected, my mother-in-law had already laid the groundwork for Linea.
I answered after deep thought.
"I see. Hmm. It’s not that I’m planning to remarry, but I might. If I do, I’d like to take Linea with me."
"Ah."
Linea had a really surprised look on her face.
I hurriedly waved my hand.
"Of course, if Linea wants it! I'm absolutely not forcing you!"
As I was saying that, I suddenly became fixated on a word Linea wrote.
“Wait, Mom?”
“S-sorry!”
With a look of realization, Linea squeezed her eyes shut and apologized to me.
I felt inwardly bewildered by Linea, who spoke with a pale face and a slightly trembling body.
Linea hurriedly apologized to me.
"I shouldn't have called you that, but I called you Mother without realizing it. I was wrong."
"No, actually, I asked because I liked the idea."
At home, Linea was harassed and picked on for even the smallest slip of the tongue, so apologizing has become a habit.
I tried my best to meet the nervous Linea's gaze and continued speaking calmly.
"I'm really touched that Linea thinks of me as your mother."
It wasn't just something I said.
Up until now, Linea had always been extremely careful with her words. I was overwhelmed with emotion to realize that the child, who was careful even to touch me, secretly thought of me as her mother.
'Good heavens, I thought I should keep my distance since Linea was still wary of me.'
Linnea lowered her gaze and mumbled, as if embarrassed.
I played a prank on Linea with a mischievous smile for no reason.
"Can't you call me that just one more time? That I'm your mother?"
“Ugh. I don’t like it.”
"Why, I like hearing you call me mother!"
Even though I knew Linea's face was flushing with embarrassment, I kept smiling with narrowed eyebrows.
A desirable child.
This feeling was just like taming a kitten that had been hiding in the rain, starving.
Perhaps it was because Linea had been paying attention to every single thing that touched me and every word I said all this time, but the emotion was doubly deep.
"Actually... there is something I wanted to give you yesterday."
In response to my continuous teasing, Linea eventually took something out of her pocket, though I am not sure if it was to change the subject.
“What is this?”
As Linea handed me a small cloth pouch, I instinctively reached out and took it.
"It's nothing special! Don't expect too much!"
As I stared at the cloth bag with a mixture of anticipation and curiosity, Linea shouted with a flushed face.
"Really? I'll have to see to know if it's nothing special."
I slowly opened the cloth pouch that was tied with a ribbon knot.
What came out was...
“Uh, bracelet!”
It was a bracelet made of beads that Linea had bought yesterday with the money she had earned.
"It’s really pretty, made like this."
Whether it was Linea's keen eye and dexterity, the result was better than I expected.
“Not to that extent.”
I showered praise on Linea, who shook her head in denial at my compliments.
"No, really. When I saw the beads at the stall, I never imagined the result would turn out this pretty."
However, this was at a level where it seemed like it could be sold for money.
"It’s gorgeous with the pink and pearl combination, and it’s perfect for spring. Can I wear it now?"
Linea nodded, her cheeks flushed bright red as if they were about to burst.
Fortunately, the dress I wore today was the light pink one I bought last time, so it matched the bracelet perfectly.
"I thought something was missing, but thanks to Linea, it's perfect! Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"By the way, isn't there one for Linea? There were other colors, you know."
At those words, Linea put her hand back in her pocket, took it out, and shyly showed me a bracelet of a different color as well.
"This is cute too! Linea, let's wear it together. It's a couple bracelet for us!"
Linea didn't seem to dislike the remark and slipped a bracelet made of yellow beads onto her arm.
Of all days, I styled her hair today in fluffy pigtails and tied them up in a bun.
It is especially lovely, like a tabby cat rolling around in the spring sunshine.
Since last time, yellow has suited Linea so well, almost like her trademark, that I found myself suppressing a laugh.
Anyway, to think that the reason Linea spent all her money yesterday to buy beads was because of me.
Could there have been a gift as precious to a child as this?
So you're saying it's a conclusion reached after thinking about what you could do within your budget?
Even expensive jewelry bracelets were worthless compared to this.
I kept fiddling with the bracelet and said to Linea.
"I'll cherish and keep this for the rest of my life. Thank you, my dear."
"No."
"Next time, I think you could make some for the other friends I made this time and share it with them."
Linea tilted her head at my words.
“Is that okay?”
"Why not? Your friends will like a pretty bracelet like this, too."
"Hehe."
Linea smiled comfortably in front of me for the first time.
"Oh, Linea laughed in front of me!"
"Oh!"
When I got excited, Linea was surprised along with me.
I smiled brightly at Linea.
"I hope Linea continues to smile at me in the future."
Linea could not answer, perhaps because she had returned to being shy again.
And fortunately, the silence did not last long.
The iron gate of the Marquis's mansion opened, and the scenery outside the window changed distinctly due to the carriage moving along the entrance road.
"Wow."
Still, having visited Countess Annexa's mansion once, I thought I had seen enough of the magnificent garden.
The Marquis's garden was on a whole different level.
'Carcel has every reason to be proud of his rose garden.'
The very fact that the entire massive site was a garden was an unfamiliar experience.
And after driving for quite a while, the carriage finally arrived in front of the Marquis's mansion.
As if they had already heard the news that a carriage was approaching from the iron gate, people were lined up in front of the Marquis's mansion, creating a burdensome atmosphere.
“You have arrived.”
The door opened with the coachman's voice saying those words.
Carcel, who had been waiting, approached me and held out his hand.
"Was the journey here uncomfortable?"
“It was very comfortable.”
I bit my lip and took his hand.
A tight grip held me.
As I got off, it was Linea's turn next.
Linea peeked her head out and stared at Carcel.
And Carcel smiled sweetly at Linea.
“Oh no!”
Forgetting that although his face is handsome, it is very scary!
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