Chapter 70
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Can't You Give Me Permission, Mom?
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"Can't you give me permission, Mom?"
It's not for nothing that humans are called creatures of habit. Unlike five years ago, Rahel Tani had become no different from my own home.
But that came with its downsides.
My resolve to protect the family fence had gradually faded over time. The more I grew accustomed to life in Rahel Tani, the more the family's uncomfortable truths began to catch my eye, one by one.
And so six years passed. That's when I finally understood why young people all over the world dream of independence.
First and foremost, Roselia held far more conservative values than I had ever imagined.
A perfect example was my curfew and bedtime. I had to be back at the mansion by nine at night, and at midnight, the lights in my room were forcibly turned off.
I'm fifteen now. Old enough to know how the world works and take precautions on my own. But Roselia treated me like an innocent child tossed by the riverside.
And it didn't stop there. She meddled in every single outfit I wore. If even a sliver of skin showed, she'd glare and raise her voice.
I felt wronged about that.
Did I really want to wear revealing clothes? Having lived as a man for so much longer, the very idea of exposure instinctively repulsed me.
Still, there was only one reason I insisted on thinner clothes when going out.
It was hot.
Unlike my previous life's modern society, this world had no miraculous invention called air conditioning.
Of course, there were magic tools that kept rooms cool, but those were only available in high-end facilities catering to nobles. In most places, you just had to endure the stifling air.
But Roselia wouldn't let me go out unless I wore a skirt down to my ankles. Exposing my shoulders was out of the question, too.
And on top of that, the endless nagging. Lately, the stress was rising to my throat and boiling over the top of my head.
Then there was Camilla.
I never imagined having a little sister could be this annoying. She had some cute moments as a kid, but now we were practically enemies.
I'm at the age where I need time alone. But Camilla was the most persistent intruder into that time.
She'd sneak off with my clothes whenever she got the chance. She even swapped my underwear sometimes. And occasionally, she'd barge in while I was bathing and insist on joining me.
Sleeping together twice a week was the same. It stemmed from a childish promise we made as kids, but I never dreamed it would last even after six years.
Even as we both grew and the bed got narrower, Camilla didn't seem to mind the discomfort at all.
That wasn't all. Camilla nagged just as relentlessly as Roselia. If anything caught her eye, she'd pick a fight and unleash a torrent of lectures.
With Roselia and now Camilla watching me like hawks, I was mentally exhausted.
"...I'll endure it."
The silver lining was that this situation wouldn't last forever.
Thinking of the future unfolding soon brought a smile to my face.
I'm fifteen now. Still young, perhaps, but also the perfect time to take my first step toward my dream.
The minimum age to apply to the academy is fifteen. In other words, starting this year, I qualify.
I'd already saved up plenty for the entrance fee and honed my skills for the exam. Compared to the protagonist's starting stats, I'd clear the bar with room to spare.
"It's been a long time coming."
My life, once bowed low, was finally ready to bloom.
I had the whole plan laid out.
The protagonist's divine power awakens on his seventeenth birthday—exactly one year from now. And with it, he steps into the academy for the first time.
That means I can enroll a full year ahead of him.
It was no small advantage. For someone like me, with knowledge of the game world, it was an enormous edge.
Before he arrives, I'll solidify my position.
I'll earn my peers' trust with top grades and impeccable conduct, building a reputation for both grace and skill. So that when I join the protagonist's party later, there'll be no blemish on my record.
Plus, I know some of the opportunities he'll get in the academy. I don't have exact locations, but with time, I can find them.
I'll claim a few early and hand them over to him like gifts when the moment's right.
At that point, there's no reason he wouldn't let me in. Anyone with common sense wouldn't pass up talent like mine.
And if worse comes to worst, I can show off the potions I've made.
"That's incredible, senpai!"
The protagonist's voice—male or female, I still didn't know—flashed through my mind. Being admired by this world's hero? Sounded pretty good, even just thinking about it.
The academy entrance exam in three months was a done deal, and joining the Hero Party was practically a free pass.
Just one hitch.
I hadn't gotten Roselia's permission yet.
As my guardian, her approval was basically required. I'd brought up the academy casually whenever I could, but her responses were always lukewarm.
Still, I wasn't too worried. What parent stops their kid from going to school?
Especially when the kid had saved up three years' worth of tuition on their own.
Mom wasn't that stubborn, and she usually listened to me, so it shouldn't be a big issue.
Time to bring it up. With that thought, I stood and headed to Roselia's study.
There she sat, as always, calmly reviewing paperwork in her chair. Her hair still gleamed with radiant gold, and her eyes burned with an eerily deep crimson.
But the most astonishing thing was her appearance.
It had been seven years since we met, yet her face hadn't changed a bit. People age at different rates, sure, but shouldn't there be at least a wrinkle by the eyes after seven years?
Come to think of it, how old was Roselia? I knew she was around adulthood, but I made a mental note to ask later.
"What is it?"
I cleared my throat and leaned back on the sofa quietly.
Neither of us liked beating around the bush, so I decided to get straight to the point.
"Mom, I want to enroll in Solentia Academy this year."
The pen gliding over her papers stopped. Her red eyes slowly turned toward me.
A brief silence. She studied my face, then rose quietly and sat across from me.
"So that's why you've been mentioning the academy since last year."
Her crossed arms said it all. She wasn't thrilled.
"I've saved up all the tuition myself. I won't ask Rahel Tani for help."
"Even your business dealings so far were for academy prep?"
"Yeah. It's been my dream since I was little."
At the word "dream," one of her eyebrows twitched faintly. Her crossed arms loosened slightly.
"The academy isn't far from the mansion, so I won't need to dorm."
"......"
Her response was silence. Anxious she might refuse, I added cautiously,
"You know me, Mom. I would never do anything to disgrace Rahel Tani."
Her brows furrowed slightly. Did she not like that? I had nothing more to say. I sat up straight, waiting for her answer.
"No."
Her firm refusal caught me off guard. I shot to my feet.
"What? Why?"
Roselia rose wordlessly and went somewhere, returning with a hand mirror. She held it out to me.
"Look."
The mirror reflected a familiar face with pale sky-blue eyes.
"What am I supposed to see?"
"Doesn't anything come to mind?"
I tilted my head, puzzled. What was I supposed to think just looking at my own face?
"It's just my face."
"That's exactly why you can't go."
"Huh?"
Stunned, I stared at Roselia. Her steely gaze felt no joke, only deepening my confusion.
"What does my face have to do with enrolling in the academy?"
"Figure that out yourself."
She stood as if she'd lost interest. Amid the cold sting of rejection, my heart pounded harder.
"Solentia Academy has been my dream since the orphanage days."
A flicker of emotion crossed her face. She was shaken.
"I've been saving every penny for that one dream..."
Roselia still loved these displays of affection. I wondered what appeal they held now that I was older, but whatever.
In my current spot, I had to use every tool available.
I'm not one for showing affection. But for the academy, I could grit my teeth once.
Cautiously, I approached Roselia, took one of her hands, and gently pressed her pale, smooth palm to my cheek. Looking up at her, I pleaded,
"Can't you give me permission, Mom?"