Meanwhile, Fuuka was being jostled in a carriage heading toward the royal capital.
Her lustrous black hair streamed in the wind.
She gazed at the scenery rushing by. Sitting beside her was Odina Florence—Miyako’s brother, the secret agent serving the Reinhardt family, the two’s indecisive former fiancés.
“Is this really alright, Lady Fuuka? That is…”
“Are you referring to abandoning your sister? Or shamelessly returning to the royal capital?”
Keeping her gaze fixed out the window, Fuuka replied.
“Both.”
“I’ve done a terrible thing to Miyako. But the Florence family are provincial gentry. If it were discovered that Miyako had kidnapped me, the eldest daughter of the Hamilton family. A court noble of the royal capital—wouldn’t her family face ruin?”
“Ah, well, that’s exactly right.”
Though I’m not sure if my master thought that far ahead, Odina gave a wry smile.
“Lord Klaus ordered you to bring Miyako back, didn’t he? If Miyako returns, she’ll never be able to escape the Reinhardt family this time. That girl, Miyako, definitely doesn’t want that.”
She was like the sun.
Warm, dazzling her.
Miyako, as free as the wind, would never be able to endure life as a bride of a court noble.
“So, I will apologize in her place. Miyako isn’t coming back.”
“Wha—?! But if you do that, Lady Fuuka—!”
Odina panicked.
Defying a house as prestigious as the Reinhardt family head-on was tantamount to suicide. She would likely no longer be able to live in the royal capital as a noble.
“After all, I’m already a ‘failure’ who no longer belongs to the Hamilton family. Whether I’m reduced to commoner status or exiled, they can do as they please.”
As if she had given up on everything, Fuuka spoke.
Holding that resolve in her heart, Fuuka had slipped quietly out of the cottage, asked Shanly’s messenger to take her to Miyako’s family home, persuaded Odina—and was now returning to the royal capital.
It’s fine.
I’ll be fine.
I’ll ruminate on the happy days.
On those mere ten days, and I’ll be able to go on living in the royal capital.
The carriage raced on.
“…I’m sorry, Shanly. Fuuka-chan didn’t come here, did she?”
With a frozen expression, Miyako knocked on the door of the house, and Shanly silently welcomed her in. A girl with chestnut hair who looked exactly like a continental merchant and no older than fifteen peeked out from the inner room.
It was the girl who had been bedridden until just recently. Now fully recovered, she briskly prepared tea for Miyako.
“Um, thank you so much for helping me. Lady Miyako… I don’t even know how to thank Lady Fuuka…”
“Don’t call me ‘Lady’…”
“What are you talking about? Miyako-chan and Fuuka-chan are saints! They’re Aisha’s saviors!”
The girl called Aisha blushed and nodded firmly. Her lustrous chestnut hair swayed, and her lovely eyes darted about.
It was hard to believe she had been as pale as a wax doll when bedridden with self-mana poisoning.
Miyako regretted that Fuuka couldn’t see this remarkable recovery.
Fuuka.
To disappear so suddenly.
If she wasn’t here, then she must have truly returned to the royal capital.
No way. Why?
“…Why didn’t you tell me, Umi?”
‘I had no obligation to stop her, nya. After all, it was something Fuuka decided for herself~?’
In response to Miyako’s words, Umi, curled up on her lap, let out a huge yawn.
Miyako realized that this fluffy water spirit hadn’t tried to stop Fuuka when she quietly left the cottage. But she couldn’t blame Umi. After all, Umi had no such obligation.
Besides, Fuuka was kind.
She must have imagined various things from the spy Odina who had come for her, shouldered it all alone, and decided to settle everything herself—vanishing from Miyako’s sight.
Believing that escaping the Reinhardt family was the only happiness for Miyako.
The villainess who meets a miserable death behind the true ending.
That was the kind of person Fuuka was.
‘…Master.’
Umi mewed from Miyako’s lap.
‘Master is someone trying to change fate, nyaa. I can tell, nya.’
Neither Shanly nor Aisha, who should have been right in front of them, so much as glanced toward Umi. It seemed Umi was speaking in a way only her contractor, Miyako, could hear.
‘Changing fate isn’t something easily done, nyaa.’
‘Even if my master-sama came from (….) wherever and whoever… Nyaa.’
Umi.
She seemed to know about Miyako’s origins.
Come to think of it, Miyako hadn’t been having prophetic dreams lately.
The prophetic dreams she used to have frequently when everything was proceeding according to the scenario.
Ever since the day her engagement was broken.
Ever since the day she ran to Fuuka.
They had almost entirely stopped visiting her in the veil of night.
‘The great water spirit Umi doesn’t take sides with humans… but if master-sama decides to act and commands this voice to race a thousand miles, I’ll lend you my back to reach the royal capital even now, nya. Just like that night.’
With a huge “kwaa” yawn, Umi fell silent.
Cradling the mug filled with tea Aisha had poured, Miyako thought.
—The fairy tale of two women living together could never come true.
She wondered if it was alright for her, who had nothing, to go and retrieve Fuuka, who had declared that in a letter. …She fell deep into thought.
Shanly was in the corner of the room, probably writing purchase orders or something. Aisha sat quietly in her chair, gazing out the window.
Miyako was grateful for the consideration of this mother and daughter, who didn’t press her with excessive conversation.
How kind they were to her, who had suddenly barged in.
Then.
Clatter-clink, the sound of the door opening.
“Ah!” Aisha, Shanly’s beloved daughter, sprang up with a cheerful voice.
“Mom’s home!”
She dashed to the entrance.
“Huh? Mom?”
Aisha’s mother… Shanly was in the corner of the room writing. She seemed to have finished a section and was wiping ink from her pen with a cloth. But, mom’s home?
Two sets of footsteps approached.
A large footstep.
A small footstep.
The one who appeared opening the living room door was.
“…Oh my. You must be Miyako Florence? I hear you helped our Shanly and our dear daughter.”
“Y-yes.”
“Thaaank you. …Really.”
The one who appeared was a stunning beauty with shining golden hair, a tall stature that wouldn’t lose to a royal capital soldier, a low sweet voice, and clad in dignified travel attire. Very mature, very beautiful, and cool.
“Mom, welcome home!!”
Clustering at her feet, Aisha laughed gleefully.
But, mom? What did that mean?
“Ah, Shanly. Didn’t you tell her?”
The tall beauty smiled softly.
“My name is Maria. I’m Shanly’s wife.”
“Huh?”
“Mmm~, Maria!!!”
Shanly, still meticulously maintaining her pen, blushed.
“A-hem! That’s riiight. No lies here!”
She muttered something in the continental language in fragments.
Even Miyako could tell she was saying something to hide her embarrassment.
Judging by Maria’s well-defined, curvaceous figure, she was clearly a woman.
So that means… that means.
“Shanly-san is Maria-san’s wife?”
“Yep.”
“And Maria-san is Shanly-san’s wife?”
It was Aisha who answered Miyako’s question.
“Yes! Shanly is Mother, and Maria is Mom!”
…Stunned.
Miyako’s mouth hung open unintentionally, and Maria teased playfully.
“Fufufu, surprised?”
“Eh, no, well—”
Miyako stammered.
Two mothers.
That such a family structure existed in this country.
But in reality, that family existed right before Miyako’s eyes.
Though surprised… a warm light pierced the cold depths of her chest.
“So, wanna hear about how we got together…?”
Lured by Maria’s soft tone, Miyako nodded firmly.
Next time, Miyako rises to reclaim Fuuka-chan!
To swear happiness to her beloved villainess, again and again and again!!!!