A Son Should Listen to His Mother
Only two days remained until the imperial debutante was to be held at the Frigid Grand Ducal household.
My escape had failed, so I was making a last stand by barricading myself in my room and refusing to come out.
Neither Lilith nor my two watchers tried to stop me — if anything, they encouraged it — so I had fully intended to hole up right through the day of the debutante itself.
However.
"I—I refuse!"
My mother, Camilla, who had come to my room, would not allow it.
"Haa… Edward. At least tell me why."
"Th-that's…"
She asked for a reason, but I couldn't give her one easily.
I have trauma from being dunked by crazy women in my past lives, so I can't go anywhere with lots of women!
I could hardly say that to my mother.
"Ed?"
"…Yes?"
"It's all right. Just tell me."
She suddenly used my nickname, and for a moment I thought I'd misheard — but Camilla only looked at me with a gentle expression and asked again.
"I don't want to get married!"
"Attending a debutante doesn't automatically mean marriage—"
"And I don't want to get involved with women!"
"…"
Ah. Wait.
I realized too late that I'd made a mistake. Camilla's expression darkened all at once, and she fell silent.
A long quiet stretched between us.
Then Camilla collected herself and spoke again.
"Um… Edward — no, Ed?"
"L-Lord of the house…?"
"This mother of yours has been wondering, but are you by any chance…"
"I-I'm not! That's not what I meant!"
Of course. Of course she would misunderstand it that way.
I did occasionally smile at men, including my father. A person couldn't live forever with a scowl on their face. I was perfectly capable of smiling when something made me happy.
It was only for survival that I never, ever smiled in front of women.
"Then tell me. Do you simply not want to go?"
"Yes!"
Yes! I just don't want to, Mother. So can't this son of yours just stay locked in his room?
I looked at Camilla with every ounce of pleading I could muster.
"Haa… For your sake, this mother of yours…"
Seeing the look in my eyes, Camilla sighed and continued.
"…would even fight the imperial family."
"…What?"
The sudden, shocking declaration left me stunned.
"Even though you barely ever called me Mom when you were little…"
That was because I was worried it would make you uncomfortable…
"I love you more than anyone."
I love you too…
I had met many mothers across my past lives, but I truly loved the mother of this life as well.
"That's why I've kept indulging your stubborn refusal to hold a debutante…"
She was right. I knew it. She had indulged far more of my stubbornness than just the debutante.
"But unless you plan to live out your life as a bachelor…"
If someone I could truly trust appeared, I would want to be with them — to marry and build a life together. But my life comes first, so I have no choice but to keep my distance. Mother Camilla could never understand that.
"Wouldn't a princess make a truly excellent spouse…?"
Hmm. By princess, she must mean that one…
Her personality was a little strange, but as a spouse she would be perfect in every other respect. An imperial background no one could rival, a face that honestly suited my tastes, and — from what I'd seen when she visited on my birthday last year — a figure growing more mature by the day that was genuinely a work of art.
But even setting this world's dangers aside, the imperial family itself was a place where one's life could easily be put at risk for any number of reasons. I wanted nothing to do with it.
"This mother of yours and the imperial family could cherish and protect you better than anyone…"
Had she sensed my worries?
"I don't know what it is you're so afraid of…"
Or had she simply drawn conclusions from the way I usually carried myself?
Camilla stroked my hair as she went on.
"The princess has no intention of using you for politics. She seems to like you purely for who you are…"
Wait — she likes me?
We only met a handful of times a year, and all we ever did was exchange greetings. As far as I could remember, nothing of any significance had ever happened between us.
"That's why this mother of yours agreed, and why I'm asking you to attend this time…"
She was saying she hadn't chosen for political reasons — that she had picked someone who genuinely cared for me.
"If you truly refuse again, I can still seek their understanding and let it pass… but do you really hate it that much?"
And how could I possibly refuse a request from a mother willing to bear that burden for me if I truly hated it?
"…I-I'll attend. For now. As for marriage…"
I decided I would go to the debutante. Marriage, however, was far too sudden.
"Of course. It would be sudden. You'll need time to get to know her as well…"
"I-I'm sorry…"
As expected — she must have read my feelings. Camilla didn't press me any further on that point.
The conversation seemed finished, but then Camilla spoke again.
"There's no need to apologize… More than that…"
"Yes?"
"You're getting older. If I don't ask now, I may never get to hear it again."
"Could you call me Mom one more time?"
"Uh… Mom?"
"Lilith too, and you, Ed… It saddens me that both of my children seem to misunderstand me. But I have always lived thinking of the two of you."
"Mom…"
"That sounds lovely… No matter what happens, this mother of yours will always be on your side."
I had been thinking only of myself.
To a mother who had loved me and raised me for so long, I had never even offered a smile. And the moment I hit adolescence, I had stopped calling her Mom or Mother and gone straight to addressing her as Lord of the house. How hurt must she have been?
A deep sense of guilt rose in me — and at the same time, I hated those psychopathic women who had dunked me even more, for making it impossible for me to show my mother even the simplest, most natural face of a son.
"So if anyone tries anything strange at the debutante, I won't stand for it. Don't worry."
"…Yes. I understand, Mom."
I could feel, with certainty, how much she loved and treasured me.
In my many past lives, my parents had loved me deeply as well… How devastated they must have been when their son died for such absurd reasons.
Of course I could never tell Camilla, the mother of this life, any of that.
And because I couldn't refuse her request that I attend the debutante, I resolved then and there to watch every single action I took at the event — to stay careful, and stay on guard.
A son should listen to his mother.
But.
Even if it made me an unfilial, worthless son —
I would come to regret, deeply, that I had not ignored my mother's words that day.
Gramilia Cathedral, headquarters of the Euphoria Empire's church.
Pope Tenesa — the highest authority of the church that formed a triumvirate of power alongside the imperial family and the northern Grand Ducal house — was midway through her meal when a report came in that she could not help but find interesting.
"Oh… So this year's imperial debutante is to be held at the Frigid Grand Ducal Castle?"
"That is correct, Your Holiness."
The debutante hosted by the imperial family every year was naturally held at the imperial palace. Yet this year, the imperial family had announced that it would be held not at the palace but at the Frigid Grand Ducal Castle — and the date had been rushed far ahead of the usual schedule.
"Hmm…"
Tenesa, who had no knowledge of the circumstances behind it, pondered the intent for a moment.
But her deliberation did not last long.
The distance would be somewhat inconvenient, but for the church, a debutante was a vital day on which young men and women sought their partners. Attending and bestowing blessings upon them was an obligation.
"Hero? The distance is a bit far, but this is an event you must attend."
Tenesa addressed the woman dining beside her.
But even after being spoken to, the woman paid her no mind, merely picking at the food set before her.
"And since you must continue living in this world…"
As if this kind of response was nothing new, Tenesa showed little concern and pressed on with what she had to say.
"If you go, you might even find a suitable companion."
A faint flinch.
The woman reacted slightly to Tenesa's next words, but still gave no answer.
"Come to think of it, I've heard the second son of House Frigid is extraordinarily beautiful."
Whether she was simply trying to provoke any reaction at all, Tenesa did not stop talking.
"Of course, the imperial family seems to have their eye on him as well — but given the power of our church and the Hero herself, I'm certain the imperial family would yield!"
Despite receiving none of the answers she wanted, Tenesa barreled ahead on her own — until at last:
"I don't need it."
"Pardon?"
The woman answered briefly.
"I said I don't need it."
"Haha…"
She repeated herself, as if the other party hadn't understood — but Tenesa merely laughed it off.
"The peace of this world rests on the Hero's shoulders, so there's no need to be so modest!"
Thud!
"?!"
"I said I don't need it."
The woman drove her knife hard into the steak in front of her as she answered.
"My apologies. Even so, attendance is unavoidable. Well then — shall we continue our meal… haha…"
It had not been a simple reply. There had been killing intent in it. Tenesa apologized and resumed eating in silence.
The woman — who showed not the slightest regard for the highest authority of the church, and made no effort to hide her discomfort — continued to pick at her food, muttering to herself.
She cared nothing for an imperial debutante.
"Hyunwoo… Hyunwoo…"
There was only one reason she had come to this other world.