Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Sien's Mother, Yuela
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I earned Martin's hatred because of Sien Mirmod.
Originally, it was because she was a Mirmod, and the fact that she had brazenly enrolled in the academy with that name irritated him.
But now, things were different. Intense rage consumed Liena's entire body.
She ground her teeth while staring at the corridor corner where Martin had disappeared.
***
I bounced along happily. In my hand, I clutched my report card. Since they needed to prepare a separate viewing area and select observers, the next exam would be held tomorrow.
“I'm gonna brag to Dad!”
“......Alright, Sien?”
“Yeah! I got first place!”
Leonhardt smiled softly. He had been so moved by my perfect score on the ancient language exam that he broke a few chairs on the way out.
“As expected of Night Fluff, you're a genius!”
“What! You did great too!”
“But you're the first in academy history to get a perfect score.”
After lavishing praise on each other for a while, I suddenly realized Audy wasn't there. I hurriedly looked at the seat next to me.
Ashid was quietly gazing out the window, saying nothing.
‘Is he disappointed?’
Ashid hadn't failed, but compared to Leonhardt and me, his ancient language skills were abysmal. I poked his side and laughed.
“Our healer!”
“......Yes?”
“Ashid, you read ancient language pretty well too? As expected of someone with divine power? Even without any lessons.”
“Ah......”
Pink flushed across Ashid's face. I giggled and poked his reddened cheek.
“Your face turned cherry blossom pink!”
“I-It's embarrassing. I'll work harder from now on......”
Ashid shyly lowered his thick eyelashes. His fidgeting was so cute that I bared my bunny-like front teeth in a grin.
“So cute!”
At my words, Ashid's cheeks burned even brighter. Finding it fascinating, I kept teasing him.
At that moment, a snide voice came from the side.
“Well, well, look at this. These little brats.”
“Huh?”
Leonhardt pouted and grumbled.
“These tiny pebbles, flirting around!”
“It's not flirting!”
I was about to retort that I'm only ten—what flirting?—when I heard footsteps of a teacher approaching from afar.
I looked at the teacher with a puzzled expression.
“I have something to say about this exam.”
“......?”
“The principal is calling for you.”
Why was the principal summoning me? Though puzzled, I blinked and nodded.
When called, you go. Because the principal is the boss here.
‘Might as well see what kind of person she is.’
I hopped out of the carriage and said,
“Okaay. I'll go see the principal!”
***
“Lady Sien.”
I saw the academy principal's kindly face. I stared at her intently.
Her white, frizzy hair looked just like a fluffy white poodle, making me want to pet it.
“Lady Sien?”
At the voice pulling me back to reality, I quickly refocused on the principal. She smiled warmly and said,
“I'm Hepsiba. The principal of this academy.”
I bowed politely and said,
“Hello! Principal!”
Everyone loves a polite child!
A gentle smile bloomed on Hepsiba's lips.
“Lady Lukela insisted I take good care of you.”
‘Lady Lukela— that's my granny!’
I widened my eyes and asked back,
“You know my Granni?”
Even though I no longer lisped, talking about my beloved grandmother automatically made me say ‘Granni’ affectionately. Maybe it just sounded warmer than ‘grandma.’
Still, I didn't want to act childish in front of the principal I was meeting for the first time.
I blinked and beamed at Hepsiba.
“Yeess, of course.”
“Ah......”
“But that's not why I called you. I heard about your exam results. You're truly brilliant.”
I smiled even wider and gazed at her.
“Yes, I'm a little smart!”
Showing confident childlike spirit, Hepsiba smiled softly and stroked my hair.
“You did wonderfully. But since you've proven your qualifications sufficiently, we'll skip the magic exam.”
“......Huh? Why?”
My voice trailed in disappointment, and Hepsiba sighed sympathetically.
“Magic formulas and theory are fine, but practical magic lessons would be tough. You know your body lacks mana, right? Lady Lukela mentioned it.”
I nodded.
“Yeess....... She said I have none.”
I'd known since I was five that Lady Lukela told me I had no mana.
“But is a body without mana a bad one?”
Hepsiba chuckled and shook her head.
“No. You just can't use magic—it's a rare and special body. Especially for such a lovely, smart little lady; you need at least one thing you can't do, right?”
Seeing Hepsiba's warm smile made me feel okay about having no mana. Feeling a surge of energy, I nodded vigorously.
“Yes! I'm special. I'll just make friends with ones who have magic talent!”
I came to this children's academy to build connections. So no magic talent? Just befriend someone who has it.
But was there something wrong with what I said?
Suddenly, sadness filled Hepsiba's gentle face. Looking closely, her eyes were even reddening.
What word in my statement had triggered her melancholy?
Soon, Hepsiba resolved my doubt.
“Our spirited little one...... You really take after Yuela.”
At the name Yuela, my body stiffened. I couldn't forget it.
She was......
“......My mother?”
“Yes.”
“......She visits often. Let me tell you about your mother.”
“Yeess.”
I nodded, drawing out the sound, then paused.
‘Everyone said she's bad, so no big expectations....... But maybe ask about Mom? I'm curious.’
As if reading my thoughts, Granny Principal smiled faintly and said,
“She was a good person. The smartest among the students I taught, probably?”
“......Really? People say......”
People said Mom was a bad person.
The words crumbled like sand in my mouth, unable to escape.
The principal added softly, with an indescribable expression,
“At least that's what I think.”
She handed me a small chocolate and said kindly,
“So you can grow up to be a good person too, Sien.”
I took the chocolate and nodded quietly.
Dad had tried to keep quiet, but I'd heard plenty about the Archdiocese Demon Trial, witch's daughter.
Bad rumors surrounded my mother, whose face I couldn't even remember.
‘First time someone's spoken nicely about my mom.’
For a moment, I thought maybe my mom was a good person, and I smiled brightly.
“......Yes, ma'am!”
I'd be too busy surviving ahead to think much about Mom. But at least today, I could.
My heart warmed like a fluffy baked potato.
“Thank you!”
I was glad I'd come to the principal's office and heard Hepsiba's story.
***
After Sien left. The principal recalled Sien's green eyes asking, ‘Is a body without mana a bad one?’ and murmured like a sigh,
“Your child really takes after you, Yuela.”
The principal remembered every graduate.
Among them, Yuela was special. She entered as a special admission student and always topped the academy over prestigious nobles.
Those sparkling eyes still lingered in memory. She rubbed her wrinkled hands over her dry face.
“Someday, I'll tell that child your story......”
The Archdiocese Demon Trial that boosted Matthias Mirmod's infamy.
Sien's mother, Yuela, left a small note to her trusted principal before her execution.
[I want to meet the God of Time, Moira, Teacher. When I return, fate will have changed.]
The God of Time? How to change fate? To her urgent question, Yuela just smiled faintly.
But had fate not changed?
For unknown reasons, Yuela didn't summon the God of Time, Moira, but a demon.
And the conclusion was clear.
Yuela was executed as a witch for daring to summon a demon.
‘Thinking of that day......’
Now, a dangerous name she couldn't utter lightly.
Writing a petition for Yuela back then remained the principal's sole disgrace in public memory. Whispers still clung to her.
But the principal liked her and didn't regret her actions.
‘Even I feel this way; Matthias Mirmod must be worse.’
Recalling how he rampaged madly after Sien's mother died left a bitter taste.
‘I don't know why he sent Sien to the academy......’
Perhaps sentimental, wanting her to attend the same academy her mother did.
At least here, Sien's mother, Yuela, had been happy.
......As far as the principal knew.
“Yuela was lovely, but her daughter is even more so.”
Memories of those happy golden days surfaced.
But that dreamlike beautiful era faded like a sunset.
Now a white-haired elder, she lifted her teacup with a bitter expression. The tea tasted strangely more bitter than usual.
***
On the way home after meeting Principal Hepsiba, I said to Leonhardt and Ashid, who asked what we talked about,
“No matter how I think about it, it's weird.”
“What's weird?”
“Principal Hepsiba seemed to really like my mom.”
“......Ah.”
The mood sank the moment I mentioned Mom.
And rightly so— my mom, Yuela, was executed in the Archdiocese Demon Trial incident.
‘Everyone treats my mom like a bad person, but Principal Hepsiba seemed to think positively of her.’
Just that made the stones piling in my heart whenever I thought of Mom tumble away.
‘Maybe...... my mom was okay after all.’
Blood is thicker than water, but summoning a demon? Unlikely a good person.
But like how all protagonists in the original [Melodia's Life] weren't bad, and the villain Mirmod family had good people too......
“Sien, what are you thinking?”
Snapping out of deep thoughts about Mom, I flapped my hands.
“Good thoughts.”
The muscle maid sisters, who had been sitting silently like mice, opened the carriage door.
We'd already arrived at the Mirmod estate!
But......
“Looks like someone's here?”
The estate felt eerily bustling.
I tilted my head.
“What's going on?”