Chapter 13: Volume 1 Special Chapter — The Mother in Greyrats Household

Chapter 13: Volume 1 Special Chapter — The Mother in Greyrats Household

Part 1

My name is Zenith Greyrat.

I was born in the holy country of Milis. It is a country with a long history. It's very suitable to describe the country as beautiful but inflexible.

I am born as the second daughter of that country's earl family.

I was a flower in a greenhouse during that time. I thought that everything I saw in my surroundings was the entire world. Such was my ignorance.

Although it's not really suitable to say it myself, I felt that I was a good child.

Never going against my parents' requests, and my grades in school were excellent.

I followed all of Milis's church teachers, and I had a smooth time learning social etiquette.

I was even termed as 『Milis's young lady standard』.

My parents also must have felt that I was a daughter to be proud of.

But I continued to grow that way. I would one day be in a party with an arranged marriage.

That will most likely be the eldest son from a random earl family. Straight as an arrow, with a proud heart, and keeping Milis's teachings as his absolute principles. A prime example in the Milis's nobles. I'll be married to someone like that. Giving birth to children. And I'll be an earl's wife who wouldn't feel ashamed no matter where I went, and be annexed in the holy country of Milis's nobles' list.

That is my life. A "road" for the Milis's noble's daughters.

But I didn't walk on that "road".

On the day I became an adult, when I was 15.

I fought with my parents. I revolted against my parents and left home.

There was a reason why I had hated the requests from my parents that I had always followed.

I had felt jealousy over my sister who was wilder than me.

With various reasons, I turned my back on my [road].

It is very difficult to continue living if nobles turn away from their "road".

But the fortunate thing is that I had learned healing magic in the noble school. And I managed to learn to the intermediate rank.

Although the holy country of Milis is a country that's very advanced in healing magic and barrier magic, most of the people will only learn healing magic until the elementary rank. If one learns healing magic to the intermediate rank, that person can work in Milis's hospital, so it is heavily favored upon in school.

And thus, I arrogantly believed that I would be able to go living on very well when I reached there.

I was too naive.

The me who didn't even know where to sort out a place to stay immediately got targeted by bad guys. This chapter is updated by nov(e)(l)biin.com

They told me they were "Currently hiring a magic healer", and hired me who didn't know the market value into their party. Their offer was much lower than elementary ranked magic healers, but they insisted that they paid out a higher price.

I was foolish enough to trust their skin-deep sincerity, even though there were many good people in the world.

If I followed them, I would have been asked to do things that were much worse. Being used as a shield against monsters, or to have kept using magic until I fainted. And I might have even been asked to give up my body.

And the one preventing all this was the young warrior Paul Greyrat.

After teaching the bad guys a lesson, he forcefully took me back to his traveling party.

If their party member Elinalize didn't explain to me in detail, I would have thought Paul was a bad person.

In any case. This was how Paul and I met.

At first, I hated Paul.

He's obviously a former Asuran noble, but the way he speaks is like a thug. Frequently breaking his promises, and getting rash easily. Greedy, condescending to me, and likes to feel other people's butt, and completely doesn't hide his perverted thoughts.

But I know he's not a bad guy.

Even though he looked down on me and mocked me for not understanding how the world works, he always said that there was no choice, and helped me out.

Paul's the complete opposite of me, but he's reliably wild and actually quite dashing.

It didn't take very long until I fell in love with him.

But he has many charming ladies around him, and I'm a follower of Milis.

Milis's teaching has "A couple must only love each other" as its doctrine.

Even though I left home, I was raised up with these teachings around me, and it's also taught in school as common sense, and thus the Milis teachings have been deeply engraved in my heart.

Then on one day I said it.

"If you don't sleep with any other woman again, I can sleep with you."

He agreed to it with a smile.

I knew he was lying.

But I still thought that was not a problem.

If I get lied to, I can give up on him completely.

But I was still too foolish. Too careless. Too naive.

Because I actually got pregnant after one time.

I didn't know what to do. I was extremely uneasy.

I didn't think at all that Paul would actually take responsibility and marry me.

And the child that I gave birth to,

Rudeus Greyrat.

———– Rudi.

Part 2

Rudeus is sitting beside his sisters' cradles.

His expression is very serious.

His face is reminiscent of Paul's shadow. He has his lips tightly closed, and keeps changing glances from his sisters.

"Ah-, Ah—–!"

The moment Norn mumbles, Rudeus's expression tightens.

And in the next moment.

"Burururu."

Rudeus sticks out his tongue and makes a funny face.

"Yaa, waa, ha, ha!"

Norn smiles happily, looking at his expression.

Rudeus nods at Norn's smile, satisfied, and changes back to the serious expression.

"Wuuu, ah!"

This time it's Aisha who talks.

And Rudeus immediately moves to her side.

"Arbububu."

He squeezes his face and does something strange.

"Gyaa— Ah, ah."

And Aisha smiles happily too.

Rudeus shows the same smile as when he did it to Norn.

Rudeus keeps repeating that from just now.

"Haha..."

I chuckle a little when I see Rudeus's smile.

That's because Rudeus doesn't smile much.

He always seems to be unsatisfied with something. Regardless of learning magic or the sword, he's always doing something with a serious expression.

He has never even smiled in front of his parents.

Even if he smiles, it is made on purpose.

But he's showing that expression to his sisters, and smiles satisfactorily after seeing his sisters' smiles.

I feel happy just looking at him.

It is very different from before.

"Phew..."

I sigh when I think of Rudeus when he was younger.

I was overjoyed when I saw Rudeus's magic talent, but after a while, I started to suspect whether Rudeus was looking down on his parents, not loving them.

Because Rudeus wasn't close to me at all.

"... But that's not the truth."

What changed my mind was the time with the pregnancy incident.

Lilia got pregnant and Paul admitted to it.

That time I felt I was betrayed.

"Drink more, and sleep more. Quickly grow up okay?"

I stroke Norn's head as I tell her that.

"Ah! Waaa!"

Rudeus did the same thing to Aisha that he did to Norn, carrying her up, checking her diaper, and confirming that there were no rashes or insect bites...

In the end, he carries Aisha and looks at me with a troubled expression.

Rudeus rarely shows an expression like that.

Even though it makes me happy to see different types of expressions, I don't really wish to see him so gloomy.

"What's wrong?"

"That is. Mother. Today, Lilia is quite late."

"That's true."

She is usually back by this time if she goes out to buy things.

Did something happen?

... No. There's a group of merchants that are coming from the city of Roa. She did say that she would buy more things than usual, so she would spend more time today.

"That, about Aisha."

"Yes?"

"She's probably hungry."

"I see."

When I think carefully about it, since Aisha is fed together with Norn, she should feel hungry at the same time.

Usually, I feed Norn while Lilia feeds Aisha.

I notice Rudi's troubled expression now.

Rudi uses that expression and says with trepidation.

"About that, Mother, I'm not sure when Lilia will be back. It's probably fine to let Aisha wait a little, but if Aisha continues to cry, Norn will cry too. That..."

I'm a sincere follower of Milis.

And because of that, I blame Lilia for breaking up the one man, one woman, promise from Paul. I know they are not Milis's followers, but I don't want to bend my own thoughts.

This must have been discovered by Rudi.

Will he make his mother unhappy because of one word.

Will she do something terrible to his sister.

He must be carrying this uneasiness.

To Rudi. Regardless of Norn, Aisha, and me. Everyone's family.

And..., Since things have turned out like this, I should do it.

But, is that really fine.

Will I feel unhappy when I feed Aisha.

And then, if my expression gets seen by Rudi, will he hate me, or look down on me?

"Sheesh. What are you saying? Here. Quickly give me Aisha."

I chase away my own fears, use the most gentle tone I can muster, and tell Rudi.

"Okay."

Rudi hands Aisha over to me gingerly.

I carried Aisha, and let her feed on the other side.

If Aisha isn't willing, I will probably feel unhappy. But Aisha doesn't care, and feeds in big gulps.

"...Phew."

I sigh with relief, using a volume that Rudi can't hear.

The same feeling comes to me when I fed Norn.

The feeling of being a mother.

How unbelievable.

Why did I think I wouldn't be willing to feed Aisha?

Why did I think I would be unhappy during the time I fed her?

Why did I think I needed to tolerate that?

The answer is simple. I know it.

Because I'm a mother.

In the end, there's no difference. A Milis follower or something else.

"She seems to be enjoying herself."

"That's because Mother is delicious."

"Please don't give flattery like that."

Rudi seems to be enjoying himself, watching Aisha feeding on me without any unhappiness, and relaxes.

He must have thought that this was also the responsibility of protecting his sisters.

That's really admirable.

It's not a lie that he wants to be a brother respected by his sisters.

"It's not flattery. I can still remember the taste."

"Are you for real?"

I smile while I stroke Aisha's head.

After a while, Aisha also finishes drinking, and leaves my chest.

I place her back in the cradle, and she starts to sleep like Norn.

Rudi uses an expression gentler than usual to look at me and Aisha.

"Rudi."

"Yes, what is it?"

"Can I touch you?"

"... There's really no need to ask me. Just touch me if you like to."

Rudi sits beside me and raises his head to me.

I stroke him on the head softly.

Rudi has never made me worry since his birth, so I didn't really feel like a mother when he grew up, but recently it feels different.

I feel from the bottom of my heart that I'm this child's mother.

"......"

I feel a sudden burst of warmth, and look up to where it's coming from.

The summer glow is pouring in from the windows.

A scenery of endless golden-colored wheat fields outside the window.

A peaceful summer afternoon.

I feel really content.

"It's great if things can continue like this."

"Yes."

Rudi agrees with me.

He must also feel at peace during this time.

But what makes me feel happy is Rudi's presence.

If it wasn't for Rudi, a follower of Milis like myself would bemoan the fact that I have become one of two wives, and would have left this house with Norn, or blamed Aisha and Lilia.

Luckily, Rudi is around.

If he wasn't a clever and wise child, I wouldn't experience something like this now.

"Rudi."

"What is it?"

"Thanks for being born"

Rudi looks like he's at a loss.

Then, scratching his head, he says with embarrassment.

"I should be the one thanking you."

I laugh again when I see Rudi's cute actions.