Chapter 95
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: The Great Date Operation
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- Rumble, rumble...
Under the empire's night sky shrouded in darkness before long, the carriage departing from the imperial palace rumbled toward the Belverk Ducal House.
"Mm-nyah..."
"Kairen, are you asleep?"
And inside that carriage, I jolted awake with a shiver at the sudden voice from above, where I'd been dozing with my head on Mother's lap.
"Ah, Mother."
"Sorry if I woke you."
I wondered what was up, but Mother, who'd been gazing down at me with her lap as my pillow, was speaking with a gentle smile.
"No! I was actually awake!"
"...I see."
"I-It's true!"
To be honest, she had woken me, but her expression looked so serious that I couldn't help but respond that way.
"May I ask you one question?"
"Of course! Ask away!"
And sure enough, Mother withdrew her smile, gazed at me steadily, and lowered her voice to ask.
"Do I seem like a good mother to you?"
Caught off guard by the question— so obvious yet weighted—I hesitated, then tried to read her intent before opening my mouth.
"O-Of course?"
"......"
"Why ask something so obvious?"
But Mother's expression, gazing down at me, still seemed somehow anxious.
"Kairen is happy that Mother is my mother!"
"That's a relief..."
Even so, when I shouted it this time with a genuine, beaming smile, Mother's face softened into a smile again.
"But, Kairen."
"......"
"If..."
Suddenly, Mother trailed off while stroking my hair.
"No, never mind."
And just like that, as if nothing had happened, she turned to gaze quietly out the window.
"Hm..."
Watching her silently, I closed my eyes and sank into thought.
'Mother always starts to say something important, then suddenly cuts herself off.'
Honestly, up until now, her love alone had been more than enough, so I'd let it slide.
'I've overlooked it so far, but it's starting to bother me...'
But at this point, I couldn't help but care. Even setting everything else aside, it was frustrating me too much.
Recommended Solution: Check Astridje's Main Quests.
[Astridje Main Quest List]
As the system message suggested, I scrolled through Mother's main quests—which I'd assumed cleared long ago and hadn't checked in ages.
And upon reaching the final item, I quietly parted my lips and muttered inwardly.
'99...?'
All the other items had exceeded their thresholds, yet this was the only one still short.
That could only mean one thing.
'No way... has conquering Mother not actually been completed yet?'
The three big sisters, who once left me clueless on survival, were no longer enemies.
I'd even named the world's hidden heroine, whom I hadn't known existed, and built bonds with many others.
But I never dreamed the conquest of Mother—the very first person I met—remained unfinished.
"Mother..."
A surge of unease gripped me, and I softly asked the Mother gazing out the window.
"Then, is Mother happy that Kairen is her son?"
She slowly turned, caressed my anxious cheek, and whispered tenderly.
"...You don't need to ask. It's obvious."
"......"
"My beloved son..."
No trace of falsehood could be found in her words, no matter how hard I looked.
The mother before me loved me enough to stake her life to protect me, by my own judgment.
So, the unmet threshold wasn't just about her love for me—it meant something else...
'Alright, got it.'
Whatever it was, one thing was clear: Mother had deliberately hidden something from me all this time.
'Only the 'Kairen Faction Declaration' quest remains for Chapter 3...'
Honestly, I hadn't thought much of it before, but now my competitive spirit ignited.
'Before Chapter 4 begins, I'll max Mother's maternal love to 100.'
That way, I could uncover the secret she'd kept from me, right?
'No matter what it takes!'
For the record, this isn't jealousy or insecurity. Just pure curiosity...
"Kairen, what's wrong?"
"Um, Mother..."
"...Hm?"
As I rapidly brainstormed, Mother—reading my expression and looking puzzled—got a bright smile from me as I spoke up.
"I have a request!"
"A request?"
"About next week's picnic..."
To stimulate Mother's maternal love and stir jealousy—a grand operation's opening gambit!
"Someone I want to invite has come up!"
That dawn. Even noisy Belverk fell into deep silence.
"Little brother, wanna play already?"
"Hehe, it's dawn right now."
"Yawwwn... Sleepy as hell, fuck."
Awakened by Astridje's urgent summons, the Belverk three sisters appeared at the entrance in pajamas, each reacting differently.
"I have a major announcement for you all!"
Before those three little monsters stood Belverk's smallest and cutest monster, Kairen.
"You know the family picnic next week?"
"...?"
"Sorry, but it has to be postponed to the week after."
At his head-scratching words, the three big sisters' eyes instantly flashed crimson.
"Little brother, what do you mean?"
"Postpone... the picnic?"
"Brat, that's a bad joke."
As they eyed Kairen warily and spoke.
"Not a joke!"
Kairen crossed his arms in an X, shaking his head firmly with a resolute expression.
"D-Did we do something wrong?"
"...Was I too clingy?"
"Hey, the eating you part was a joke."
Finally realizing this warranted Astridje's emergency call, they broke into cold sweats and questioned.
"No, nothing like that..."
"Then..."
"Someone I want to hang out with came up!"
And their expressions turned icy in unison.
"Little brother's friend, huh..."
"Excluding us..."
"Brat, who is it?"
Their voices shifted from pleading to chilling.
"Hehe..."
But oblivious Kairen just beamed innocently and added.
"Who I'm going on a date with is a secret!"
Silence descended.
"Oh, right."
In that silence, as Kairen stepped toward the entrance, his eyes glowed red as he spoke.
"If any threat comes to my date before the picnic ends next week..."
Everyone, gulping nervously while watching him.
"...I'll hate you all forever."
His death-sentence-like words froze them in shocked expressions.
"That includes Big Sister Schwarz eavesdropping from behind the door."
Of course, even Schwarz—huddled secretly behind the entrance, grinding her teeth—couldn't escape.
"Anyway, that's the situation, so bear with it."
"......"
"No need to worry too much."
In the entrance hall after the storm, Astridje—quietly behind Kairen—spoke to wrap things up.
"I'll take responsibility for Kairen's safety and protect him..."
"Mother."
But before she finished, Kairen turned and cut in.
"Mother sits this one out too."
Astridje halted, gaping blankly.
"Just the two of us for the picnic!"
And with that spirited shout at Astridje, Kairen darted inside and up the stairs.
"......"
Even after much time passed, no one could move from the spot.
"No way..."
Only Astridje—the most dazed in the silence—muttered while breaking into cold sweat.
"...Puberty for real?"
Time flowed on, until the postponed picnic day arrived.
"Your Highness, how do I look?"
"......"
"My advice worked, right?"
As requested by Kairen, Princess Lia—disguised as an ordinary noble lady—glared primly at her clingy maid at the picnic site.
"...You."
Her voice came out sharp.
"No more advice from now on."
"Y-Yes..."
The excited maid deflated instantly, head down.
"S-Still... keep the disguise perfect!"
"Sigh..."
"Don't overdo the makeup, and avoid strong perfumes...!"
But dodging the maid who perked up to nag, Princess Lia quickened her pace with a sigh.
"......"
Before entering the promised spot, she paused, frowning as she muttered.
"...The map says it should be here."
For some reason, the entrance to the picnic site—supposedly prepared in a territory near Belverk—had two uncharted forks.
"Hm..."
She tilted her head, decided to check both, picked one, and resumed walking.
"But... what exactly do you do at a picnic...?"
As she inwardly fretted, cheeks flushing.
- Groooowl...
Suddenly, a terrifying aura emanated from ahead.
"Eh?"
Princess Lia froze again, and into her view...
"You?"
"You?"
"You?"
The infamous Belverk three sisters, blocking her path—disguised as ordinary ladies—with eerie smiles.
"So you're Kairen's girlfriend."
And behind them, glaring most fiercely, Astridje the Duke asked lowly, eyes crimson.
"I'm Kairen's mom."
"Ah..."
"Shall we talk?"
Surrounded by four gatekeepers in a blink, cold sweat beaded on Princess Lia's forehead.