Ending Maker SS #30 Reunion (4)

“So, Rough Avalanche-nim, why did you come?”

At Cordelia’s question, Rough Avalanche, who had been flustered, snapped his head up.

“What, can’t I come?”

“No, that’s not what I meant, but…”

Cordelia had actually asked for two reasons.

One was to rescue Rough Avalanche from his awkward situation, and the other was because she was genuinely curious.

Why had Rough Avalanche followed them all the way here?

As she’d said, it wasn’t that he couldn’t come.

Given their history, she was happy to see him and wanted to welcome him.

But there was a significant gap between it being fine for him to come and the reason why he had come.

Rough Avalanche had been living well in the Wild Lands, so why had he suddenly appeared at the Bayer County estate, and with Yuna of all people?

At Cordelia’s question, Yuder also turned to Rough Avalanche with a curious expression.

I have a rough idea, but…

It was just a guess, after all.

Moreover, it wasn’t a particularly pleasant guess, so instead of rashly voicing his speculation, Yuder waited for Rough Avalanche’s answer.

A few seconds passed.

Rough Avalanche glanced at Yuna, and only after she nodded did he open his mouth.

“Yuna isn’t in a stable condition right now. She was supposed to remain asleep for at least another ten… no, twenty years, but she was woken up by force.”

Startled by his answer, Cordelia exclaimed.

“D-don’t tell me… did her condition get worse because of us?”

After all, Yuder and Cordelia were the ones who had caused the Great Explosion.

Facing Cordelia’s pale face, Yuna quickly shook her head.

“No, it’s not because of you.”

“Right, I just told you. The problem is that she woke up early when she should have been asleep for much longer. The Great Explosion didn’t cause any additional harm to Blue Blizzard… I mean, Yuna. It’s just that she woke up before she could fully recover.”

“S-still…”

No matter how you looked at it, she and Yuder were the reason Yuna had to wake up early.

But Yuna shook her head once more.

“That’s not true. If I hadn’t woken up then, I wouldn’t have been able to meet Rex again like this. The same goes for you two. Besides, you made that choice to save the Wild Lands, didn’t you? I heard a lot from Rough Avalanche-nim on the way here.”

Reaching across the table, Yuna gently took Cordelia’s hand and continued speaking in a soft voice.

“So it’s not your fault. You don’t have to worry. Alright?”

“…Yes, Mother.”

As Cordelia gave a small nod, Yuna smiled brightly as if to say it was really okay, then gestured to Rough Avalanche with her eyes.

“Rough Avalanche-nim.”

“Right, let me finish.”

Clearing his throat with a cough, Rough Avalanche shifted his short legs a few times on the sofa and continued.

“Yuna is not in a stable condition. If she stays in a place like this… far from a sanctuary and with weak cold energy, her body will quickly weaken again. Until she fully recovers, she has to live in the Wild Lands.”

“In the newly created… sanctuary in the Wild Lands?”

“Yes, her recovery will actually be faster there. Thanks to all the Wild Gods gathering, it’s become a more powerful sanctuary than any that has existed before. The Golden Dragon King is there as well.”

Answering Yuder’s question, Rough Avalanche took a deep breath, looked around at everyone, including Yuna, and said.

“Yuna woke up and came to us not long after you two left for that place called Earth. To be honest, at that point, we didn’t know she was your—or more accurately, Yuder’s—mother. She just said she wanted to go to the snow mountain in the imperial territory… the place where she used to recuperate, so I accompanied her there. Having just woken up, not only was her power weak, but her mind… her thinking wasn’t as clear as it is now.”

He wasn’t speaking ill of her; it was a simple statement of fact.

“And on the snow mountain, we met Count Bayer. That’s when Yuna fully recovered her senses.”

It was also then that Rough Avalanche realized the ‘Yuna’ that Count Bayer had asked about before was Blue Blizzard.

“Originally, we were planning to call you two to the snow mountain or the new sanctuary in the Wild Lands. But Yuna said she wanted to return to the Bayer estate just once, so we set out on a journey again.”

In short, Rough Avalanche had been supporting the unstable Yuna in many ways.

In human terms, one could say he was acting as her personal physician.

After the explanation, Yuder bowed his head, and Cordelia also showed her respect politely.

“Rough Avalanche-nim, thank you so much.”

“Hmph, I owe you two. And… Blade Song as well…”

Their victory in the final battle in the Wild Lands was undoubtedly due to the efforts of Yuder and Cordelia.

But before that, when the Western and Eastern armies first clashed on the Snowflake Wind Plain, the Eastern army had avoided annihilation thanks to the noble sacrifice of Blade Song and his tribe.

Blade Song could be considered Yuna’s—Blue Blizzard’s—step-brother, so Rough Avalanche wanted to honor his memory in this way.

Blade Song-nim…

Cordelia pursed her lips, remembering him.

She had only met him once, and at the time, she had only treated him as a source for various items, but he had been a good Wild God.

And a great hero who had saved the Wild Lands.

Since most of the people in the room had been involved in the battle in the Wild Lands, the atmosphere naturally grew solemn.

As if to change the mood, Yuna smiled brightly again and spoke to Adelia.

“Adel, you have babies?”

“Yes, Mother. They’re upstairs. Would you like to see them?”

“Yes, I want to see them.”

When Yuna smiled widely again, everyone stood up as if on cue.

Rough Avalanche also hopped off the sofa and, despite not knowing the layout of the mansion, started to lead the way.

And on the second floor.

The short Rough Avalanche was clinging to the bars of the small crib, looking at the babies, while the babies stared back at him as if he were a teddy bear at the zoo.

With an ecstatic expression and sparkling eyes, Yuna tightly gripped Adelia’s hand and asked.

“Adel, Adel. What are the babies’ names? They have names, right?”

“Well…”

“Well? Is their name ‘Well’?”

“No, it’s not that… Father said he would name them, but… he’s been agonizing over it for months now.”

As Adelia said this with an awkward smile, Yuna’s eyes widened before she burst into peals of laughter.

“Arthur really hasn’t changed a bit.”

Nearly twenty years had passed, but for Yuna, who had awoken from a long slumber, it felt like no time at all.

A couple of months at most. No, like a story from just a few days ago.

After picturing Count Chase in her mind for a moment, Yuna suddenly chuckled and turned to Yuder and Cordelia to ask.

“What about you two?”

“Pardon?”

“You two don’t have a baby?”

At the innocent question, Cordelia’s face turned red, and she couldn’t say a word, while Yuder cleared his throat and said.

“We… not yet.”

“Not yet? You don’t plan on having one yet?”

“No, it’s just…”

Yuder broke into a cold sweat without realizing it.

In front of Cordelia, he was more sly and brazen than anyone in the world, but this was his mother he was talking to.

“W-we’re going to have one.”

Finally, unable to watch any longer, Cordelia answered awkwardly. Yuna smiled brightly again and asked.

“When?”

“Pardon?”

“When?”

“S-soon?”

The moment she answered without thinking.

“Yuna?”

A loud voice came from beyond the door, and everyone turned their heads. Recognizing the voice, a huge smile spread across Yuna’s face.

“Arthur.”

“Yuna!”

The one who burst through the door was Count Chase.

He saw Yuna standing next to Count Bayer, his eyes widening, and in an instant, he kicked off the ground and closed the distance.

“Yuna!”

“Arthur!”

Yuna shouted again and leaped into Count Chase’s large embrace, and he held her tightly.

“Oh, my goodness. Yuna. You’ve returned.”

“I missed you, Arthur.”

“I missed you too.”

Holding Yuna tightly once more as if he couldn’t believe it, Count Chase let out a sigh of relief without realizing it.

The small body in his arms, the warm heat, proved Yuna’s existence.

“My goodness. You’re exactly the same.”

“Yes, and you’ve gotten more handsome, Arthur. Like our Rex.”

“I’ve just gotten old.”

“No. You’re still handsome. And you’ve aged handsomely.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Count Chase smiled brightly again but quickly composed his expression.

It was because of Yuder, Cordelia, Gale, and Adelia, who were staring at him with surprised faces.

It was only natural, as even his own daughters, Cordelia and Adelia, had never—or almost never—seen Count Chase smile so broadly.

“Ahem, ahem.”

Clearing his throat again, Count Chase spoke to Yuna, who was still smiling brightly at him.

“Yuna, this is Edward. You remember him, right?”

As he said this and gestured, the eldest son of the Chase family—Edward Chase—who had been standing by the door with a strange expression, approached Yuna and bowed.

“It’s been a long time. I am Edward Chase.”

It was a polite greeting between nobles, but Yuna had no intention of being formal.

To Yuna, Edward was Aeris’s mischievous treasure.

“Ed.”

When Yuna called him by his nickname and opened her arms, Edward was flustered but soon grinned and hugged her tightly.

When he was young, he was always the one being held, but now that he was the one doing the hugging, it felt incredibly strange.

It reminds me of my mother…

Edward’s eyes reddened without him realizing it, but as befitting the heir to a count, he did not easily show tears.

After releasing Yuna from his embrace, he skillfully composed his expression.

But that too was brief.

As Yuna blinked and looked around him and behind his back, he couldn’t help but frown and ask a question.

“Lady Yuna? What’s the matter?”

“Ed.”

“Yes, Lady Yuna.”

“Don’t you have a wife? Or children?”

Gale is married, Adelia is married, Yuder is married, and Cordelia is married, but what about you?

Huh? What about you?

It was a question without a hint of malice, utterly innocent.

And for that very reason, Edward, who was hit even harder, struggled to maintain his expression and said.

“Well… I am still single.”

“Hmmmm.”

At Edward’s answer, Yuna’s face became thoughtful for a moment, then she spun around and tugged on Count Bayer’s sleeve.

“Rex, Rex.”

“Yes, Yuna.”

“Gale and Adel got together, and Yuder and Cordelia got together, right?”

“It’s a happy thing.”

“Uh-huh, so, our kids and Arthur’s kids are all paired up, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Then our third child and Ed can get together, right?”

“Pardon?”

The last word came from Edward.

No, it was the sentiment of almost everyone in the room.

“Third child? What do you mean, third child?”

Count Bayer couldn’t answer Count Chase’s question.

He was just as flustered.

“Y-Yuna?”

“Our third. She’s going to be born.”

As she said that, Yuna placed both hands on her stomach, and only then did Count Bayer understand the situation.

And it was the same for everyone else in the room.

“Ahem, ahem.”

Count Chase cleared his throat.

“Father?”

Yuder and Gale looked at Count Bayer with shocked faces.

“Huh? Huh? Huh?”

Cordelia and Adelia looked back at Yuna.

And one more person.

“Wait, how long has it been since you found Yuna…?”

Rough Avalanche counted the days on his small fingers.

Wasn’t it just a couple of months at most? She was already having a third child?

Amidst the busy exchange of complicated gazes, the dazed Count Bayer reflexively pointed out one important fact.

“But Yuna, what do you mean, get together?”

“It’s a daughter. A daughter will be born.”

At Yuna’s cool reply, everyone’s eyes widened in surprise.

And Edward said.

“Oh.”

“What do you mean, ‘oh’!”

Adelia reflexively smacked the back of his head, and Edward yelped and bent over, his face crumpling as he shouted.

“Hey! You think I’d actually do that?”

“Still!”

Adelia, not backing down, shouted back and quickly turned to Yuna.

Cordelia, who had been stammering, broke into a wide smile and said.

“Congratulations, Mother.”

“C-congratulations.”

As Yuder dazedly added his words, Yuna shrugged her shoulders, and Count Bayer finally came to his senses.

He let out a slightly foolish laugh and hugged Yuna tightly once more.

“Yuna, Yuna, my treasure.”

“The children are watching.”

Now you say that?

Count Chase laughed heartily, and everyone burst into laughter.

And once again, one person.

“So it runs in the family.”

Just like his son and daughter-in-law.

Clicking his tongue, Rough Avalanche soon let out a small laugh and began to clap in celebration.

*

Night fell deep over the Bayer estate.

With the return of the Countess and the news of a new baby on the way, the estate was in a festive mood, and not just the family but all the servants enjoyed themselves late into the night.

And now.

It was close to midnight.

Maia, who had been standing in the greenhouse quietly looking at the flowers, slowly turned around.

She smiled at the sound of footsteps that had clearly been made for her to hear.

“Young Master.”

“Maia.”

Yuder approached with a shawl and placed it over Maia’s shoulders. Maia quietly looked up at him.

“Young Master.”

“Maia.”

After calling each other’s names once more, they both smiled, neither one first.

Yuna had returned.

It was certainly a happy event.

It was a wonderful thing for Yuder.

But Maia felt a slight sense of loneliness.

She knew well that she shouldn’t harbor such feelings, but she couldn’t help the lonely feeling that crept in.

Cordelia and Yuna.

Yuder now had a lover and a mother.

He no longer needed Maia.

“Maia.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“Do you remember that?”

“Remember what?”

“That I…”

“You mean the one where you said you’d marry me when you grew up, Young Master?”

As Maia said this with a small laugh, Yuder’s face turned red and he stammered.

It seemed he had intended to say something else, but a mischievous feeling came over Maia, and instead of changing the subject, she landed another blow.

“Liar.”

“M-Maia?”

“We even made a pinky promise… You’ve forgotten all about it, haven’t you, Young Master? I remembered it all this time…”

As Maia said this, Yuder became even more flustered and stammered.

And at his reaction, Maia burst into peals of laughter.

She rarely laughed, to the point where the servants called her the Ice Princess, but it was different in front of Yuder.

No, it seemed this was the first time she had laughed like this even in front of him.

“I’m joking.”

“Sorry.”

“I’m really just joking.”

Saying so again, Maia reached out and caressed Yuder’s cheek.

“You’ve grown up so well.”

When had he gotten so big?

The small, young child who barely reached her waist had now grown so tall that she had to look up just to meet his eyes.

“It’s thanks to you, Maia.”

Maia just smiled faintly.

She didn’t say things like, Yes, I raised you, Young Master.

“Maia.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Maia looked up at Yuder again, and Yuder looked straight into her eyes.

His face reddened again, but as if he had steeled himself, he spoke in a clear voice.

“Maia, you’re family. To me, you’re truly like an older sister.”

Even though I’m married to Cordelia, even though my mother has returned.

That fact won’t change.

It can’t change.

Yuder’s face flushed again as he offered a messy smile.

He was the same Yuder who could spin all sorts of tales in all sorts of places without a change in expression, to the point where Cordelia suspected him of being a former con artist, but it was impossible in front of Maia.

Embarrassed, grateful—he was in a whirlwind of emotions, barely managing to string a few words together.

But that was enough.

Maia chuckled and hugged Yuder tightly.

Yuder smiled as he held Maia in his arms.

“Maia.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“I’m just asking, just in case.”

“Yes.”

“Maia… are you seeing anyone?”

“Not yet.”

But what would happen if she did start seeing someone?

How would Yuder react?

Maia imagined it for a moment and chuckled, while Yuder, who had a similar thought, narrowed his brows.

It was a truly childish thought, a selfish feeling, but the idea of someone else standing by Maia’s side stirred up complex emotions in him.

Is this what they call a ‘siscon’?

But it couldn’t be helped.

Because it was Maia.

Because she was truly precious to him.

“It’s gotten late. You should go in and sleep now.”

“Alright.”

“I don’t need to read you a storybook anymore, do I?”

“It might be nice sometimes?”

At Yuder’s playful reply, Maia chuckled again and gave a light bow.

“I’ll be heading back first.”

“Good night, Maia.”

“Good night, Young Master.”

Maia walked slowly out of the greenhouse, and Yuder stood still, watching her back.

And then, a voice.

“Hmmmm. Hmmmm.”

At the strange sound from Cordelia, who was narrowing her eyes, Yuder crossed his arms and replied.

“Excuse me? That’s Maia.”

“Still… hmmm, hmmm.”

Cordelia was also joking.

Otherwise, instead of humming like this, she would have launched a Magic Missile.

“Stop joking around. Let’s go in and sleep too.”

“Hmmmm?”

“And maybe make a baby while we’re at it.”

“Excuse me?”

Instead of answering, Yuder gave a sly smile and wrapped his arm around Cordelia’s waist. Cordelia eventually snorted with a “Hmph!” and leaned her head against Yuder’s chest.

“Cordelia.”

“What.”

“Nothing. I’m just happy.”

“What are you talking about?”

But despite her words, Cordelia was smiling too.

Yuder lifted his head and looked at the sky.

Gazing at Selene and Helene beyond the glass ceiling of the greenhouse, he unknowingly whispered.

“For a perfect happy ending.”

“And they all lived happily ever after.”

Cordelia whispered back as if in response, stood on her tiptoes, and Yuder lightly pressed his lips against hers.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Yuder held Cordelia tightly as she snuggled into his embrace and looked up at the night sky.

A happy smile graced his lips.

---

Translated By: Meher (RaidenTL)

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