Ch.82The Coming Time
by fnovelpia
Mother-in-law’s revelation brought several seconds of silence.
‘Han Serin… Seriniel…? Me?’
If that was true, then the premise that this world was a novel completely collapsed. This meant this world wasn’t a fictional creation but a real alternate world.
Tesser, my parents who were the male and female leads of the previous work, everyone… they weren’t fake family but my real family. Everything that had been binding me was just my misunderstanding.
“That’s impossible…”
While I was reeling from shock, Narin, who had finished her calculations, spoke up.
“So I never read the story, but since I know the general plot, I must have recalled my past life. The divine beast’s soul must have noticed this change in me and approached…”
She spoke with trembling lips.
“So in the end… I really am Kanarin Rupenter…?”
[That is correct.]
“Haha…”
She laughed emptily. The small sound containing relief gave away Narin’s feelings.
“To think everything around me wasn’t fake but real… Whew! Somehow I feel saved because of this.”
[I know you’ve made great contributions to changing the child’s fate. If anyone should express gratitude, it should be me first.]
“I only took responsibility for bringing her to the kingdom. If we’re assigning credit, Serin should get all the shares.”
[That’s good consideration. I wish the girl on this side resembled you more.]
“…… Rian likes me just the way I am.”
[Yes, everything you say is correct.]
“Why do I feel uncomfortable, Mother-in-law.”
She seemed to be reluctantly giving in because the conversation wasn’t going anywhere. Perhaps this was already foreshadowing mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflict.
But that’s okay. Rahilt would definitely take my side. Where should we get the rings made and which venue should we choose for the ceremony?
As I was letting my imagination run wild, I quickly regained my focus.
“By the way, Mother-in-law.”
[What is it.]
“If souls’ memories were awakened across the continent… there might be others besides us who remember their past lives?”
[We should keep that possibility open.]
“Then… you didn’t specifically choose me…?”
[How did I end up with such a child. I’m not sure if it’s good fortune or not.]
“S-so that means… there could be other women lurking around targeting Rian…?”
[Oh ho.]
“Aaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!”
I pulled at my hair, anticipating the Rahilt Super Defense I would need to deploy in the future.
This is troublesome.
I need to hurry up and get married so I can legally get rid of all those clingy women.
This was no time to be enjoying a pseudo-campus life, damn it.
“S-Serin. Maybe it really is just the two of us. Even if that’s wrong, there are surely many who, like me, aren’t interested in Rahilt…”
“That’s because you’re the strange one! I could talk all night about how sexy our Rian is…!”
“S-sexy…!?”
[Oh my goodness… oh my…]
One side was shocked while the other lamented, both targeting me. But I had no energy to pay attention to them. As if being considerate of me, Mother-in-law announced the end with increasingly crooked text.
[I’ve reached my limit now.]
“Mother-in-law…”
[Child chosen by the divine beast, please guide this impure child well as her elder.]
“… If possible.”
[I’m worried.]
That was Mother-in-law’s last words.
In the end, she left without praising me even once. Despite the fact that I’m the number one contributor to saving Rahilt.
When I marry Rahilt, I’ll put lots of unpleasant things on her memorial table. Like mint chocolate ice cream, or pineapple pizza.
“… It’s dispersed.”
“Yes. Rian said directly that he wouldn’t disappear.”
The fluffy dark clouds had already diffused into the air and completely vanished. Now all that remained in the clock tower were two women who had learned the truth about the world.
“Serin, come to think of it, after hearing the Black Dragon’s words, something’s bothering me…”
“What is it?”
“The saint of the Holy Nation of Austia. She ran away about 15 years ago, right?”
“Later she was secretly adopted as a duke’s daughter there, they said.”
“And then she went around exposing all the church’s dirty secrets?”
“It’s far from the Empire so it wasn’t a big issue… but I know about it.”
“Same with our kingdom, so I didn’t pay attention… but just hearing the plot, doesn’t it sound familiar?”
“Hmm, a corrupt church and a young saint who ran away. Perfect for a parenting story…”
When the conversation reached that point, we both lost our words.
“…”
“…”
“… It couldn’t be, right?”
“… Surely not.”
We both let out hollow laughs as we gazed at the setting sky. Whether that direction was toward the Holy Nation or not was unclear, but it was the perfect sky to let our strange sensations drift away.
Savoring the scenery that looked like it had been coated with finely ground gold, I made a firm decision.
“Narin.”
“Yes?”
“I think I’ll just do it now.”
“Serin, that’s a crime.”
“What did you think I was going to do for that to be your first response?!”
Somehow it seems like trust in me is decreasing day by day. This is truly unfair treatment.
To this, Narin scratched her cheek lightly and made an excuse.
“Ahaha… I just, you know… thought you might try to create a fait accompli without consent.”
“Good grief.”
That… makes sense…?
Since it’s what I imagine every day, it’s hard to blame her. It’s just that this time, that was the wrong answer.
“If that’s not it, I’m sorry. So… what are you going to do, Serin?”
“What else would it be?”
What else would I need to do to obtain the position that would allow me to enforce the fence rule on Rahilt?
“Confess, of course.”
This was the catalyst for a grand scheme that began tangling wildly in my head.
◇
By the time Serin left the clock tower with the duchess, the sky had turned a deep navy blue.
Unripe stars dotted the dim sky, and the cool night air wrapped around skin, stealing away warmth. So it wasn’t surprising that people would lean on each other’s body heat. Rather, evening was approaching moment by moment when those who couldn’t do so would suffer inwardly.
Even so, it was an evening that had nothing to do with me.
The evening party was about to begin, and as a professor tasked with supervising the elementary division’s party, I needed to pull myself together.
Therefore, I bid Serin a temporary farewell.
She merely smacked her lips but didn’t express any particular complaint. Yet as the distance between us grew, the ordinary night air somehow exuded a chilly presence. It took me a long time to accept that this was loneliness.
“Kyahaha!”
“Hey! What if you fall from up there!”
Because of this, my work was often disrupted. While I was reminiscing about the afternoon spent walking with Serin, unbridled young colts were having a wild party.
“Your uniform will get dirty, student Rina. And playing tag in a crowded place is not appropriate.”
Just as I would stop and correct one issue, another accident would immediately occur on the opposite side.
“Hey! They’re fighting!”
“Professor! The boys are fighting over here!”
“Oh no, he’s got a nosebleed!”
“If you get a nosebleed, you lose…”
This is more difficult than I imagined. When so many children cause incidents and accidents, I wished it would rain inside the banquet hall.
As I rushed toward the direction of the fighting boys, one child muttered in passing.
“What a shame… if Eshtiel were here, he’d be the boss.”
“Ah…!”
I couldn’t help but exclaim at that brief murmur.
Putting aside what I was about to do, I looked around but couldn’t see Eshtiel. As a child who causes incidents and accidents wherever he goes with his eccentric behavior, he needed special supervision…
‘Should I really make it rain outside…?’
If a downpour started, he would naturally come into the banquet hall. I seriously considered this measure and swallowed hard.
“Oh no, he’s crying!”
“The nosebleed won’t stop!”
“Oh dear…!”
Being distracted by thoughts of my little sister, I was seriously contemplating something ridiculous. This makes me unqualified as a professor.
I approached the child with the streaming nosebleed and quickly stopped the bleeding. After that, I separated him from his opponent and asked what had happened.
Fortunately, it wasn’t a fight about outside status, but simply a collision while playing that had triggered it.
It seemed like it could be resolved quickly if I gave them time to calm down and then arranged an opportunity for reconciliation.
“Phew…”
I wish I had ten more bodies.
During regular classes, everyone usually follows instructions well, so I thought today would be no different. But this festival venue, where deviation was allowed, was truly a magical place that awakened human nature.
‘I see… so this is parenting… is this exhaustion what Rodrick feels?’
It was a thousand blessings that Eshtiel wasn’t a twin. If there were two children like Eshtiel, they might have been unmanageable even at home…
“… Right, Eshtiel…!”
After urgently resolving these incidents, I even forgot about my precious little sister’s whereabouts. The elementary division children were powerful beings with that much influence.
Eventually, I approached a third-grade elementary girl who was in the same year as Eshtiel and asked.
“Student Luna, do you happen to know where Eshtiel is?”
“Oh, Eshtiel? He definitely…”
After a brief recollection, the female student around Eshtiel’s age gave her answer.
“He said he was going to the middle school division’s party to play?”
“Oh no…”
Only then did I understand Eshtiel’s absence.
He had been with Tesser all day, so it wasn’t unreasonable.
I believe he wouldn’t leave behind any actions that would cause major problems…
The only issue was that Eshtiel beautifully betrayed my trust and from the next day onward, carried the nickname of “the candy thief of the banquet hall.”
‘Haah, Rodrick…’
Suddenly, I missed that grumpy face terribly.
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