105. Promise, Promise, Promise (1)
105. Promise, Promise, Promise (1)
[Episode 105] - Promise, Promise, Promise (1)
Immediately after Titania and Vivian went out to enjoy the festival, Veronica saw the two off, then tossed the Cait Sith she was holding into the bed and flopped down herself.
Lying on the bed, she stretched both arms out to give a good yawn, then stared at the ceiling with a blank expression. Now that she was actually left to guard the house alone, it was more boring than she'd thought.
As she rolled around on the bed, wondering how to kill time until the two returned, Veronica's gaze turned toward Ainsel. Come to think of it, had she ever had a proper conversation with that mirror?
Thinking about it, it seemed she hadn't. Veronica was bothered by the way Ainsel strangely kept avoiding her. Stealing her original body was something she had done wrong, but she had clearly apologized for that part.
Back then, she had no choice but to shut Ainsel up so Vivian wouldn't find out about Aurora's situation. Honestly, who could have predicted back then that she would end up in this kind of relationship with Vivian?
Besides, Ainsel had accepted her apology. Said she would forgive her, said she would consider it as if it never happened. So, it was frustrating that Ainsel kept avoiding her ever since, and she couldn't help that.
'Besides... I think I know the reason she's avoiding me... but I can't say it because I'm not sure.'
Veronica got up from the bed and glared at Ainsel. Yeah, if not now, when would she talk to her? She didn't want to keep things awkward. Veronica stood up and slowly approached Ainsel.
"Huh."
Veronica, having approached Ainsel who was hanging on the wall, couldn't help but let out a dry laugh as she stared at the mirror that was Ainsel's main body. No matter how much she wanted to avoid her, was she really going this far?
"You... I'm going to tell Vivian everything when she gets back."
Written clearly on the mirror were four characters.
[Away]
Veronica, who hadn't even imagined Ainsel had such a function, just let out a dry laugh. This damn mirror, even if things were awkward, was she really going to avoid people this blatantly?
Clicking her tongue in annoyance, Veronica let out a deep sigh, then habitually picked out the romance novel Titania had hidden in the bookshelf and flopped back onto the bed.
To fill the empty space at her side, Veronica pulled the Cait Sith, who was sprawled out on the bed, into her arms and started reading the romance novel as if nothing had happened. She said she was away, so what could she do?
After flipping through a few pages of the romance novel, Veronica scrunched up her face in annoyance, then whipped her head around to look at Ainsel again. She heard she was Titania's friend, so she thought Ainsel would be different...
'She's just as frustrating now as she was when she was Vivian's familiar.'
*
Was the day always this short? Titania stared at the setting evening sun and scrunched up her face! How on earth did it get to be this time already? It was hard to understand.
All they had done was walk around holding hands with Mother, eat a few things from street stalls, and look around the festival streets while taking a walk with Mother to settle their stomachs. Besides...
"Titania, I'm fine. Let's just go into a shop that has space."
"...I'm sorry, I should have looked into it more..."
"Don't be too disappointed. I didn't expect there to be this many people until evening, which is when the festival ends. Who would have known that almost every shop would be full?"
Titania hung her head low with a tearful expression.
She had wanted to have dinner with Mother at a famous restaurant, but she couldn't even get into the shops. Since they were famous, they were swarming with people. Plus, it was the festival season.
Because it was the festival season, people had flocked from all over, so forget famous restaurants—she had to wait in line just to get into decent shops. And the lines were longer than she could imagine.
If she told the restaurant she was a princess, they would make a seat for her right away, but then there would be no point in coming out in disguise to enjoy the festival. But the lines were too long to wait in...
While Titania was at a loss, looking for a shop they could enter, Vivian tapped Titania on the shoulder and pointed somewhere with her finger.
"Titania, your legs must hurt, let's just eat over there."
"A-are you sure? That place is..."
The place Mother pointed to was clearly not a good restaurant. It was shabby, and noisy. It was far from the 'place with a good atmosphere' she had in mind. Besides, rather than a restaurant...
"That's a pub...?"
"Don't they sell food at a pub? Luckily, we can get in without waiting. Oh, of course, even if we go into a pub, you can't drink alcohol yet? I won't buy you any, either."
"I'm an adult now, though..."
"Still no."
Vivian stared at the pub with intrigued eyes.
Certainly, as the sun went down, people started flocking to that shop. The boy who was touting for customers made eye contact with Mother, then smiled brightly and gestured for them to come in quickly. Saying it was cheap, saying it was delicious.
Come to think of it, Mother liked alcohol. She didn't show herself drinking to her, but that didn't mean she didn't drink. She sometimes drank with Grandmother, after all.
'Still... I wanted to eat just the two of us in a place with a good atmosphere today...'
Titania pouted her lips slightly.
It wasn't that she disliked it. Anywhere was fine as long as she was with Mother. However, she was a little bewildered because she hadn't expected to have dinner at a pub.
As Titania was at a loss in her bewilderment, Vivian interlaced her fingers with Titania's and headed toward the pub. Looking at her hand that had been grabbed, warak!, Titania nodded.
'Right! It's meaningful to go to a place Mother likes rather than me!'
Putting strength into their interlaced hands and smiling ehehe, Titania was led by Vivian into the pub. It was evening, with the sun having set, when Titania and Vivian entered the pub.
The inside of the shop, which had become dark before she knew it, was lit by soft candlelight, and the music played by the band could be heard joyfully amidst the voices of people chatting excitedly while drunk.
The inside of the shop was very different from what Titania had imagined. The pub Titania had imagined was a place that was a bit dirty, noisy, and where drunken vagrants staggered about.
However, this was a large pub with seating up to the second floor, and a band was playing music in the empty space in the middle of the shop. Rather than dirty, it felt like it had aged, and rather than noisy, it was lively.
"Very different from what you thought, right?"
It felt like her mind had been read, so Titania laughed awkwardly. To hide her awkwardness, she looked at the pub's menu and pretended to choose food.
When she rolled her eyes to look at Mother out of awkwardness, Mother was smiling as if it were familiar, looking at the band. Seeing Mother like that, Titania tilted her head and asked.
"Have you ever been to a place like this before, Mother?"
"No? This is my first time in 'a place like this' too. But..."
Vivian chuckled while watching the people chatting noisily.
"When I became an adult, I came to a place similar to this with friends a few times."
"Friends...?"
Mother shouldn't have any friends of the same age...?
Upon hearing the word 'friends' from Vivian, Titania felt a sting in her chest. She somehow didn't like the look on Mother's face as she reminisced as if she missed those times. Friends to Mother... who on earth were they?
No matter how much she thought about it, Mother didn't have friends of the same age. It could be that she didn't know, but most of the people who could be called friends that Mother had recently were the parents of the young ladies she had met in high society.
So, it meant Titania grasped all of Vivian's acquaintances. Most of the people Mother met privately were connected to her.
So, the fact that Vivian had friends of the same age that Titania didn't know made Titania feel uncomfortable. If she thought about those 'friends' knowing a Mother she didn't know, the feeling went beyond uncomfortable to unpleasant.
Whether or not she knew Titania's feelings, Vivian looked at the menu and soon ordered a few dishes from the server. Of course, including the alcohol she would drink alone. Because of Vivian, who kept her from drinking alcohol until the end, Titania's cheeks puffed up largely.
"Mother... I'm an adult who finished my debutante! It's an age where it's okay to drink alcohol! How long are you going to treat me like a child?!"
"...Still, isn't fifteen too early? At least-"
Even though she hadn't finished speaking, Titania's cheeks gradually puffed up, and soon became as round as if they were going to burst. At the spirit of her wanting to drink alcohol today no matter what, Vivian burst into laughter and poked Titania's puffed-up cheeks with her finger.
Pushew- With the sound of air escaping her mouth, Titania's eyebrows furrowed strongly. As Titania raised one hand high to call the server, Vivian stopped her and urged her.
"No means no! Anyway... fifteen is too young to learn to drink!"
"Then when can I drink? Mother, when I'm how old...!"
Will you see me as an adult?
Forcing herself to swallow the words that had come up to her throat, Titania opened her eyes wide and glared at Vivian. Just how old was an adult to Mother? If she reached the age Mother thought was an adult, would she see her as an adult then?
"That is..."
Vivian hesitated for a moment, then opened her lips.
"At least until you graduate from the Academy. It will be fine when that time comes."
At the word Academy, Titania's eyes crinkled even more. At this moment, Titania felt the Academy was like a wall. A huge wall blocking her life. A long wall that would take 3 years to get over.
'That damn Academy, Academy, Academy! The reason I have to be away from Mother for 3 years is the Academy! The reason Mother doesn't see me as an adult is the Academy!'
She wanted to throw a tantrum saying she didn't want to go to the Academy, but Titania endured and held it in. If Mother's words were true, it meant she would see her as an adult once she graduated from the Academy.
No longer a child, but an adult.
Titania cooled the frustration boiling inside her with a sigh, then raised her head and glared at Vivian. Then, as if declaring war, she continued clearly.
"...My first drink... I'll drink it with Mother. Don't say anything else when that time comes."
"...Okay."
"Then let's promise."
"Promise?"
Titania held out her pinky finger to Vivian. Vivian couldn't help but smile bitterly as she looked at Titania's pinky finger, which had become long unlike when she was young. She hadn't known she still remembered.
"...I didn't know you still remembered. I haven't done this even once since then."
"Of course. How could I forget that promise?"
Titania wiggled her pinky finger, telling her to hook it quickly. Vivian let out a groan as if agonizing for a moment, then let out a deep sigh and hooked her finger onto Titania's pinky finger.
Titania, who shook their hooked pinky fingers up and down, didn't miss the final order.
"If you break the promise?"
"...A thousand needles."