episode_0099

[Episode 99] – Family Gathering (1)

The day after Veronica returned.

There was so much going on at the masquerade ball that I was completely exhausted and decided to relax with Titania today. There was nothing to do in terms of rest, but honestly, I was happy just lying in bed and lazing around. Because it’s been really hard these days.

As I lay flat on the bed and stared blankly at the ceiling, I flinched and trembled, feeling as if one of my legs was going to cramp up. When I glanced up and looked at my legs, I saw Titania reading a book using my thighs as a pillow.

When I shook my leg to tell Titania to stop getting off my leg, she started putting pressure on her head that was cutting down on my leg to prevent me from moving. It looked kind of cute, so I stroked her hair, and Titania moved her body and soon lay down between my legs.

With my legs freed from Titania’s head, I stared blankly at the ceiling and began to wonder when I should bring up Veronica’s story to Titania. Since we were planning to meet next week, I had to let him know slowly, but when I actually wanted to bring it up, I was at a loss as to how to say it.

‘How should I introduce Veronica? First of all, Titania knows that child, but…’

I pursed my lips, then raised my upper body at an angle and looked at Titania, who was lying between my legs and reading a book. When I looked at Titania reading a book intently while looking at the ceiling, I sighed involuntarily. Even when he lies down, he always lies between my legs?

“Titania?”

“yes?”

When I called, Titania turned over from looking at the ceiling and looked at me. Titania looks at me with her chin resting, as if she has no intention of getting out from between my legs. For some reason, I felt strange, so I folded one knee halfway and ended up in an awkward position, neither lying down nor standing up.

…Anyway, this isn’t the important thing.

“Titania, what would you think if… you had a sister?”

“…Sister? “Not my younger brother, but my older sister?”

Titania lifted her chin at the mention of sister and began to worry. Hmm, Titania, who was contemplating while making a snort, seemed to have ended her worries soon as she rolled her eyes and glared at me. You’re not imagining anything strange again, are you?

“By any chance, my mother remarried…”

“No.”

Look at this. I’m imagining something strange again.

What kind of remarriage am I doing? Why would the queen of a country remarry in the first place? In this country, is it okay for the queen to remarry? When I looked at Titania as if I was really dumbfounded, she tilted her head as if it was strange.

“I know it doesn’t make sense, but… I don’t know what my mother’s intention is when she says this to me. “Perhaps my mother remarries and her child becomes my half-sister…”

“My daughter has always had a great imagination. Haven’t I told you so many times? Don’t just read romance novels. The book you’re reading now isn’t a strange book, is it? “It’s not a cover…”

“Well, of course. I guess not…?”

Titania quietly hides the book she was reading.

When I started watching Titania read romance novels, she even changed the covers of the books and put different covers on them. I also didn’t think romance novels were particularly bad. It would be okay to read sometimes to relieve stress.

But, did they say that too much of anything can be poisonous? This was exactly what he was saying about Titania. It was really troublesome because Titania often had strange imaginations after reading romance novels. What I meant was that please read moderately. Moderately.

“Didn’t I say ‘what if’? Really, I was asking what would happen if you had a sister. Doesn’t that sound pretty good? “I think it would be nice for you to have a sister…”

Titania, who was looking at me with her chin clenched, blinked exactly once, crooked her eyes and smiled. Then Titania placed her cheek on the inside of my thigh and answered with a smile. As if there was already an answer to my question.

“I do not need it.”

“But… you’re less lonely when you have brothers and sisters, right…?”

“well? I used to think so, but these days, I’ve never felt lonely because I’m alone. “I think it’s better these days because I’m alone.”

“okay…?”

Titania replied and began to rest her head on my inner thighs as a pillow. When Titania’s slightly cold cheek tickled the inside of my thigh, my body trembled involuntarily. Then, Titania, who was showing a lot of cuteness between my legs, smiled brightly and continued talking.

“For me, my family is not just my mother and I, but with Ainsel, three people are enough.”

-Princess… You didn’t just forget that…?

“no no. “It’s not like that.”

When the angel hanging around Titania’s neck let out a crying voice, Titania, who was startled, was busy comforting the angel. I looked at the two children who were rolling between my legs and starting to chatter, then I immediately lay down on the bed and looked at the ceiling again.

It seemed that introducing Veronica would not be as easy as I thought. I definitely believed that Titania would be happy if she had an older sister or younger brother since she was alone, but Titania answered that she wasn’t particularly lonely. Is it because Ainsel is already by your side?

‘…I don’t know. It might be different when we actually meet.’

Thinking of that, I knocked on the side of my bed, telling him to stop playing between my legs and come up here. Then Titania, who had settled down at my feet, crawled onto the bed and lay down next to me. Then he pulled my arm behind my head and asked for an arm pillow.

I sighed and glanced down at Titania, who was starting to snuggle between my armpits. Titania just laughs, wondering what’s so good about it. I wish I could smile like this when I meet Veronica… but I don’t think it will be easy.

*

Time goes by so quickly.

The day came when Titania and Veronica met.

As soon as night fell, the view of the terrace changed to the sea, and one more chair was added to the table I sat at last time. Titania was startled by the change in scenery, and then began looking at the night sea as if she had never been so surprised.

He said it was his first time seeing the sea, that it smelled different from a lake, and he started asking me excitedly, asking if it would be okay if he came closer later. As I was looking at that scene, Veronica suddenly came and approached me and Titania with her arms folded.

My eyes widened involuntarily at the sight of him wearing a different outfit than when I met him. Long black hair down to her back and a dress with little decoration. Although it was a dress with little exposure, the black mermaid dress that perfectly revealed the lines of the body gave off a sexy and elegant feeling.

The sight of her wearing black lace gloves and holding a fan was enough to make her young 17-year-old face look more mature. Moreover, since it was a dress that Titania did not usually wear, it had a different feel and felt strange. Wouldn’t this be what it would feel like if Titania grew up?

“You really came.”

“…Because I promised. And, it’s true that I want to talk to Titania…”

The moment Titania, who was looking at the sea with sparkling eyes, and Veronica, who was smiling shyly, made eye contact, a short silence fell between them.

I knew Titania would be surprised.

Until today, I didn’t know what to say about Veronica, so I decided to just go with the surprise feeling. So, it was natural that Titania, who didn’t know she was going to meet Veronica, was surprised. but…

Titania’s face, which had been smiling broadly as she looked at the sea, gradually hardened, and when she looked at Veronica’s face, she began to frown more and more.

In the end, Titania’s bright smile disappeared and she looked back and forth between me and Veronica with an angry look on her face. Titania quickly sighed and asked me.

“What would it be like if I had a sister? Did you mean this? mother?”

“……”

I couldn’t say anything as Titania was glaring at me as if she was really angry. Just smile shyly. Veronica must not have expected Titania to be this angry, as Veronica’s expression showed embarrassment.

“I don’t like it. A sister like you. “For my family, my mother and two people are enough.”

-princess…

Titania approached Veronica with long strides, raised her head and glared at Veronica.

“I still remember, right? “What you said to me when you came to me dressed as Princess Fiona.”

Seeing Titania growling like a puppy while looking up at Veronica, I quickly began to comfort her.

“Hey, just calm down and sit down. huh? “Shouldn’t we at least talk about it first?”

I pushed Titania’s shoulders and almost forced her to sit on the chair, and Veronica and I also sat down. Veronica and Titania sat on either side of me with me in the middle. Titania was busy glaring at Veronica, who was sitting across from her, as if she still didn’t want to admit it.

To lighten the mood as much as possible, I clapped my hands and continued speaking in a bright voice.

Wow!

“Well, the whole family is finally together. “Now let’s forget all the bad memories of the past and make a new start-”

“Who calls you family?”

“Who is that person’s family?”

Veronica and Titania glare at me, saying similar things at almost the same time. I felt strange because it felt like I had another teenage daughter. However, even though the two daughters tried to resist, it was no use. Because I have already decided to treat Veronica like my own daughter, just like Titania.

“I’m not criticizing my mother’s decision.”

“B-but, mother! Please listen to me! That woman created a wedge between me and my mother when I was young?! Besides, it was there then! “I said it wasn’t a note I wrote!”

Titania complained to me as if she felt truly unfair.

…When was that? What if you came as part of a delegation? Is this a story about when the two of you had a tea party while dressed as Princess Fiona? Are you the reason Titania ran away from home at that time? Titania also left a note saying she was running away from home…!

When I narrowed my eyes and glared at Veronica, Veronica spread her fan and covered her mouth, avoiding my gaze and muttering in a low voice.

“Who was it that suggested we forget the bad memories of the past…?”

“You are…!”

I burst into tears and got angry, but I held my breath and held it in. Yes, because it’s in the past and it’s not really a problem now. Since the culprit is right in front of me anyway, that won’t happen anymore.

“Ha… Anyway, please introduce yourself first.”

“what? me? “Are you asking me to introduce myself?”

When I opened my eyes again and glared at Veronica, Veronica sighed as if she had no choice, covered her face with a fan, and began to worry. Then hit the fan! asked Titania, folding it loudly.

“Titania. “If I told you now that I did it for you, you wouldn’t believe me, right?”

“…of course. “How can I believe that you broke up the relationship between me and my mother for my sake?”

“Well, believe it or not, I really did that for you back then. Even now, for your sake, I am meeting you in front of Vivian, whom I really hate. You know? “How I hate Vivian.”

“i know. “That’s why I hate you.”

Veronica smiled in response, stretched out all five fingers, held them out to Titania, and continued.

“So, if I grant you a few wishes, will you trust me a little?”

“A wish…?”

“Okay, since I did something sorry to you, you can think of it as compensation for my apology. First of all… okay.”

Veronica folded one finger.

“When you grow up a little more, we can take you out of the palace. Oh, I don’t mean running away from home. “Sometimes, I’ll let you ‘secretly’ visit the capital’s festivals and other places.”

“uh…?”

“Look at my face. It’s the same as you, right? In just two years, you will be the same height as me. Besides, I am a princess like you, so I know the royal castle well. It appears often in novels, right? “The main characters set up a stand-in and secretly go to the festival.”

Wow, is it because it’s me?

Veronica, who presented exactly what Titania wanted, looked at Titania with a giggle. It was a story in which Titania, who could not go out of the castle due to her position as a princess, had no choice but to be shaken.

“Secondly, if you want, I will teach you magic. “My dwarves will help you.”

“you…! “You told me not to teach Titania magic…!”

“Do you really think what you teach and what I teach are the same? “What I was worried about was you being jealous of Titania, who has a talent for magic.”

“……”

I had no choice but to keep my mouth shut because I couldn’t refute those words. Veronica continued to seduce Titania by promising to grant her many wishes. All five fingers folded, and Veronica added these words:

“Instead, call me sister. Then I’ll give you everything you want. “I am somewhat capable.”

Wow, that’s disgusting. It’s really disgusting.

Is that the attitude of the person apologizing? Rather, it was the attitude of a person who took what he wanted while showing the gap between himself and Titania. What Veronica truly wants is to have Titania as her younger sister.

Is it because he knows Veronica’s past? I felt a little sorry for him like this, so I couldn’t stop him. Titania hesitated, considering what Veronica suggested, then frowned and asked.

“Are you really going to listen to all of that…?”

“Yes, as long as you call me sister. “You may not believe it, but I have always been by your side since you were little.”

“……”

Titania, who was worried, looked at me with an expression that did not know what to do. I really hate bowing down to Veronica, who had insulted me, but the wish she offered was so attractive.

Moreover, they were all wishes that I could not grant. In the end, Titania, who could not choose, looked at me with a tearful expression as if asking me to choose for her.

“…Titania, I don’t care anymore if that kid insults me or anything. “At best, I think my teenage daughter is acting like a brat.”

“Who is your daughter?”

“If I could give you one piece of advice, just get wishes from that kid and don’t learn that kind of personality. “I think I’d be a little sad if you changed like that too.”

Titania, who was crying, nodded vigorously, telling her not to worry about that.

“And… I wish you had a sister. Having more people you can rely on is really important. until when…”

The words ‘Because I can’t be by your side forever.’ came all the way up my throat, but I swallowed it with dry saliva and smiled bitterly.

“So, don’t think about me and just go and get what you wish for. “Because that child really cares for you.”

Titania looked back and forth between me and Veronica, then sighed, looked at Veronica, and muttered in a voice that made an ant crawl.

“…you.”

“what? “I can’t hear you very well?”

“…….sister…”

When Veronica heard the word ‘sister’ clearly, the corners of Veronica’s mouth began to rise to the sky. In order to cover the corner of his mouth that he couldn’t control, he quickly spread his fan and started covering the corner of his mouth.

In comparison, Titania was truly in mortal danger. She seemed to be on the verge of crying, perhaps because she felt ashamed of herself for calling Veronica her sister. Titania, with her fists clenched and her shoulders shaking, could not raise her head.

“Okay, finished self-introduction!”

“? No, what are you talking about? “You haven’t told me the most important thing yet.”

“what? This is enough, right? What else…”

ah. Veronica’s face started to turn red as she remembered something. He frowned at me as if he didn’t want to die, but I also had no intention of putting it off.

How can you introduce yourself without even saying your name? When I glared at her as if telling her to speak quickly, Veronica clicked her tongue in annoyance, cleared her throat, and looked at Titania.

“…veronica.”

“…yes?”

“My Name. My name is Veronica. “From now on, call me Veronica.”