episode_0004

That’s right.

There’s something I forgot to mention. In fact, the owner of our Dalin Castle, Lord Bayoren, has been absent for quite a long time.

Urgently summoned by the Empire, he led hundreds of barbarian warriors and left the territory. The goal was to subjugate the remnants of the demons.

I may seem somewhat indifferent, but considering my husband’s usual behavior, this is not something to worry about.

Originally, the subjugation schedule was expected to last about two months.

Therefore, the actual period of my husband’s disappearance did not exceed a month.

As the subjugation prolonged or the situation became urgent, there were often cases where letters could not be delivered.

It’s not very frequent, but it definitely happens.

Above all, my husband, Lord Bayoren, is one of the top warriors in the north. The ferocity of the giant axe-wielding warrior is not something the demon rabble can easily handle.

Perhaps there’s a slight reason for him to stay a little longer. It’s more than belief, it’s certainty. He will come back.

Since a reconnaissance team has been dispatched within the castle, we should hear news soon. Well, I’m less worried because I don’t love my husband. I won’t deny that fact. Even if Kael or Miel were missing for just a week, they would have surely made their way back.

“I don’t think about what happened to your father.”

I don’t wish for my husband to get hurt. No matter how much I dislike him, after spending so many years together, some affection has naturally developed. He’ll come back safely. That’s how that man has always been.

“But this time, isn’t your intuition particularly bad? If there was a reason, they would usually send a soldier to report the situation.”

“Maybe they judged it better to involve him in the battle rather than sending just one soldier. You know how much of a fighter he is, right? And intuition…? Kael, your mother heard it directly. Before seeing, she doesn’t believe anything.”

Kael, with an expression that’s hard to read, gently strokes his chin. When I see that, I realize he resembles his father in some ways.

“Hmm, I see. Understood. If mother feels so strongly about it, I won’t bring this up anymore.”

But was the problem really the three-year absence? The returned Kyle feels somewhat unfamiliar.

“But come to think of it, from mother’s perspective, remarriage doesn’t seem entirely bad.”

“…?”

I made a puzzled expression. That’s understandable. Until just now, it felt like the child was worrying about their parents’ infidelity. But suddenly, saying that remarriage isn’t so bad… isn’t this change in attitude too abrupt?

“Suddenly? No, I have no intention of meeting another man at all.”

“Don’t you need to experience things to understand them? Since your mother has never loved a man.”

“…Regardless of experience, I don’t particularly want to be interested in the opposite sex. Kyle, I’ve always said that, haven’t I? I’m content as long as I have you guys.”

“You might not feel that way right now. Your thoughts might change over time. If your feelings ever change, feel free to tell me. I know a really nice person nearby.”

A nice person known by Kyle… would that be someone my age? Or perhaps, in the meantime, did they make friends with a noble who could be of help to a writer? Anyway, because Kyle is a considerate child, he must be bringing this up for my sake. If that’s the case, showing a negative reaction wouldn’t be good.

“Okay, thank you. But I have no intentions right now, so let’s drop this topic.”

When interrupting an awkward subject, I had to be gentle yet firm. It seemed my intention was accepted as my son’s consent came quickly.

“Understood, mother.”

With these words, a brief silence settled in. I glanced at Kyle with a bittersweet smile. Mother may not fully understand your feelings, but if there’s something bothering you, the intention was to let it out.

Because Kyle was the most precious being to me, I didn’t want to appear displeased. I was also grateful for allowing me to go out this time.

After seeing me like that a few times, blushing and bowing deeply, look at you. Hoo hoo, if you feel so embarrassed in front of your parents, how will you handle married life in the future? I heard that most noblewomen in the capital wear fox masks.

Hmm…?

Married life?

Wait a moment.

Come to think of it, isn’t Kael supposed to get married soon?

Now that I think about it, there seems to be a slight delay due to his expedition. He never had a fiancée because he was always with his mother when he was young.

“Kael, now I realize that whether your mother has committed adultery or not is not important.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re already twenty-three, right? Then it’s time for you to start preparing for marriage.”

“…Hahaha”

Kael looked at me with a puzzled expression for a moment, then laughed late in response.

“That’s right. It’s the age for marriage. My thoughts are not much different from my mother’s.”

“Kael, you seem to accept it surprisingly quickly…?”

“It’s been a long time since I became an adult. And didn’t Mother always say? Continuing the family line is a noble obligation.”

Since my son’s reaction is positive, it’s comforting for me as well. The child who used to stubbornly refuse to leave his mother’s side has grown up unexpectedly.

Or maybe the asceticism of focusing only on expeditions has made me unknowingly open my eyes to women. Anyway, it’s quite good news for me, who wishes for my child to have a happy family.

“I’ve already chosen the woman who will be my bride.”

“Uh…? Really?”

But this is an unexpected statement. Because Kael, who acts as indifferent as a stone to women, once brought back a list of potential brides, determined to marry when he returned from his expedition. Has all of that become meaningless?

It seems that my bewildered expression was somewhat comical. Kael responded with a confident tone and a bright smile.

“Yes, she’s someone I marked a long time ago.”

“W-who on earth is it?”

The child responded with a mischievous smile, rolling their eyes rather than answering my question. It was a gesture that had carried the meaning of “Mother knows best even without speaking” since childhood.

“There isn’t a noblewoman who comes to mind near you. Could it be one of the noble ladies in the imperial capital?”

“No.”

“Oh, could it be one of the members of the warrior party?”

“No, not that either.”

“Well then, I guess it’s someone Mother doesn’t know about?”

“If I were to give you a hint, she is a local noblewoman.”

A local noblewoman, not from the capital? Even though Kael is the adopted son of a famous writer and a member of the warrior party with achievements as a nobleman, there should be no need for him to meet a local noblewoman. Unless, of course, she is from a significant power like the Northern Duchy.

“So, are you talking about Lady Diana, the daughter of our lord?”

“No, not her either.”

Who could it be then? Since it was rumored that Lady Diana had some interest in Kael, there seemed to be no other likely candidate. There had been no contact between our region and any other.

As time passed, Kael’s prospective marriage partner became more mysterious. Perhaps my inability to provide an answer was frustrating. Kael spoke first.

“The woman I have chosen as my marriage partner is actually my mother.”

The blue pupils of the boy reflected the light more vividly than usual. His tone seemed filled with an unusual conviction, but realizing that his gaze was directed at me, I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh.

“Ha, what? Kael, are you really joking?”

“I am completely serious.”

If it weren’t for the fact that I, his mother, was displaying such an attitude, this would seem like the appearance of a pure-hearted young man straight out of a romance novel. Isn’t there any neat noblewoman around? I wish anyone could snatch up such a good man.

“Well, thank you for the words, at least. Hehehe.”

Is there a happier thing than a child who expresses love for his mother in a witty way when her stomach hurts? But the behavior of the guy who throws such a comment to a woman in her late thirties was so funny that a light laughter came out. If I were a commoner who didn’t need to maintain dignity, I would have burst into laughter without holding back.

“……”

“…Hm?”

However, my laughter did not last long. It was because I felt a little disappointed in Cael’s expression. Did I once again fail to consider the child and act rashly?

“Cael, why are you suddenly like this? Your expression doesn’t look good.”

“…It’s nothing.”

“Why, why? Did I do something wrong?”

“That’s not it, but…”

I showed only a puzzled reaction to the child’s behavior, drawing circles on the table with a worried expression, just as before. It’s hard to understand his feelings, probably because it’s been a while since I faced my son.

“But, mother, haven’t you always been like that since you were young?”

“Hm? What did I say?”

“You said marriage is something you do with someone you love.”

“…I did say that, right?”

Although what Cael used to say when he was young was true, it was such a common and obvious content that I didn’t know how to react.

“In that case, shouldn’t the woman I marry be you, mother?”

“…What?”

The unexpected answer flowed so smoothly that I reacted with a foolish expression. I didn’t understand what my child had said for a moment, then…

“Hahaha!”

After belatedly understanding the child’s words, I burst into even louder laughter, clapping my hands. I completely forgot that I was a stepmother. Goodness, could my son be any more adorable? His seemingly upset attitude was clearly a rock he had set up from the beginning to bring out such jokes.

“Haha, Akkael, how can you make such a joke…”

It was both funny and made me so happy that I laughed until tears welled up in my eyes for a few minutes. At the moment when I managed to wipe away the tears and express gratitude to my treasure.

– Bang!

The boy slammed the wooden door roughly and stormed out of the room.