Chapter 3

“It’s an expression of affection.”

“…Expression of affection?”

Ranihel’s brown eyes sparkled with confidence. So self-assured, her words carried a strange persuasiveness that would have seemed absurd under normal circumstances.

“Express affection? To Mother?”

“Yes. She’ll definitely like it. Why not try being a little cute?”

“…Ugh.”

I stuck out my tongue with a disgusted expression. I’m not a child, and here I am, being told to act cute to my parents. I doubted something like that would even work.

“Isn’t there anything else? Like a gift or something.”

“Hmm… You can’t give the Baroness money, can you? Or do you have something that might be helpful to her?”

“…No.”

What could a daughter from a family on the brink of ruin possibly have? As Ranihel said, there was no way I could win Astasha’s favor through financial means.

“From what I see, even a small gesture would be enough.”

Ranihel wore a mature smile and spoke without hesitation.

“How can you be so sure?”

“My, I’ve been working here since you were a baby. I know these things.”

“….”

I couldn’t deny it.

Moreover, I had only been here for three months since my transmigration. Ranihel clearly knew more about what Astasha liked than I did.

“But… isn’t it too cringy for my age?”

“What does age matter? To the Baroness, you’ll always look like a baby anyway.”

I guess that’s true. Thinking about it, Ranihel had a point. Personally, I felt repulsed, but I had seen plenty of mother-daughter pairs on TV and SNS expressing affection.

If it were a father and son, it would have been awkward, but between women, such expressions of affection seemed more acceptable. Of course, I wasn’t sure how far that went.

You’d have to live as a woman to know.

And if I thought of it as an action to increase favorability, it wasn’t something I couldn’t do. In fact, if I could win Astasha’s favor with just an expression of affection, it seemed like a bargain.

“Well, I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks, Ranihel.”

“But why are you asking this all of a sudden?”

Ranihel looked at me with curious eyes. Thinking about Tina’s personality, it must have been a rather surprising question.

“Mother seems to be having a hard time, so I want to be of some help.”

“Oh, my.”

Ranihel covered her mouth with both hands, looking touched. Seeing her on the verge of tears, she seemed to have a rather emotional personality.

“I was worried after the Family Head passed away… but I guess I don’t need to worry anymore. You’ve grown up, Miss.”

“…Really?”

If growing up meant growing up, then sure. After all, the soul of an adult man was in the body of a 15-year-old girl.

“If there’s anything I can help with, please let me know, Miss.”

Ranihel smiled warmly and gently held my hands. It was a rather burdensome gaze, but I forced a smile and replied.

“I will, Ranihel.”

“Hehe… Okay.”

Hmm.

An expression of affection, huh…

What would be good?

*

Quietly opening the door, a calm atmosphere and the scent of paper wafted in.

The Family Head’s Office, revisited in less than a day. Artasha sat at the desk, unchanged, focused on paperwork. I would feel antsy after just an hour at the desk, but she seemed truly remarkable in many ways.

“What is it? I didn’t call for you.”

Artasha glanced at me briefly before turning her attention back to the documents. One might call it a cold dismissal. Tina would surely have thought so.

‘Of course, not me.’

How could I dislike it? She was struggling to earn the wealth that allowed me to live comfortably. If anything, I was grateful. Her showing interest and affection towards me would have been more burdensome and unwelcome.

“If you’re busy, I’ll leave if you have nothing to say.”

“I thought you might be tired, so I made some tea.”

“What?”

Artasha’s eyes flickered, more intensely this time. As if she couldn’t comprehend what she had just heard, she looked at me with disbelief.

“…You made tea? Yourself?”

“Yes. I learned how from Ranihel.”

Whether she couldn’t control her expression or her eyes were just too transparent, it was clear what Artasha was thinking. Tina, who used to hole up in her room reading books, suddenly showing such filial piety must have been quite shocking.

But it was clear she didn’t dislike it.

In moments like this, simplicity is key. After a brief internal deliberation, I lowered my eyes and bowed my head.

“…I was thoughtless. You must have disliked it.”

“What? Wait.”

“I’m sorry, Mother. It’s my first time making tea, so it must be bitter and tasteless. It’s not up to your standards.”

Her blue pupils widened like they were hit by an earthquake. I fidgeted with the teacup in my hands and weakly turned towards the door.

“Sorry for disturbing you… I’ll take my leave.”

“W-Wait.”

A hurried voice called me back. Turning my head as slowly as possible, I saw Artasha had already risen from her seat and approached me.

She took the teacup from my hands and took a sip, then gave an awkward smile.

“I thought you only liked books, but you have a talent for making tea. It’s quite drinkable.”

“…Really? Thank you, Mother.”

Hmm.

That’s a lie.

She really couldn’t hide her expressions. The purity that didn’t suit her usual cold and serious demeanor was evident. I wonder how she manages in social circles.

After staring at the tea for a while, Artasha spoke in a low voice with a complicated expression.

“Tell me. It probably won’t work, but… I’ll at least hear you out.”

“Huh?”

“You’re doing this because you want something, aren’t you?”

I blinked in surprise at the unexpected words. Even such a small gesture couldn’t be accepted as goodwill. I wondered how much of a disappointment Tina must have been to warrant this.

Poor Artasha.

“Mother, actually, there’s something…”

“Go on.”

Artasha nodded with slightly sunken eyes. After fidgeting with my mouth for a while, I looked up at her with the most harmless expression I could muster.

“Actually, I just realized something… how much you’ve been suffering.”

“…What?”

As if she hadn’t expected my words, a stunned voice escaped her red lips.

“Actually, I read a book about a mother’s love. After reading it, I realized how much you’ve lived for me.”

Of course, I hated books. But considering Tina’s bookworm persona, I crafted the story to be as plausible as possible.

“Y-You read such a book?”

Judging by Artasha’s shaken expression, this must have been the right approach.

“Yes, I was really immature, wasn’t I? I’m sorry… I was too clumsy to express it before.”

“….”

“From now on, I want to be your strength. But I’m so lacking… this is all I can do for you.”

“N-No, you’ve already been a great help.”

Artasha waved her hands hastily, looking quite cute. I hadn’t realized she was such a doting mother, and I felt a pang of guilt.

After all, I’m not really her daughter.

In a way, I might be the villain who stole her daughter’s body.

I did feel guilty, but I decided not to dwell on it too much. After all, this was all just a game created by someone’s imagination.

Besides, it wasn’t all bad for Artasha. Even if I was a fake daughter, she would receive the filial piety she might never have gotten otherwise.

In the game, Tina lived in the Empire Library until adulthood and eventually took up a bureaucratic position in the Empire. There’s no way she would have suddenly changed and shown filial piety to her mother.

People don’t change that easily.

My guess is that Artasha probably lived alone in this barony for the rest of her life.

“Is something like this tea really okay?”

“Y-Yes, of course. You’re always welcome to bring tea.”

So this is a mutually beneficial exchange. I give Artasha the filial piety she never received in the game, and she provides me with the necessities for my NEET life.

“But… I want to be more of a support to you.”

I gently held Artasha’s hand. Her hand was quite cold. They say people with cold hands have warm hearts, and it seemed true.

Then my hands must be warm.

‘I really don’t know if this will work…’

I hope it helps even a little.

Looking into Artasha’s flustered eyes, I raised my heels. Due to the height difference, I had to lift my feet higher than expected.

*Peck*

I gently pressed my lips against Artasha’s pale cheek. The soft skin and plump lips made a faint, embarrassing sound. After leaving a lip print on her cheek for a while, I lowered my feet.

Artasha, looking like she couldn’t believe what had just happened, had lost focus in her eyes. I gave her a bright smile and said,

“I’ll always be cheering for you. Stay strong, Mother.”