I was somewhat aware that Tia had hit puberty.
Sometimes she would tick and fidget for no reason, and she would act annoyed.
Every time that happened, I felt a twinge of disappointment, but I didn’t show it.
Compared to when I drove a nail into my mother’s heart during my own puberty, this was cute level.
Moreover, that evening, Tia hurriedly approached me and apologized for what she said in the morning.
Could there be a more angelic pubescent girl in the world?
I believed that until puberty completely passed, there wouldn’t be a day when I would be hurt by Tia.
Until today, that is.
“You’re not even my real mother! Why are you so meddlesome!”
It felt like my heart was being ripped apart.
It was all something I brought upon myself.
It was me who deceived her by saying that Tia was an adopted child.
I had anticipated that such a day would come.
But knowing something and experiencing it directly were vastly different.
In reality, the pain in my heart was much greater than I had imagined.
It felt like my heart was being torn apart.
Words wouldn’t come out as if my throat was tightly choked, and tears just flowed endlessly.
“Ah······.”
It’s a lie.
You don’t really think that way.
Tell me it’s not true.
Tell me you don’t feel like I’m meddling.
Hurry.
“Ugh······.”
But Tia turned away even after seeing my tearful face.
Then she ran out the main gate.
“Tia! What kind of language is that to Julia!”
Leopard rushed over and, conflicted, alternated his gaze between Tia and me.
Finally, he clicked his tongue and chased after Tia.
Still, I was relieved.
Tia wouldn’t be alone.
I was worried that she might impulsively run out of the house and end up lost.
I should thank Leo later······.
“Ah, ugh······.”
As Tia disappeared from my sight, my legs went weak and I sank down.
Knowing that it shouldn’t be like this, I was still flooded with anxiety about whether Tia might come to hate me.
What if Tia hates me?
What if Tia leaves me?
What if Tia abandons me?
Just thinking those thoughts made my vision swirl.
My mind clouded, and I felt like I might be sick.
Imagining a life without Tia made it seem as though someone was whispering to me from deep within my heart.
‘Ah. I just want to smash everything to pieces.’
At that moment, I felt someone embrace me, and warmth spread throughout my body.
In an instant, my tears stopped.
Right after that.
“No one is watching. It’s okay.”
“Ugh! Huh······!”
With the soft voice that flowed into my ear, my tears burst forth again.
I felt a transparent barrier surround us.
No one can see me, or us.
As that thought flashed through my mind, my tears uncontrollably streamed down my cheeks.
I cried, and cried again.
Burying my face in the wide chest of the duke.
As I poured out endless tears, the duke simply held me gently, stroking my head.
Usually, I would feel uncomfortable about it.
His touch would surely send chills down my spine.
But at this moment, his hand felt so soft and warm that I couldn’t help but lean on it.
“Ah, haah······.”
“Are you okay? Have you calmed down a bit?”
“Ugh, yes. Th-thank you.”
As my heightened emotions settled, I regained my senses.
And then I hurriedly tried to push the duke away.
But the duke didn’t loosen his arms around me at all; instead, he tightened his embrace.
Please stop······.
I feel like I’m going to cry again.
“Have you cried enough?”
“I’ve cried it all out! So please let me go······.”
“Julia, it might be too much to ask, but I want to be someone you can trust and rely on. Even if you ultimately don’t accept my feelings, I have no intention of complaining. If you don’t like it, feel free to slap me.”
“You bad person······.”
How can you say that?
How can I slap the person who rushed over and hugged me?
You’re truly a selfish person.
And yet consistently someone who thinks of me.
I grabbed the duke’s collar and pulled him close.
“It’s all my fault. I’m the coward. I didn’t have the courage to explain things to Tia. So because I said she was adopted······.”
I think I talked while sobbing for a while.
Everything that came out of my mouth.
My mind was hazy, and I probably spoke incoherently, but the duke just sat quietly and listened to me.
Without interjecting with empty reassurances that he understood everything.
Yet, despite that, it felt like he was taking my words seriously, and that felt the best.
I think it’s the first time since I came to this world that I have fully revealed my heart without hiding anything.
To the only man who knows that I am a holy maiden, that I came from another world, that I was a boy, and knows Tia’s true identity.
“How about we do this?”
…
…
…
“Ugh······.”
A small bridge where no one passes by.
Tia, sitting on the railing, lowered her head to examine her face reflected on the water.
Her expression was tearful.
After saying something harsh to her mother, why is she pouting?
Disliking the sight of her reflection, I threw a stone to ripple the surface.
But the ripples calmed down quickly, and the surface reflected Tia’s face again.
“So annoying!”
“You’ll fall in like that.”
“Leo sis······.”
Grab.
Just as she was kicking and venting her anger, Tia was lifted up by her nape.
It was Leopard.
Leopard stood there with his hands shoved in his pockets, looking rather annoyed.
Seeing that face, Tia couldn’t help but feel choked up.
“Sis! What should I do? I hurt mom’s feelings because I said something weird!”
“Tia······.”
With a thud, Leopard set Tia back on the railing and then sighed deeply.
Then he easily jumped over the railing and sat next to her.
“I didn’t mean to say such harsh things. It was words that didn’t come from my heart. But Tia ended up saying such harsh things without knowing······.”
It wasn’t completely without feeling.
It was a tiny bit of truth nestled in Tia’s heart.
But it was also true that she didn’t intend to say that to her mother.
No matter how much her mother wasn’t her real mother, she never intended to express that she wasn’t a real mother.
What does it mean if the mother who selflessly sacrificed and loved me isn’t a real mother?
“Did mom get hurt a lot?”
“Of course. Julia is tender-hearted.”
“Meh······.”
“So you need to apologize properly. In fact, you should have apologized right away.”
“I ran away······. I’ve never seen mom cry so sadly······.”
“It’s not too late now. Let’s go back and apologize. Say you’re sorry. That you think of her as your real mom. That you were wrong earlier.”
“Meh. I’ll do that······.”
As Tia sniffled and nestled into Leopard’s arms, he let out a sigh filled with mixed feelings.
He had never imagined that the day would come when he would mediate a reconciliation between the woman he loved and her daughter.
What a strange scene this was.
“Shall we head back now?”
“Meh······. I want to apologize to mom. I want to tell her that I think of her as my real mom. I want to say that I don’t mind her meddling and that I actually like it. That’s my true feelings.”
“Good. But before that, there’s something you need to know.”
“What is it?”
“Well······ haah······. Never mind.”
“······?”
After scratching his head and pondering for a while, Leopard swallowed the words he had intended to say.
This wasn’t something he should say.
It was something Julia needed to say herself.
With that thought in mind, he decided to keep quiet until Julia spoke.
“I’ll tell you just this.”
In exchange, there was something he could say.
“When you go home, your mom might tell you something that’ll surprise you.”
“Meh? What is it?”
“That, I don’t know either. Go listen for yourself when you get there. Of course, she might not say it, but if I know Julia, she will definitely say something. Just don’t be too surprised and don’t get angry when you hear it.”
“I got it······. I’m not really sure what that means······?”
Prepare yourself.
Get ready to hear the secret of your birth.
Leopard managed to get that message indirectly across to Tia.
Although Tia had no idea what it meant.
“I’m home······.”
Squeak.
As the sky turned yellow and dusk descended, Tia slowly entered the villa with Leopard, pushing the main gate.
There was no sign of her mom in the yard.
As Tia cautiously wandered the villa searching for her mom, she encountered the duke.
“Go to the room in the accommodation.”
As if he had been waiting, the duke gestured towards the building across.
Upon hearing that, she ran straight away.
She needed to apologize quickly.
Before it was too late.
Rushing to the accommodation, she flung open the door and saw her mom kneeling in front of the bed, staring at her pendant.
As soon as they met eyes, tears welled up in Tia’s eyes.
I have to say I’m sorry, but I feel so sorry that I think I might cry again.
“Come here, you rascal.”
“Meh······!”
Such a warm word.
Melting at those words, Tia dashed into her mom’s arms.
And soon she heard a voice that seemed to carry a hint of worry in her ear.
“Our daughter. I have something to say, will you listen?”
“Meh. I will.”
“You know······. Ah. Where should I start?”
Before long, Julia, too, felt a lump in her throat and tears threatening to fall.
But she had to speak without crying.
Swallowing her tears, Julia finally opened her lips.
She began to tell Tia everything she needed to know, everything she hadn’t been brave enough to say until now.
