99. Family Gathering (1)
99. Family Gathering (1)
[Chapter 99] - Family Gathering (1)
The day after Veronica left.
Since so much had happened at the masquerade ball, I was completely exhausted and decided to take a break with Titania for the day. There wasn't much to do, but honestly, just lying in bed and lazing around made me happy. I'd been really tired lately.
As I lay flat on my back, staring blankly at the ceiling, I flinched and shivered at the feeling that my leg was about to cramp. I tilted my head slightly to look at my leg, and saw Titania reading a book while using my thigh as a pillow.
When I wiggled my leg to signal that it was time for her to get off, she tightened her grip on my thigh with her head, preventing me from moving. She looked kind of cute, so I stroked her hair, and Titania shifted her body, eventually settling down to lie between my legs.
With my legs finally freed from Titania's head, I stared at the ceiling and began to worry about when I should bring up the subject of Veronica. Since we had agreed to meet next week, I had to tell her sooner or later, but now that I was about to bring it up, I had no idea how to say it.
'How should I introduce Veronica? Titania knows who she is, but still...'
I parted my lips, propped my upper body up at an angle, and looked at Titania, who was lying between my legs reading her book. Seeing Titania diligently reading while staring at the ceiling, I let out a sigh without realizing it. Does she have to lie between my legs every time she lies down?
"Titania?"
"Yes?"
At my call, Titania turned over from her position staring at the ceiling and looked at me. She didn't seem to have any intention of moving from between my legs, resting her chin on her hand as she looked up at me. Feeling a bit strange, I bent one knee halfway, ending up in an awkward position that was neither lying down nor sitting up.
...Anyway, that's not the point.
"Titania, what if... you got an eonni?"
"...An eonni? Not a younger sister, but an older one?"
At the mention of an eonni, Titania, who had been resting her chin on her hand, began to ponder. Hmm, she hummed as she thought, and then, as if she'd finished deliberating, she rolled her eyes to glare at me. She's not imagining something weird again, is she?
"By any chance, is Mother remarrying..."
"No, it's not that."
See? She's imagining something weird again.
Why would I remarry? In the first place, why would the Queen of a country remarry? Is it even allowed for a Queen to remarry in this country? I looked at Titania as if I were truly dumbfounded, and she tilted her head as if she found me strange.
"I know it doesn't make sense, but... I don't understand why Mother would say something like that to me. Perhaps Mother is remarrying, and that person's child is becoming my stepsister..."
"My daughter's imagination is always so vivid. Haven't I told you time and again not to read romance novels? The book you're reading now isn't a weird one, is it? The cover doesn't look like one..."
"O-of course not. I don't think so...?"
Titania surreptitiously hid the book she was reading behind her back.
Ever since I started monitoring Titania to make sure she wasn't reading romance novels, she had become meticulous, changing the covers or putting different jackets on them. I didn't exactly think romance novels were bad. It would be fine if she just read them occasionally to relieve stress.
But they say too much of anything is poison, right? That was exactly the case with Titania. It was really troublesome because she often started having strange delusions after reading romance novels. I just wanted her to read in moderation. In moderation.
"Didn't I say 'what if'? Seriously, I just asked what it would be like if you had an eonni. Don't you think it would be pretty nice? I think it would be good for you to have a sister..."
Titania, who had been looking at me with her chin in her hand, blinked exactly once, then curved her eyes into a mischievous smile. Then, she pressed her cheek against the inside of my thigh and replied with a smile, as if the answer to my question had already been decided.
"I don't need one."
"But... wouldn't you be less lonely if you had siblings...?"
"I wonder? I used to think so in the past... but these days, I've never felt lonely because I'm alone. Actually, I think I like being alone better these days."
"Is that so...?"
Titania replied, and began to rest her head against the inside of my thigh, using it as a pillow. As Titania's slightly cold cheek tickled the inside of my thigh, my body shivered involuntarily. Then, Titania, acting all cute between my legs, giggled and continued.
"As for family, Mother and I are just the two of... no, with Ainsel, the three of us are enough."
-Princess... you didn't just forget about me, did you...?
"No, no. It's not like that."
When Ainsel, who was hanging around Titania's neck, made a tearful sound, a startled Titania was busy soothing her. Watching the two of them rolling around between my legs and chattering away, I flopped down onto the bed and stared at the ceiling again.
It seemed that introducing Veronica wouldn't be as easy as I thought. I had firmly believed that since Titania was an only child, she would be happy to have an older or younger sister, but Titania replied that she wasn't particularly lonely. Maybe it's because she already has Ainsel by her side?
'...I don't know. Maybe it'll be different when they actually meet.'
Thinking that, I tapped the side of my bed, telling them to stop playing between my legs and come up here. Then, Titania, who had been settled on my legs, crawled up onto the bed and flopped down beside me. She then pulled my arm behind her head, asking me to give her an arm pillow.
I let out a deep sigh and glanced down at Titania, who had begun to burrow into my armpit. Titania was just giggling, wondering what was so funny. I really hoped she would smile like this when she met Veronica, but... it didn't seem like it would be easy.
*
And so, time flowed by quickly.
The day for Titania and Veronica to meet finally arrived.
As soon as night fell, the scenery of the terrace changed to the sea, and one more chair had been added to the table we sat at last time. Titania was startled by the changed scenery, but soon began to gaze at the night sea as if she hadn't been surprised at all.
She started asking me, all excited, saying it was her first time seeing the sea, that it smelled different from the lake, and if it would be okay to go closer later. As I watched her, Veronica, who had arrived at some point, approached me and Titania with her arms crossed.
I widened my eyes in surprise at her outfit, which was dressed up differently from when she met me. Her long black hair flowed down to her back, and she wore a dress with almost no decorations. Although it was a dress with almost no exposure, the black mermaid dress that perfectly revealed her body lines created a sexy and elegant vibe.
Wearing black lace gloves and even holding a fan, she looked mature enough to belie her youthful seventeen-year-old face. Besides, it felt strange because it was a dress Titania didn't usually wear. Wouldn't Titania look like this when she becomes an adult?
"You really came."
"...I promised. And, it's true that I want to talk to Titania, too..."
The moment Titania, who had been watching the sea with sparkling eyes, and Veronica, who had been smiling awkwardly, made eye contact, a brief silence fell between them.
I knew Titania would be surprised.
Since I didn't know how to talk about Veronica until today, I decided to just go with a surprise. So, it was natural for Titania, who didn't know she would meet Veronica, to be surprised. However...
The face of Titania, who had been smiling brightly while looking at the sea, gradually stiffened, and her brow began to furrow as she looked at Veronica's face.
In the end, the bright smile was nowhere to be found, and Titania looked at me and Veronica alternately with a furious expression. Titania soon let out a deep sigh and asked me.
"Is this what you meant by... what if I got an eonni? Mother?"
"......"
I couldn't say anything at the sight of Titania glaring at me as if she were truly furious. I just smiled awkwardly. Veronica also seemed to have been taken aback by Titania's expression, as if she hadn't expected her to be this angry.
"I don't want it. An eonni like you. My family is enough with Mother and Ainsel."
-Princess...
Titania, who had strode up to Veronica, lifted her head and glared at her.
"I still remember, you know? What you said to me when you came to visit me disguised as Princess Fiona."
At the sight of Titania growling like a puppy while looking up at Veronica, I quickly began to soothe her.
"C-calm down and sit down first. Okay? Shouldn't you at least try to talk?"
I pushed Titania's shoulders and forced her into the chair, and then Veronica and I sat down as well. Veronica and Titania sat on either side with me in the middle. Titania was still busy glaring at Veronica, who was sitting across from her, as if she didn't want to acknowledge her.
I clapped my hands and continued the conversation in a bright voice to change the atmosphere as much as possible.
Clap!
"F-finally, the whole family is gathered. Now, let's forget all the bad memories of the past and make a fresh start—"
"Who's family with you?"
"Who's family with that person?"
Veronica and Titania glared at me, saying similar things at almost the same time. It felt strange, like I had gained another teenage daughter. But it was useless for my two daughters to rebel. I had already decided to treat Veronica like my daughter, just like Titania.
"Don't talk back to Mother's decision."
"B-but, Mother! Please listen to me! That woman tried to drive a wedge between you and me when I was young?! And besides, you know that time! When she said it wasn't a note I wrote!"
Titania appealed to me as if she were truly aggrieved.
...When was that? When she came mixed in with the delegation? Is she talking about the time they had a tea party while disguised as Princess Fiona? Was it you who caused Titania to run away from home back then? The note Titania left saying she was running away, too...!
When I narrowed my eyes and glared at Veronica, Veronica, who had opened her fan to cover her mouth, avoided my gaze and muttered in a small voice.
"Who was it that said let's forget the bad memories of the past...?"
"You, this...!"
I felt a surge of anger, but I took a deep breath and held it in. Right, it was in the past, and it didn't really matter now. Since the culprit was right in front of me anyway, such things wouldn't happen again.
"Haa... Anyway, introduce yourself first."
"What? Me? You want me to introduce myself?"
When I glared at Veronica with wide eyes again, Veronica let out a deep sigh as if she had no choice, and began to ponder while covering her face with her fan. Then, she folded her fan with a snap! and asked Titania.
"Titania. If I say now that it was for your sake back then, you won't believe me, right?"
"...Of course not. How can I believe that you drove a wedge between Mother and me for my sake?"
"Well, believe it or not, the me back then really did it for you. Even now, I'm meeting you in front of Vivian, whom I really hate, for your sake. You know, right? How much I hate Vivian."
"I know. That's why I hate you."
Veronica, who gave a wry smile at that answer, spread all five fingers and held them out to Titania, continuing.
"Then, if I grant you a few wishes, will you trust me a little?"
"Wishes...?"
"Yes, I did something I'm sorry for, so you can think of it as compensation for an apology. First of all... right."
Veronica folded one finger.
"When you grow up a little more, I can take you out of the palace. Ah, I don't mean running away from home. I'll let you go to festivals in the capital or places like that 'secretly' sometimes."
"Uh...?"
"Look at my face. Isn't it the same as yours? In two years, you'll be about the same height as me. Besides, I'm a princess like you, so I know a lot about the royal castle. It appears often in novels, right? Protagonists who set up body doubles and go to festivals secretly."
Wow, is it because she's the person herself?
Veronica, who accurately presented what Titania wanted, looked at Titania while giggling. It was a story that Titania, who couldn't properly leave the castle due to her status as a princess, would inevitably be swayed by.
"Second, if you want, I'll teach you magic, too. My dwarves will help you."
"You...! You told me not to teach Titania magic...!"
"Do you think what you teach and what I teach are the same? What I was worried about was you, who would be jealous of Titania, who has a talent for magic."
"......"
I had no choice but to shut my mouth at the irrefutable words. Veronica continued to tempt Titania by saying she would grant her various other wishes. All five fingers were folded, and Veronica added this.
"Instead, call me eonni. Then I'll grant you everything you want. I'm quite capable, you see."
Wow, she's annoying. Seriously annoying.
Is that the attitude of someone apologizing? It was the attitude of someone taking what they wanted while pointing out the gap between themselves and Titania. What Veronica truly wanted was to make Titania her younger sister.
Is it because I know Veronica's past? I felt a little sorry for her, so I couldn't stop her. Titania pondered, chewing over what Veronica had proposed, and then asked with a frown.
"Are you really... going to grant all of those...?"
"Yes, as long as you call me eonni. You won't believe it, but I've always been on your side since you were young."
"......"
Titania, who had been agonizing, looked at me with an expression that didn't know what to do. She hated to death bowing to Veronica, who had insulted me, but the wishes Veronica proposed were too attractive.
Besides, they were all wishes I couldn't grant. In the end, Titania, who couldn't make a choice, looked at me with a tearful face as if asking me to choose for her.
"...Titania, I don't care anymore whether that child insults me or not. I'm just thinking of it as a teenage daughter acting like a delinquent."
"Who's your daughter?"
"If I were to give you one piece of advice, don't learn that kind of personality from her while only taking the wishes. I think I'd be a bit sad if you turned out like that too."
Titania, who had been tearful, nodded vigorously, saying not to worry about that.
"And... I want you to have a sister. It's really important to have more people you can lean on. Until when..."
The words 'Because I can't be by your side forever.' came up to my throat, but I swallowed them with a gulp of dry saliva and gave a bitter smile.
"So, don't think about me, just go and take the wishes. It's true that that child cares about you."
Titania, who had been looking back and forth between me and Veronica, let out a deep sigh, looked at Veronica, and muttered in a voice as quiet as an ant crawling.
"...ni."
"What? I can't hear you well?"
".......Eon...ni..."
As the sound of 'eonni' was heard clearly, the corners of Veronica's mouth began to ascend high into the sky. To hide those uncontrollable corners of her mouth, she quickly opened her fan and began to cover her mouth.
Compared to that, Titania looked like she was dying. She seemed to be on the verge of crying because she felt so ashamed to call Veronica 'eonni'. With her fists clenched tight, Titania, whose shoulders were trembling, couldn't lift her head.
"Good, self-introduction finished!"
"? No, what are you talking about? You haven't said the most important thing yet."
"What? This should be enough, right? What else..."
Ah. As she recalled something, Veronica's face began to turn red. She glared at me as if she would rather die than do it, but I had no intention of putting it off.
How is it a self-introduction if you don't even say your name? When I glared at her as if telling her to say it quickly, Veronica, who clicked her tongue in annoyance, cleared her throat and looked at Titania.
"...Veronica."
"...Yes?"
"My name. It's Veronica. From now on, call me Veronica-eonni."