After the unexpected encounter with Kate, I returned to my room to clean my hands. Returning to my room instead of the dormitory was a refreshing change, but meeting Lily was the priority. Therefore, after washing my hands, which I usually didn’t spend more than 30 seconds on, meticulously for over 3 minutes, I walked straight to the lounge where Lily was waiting.
Perhaps Adelia would not only change her clothes but also thoroughly clean herself, so it might take a while. Until then, it seemed like a good idea to have a conversation with my mother.
“I’m back.”
“You’re back?”
Upon arriving at the lounge, mother greeted me. However, Lily, who was there just a moment ago, was nowhere to be seen.
Wondering where she might be, I glanced around, and suddenly, a white ‘crib’ that hadn’t been visible before caught my eye.
It turned out Lily was there. As I took a step towards it, Lily, with wide-open eyes, was wriggling inside the crib.
My little sister, always cute no matter when. From the red hair to the golden eyes, she inherited everything.
Gently, I extended my index finger towards Lily’s wide-open hands.
Swish-
Lily, with a coo, reached out her hand and grabbed the tip of my finger with her tiny hand.
Why are you so small? The size difference is expected between a grown adult and a newborn baby, but it was enough to be harmful to the heart.
“Ooo.”
The cooing, once again harmful to the heart, was an added bonus. I smiled at Lily’s determined grip on my hand, as if she wouldn’t let go no matter what.
I had finally achieved the wish I had longed for so much. All that remained was for Lily to call me “oppa” (older brother).
At what age do children typically start speaking? It varies from person to person, but generally, I’ve heard that most children start talking around the age of 3. Some say they have a moment when they awaken to language.
It might be said that we have to wait at least three more years, but babies naturally grow up in the blink of an eye. Before you know it, they’ll start crawling, and with another blink, they’ll be walking energetically.
I slowly withdrew the hand that had been tightly held by Lily, looking into her golden eyes. As I did so, Lily’s hand, which had been holding mine, naturally loosened, and she brought it to her mouth.
Her golden eyes, filled with intense curiosity, were looking at me intently. It seemed like Father and Mother were used to seeing our faces frequently, but I was not.
Mother, smiling softly at the two of us, spoke affectionately to Lily.
“Lily, do you see? This is your second brother, Isaac. He’s also a world-famous Xenon’s Biography writer.”
“Aaa.”
Whether she understood or not, she responded with a coo. Hearing that sound, Mother and I both burst into laughter.
Then, surprisingly, Lily also smiled brightly. It seems to be true that babies have a habit of smiling when they see their parents’ smiles. Going through the expected heartache was just part of the process. The pure smile of a baby seems to have an incredible power, almost enough to melt one’s heart rather than causing pain.
“Imagine being born and finding out your older brother is a famous Xenon’s Biography writer. Wonder how your mom feels about it.”
“Yeah, really.”
I deeply empathized with the mother’s words. In my past life, having a famous novel is one thing, but being born into a family where someone has reached the pinnacle in that field is a whole other. However, surprisingly, most people don’t show it off much. It might be partly because they are already so famous, but they generally don’t pay much attention to it.
Well, aside from the fact that the child is still very young, most parents are not active in their field after the child grows up. So, from the child’s perspective, they are just an ordinary family. If you neglect this aspect, there is a high possibility that the child may go down the wrong path.
So, I should probably be like that too. When Lily has a sense of reason, I’ll probably have revealed my identity, and I plan to diligently play the role of an older brother.
“Uung…”
It had been quite a while since Lily woke up from her nap. After making a sleepy sound, Lily slowly began to close her eyes. It’s common for babies to spend most of their day sleeping until they sleep through the night. It’s fortunate that I arrived during her awake hours.
Anyway, Lily seems to be tired, so I should stop here. It’s a shame that Adelia couldn’t see her like this.
Ring-
When Lily tried to fall asleep, mother rang the bell, calling for a maid. Well, more precisely, it’s not a maid but a head maid.
Before long, the summoned head maid entered the lounge. Unlike my mother, who exuded beauty comparable to that of a maiden despite being past middle age, the head maid at her age had deep wrinkles on her face, fitting her years.
The head maid, who started living with us when my father received a noble rank, had taken care of me even in my childhood. Now, she holds the position of the head maid.
“Well then, I’ll leave it to you, Dana.”
“Yes, understood.”
The head maid bowed politely in response to the mother’s request and left the room. Although I wanted to see Lily a bit more, I couldn’t help but feel regret since sleep was crucial for the child.
Once the head maid left with Lily, only my mother and I remained in the lounge. While gazing at the spot where the head maid had been, I spoke to my mother.
“Did the head maid return to her position as a head maid?”
“No, it’s not that. I’m gradually getting older, so I don’t engage much in social activities aside from tea time. That’s why we take turns taking care of Lily.”
“I think mom is still young enough to engage in social activities though?”
“This little.”
Mother smiled happily, placing her hand on her mouth. It seems like she took it as a joke, but it’s not a joke; it’s the truth.
Who would think that she, looking at that face, is a middle-aged woman who raised three grown-up siblings? There’s no sign of aging to be found, not even a trace.
Perhaps it’s because of her good genes or maybe she absorbed all of father’s mana. Considering how Marie and Cecily’s skin glowed every time we slept, the possibility was very high.
Let’s think about how Lily was born in the first place. Even on the first night with Marie, she generously gave me the last remaining contraceptive pill.
“Anyway, you’ve safely returned home. By the way, Adelia seems to have gone through various things in the meantime.”
“Well… yes. Just a while ago, I met Miss Kate.”
“There were so many people that even your mother got a bit dizzy. Since it seems like we have a lot to talk about, sit for a moment. Your father is currently busy with work, so it might be better to meet him later.”
“Is he really that busy?”
“Don’t say such things. He’s busy complaining about you every day.”
How much does he complain about me? In fact, most of father’s work is a result of things that happened because of me, so I can’t really argue.
Although I want to help, I’m ignorant when it comes to his work. I should learn little by little during the vacation, even if it’s for the sake of the future.
Following mother’s instructions, I settled on the sofa in the lounge. There’s still some time before Adelia arrives.
I planned to bring up Xenon’s Biography until then. Fortunately, even fresh fruit was prepared, as if ready in advance.
Mother, eagerly slicing into the tempting red apple. She enjoys cutting it herself rather than relying on a servant, even on ordinary days.
I picked up a piece of fruit that Mother had cut and put it in my mouth using a fork. The sweet juice spread throughout my mouth.
“So many things have happened, and I don’t know where to start. It’s even hard to organize.”
“You can do it however you like, Mother.”
“Well then… Kate. How did you meet Inquisitor Kate? Looks like she knows your identity as well.”
“It’s nothing special. Lord Luminous gave her an ambiguous oracle.”
Not just an oracle, but the strong scent of lilacs emanating from my body played a role. It wasn’t an artificial perfume, but the natural fragrance of lilacs, so Kate noticed it faster.
After that, there were requests for my seed and such, but fortunately, those were smoothly handled. Perhaps due to Kate’s extensive knowledge nurtured under the thorough management of the organization, her sexual knowledge was devastating.
Mother, after listening to what happened between Kate and me, pondered for a moment and then smiled faintly. It seems a bit awkward after hearing it firsthand.
“So, there were circumstances. No wonder there was a reason you mentioned such things without hesitation.”
“Did she also say such things to Mother?”
“She said something similar. That Xenon is practically the same as light. Therefore, spreading your seed far and wide will brighten the world, she said.”
“…What?”
I momentarily stopped trying to put the fruit in my mouth and looked at my mother with a bewildered expression. I wondered if I had misheard what I heard just a moment ago.
However, my mother, after seeing my expression, calmly smiled and continued to slice the fruit leisurely.
“It seems you heard correctly. ‘Just as you plant seeds in the ground for plants to grow, you’re supposed to spread your seeds throughout the world. That’s the only way the world can be filled with light.’”
“··· ···”
“At first, I thought she might be a bit eccentric after hearing that. But I didn’t expect there to be such circumstances.”
“Is it not strange to say things like that, regardless of the circumstances?”
I burst into nervous laughter. I had just muttered about being the light that would save the world earlier, and now I was saying such things.
In my heart, I wanted to open Kate’s head like a lid and see what she was thinking.
“But you can understand, can’t you? At first, I thought she wanted to turn our son into someone worse than trash. You’re enough of a scoundrel now.”
“…Mother?”
“Why are you like this? Should I list them one by one if it’s too difficult for you? The Young Duchess of Requilis, the beloved of the Princess of Helium. The daughter of the chieftain you mentioned in the letter, a knight escort. Lastly, Kate and the junior you discovered this time. At least these women have feelings for you beyond mere liking.”
“···”
“Oh, and the Elven Queen might be included as well. She has received a lot of help from you, after all.”
Mother checked me thoroughly. She inserted a dagger into my heart with a smiling face. If Nicole physically tortured me, my mother mentally beat me. I wanted to protest, but if I do that, I’ll be the only one to look pitiful, so it’s better to just shut my mouth.
I should eat some fruit.
Anyway, let’s quickly move on from the matter about Kate. If I keep talking, I’ll only make things difficult for myself.
“… Let’s just skip that part for now. What’s important right now is not that.”
“It’s incredibly important, and you’re the only one who doesn’t know. Does our Isaac have a hobby of collecting princesses?”
“Mother.”
“Hehe.”
As I looked at my mother, who was eating fruit with a complex expression, she smiled like a young girl. How can she say the same thing as Nicole? Maybe this is also genetic.
I sighed as I looked at my mother eating fruit with a smile. I had a strong premonition that this might become a lifelong joke.
Meanwhile, my mother picked up a piece of fruit and slowly started peeling the skin.
“Let’s skip what you want for now and talk about Xenon’s Biography. What kind of gift did you receive from the demons that made your work speed up?”
“I’ll tell you that later. Gartz will bring it soon.”
The typewriter cannot be left in the dormitory, and it’s too big to carry around. So, I asked Gartz like a delivery driver. Maybe it will arrive around this evening. I asked him to deliver it to me at that time.
“It’s exciting. I wonder what kind of item it is that has significantly increased the work speed. Thanks to it, I can enjoy Xenon’s Biography a bit faster. This mom is happy.”
“Oh, by the way, did you receive the side story that I sent by mail? Did you read it?”
Just before the vacation started, I completed all of the side story and sent it to the mansion. By now, they should have arrived at the publishing house, but…
“Oh, I forgot to tell you. It seems sending it to the publishing house will have difficulties for a while.”
“What? Why?”
I received unexpected news from my mother. At the same time, I became worried because the last time the head of the publishing house was attacked by a devil worshiper. I’m concerned if something worse than that has happened.
Of course, it’s not a big problem to sign a contract with another publishing house. However, the trust built up with the current publishing house over time was very strong. Musk, the CEO, stood firm even when pressured by elf elders who received support from the Council of Elders, not just human nobles.
He’s someone hard to find, and even in situations like now, it would be troublesome if something happened.
“That’s the thing. They say the company is relocating.”
“To where?”
“To our territory.”
“…What?”
What is this again? The company that was doing well is moving to our territory.
As I looked at her with an expression of complete confusion, my mother explained the situation with her characteristic calm smile.
“As you know, the publisher’s CEO was attacked by devil worshippers.”
“I know about that.”
“But it seems the CEO thought that not only he but also others might be harmed. So, he planned to move the company to our territory, where the temple is being built. I heard that they will even help the families of the employees move.”
“That’s going to cost a lot of money…”
I expressed deep concern. The current value of our Michelle territory’s land was skyrocketing.
Not only are temples dedicated to the twin sibling deities being built, but also a huge event like the Xenon Exhibition is held in the area every year.
Moreover, it was a territory with great potential from the beginning, not just for development but also to keep my father bound. Naturally, the land value could only be high.
I’m worried that taking care of the families of the employees might be a bit difficult, even with the considerable profit from Xenon’s Biography.
However, my mother, unlike such concerns, casually opened her mouth with a shrug of her shoulders.
“Well, the CEO didn’t seem to care much about that, right? People can live with money, but you can’t buy a human life with money.”
“…”
“So, it might be difficult to deliver manuscripts during the construction of the building. Instead, it will probably be completed quickly. Cardinal Kate promised to help from their side.”
That CEO. Seriously, he has an amazing ability to smell money. It’s a relief that he’s not a noble, but if he were, he would have wielded immense wealth.
While I was silently chuckling to myself about it, my mother, who had been slicing fruit, paused and gently set the knife down. After glancing around to double-check if anyone was listening, she cautiously asked me in a hushed voice.
“So, I read the spin-off, you know.”
“You read that? Don’t read it.”
“Yeah. How could I resist the curiosity? It’s the side story of Jin and Lily’s past!”
Squelch—
What the… I blinked as a strange sound reached my ears. When I shifted my gaze, an unbelievable scene unfolded before me – my mother’s fingertips digging into the fruit.
I could understand the excitement and the force she put into it, but aside from that, it was undoubtedly an extraordinary sight for her fingers to be delving into a tough fruit.
“You don’t know how much I’m looking forward to it after reading. I hope Jin and Lily continue, and get together soon.”
“···”
Jin’s chest was pierced in the 20th volume, I couldn’t bring myself to say those words. Because…
Grip!
Just imagining it made me afraid, as Mother’s fingers gradually invaded the inside of the fruit.
I’ve seen some people in my past life split apples with one hand, but piercing an apple with fingers is something I’ve never seen before.
Simple brute strength. Mother mercilessly slaughtered the fruit with pure brute strength, without the power of mana.
Crack!
Our fruit valiantly met its demise. Not just scattered juice, but it seemed to be shattered into pieces everywhere.
The juice splashed on my cheek, showing how strongly she squeezed it.
“Oh my. I didn’t even realize the strength…”
“…”
“Just wait a moment.”
After ruthlessly brushing off the destroyed fruit from her hand, my mother stood up. I looked at the shattered fruit mess even when she stood up.
Why does that feel like my future? I’m deeply worried that after the 20th volume, my chest might be pierced.
‘There must be a reason why Father chose Mother.’
Indeed, beside the male lion, the female lion fits the best.
Translators note:
