Episode 95: Mother-in-Law Conflict ①
The next morning, I left the room so as not to wake Elmia, who was sleeping soundly beside me.
After that, I took a bath, got dressed, and prepared for the day.
I held a Gold Coin in my right hand, waiting for the moment to come.
Around noon, a noblewoman finally visited Ortenatris Castle.
“I-It’s been a while, Mother-sama.”
I saw the woman getting out of the carriage, and my voice trembled slightly.
The one who appeared was a black-haired woman of marriageable age.
I get nervous when I’m in front of this woman.
“Sharka, thank you for the welcome. Your mother is happy to finally see your face.”
Camilla la Nevilim.
My mother in this world.
For me, she is as familiar as, or even more so than, Elmia.
My mother was sixteen when she gave birth to me, so she is currently twenty-eight years old.
With my memories from my previous life, even if she had a child now, it would still be considered early.
She is tall and has a dignified presence.
Her slightly cold, upturned eyes created a bewitching aura.
My mother’s appearance can only be described as provocative.
A corset, with daring high-cut shorts.
About half of her I-line was showing, making it practically public indecency.
“Mother-sama, how was your journey? If you’re tired, you can rest…”
“No, I want to talk to you right away. The tea party is ready, isn’t it?”
I was hoping to postpone the schedule if possible, but it was impossible.
When my mother got out of the carriage, she seemed concerned about the wedgie, and adjusted her high-cut shorts with her fingers, a gesture that could only be seen as showing off her mons pubis.
Eventually, she found the right position, and when she released her fingers, they snapped and clung to her skin.
It is said that female nobles in their late twenties and older tend to prefer wearing high-cut shorts and micro bikinis, and my mother seemed to be no exception.
“Y-Yes. It’s ready in the backyard.”
“Then let’s go…”
I was surprised when my mother suddenly awakened to the high-cut party when I was nine years old.
The people around me didn’t seem to think anything of it, but since then, I couldn’t see my mother as a mother anymore.
I don’t know where to look, and I can’t help but look at her sexually.
In that sense, I developed a kind of aversion to my mother.
“…But before that.”
“Huh?…Gah!”
Suddenly, my mother hugged me without a word.
My face was sandwiched between my mother’s ample breasts, and I couldn’t breathe.
“Sharka, your mother is relieved that you are safe. You’ve really become strong.”
My mother spoke with deep emotion, as if rejoicing in my growth.
Is this what they mean by “a man should be looked at anew after three days”?
For a while, I was enveloped in a special sense of security in my mother’s warmth.
(Ah, this feels so good.)
At this rate, I’ll regress into a baby, and the primal desire to suck on her breasts will surface.
However, that blissful time quickly came to an end.
“Hey, Camilla! What are you doing to Sharka? Let go of him.”
With that, Elmia pulled me away from my mother.
“Oh, Elmia-san, why are you here? Today is a celebration from me to Sharka. This is not your place.”
“Oh, that’s not true. Sharka is my important retainer. It’s only natural that I, as his superior, supervise him.”
Elmia replied to my mother’s words in a stern tone.
The two of them started walking while arguing like that.
(Oh dear, so it’s come to this…)
Didn’t Elmia say yesterday that she would be quiet?
The thought of having to devote my attention to mediating between the two of them made me feel heavy.
(I have no choice, I’ll have to bring out that.)
I gave Nicoletta an instruction.
◇◇◇◇
The backyard of Ortenatris Castle.
It is a beautiful garden with a fountain.
We sat at the same tea table and talked amicably.
“This ‘pancake’ with its fluffy texture is really delicious. I want to come to Ortenatris Castle regularly to eat it.”
“It’s really delicious. To think you came up with such a sweet, as expected of you, Brother.”
So saying, my mother and Elmia ate the sweets and loosened their cheeks.
There are baked goods in this world, but they were all like tarts with a firm crust and fruit paste on top.
I knew that meringue or baking powder could be used to soften baked goods, so I had the castle’s pastry chef make them using the former.
After trial and error, the result was this pancake.
The fluffy texture was, as expected, popular with the women.
“Sharka has always liked going out to the castle town. I scolded you many times each time, but perhaps it was the right thing to do if you came up with things like this.”
When I tried out various ideas from my previous life, I used the excuse that “I came up with it while exploring the castle town.”
As a result, I had a trade-off of lowering my aristocratic reputation, but if I can have a peaceful time thanks to these sweets, then it’s worth it.
However, that didn’t last long.
“By the way, Sharka. You should become the head of the House Ortenos.”
My mother said with a serious expression.
(Mother-sama, you’re dropping a bombshell out of nowhere.)
My mother is the leader of the faction within Ortenos that is trying to push me up as the next head of the family.
It seems that she had been working behind the scenes even when I was away, and she finally came to persuade me in person to coincide with my return.
“Did I hear you wrong, Camilla? The next head of Ortenos is me, right? Sharka is just my retainer. Would you like to correct that?”
“I don’t recognize Elmia-san as the next head of the family. I don’t think you’re up to the task as you are now. Now that Sharka has achieved so much, he is the most suitable person to be the next head of the family.”
My mother’s words were polite, but she couldn’t hide her hostility towards Elmia.
“Camilla, Sharka doesn’t want to inherit the family title. As a mother, shouldn’t you understand his feelings?”
Elmia retorted without losing to my mother’s pressure.
I think it’s amazing.
“Sharka, you’ve always been a child without greed. You were blessed with talent and mastered all kinds of combat skills, yet you grew up without saying any aristocratic selfishness. Your mother was worried about you because of that, you know?”
So saying, my mother approached me and gently embraced me.
Elmia looked at us with a sullen expression.
“Sharka, you can’t make use of your talents in your current position, and you’ll just be buried in this aristocratic society.”
“Hold it there, Camilla.”
“No, I’m sure Elmia-san knows it too, right? If you’ve been watching Sharka’s talent up close all this time.”
“That is…”
Elmia seemed to have been hit where it hurt, and she was at a loss for words.
My mother is not a strategic type like my father, but rather a passionate type.
Elmia is the opposite, preferring aristocratic roundabout expressions and deductive conversations, so she is not good at dealing with types like my mother.
“Sharka, I know that you are a child who values your family more than anyone else. But that doesn’t work in this aristocratic society. This world is not so sweet that you can survive on emotions alone.”
“…But Mother-sama, I don’t have the right to inherit.”
“Don’t say such spoiled things! The reason why I’m nagging you like this is all for your sake. Because of these times, it wouldn’t be strange if I died at any moment, you know? If war breaks out again, my power alone won’t be enough to protect you. That’s why you have no choice but to stand on your own two feet.”
My mother spoke to me in a strong tone.
Is this how strong women who live on the battlefield are?
My mother’s affection, which was too deep for an aristocrat, was embarrassingly but also a little comforting.
However, I felt unbearably sad to know that my mother was assuming what would happen after she was gone.
“Mother-sama, please don’t say such sad things…”
“No. As long as Lanecki binds your legitimacy, you will continue to be conveniently used by Lanecki on the front lines in the war.”
“I won’t let that happen.”
“You are Elena’s daughter from the Lanecki Family, why can you say such a thing?”
Elmia glared at my mother sharply.
She had an expression as if she had made up her mind.
“Because I will take Sharka as my Husband.”
(Oh, she said it.)
I thought that Elmia was in a poison state where she couldn’t say what she wanted to say.
I was planning to keep it off the record until I did something about Elmia’s fiancé, Jilga, but she couldn’t stand being told what to do by my mother.
“Huh?”
My mother had a blank look on her face, as if she was dumbfounded.
“Sorry, but I’m taking Sharka. So you’re off the hook, Camilla. I’ll take care of Sharka from now on, so please rest assured and stay in your territory.”
Elmia said that and hugged me close.
Honestly, it made my heart skip a beat.
Is this perhaps what the heroine of a story feels?
“E-Elmia-san, could it be… are you and Sharka… involved?”
My mother, having learned the shocking truth, pointed at us while trembling.
“That’s right. Sharka and I are very close. Just yesterday, I even slept in the same bed as Sharka.”
“Hiii!”
Elmia said that, entwined her arm with mine, and stuck out her tongue playfully.
What is with this little sister, so cunningly cute?
But no, Mother is screaming.
(Oh dear, it’s been found out.)
What to do now? This is getting out of hand.
The atmosphere is no longer conducive to me becoming the head of the family.
“H-Hey, Elmia, stop provoking Mother-sama.”
I whispered a word of caution to Elmia.
Making Mother-sama angry is a terrible thing.
“What? Who’s more important to Sharka, his mother or his wife?”
Is this a conflict between a bride and her mother-in-law?
“Both are important, you idiot.”
I flicked Elmia’s forehead.
“Ouch! Hmph, Onii-sama hit me.”
Elmia protested adorably, poking me lightly.
“…I won’t accept it, I won’t accept such a thing…”
Mother exhaled a white breath, along with a curse.
I felt like the temperature had dropped slightly.
“Even if you say that, Sharka and I love each other. No matter what Camilla says, it won’t change anything.”
As Elmia said, once we have such a strong Magical Power connection, the thought of separating never even crosses our minds.
“…Very well, Elmia-san. In that case, it’s a duel!”
Mother declared war on Elmia.
“Hmph, I accept.”
Elmia responded without missing a beat.
Wait a minute, how did this happen…?
◇◇◇◇
Ortenatris Third Training Ground.
A vast, coliseum-shaped training ground with a radius of about two hundred meters, carved out of an entire mountain.
It was a sturdy structure that could withstand even a Stella-Class unleashing powerful magic.
For some reason, Mother and Elmia were about to duel there.
“What in the world is going on, Sharka?”
“Well, Father, the thing is, blah blah blah…”
After reporting the whole story to Father, he sighed grandly.
“Haa, this is my fault. I didn’t tell Camilla that I had offered you the position of family head…”
“I suppose that can’t be helped.”
It was obvious what would happen if I gave confidential information to Mother.
Knowing her, she would leak the information to various parties and create a fait accompli.
It’s not that Mother lacks credibility, but prioritizing the interests of her birth family is a very common way of thinking for nobles.
“Haa, Camilla is as stubborn as ever. There’s no stopping her now, but you should go and persuade Elmia.”
Father sighed in resignation and headed towards Camilla’s side as her second.
He was probably going to try to persuade her to call off the duel.
…I think it’s pointless, though.
“Brother, why are Sister and Mother dueling?”
Roa asked me a simple question.
“Roa, there are many things in life. Mother will do the same when you get married.”
“Huh? Me, get married?”
“…I meant when Roa has someone to marry.”
“I-Is that so? But… I’m happy as long as I have Brother.”
As always, Roa was as beautiful as a pretty girl.
I have to find Roa a fiancé soon.
I can’t always be the one to take care of Roa’s needs.
◇◇◇◇
After that, I headed to Elmia’s side.
Elmia was concentrating, holding her beloved Shakujo.
“Elmia.”
“Onii-sama, you came to support me.”
“Well, yeah.”
“…I always thought this day would come.”
Elmia said something as if she had foreseen this day.
“Is that so?”
“Yes, Camilla is Sharka’s mother, right? I didn’t think she would easily let Sharka become someone else’s husband.”
“That might be true.”
“You say ‘might be,’ but shouldn’t you be on the side of your future wife a little more?”
“I guess so. But Mother-sama is quite formidable, you know?”
Mother was a heroine who had participated in the war with Naia.
Besides, it was Mother who taught me the basics of combat when I was a child.
“I know. But I’m a little excited to be able to fight Camilla like this. It feels like I’m getting closer to my mother, who used to stand shoulder to shoulder with Camilla…”
Elmia’s mother and my mother were in a relationship as the legal wife and a concubine, and they were originally on bad terms.
According to Father, they reconciled after we were born.
Elmia’s mother, Elena, was a gentle and beautiful person, unlike what one would expect from the Lanecki Family.
Her long eyelashes and the structure of her eyes were passed down to her daughter Elmia.
“If I were to give you one piece of advice, it would be to avoid close combat.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, if you get within Mother-sama’s range, you’ll be disoriented immediately. She has such outstanding skill.”
“I understand…”
Elmia said that and approached me.
Then she touched her forehead to mine and placed her hands on my cheeks.
“…I won’t lose—so Sharka, keep your eyes on me. I’ll show you that your wife is the best.”
Elmia’s eyes were a straight, golden color.
I was pierced by those strong, straight eyes and lost my words.
(…When did she become so cool?)
Was she inspired by my achievements?
Seeing Elmia’s grown-up figure, who used to be such a crybaby, I was so moved that I almost cried.
“Yeah. Go get ’em, Elmia.”
I sent Elmia off with a smile.