𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟓𝟕: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐇𝐚𝐬 𝐒𝐧𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝
I, who was restrained by Rosso, had my magic sealed.
I have been reduced to just a cute girl.
“Poor Ojou-sama. . .”
“She must be too shocked to leave her bedroom. She hasn’t had a meal yet, and she might be crying.”
I could hear the maids whispering in front of the door.
Onii-sama had already left the mansion and was probably heading to the capital by now.
Overwhelmed by the shock, I ended up lying in bed. . .
But I wasn’t alone.
――Crunch, crunch, crunch. . .
“Mmm, delicious. I’m glad I kept some Calorie Hate~.”
I sat on the bed, munching on a stick-shaped portable snack called Calorie Hates (tamagoyaki flavor). I was filled with determination to escape as soon as I found an opportunity.
Galius will surely help me.
I am currently checking the map for the route to the capital.
The sunrise is at 5:30 in the morning. Even if I can get there in two hours, I want to leave here by midnight with plenty of time.
There are four and a half hours left until the departure limit.
I have to find a way to outsmart the guards.
As a last resort, I could dilute a dangerous potion and drink it, then have Dr. Vivian come and help me escape.
With a clear image of the route to the capital in my head, I changed into a dress with many drapes on purpose, creating an atmosphere that suggested I was resigned to staying home.
“This should do.”
It was the red dress that Cid had complimented. It had a black lace and a vibrant, large Dahlia flower motif, giving it a noble atmosphere.
After changing, I tied my hair up to make it easier to move.
――Knock, knock.
As I quietly prepared my belongings, I heard a knocking sound on the door.
“Ojou-sama, how are you feeling?”
“I’m fine.”
I replied, and an unexpected visitor appeared.
Led by the maids, Cid’s mother, Shelia, her current husband, and a cute boy enter.
“Oh. . ., good evening.”
“Excuse us. I’m Cid’s mother, Shelia. This is my husband, Allen, and our son, Seldi.”
Cid’s mother’s family had taken refuge in Duke Marcus’s territory.
But at Onii-sama’s arrangement, they should be staying in a mansion somewhere else, not here. . .
Why are they here?
Cid’s mother explained my question.
“Ethan Marcus-sama asked me to persuade Viara-ojousama. He requested that we wait here together for Cid’s return.’”
Onii-sama. How sneaky.
He involved Cid’s mother so that I couldn’t escape.
However, Cid’s mother smiled at me.
“Oh, please don’t misunderstand. I didn’t come here to stop Viara-sama.”
“Huh?”
My voice harmonized with her husband and Seldi-kun’s.
Cid’s mother approached us and firmly held both of my hands.
“I want to go with you too! Please, let me help save Cid.”
“Oh, Okaa-sama?! Wait, you want to come with us?”
“Shelia?! What are you. . .?!”
Yeah, her husband was surprised too. They didn’t discuss it.
They just decided on their own, as expected of a parent and child.
While holding her hand tightly, I asked Okaa-san.
“It’s dangerous, you know?! I’ll go and come back, so please wait here, Okaa-sama.”
“I can’t wait!”
Okaa-san desperately tried to follow. Her eyes were determined.
“Sixteen years ago, I let go of Cid. . .! I want to make up for all the hardships I caused that child! Please!”
It has been such a long time, enough for a child to become an adult.
Still, she is Cid’s mother.
Her unwavering love came through.
But what does Cid think?
He wouldn’t want his mother to be in danger.
Seeing through my hesitation, Okaa-san desperately pleaded with me.
“After finally being able to meet, I couldn’t have a leisurely conversation or embrace. . .! I can’t abandon Cid here again! I can use healing magic, so I’m sure I can be of help! Please take me with you!”
“Okaa-sama. . .”
I couldn’t refuse.
I squeezed her hand tightly and nodded silently.
However, Allen-san, who was standing behind, trembled and tried to stop us.
“What are you saying! Ethan-sama is heading there too, so isn’t it unnecessary for you to go?”
“You. . .”
“Please, don’t go! Are you going to leave me and this child behind. . ., abandon us?! Don’t you care about our family the most?! You are my wife, please don’t go!”
The room fell silent.
Seldi-kun looked back and forth between his parents, looking flustered.
I understood Allen-san’s concern for his wife’s safety.
He’s just an ordinary person, so he’s probably not used to dangerous situations.
Even I, might not want her to go if I were in his position.
I understood his feelings.
But right now, I’m worried about Cid, so I can’t pay attention to Allen-san.
“You, aren’t you Okaa-sama’s husband? Even if it’s just a formality, you might become my Otou-sama, so please don’t say such petty things?! It’s okay to have two important things! Cid, Onii-sama, and everyone in the family are all important to me! I don’t want to choose just one.”
“Uh, um.”
Allen-san’s face twitched
.
But I didn’t keep my mouth shut.
“As a parent, can’t you understand the feeling of prioritizing your child? Saying something like, [I’ll protect this child, so go and come back safely]’!!”
“Yes, yes!”
Allen-san straightened his back.
I apologized for intimidating him, but as a Duke’s daughter, I pushed forward with the haughty attitude I had cultivated.
“I’ll go quickly and come back quickly, so wait here!, Okaa-sama, if we ride the magic scooter together, we can go and help Cid!!”
“Yes! Thank you!!”
Just as the conversation was wrapping up, there was a light knock on the window from outside.
In the darkness, Galius was looking at me and smiling.
“Oh, our ride has arrived.”
It was earlier than expected.
That means everything is ready.
I descended from the window to the garden with Okaa-san, and Galius cut off the shackles that were sealing my magic power.
I ran through the darkness with the five guards who were waiting.
We passed through the estate grounds and skillfully bypassed the barrier with the guidance of the gatekeeper, and there was a magic scooter prepared in the back alley.
Cid’s Okaa-san got on behind Galius.
“Alright, we’re ready.”
The crystal stones have already been thrown in.
Now, all that’s left is to speed through with determination while being drained of a little magic power.
“Miss, how long has it been since you drove outside the practice circuit?”
Zold, a 16-year-old youth, asked while wearing a helmet. The sword he carried on his back was a high-quality dwarf-made weapon And he also had a magic gun at his waist. He was a skilled guard despite his young age.
“How long has it been. . .”
I sat on the magic scooter and checked the power.
“I’m a complete novice driver! I’ve never left the mansion!”
“What?!”
Technically, I passed the test that Onii-sama set as a standard, so I have a license.
But I’ve never gone on a long trip, and it was always my position to ride behind Cid.
“If we go at 50 kilometers per hour now, we’ll make it in time, so it’s fine! I pray that we won’t collide with wild boars in the darkness!”
“Miss, if anything happens to you, Cid-san will kill us! Please don’t ride in the front!”
――Vroom. . .
“Alright! Let’s go!”
Imitating Cid from the past, I declared our departure loudly.
The lights of the five magic scooters illuminated the darkness, and we kicked up dust as we set off.
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