Cling clang–
Inside the large dining room in Baron Rose's mansion, I sat beside Eliza around a long table with a white sheet as Madam Vivian sat across us beside Emilia.
We were having breakfast together, and no one said anything. The only sound that resounded in the dining room was the sound of a fork and knife hitting the ceramic plate as we cut through a slob of meat with white sauce on top.
Madam Vivian didn't say anything about what she saw yesterday, while Eliza glanced at me once in a while and giggled happily. This girl didn't know what subtlety was and forgot about her mother's feelings.
She was crying hard yesterday and could smile like an idiot today. It was totally clear that something had happened between us, and she didn't try to hide it from the others. Not that she had to hide it, but at least try not to show the world about it.
However, thanks to that, I bet Vivian knew what our relationship was and would act more casually with me. And it happened.
"Sir Arthur."
After our breakfast ended and I wiped my lips with the napkin on the table, Madam Vivian called me softly and smiled.
"Please, Madam. We talked about it before."
I looked up at her and replied with the same kind of smile.
"Just Arthur is enough. I might be rude and step over my bounds, but I've never had a mother figure beside myself. It would be strange if someone I thought of as my mother figure called me with an honorary title."
As I continued, I noticed a little twitch in Vivian's smile. Eliza looked down bashfully, misunderstanding my words, as that could also mean that I thought Vivian was my mother because I would stay with Eliza forever like a married couple.
I decided to ignore my childhood friend for now and focused on the older woman.
"Cough… V-Very well, Arthur." She coughed into her hand and immediately fixed her smiling expression. "I've noticed that lately, it seems that you have become quite… close to my daughter." She continued.
"M-Mama!" Eliza exclaimed with a shrill voice; happiness and shyness were mixed in her tone. Her face blushed red as she rose from her seat.
What was she going at by suddenly bringing that up? I meant nothing wrong with asking that, but it was so sudden. If she was curious about Eliza's relationship with me, she would bring it up yesterday.
'It must be related to what happened last night.'
Well, I didn't think she would make a move this fast. Maybe she thought it wouldn't do her any good to linger in her past. Her marriage was a political one, to begin with, and I didn't know whether Vivian loved Rowen Rose deeply or not.
However, seeing what happened last night, I didn't think love was really involved in their marriage. But, her love for her daughter was real.
"Fufufu, it seems that my daughter still likes you just as usual." Vivian giggled playfully with her hand hiding her mouth. "I am happy that both of you are getting along well." She continued, looking at us kindly.
I noticed sadness behind her voice, and so was Eliza as her smile dropped.
"Mama…"
Vivian lowered her hand, showing a smile to her daughter.
"Why do you look so sad? Mama is okay, Eliza." She said, turning to me. "Though I want to ask a favor from Arthur if he doesn't mind it. It's a selfish request of mine, and you can refuse it if it's too troublesome for you."
So that was her aim. Asking about my relationship with Eliza, getting her daughter involved in this, and then asking for a favor made me feel bad for refusing her because Eliza was looking at me with an upturned gaze.
Maybe Vivian wasn't as kind as I thought. She was even willing to use an emotional connection to ask for a favor from me. If I didn't help her, then Eliza would be sad, leaving a bad taste in my mouth.
It was as expected from a proper nobility, I guess. Using everything to get what they wanted, thinking with their brain instead of their desire. However, I couldn't say that Vivian's desire wasn't mixed in this favor, as I could guess what she wanted to ask from me.
'Still, who would've thought.'
Was this out of desperation? Or did she just want to use her daughter's connection for herself? And the fact she only brought it up now after I said I looked up at her like a mother figure was a bit suspicious.
I had planned to help her anyway, so I would agree to her request. But I needed to ask first.
"What favor do you want to ask me, Madam Vivian?"
"It's related to the trial I talked about before. I have changed my mind about it. It seems I can't solve it myself." She replied honestly without batting an eyelid.
Then, she glanced at Emilia for a second before turning back to me. "If possible, can we talk privately about that? It's a bit of a… private subject. My apologies to Miss Emilia, but the matter of the trial is a bit… personal."
"It's not a problem, Madam Vivian," Emilia replied with a gentle smile. Her sharp eyes turned softer as she turned to Eliza. "I would instruct student Eliza in the meantime. Even if we are in Baron Rose's mansion, student Eliza still needs to finish her daily training."
"Huh? A-Are you serious, teacher?!" Eliza raised her voice at the unexpected word. She looked back and forth between me and Emilia without knowing what to do. "B-But–"
"You should follow what your teacher said, Eliza," Vivian added, turning to her daughter with a strict expression. "Mama has an important talk with Arthur, so please go with Miss Emilia, okay? Besides, you trust Arthur, no? I will be fine, I promise."
My childhood friend turned to me, then to her mother, thinking about what she should do. Then I leaned slightly toward her and whispered.
"I will help her. Just trust me, Eliza."
"… Alright." Saying so, Eliza pushed her chair back and stood up, leaning a bit toward my ear and whispering, "I'll trust you, Arthur. Please help Mama, okay?"
"Yeah." I nodded.
Only then did Eliza smile again. She turned to Emilia and treated her like a real teacher with the right attitude, asking for her guidance in magic. Emilia replied with a soft smile and put on her teacher's act before leaving the room with the younger girl.
The door was closed with a soft thud.
"They are gone."
It was then the atmosphere surrounding Vivian suddenly changed as if a switch had been clicked. I felt some kind of pressure from her, although her smile remained the same. Without a doubt, this was the real Vivian Rose, Eliza's mother.
"Now then, Arthur. What I wanted to say is really personal, and I hope you won't disclose it to anyone." Her voice was serious as she looked straight into my eyes. "I thank you for making Eliza cheerful again, and that's why I think you need to know about this story if you want to stay with my daughter."
"And what is that, Madam?" I replied calmly, resting my back against the chair's backrest.
If she showed me her real personality now, that meant she was seriously asking for my help. Thus, it was natural that I didn't hide my real personality either, but I didn't think I needed to show her all I had yet.
I was sitting here as the Paladin now, and she was sitting as Madam Vivian and not Eliza's mother. It was a negotiation, although a small one, and the stake wasn't that high.
Still, I knew that I was going to win this.
'I just need to steer it to make sure I get the highest reward in the end.'
