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Translator: Xini
Proofreader: Silavin
POV: Violet
“…Hah”
A sigh in the office.
I was taught never to sigh unless it was to vex my opponent. However, I couldn’t help but let out a sigh or two while reading the report on my desk.
“Lady Violet, I brought you some black tea.”
“Hmm… thanks, Gray.”
Perhaps Gray, who had stayed back to welcome visitors in lieu of a secretary, could discern exhaustion from my face. After all, he had purposefully made me some tea.
Mm, it’s wonderfully delicious. He’s added just the right amount of sugar and not a single nitpick can be made in the way he had brewed it. Gray is second to none when it comes to making black tea or coffee.
“You’re really good at brewing tea, Gray.”
“You flatter me, milady.”
I complimented Gray, which he accepted with a respectful bow.
His demeanor was truly that of a secretary or butler, but given his age, one would probably take him for a kid who has had a strict upbringing.
“… Gray, why don’t you relax, even just a little, when you’re at home?”
Gray is my son by marriage.
As it’s only been two months since we met, I can’t fault him for being reserved around me. Also, since I have been keeping him at a distance, it’s only natural that we aren’t close. However, the nature of our relationship makes me feel a bit sad. That said, I’m aware he’s a good kid.
“That wouldn’t do, milady. If I don’t follow proper conduct under normal circumstances, it’s possible that I’d mess up when it matters most.”
Gray has closed off his heart to me… or rather, maybe his conduct is true to his nature. He always speaks politely to Lord Clo, which makes me wonder if he’s decided that I and Lord Clo are people deserving of respect and that serving us brings him pleasure.
It’s not all too unusual to speak politely with family. I was the same way with my parents.
However, I referred to them as father and mother and never by their name.
“…Hmm”
Well then, what should I do?
If I want Gray to be himself, then perhaps I should maintain the status quo.
Also, I’m not quite familiar with how a ‘normal’ family interacts with each other. My father never showed any interest in me and my mother and I hardly exchanged words outside of social settings. After a certain age, I only met my brothers on rare occasions. In short, I don’t quite comprehend the desired distance between family members.
When it comes to Gray and Lord Clo, though the former addresses the latter politely, it’s obvious that they have a relationship built on mutual trust and I want a similar amiable relationship with Gray…
“Gray, there’s only the two of us here. Would you at least address me differently?”
“Address, milady? How about Mrs. Heartfield?”
“The distance between us grew ever so much wider.”
I’m rather shocked to hear that form of address from Gray. Please, stop.
“Mother Violet.”
Right, he did call me that yesterday too.
I’m not sure if it’s alright to address me that way in public… but I wish it were more affectionate. That designation somewhat reminds me of my own mother.
“Mama…?”
I don’t know what this is. I feel something strange bubbling to the surface. A feeling I’ve never experienced before. I would’ve been happy with him just dropping my name and simply calling me mother but Gray went one step further, closing the distance between us.
Calm down. I’m different from that blacksmith. Ah, but what is this feeling? This feeling of being called Mama by a young boy akin to a small animal with big soulful eyes—
“That certainly doesn’t suit me… I should revert to calling you mother.”
“It suits you, so say it one more time.”
I grabbed hold of Gray by his shoulders and hounded him.
To be frank, it’s rather embarrassing to be called mama, so it’s better if he calls me mother, but I don’t know why it feels like if I miss this chance then I can never hear him call me that again.
“What’s the matter, you sound like Mr. Bligh.”
“Ack?!”
“Why are you holding your head, looking crushed?”
I’m not like him! I’m nothing like that perverted blacksmith!
Gray, who hasn’t realized the truth about him, innocently pointed out a resemblance, hurting me in the process. No, I just wanted us to grow closer together as a family. I’m not going off the rails.
… Well, was I not excited about being called mama by someone who’s more like a younger brother to me? Then I’m really a perver—
“I’m not like Mr. Bligh, I’m not like Mr. Bligh, I’m not like Mr. Bligh, I’m not like Mr. Bligh–”
“Come back to me, Lady Violet! Did my form of address really affect you that badly?!”
Haaaa… this won’t do. I was about to place a curse as a form of escapism.
As it is, Gray is so easily influenced. So long as we live in Shiki, there’s no guarantee that he would not be influenced by something weird, so I need to stand tall and be a good role model for Gray.
“I’m fine, Gray. Also, about how you address me. Just call me whatever, whenever you feel like.”
“Ah, yes… I understand.”
Gray looked at me and drew back a little. Granted, if a simple address is all it took for someone to act very weird then anyone would be bewildered. I suppose… it’s going to take some time until he can call me mother without any reservations.
Maybe when we were deciding how to address each other the day after I got here, if I had just asked me to address me as mother in general, then maybe we wouldn’t be… hmm? Did someone drop by? I can hear the doorbell.
“I wonder if it’s a visitor. Let me go take a look.”
“Thanks.”
Gray bowed and swiftly but quietly exited the office. He’s… a really shrewd kid. Maybe even more so than my old maid, Amber.
“A visitor huh… I don’t remember us having anything scheduled today.”
Today in particular we aren’t supposed to have any other appointments.
I checked our schedule with Lord Clo, after the messenger from the Valentine family stopped over. In that case, it could be a traveler or a peddler. Or, it could be someone with something urgent to report. I need to brace myself even more than ever if it’s an academy student—
“Come to think of it, I need to go meet someone.”
I suddenly remembered making plans to meet with an academy student.
The one wanting to meet me was a female student, who I apparently dueled with once. Lord Clo, tried to be subtle about it but if it’s a female student who dueled with me, then it has to be her. I was quite surprised to learn that she was here in Shiki. But… I can’t just avoid her.
Having His Highness fall in love with her, charming Ash and the others, mingling and treating both commoners and nobility alike with a smile on her face. She was a classmate whose virtues I was unable to see when I was acting out of control.
I should try to calm down… before leaving to meet her.
“… I should apologize first when I see her.”
Though her conduct against me and upper society as a whole was absurd and she never tried to understand that, it still doesn’t excuse my behavior.
However, would it be alright if I bragged about being happily married to Lord Clo? I certainly want to see her stunned expression upon hearing of how close we are. However… I’m not good at humble bragging. It would probably end with her worrying about my wellbeing.
Even back then, Gray was worried for me—
“…?”
And that was when I realized that some time had passed since I had started contemplating on things to be done.
That’s weird. Gray should have come back to report to me by now. I wonder if he’s still talking at the door.
I can’t put it past easily influenced Gray to not be taken in by any weird canvassing. I guess I should discreetly check on the situation.
“Gray…?”
I got to the front door, only to find no one there and the door ajar.
With no trace of having welcomed anyone inside, I looked around outside the open door to find no one near.
“Gray?”
I called out once again.
There was no… response.
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