BXBX NOVEL Volume 10, Chapter 09 “Parting”
Volume 10, Chapter 09 “Parting”
Part 1
Next morning.
Einhorn’s holds were stacked with treasures that we had acquired in the old castle of Golden Hands.
Not only gold and silver treasures, but also vases and various other things have been collected.
Considering it as a result of capturing the dungeon, it would be a great success.
The collection of the dispersed treasures has proven to be worth a considerable amount of money when converted into cash.
And yet, a woman was weeping in front of the treasure.
“Marie-sama, please be firm!”
“Goshujin-sama, let’s stop crying.”
Marie is sobbing as Kara and Kyle comfort her.
“Because, because! This is too much. I’ve been looking for it so hard, and no one told me there was a hidden door.”
Because Creare was not there, Marie, Jake and the others could not find out about the hidden door.
As a result, Marie and her party had a hard time, but the results were small.
Kara desperately comforts Marie.
“But, you see, that’s it! That! This is a great achievement because I am sure that we have conquered the dungeon as adventurers! You can boast about it for the rest of your life!”
“I don’t need bragging! I’d rather have the treasure!”
It’s an accomplishment this time, but at least once in your life, it’s a story you can brag about for the rest of your life.
In fact, it’s worth it just to be a part of it, because you’ll actually be recognized in the kingdom.
But Marie was targeting treasure, not honor.
Sadly, though, the motivation has been empty.
Kyle looks at me with a don’t-know-what expression.
“The Duke is truly awful. I think you have no human blood in your veins?”
“I told you I was kind. If Marie had listened to my advice at that time, I would have let her go with me and give her a share of the treasure.”
“You’re telling us at this timing?”
Kyle turned around pale and saw Marie, who had stopped crying, looking at me with tear-stained eyes.
But her eyes were scary because the highlights were gone.
It’s as scary as the ghosts and spirits.
“Hih !?”
As I step back, Marie approaches me quickly with her hands on the floor.
Her movements were also creepy or very scary.
As it is, she clings to my legs and looks up at me with a blank stare.
Her eyes were murky and dark in some way.
“Fun? Hey, is it fun? Do you enjoy making people regret? You want to make people think, “If only I had done that back then,” to make the aftertaste worse, don’t you? Even if you had convinced me, you wouldn’t have helped me then, would you? Wouldn’t you? Right?! “
Marie’s voice was flat as she shook me, her emotion gone.
But that is extraordinarily frightening.
“I-I’m sorry. I-I’ll give you the money.”
“I told you that doesn’t make sense!”
“Yes!!”
Suddenly, Marie shouted so loudly that I was so scared that I straightened up and answered her.
Marie starts crying while clinging to my leg.
“I wanted to find the treasure and be independent.”
I would have said, “Why don’t you work a more normal job instead of trying to get rich quick?” but I didn’t have the courage to say it here.
So, to divert her resentment towards me, I bring up the topic about Erika.
“M-More importantly, Erika-sama’s condition has stabilized. Creare says it’s no longer a problem to visit her.”
Marie, who was concerned about Erika who was being treated in the infirmary, runs out of the hangar as soon as she hears it.
.
Part 2
“Eliikaa !!”
In Einhorn’s infirmary, Marie was crying to Erika, who was sitting up in bed.
Erika is puzzled by Marie’s appearance, but smiles at her and speaks softly to her.
“It’s okay, mom”
They are alone in the room.
They were in a state where they could talk about their previous life relationships without worrying about anyone else.
(I wonder if uncle was being considerate?)
Imagining that Leon had been so considerate of them and left them alone together, Erika thinks in her mind that he is just as she had heard.
Marie cries and worries about Erika’s condition.
“I’m glad Erika is okay.”
“You’re exaggerating. I’m just a little in pain.”
“You’re pushing yourself too hard! You could have stayed on the ship.”
“I said I would go with you. Anyway, how was the dungeon?”
Marie’s concern for Erika, who has a chronic illness in this life, is really the way she treats her daughter.
The physical age of the two is only two years apart, but Erika’s age inside is decades older than hers.
Still, Marie still behaves like a mother to Erika.
Erika puts her hand on Marie’s back and rubs it.
Marie tells the story of how she was deceived by Leon during this dungeon capture.
“He’s the only winner. It’s cunning. He knew there was a hidden passageway and he didn’t tell us?! Even deceiving his own fiancées to try to win, he really is out of his mind.”
Marie was emotional and expressive as she explained how cunning Leon was.
Erika, who was watching the action, goes amused and bursts out laughing.
Marie tilts her head at Erika, who giggles in a graceful way.
“What’s wrong?”
“It was kind of funny. I just thought Mom is like in the previous life. Look, you used to tell me stories about uncle.”
Marie fluster and remembers her previous life.
Apparently, she does not remember telling her daughter about Leon’s story.
“D-Did I? Mom doesn’t remember. Did I tell you anything about aniki?”
“You did. On the days you came back drunk, you used to tell me stories about uncle. If only aniki were still alive~, the other is aniki is a bastard, etc. But at the end, you always ――”
―― I want to see onii-chan again.
Erika used to watch Marie fall asleep drunk after saying that.
Not only does Marie not remember, but she blushes when she is told the embarrassing story.
She was quite agitated.
“T-T-T-T-That’s it, that! Wanted to meet him again and wring him out. That’s why I’m not really talking about that!”
Marie, desperately denying it, looks like a child.
Erika watched her, smiling.
“It’s good to meet Uncle again, mom.”
When Erika is pleased that they met, Marie has a complicated look on her face.
Erika is puzzled by Marie, who looks down and sad.
Apparently, Marie has a feeling of indebtedness to Leon.
“Maybe aniki didn’t want to meet me.”
“Is that so? Uncle looks like he’s having fun, though?”
“He’s a troublesome guy who’s always playing carelessly and never says what he really thinks. Erika should never marry a man like that ―― Ah.”
At the mention of marriage, Marie, “Oh, no” and she is depressed again.
She seemed to remember Erika’s engagement talk.
“I don’t mind”
When Erika tells her not to worry, Marie stands up and raises her voice.
“It can’t be! How can you look so unconcerned when you can’t marry the person you love? And what’s more, it’s Fraser family.”
Marie had knowledge of that third otome game, albeit only halfway through.
That is why she despaired when she found out that Erika was married to that Eriya Rafa Fraser.
“I don’t blame Mom for worrying, but Eriya isn’t such a bad kid. It’s not like that game.”
“It’s a lie! Because in that game, he’s an ugly guy who looks like a coward ―― A-re? Erika, did you say that game?”
Erika knows that Otome game.
Marie is puzzled by this fact.
“I played it too, you know. Mom left me alone, so I played it in my spare time. It was fun.”
“I-I see. But then!”
As Marie still tries to keep asking, Erica shakes her head and looks serious.
.
“――Mom, that’s my responsibility as I was reincarnated as a princess.”
“Your responsibility?”
“Is it more of a possession than a reincarnation? I don’t know, but I am a princess of the Kingdom of Horfalt. With this position comes responsibilities, of course.”
Erika understood her position well.
And so it is with marriage in this world.
“My marriage to Eriya is a political marriage, unlike the marriages of my previous life. If we get married, there will be people who will feel safe.”
“Other people don’t matter!”
“If I were a normal person. But now I am royalty and a princess. I have a duty to protect my people and my country.”
When Marie says, “But, because,” and Erika breaks into a smile.
When she smiles at Marie, she tries to reassure her.
“That’s why it’s okay. Because Eriya is kind.”
“Kind?”
“In the game, he was supposed to be an ugly guy with a bad personality. But Eriya lost weight for me, and now he’s chubby and cute.”
“――Erika would have suited well with a good-looking man.”
“Mom is really menkui, isn’t she. Everyone gets old, and it’s our character and our worthiness that will ultimately matter.” (Note: attracted by physical looks only)
Erika’s story of how she lived to become a grandmother must have been convincing to Marie.
In addition, she seemed anxious about her own future.
She is holding her head.
“Sure, we will get older, but ―― Do they have a sense of worthiness? Even though I am concerned about my character? If this continues, my old age will be”
The uncertainty of the future weighs on Marie.
Unable to see Marie like this, Erika comforts her.
“I-It’s okay. Onii-sama and the others around this time aren’t bad people.”
Then Marie raised her head and turned a straight face to Erika.
“What about Jilk?”
“I-I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say.”
Erika also seemed to know that Jilk had a personality problem.
When the two are disheartened, Marie puts her hands on her hips, sensing that she has made the atmosphere of the place worse.
“We-Well, if Erika says it’s okay, it’s okay. You’ve always been firmer than me. I’m no good ―― I couldn’t stand on my own from aniki this time either.”
Laughing sadly, Marie seems to think she is a helpless person.
She is about to cry as it is.
Erika hugs Marie.
“That’s not true. I’m happy to see you, Mom. ―― I’m sorry you had to work so hard for me.”
“I! I aaaam! I’m finally trying to do something like a mother! That’s why, that’s why!”
Marie hugged Erika tightly and burst into tears.
Part 3
[Master, why was Marie after the treasure?]
“Hah?”
Luxion questions me as I run away from Marie and retreat to my room.
[No, Marie does not need to overwork herself at present. Having gained a protector, Master, she should have no financial problems. It bothered me that she did not want the honor and was after the treasure. What did Marie want?]
There is no need for Marie to force herself to get the treasure.
As Luxion says.
I turn over and turn to Luxion and speak for Marie’s feelings.
“Because Erika was her daughter.”
[That’s not an answer, is it?]
“That’s the answer. The daughter of her previous life just showed up. No wonder she wants to be proud of herself.”
Luxion sounded skeptical or unconvinced by my explanation.
[That’s why she wanted to become independent? I don’t understand. There should be no inconvenience to be under Master’s protection.]
Marie was into treasure hunting because she wanted to be independent from me.
But Luxion cannot understand Marie’s feelings.
[Given Marie’s character, wouldn’t she want to avoid having her support terminated by Master?]
“You’re not thinking about how she feels, are you?”
[Feelings? Isn’t it Marie to always count on Master’s support?]
“It’s not a mistake, though.”
I talk to Luxion about Marie a while back.
“She didn’t know her daughter from a previous life in this world, and she caged those otome game targets. Then she became a saint, but her knowledge of the game is so half-baked that she’s treated like a fake saint.”
[Her short-sighted thinking is similar to Master’s. As expected from the siblings of the previous life.]
“I’m thinking a lot deeper than Marie.”
[Are you sure it’s not just what you think?]
“Shut up! ――Anyway, Marie is being fed by me while paying the bill for doing as she pleases. She doesn’t want her daughter from a previous life to see her like that.”
Marie probably wanted to appear like a mother in front of Erika.
After all, in her previous life, she had been a pathetic figure.
Stumbling through life, and regret for not doing something more motherly.
“It’s a regret from a previous life. In front of Erika, she wants to be a fine mother.”
[Did you notice it and keep quiet about the hidden door?]
“That is that, this is this, okay?”
[You are a merciless Master.]
She was trying to find treasure, become independent, and be the ideal mother in front of Erika.
But think about it.
After having caged five men.
This level of effort will not erase the negatives that have been building up.
It doesn’t even go back to zero.
“She’s just good enough not to be too pretentious.”
I tell him how I feel about Marie, and Luxion turns clockwise on the spot.
What does it mean?
[I understand Marie’s purpose. At the same time, there is one more thing I don’t understand.]
“What?”
[I wondered how you could be so aware of Marie’s feelings, but not be aware of the feelings of your own fiancées. I’m not joking, I’m really wondering.]
Luxion hits a sore spot and I get a complicated look on my face.
“If I could understand how women feel, I could have lived better.”
[Master is so dense]
“Why are you so foul-mouthed?”
[It’s because I’ve learned too much from Master’s foul mouth.]
Are you saying it’s my fault that you are so foul-mouthed?
You were pretty foul-mouthed from the first time we met, weren’t you?
“To begin with, Marie is not a woman to me. She is my little sister.”
She is the existence that is the most hateful and closest enemy.
I have known Marie since we were small, I’m not saying that ―― I can grasp Marie’s thoughts, but I can understand them a little bit.
It is especially easy to understand when impatient, as she is today.
“Ange and others are wonderful women, unlike Marie. It would be rude to put them together.”
[Marie is going to be furious when she hears about that.]
I turned over and turned my back on Luxion as the image of an enraged Marie came to mind.
As it is, I ask Luxion about Erika’s condition.
“So, how’s Erika doing?”
[No problem. A thorough examination will reveal more details. However, we cannot find the time for that under the current circumstances.]
Because of the long time required for a full examination, it has not yet been done properly.
The same is true for Mia-chan.
Because of the long period of restriction, only simple examinations were currently being conducted.
“As soon as we get into summer vacation, we’ll do a full examination. I’ve already obtained permission from Milene-san. When will you get the results?”
[The results are up to Creare to analyze.]
I hope the mystery of Erika and Mia-chan’s illness can be found out and treated.
If I leave it to Luxion and others, there will be no problem.
As I’m thinking about falling asleep, Luxion wakes me up.
[Master, a suspicious airship is approaching Einhorn. ―― It appears to be unmanned.]
“――Ha?”