Mushoku Tensei — Chapter 187 - Grandmother — The Conversation

They passed through the long corridor and entered from the foyer.

Inside, as expected, the place was filled with high-end furniture.

Not Asura Kingdom's royal palace. But the taste wasn't bad.

At least there was none of that nouveau riche feeling.

"Please wait here."

The room they'd been led to was a reception room. Sofas facing each other. A vase in the corner. A maid standing along the far wall.

Pursena mimicked the maids and stationed herself behind us.

Since we'd been told to wait, the Grand Madam was nowhere to be seen. That just meant she'd been waiting for us to finish the journey and was now making preparations to come out and greet us.

In any case, my wives and children all settled into their seats.

I sat down beside them.

When I glanced over, Aisha was still standing next to her chair.

Even Daibai had parked himself on the floor.

"Aisha?"

"Mm... Last time I sat down, Grandmother scolded me."

"Ha?"

"Brother, don't get worked up..."

"Sit. I don't believe she'd dare scold you in front of me."

"Mhm~ Brother is so cool."

Aisha gave me a cute wink and sat down beside me.

Honestly...

I was getting more and more curious about what this grandmother was actually like.

Aisha and I had punished nobles across so many countries together. Could this woman really still be maintaining that kind of aristocratic arrogance?

"Grand Madam, this way please."

While I was turning that over in my head, the door opened.

The woman who entered was elderly, her blonde hair streaked through with white. She had the look of someone whose nerves were wound a little too tight.

Given the impression I'd already built of her, and the disrespect she'd once shown Aisha, I didn't bother standing.

Grandmother stepped in and looked us all over. Me, my wives, my children.

"Hmph! No manners whatsoever. And who gave you permission to sit?"

Beside me, Aisha scrambled up from the sofa.

"A mere child of a concubine, sitting down on her own before I've arrived? Who permitted such rudeness? And you," she snapped at Pursena, "what are you doing as a maid? What's with that hunched back?"

Pursena straightened up immediately.

Windsor had apparently been touching her ears just a moment ago.

Aisha's voice came out barely above a murmur.

"V-very... very sorry..."

She lowered her head. Her expression looked like she was about to cry.

I couldn't bear to watch this.

I patted Aisha on the shoulder.

"It's fine. Sit down."

Aisha didn't sit. She stayed with her head lowered.

Mm...

My little sister is a genius. Up until now, she has never lost to any enemy except Orsted.

Her pride. And her own grandmother just crushed it.

Earlier, Roxy had said she hoped my family would all come to like her. But Aisha's feelings on that were probably even stronger. This old woman in front of us was her grandmother too.

Even though Aisha is perfect in my eyes, she isn't acknowledged by her grandmother. That alone, just that single lack of acknowledgment, was enough to make my genius little sister look like she was shrinking into herself.

That made me... genuinely angry.

I took Aisha's hand and turned to face Grandmother.

"I was the one who told Aisha to sit. Is there a problem?"

"Heh. As my grandson, where have your noble manners gone?"

"Me? Are you serious? Do you know how many nobles I've killed?"

"I don't care how high your standing is out there. Here, you are my grandson. You will follow my rules. Now — where have your noble manners gone?"

I almost laughed.

I was still working out how to respond when Eris spoke up.

"Rudeus, Grandmother is so annoying."

She said it plainly, in a voice the whole room could hear.

Then came Lara.

"Let's go, Papa! Great-grandmother speaks so unpleasantly. I want to go play at His Holiness the Pope's place."

Lucy and Windsor both nodded.

Roxy stroked Lara's head.

"Mm, mm. We won't talk to the unpleasant great-grandmother. We'll leave in a bit."

Last was Sylphie.

She looked at me with a soft smile.

"Rudeus~ shall we leave?"

I nodded, stood up, and started gathering my wives and daughters to go.

Then Grandmother spoke.

"...The way I spoke was problematic."

"Then what should you do about it?"

Her expression went tight. Her mouth opened, then closed.

The atmosphere turned awkward. Then a maid standing nearby broke the silence.

"Lord Rudeus, the Grand Madam has actually been looking forward to your arrival. She just... speaks unpleasantly..."

The moment the words were out, Grandmother wheeled on her.

"You. You're fired. Get out."

...Ha. This grandmother is really something.

How could anyone like her?

No wonder Zenith had told me I definitely wouldn't.

The maid's face crumpled. She turned to leave just like that.

Fired on the spot and she just goes...

"Miss Maid, wait."

"Mm...?"

"How long have you worked here?"

"14 years..."

I turned back to Grandmother.

"She's worked here 14 years. You fire her just because she said one sentence in your defense? She looks like she's getting on in years too. What exactly is she supposed to do after being fired?"

"How dare a servant speak on behalf of her master? What use is a maid with no sense of propriety?"

"Then tell me. Were you waiting for our arrival or not?"

This old woman.

She pressed her lips together. Then she nodded.

...I genuinely hadn't expected that.

Sixty-something years old. Nearly seventy. And this is how tsundere she can be.

"Grandmother, first apologize to Aisha. She is my little sister. Then apologize to this maid. She was speaking up for you."

Then, this old woman.

In a tone that was strangely stiff, she spoke.

"I'm sorry, Aisha. I'm sorry, Imiya. I... those were words said in anger."

Aisha nodded and accepted the apology.

I looked over at the maid.

"You can withdraw for now."

She left with tears in her eyes.

Sigh...

The strange stiffness in Grandmother dropped away. Her expression settled back into something cool.

"I understand. Now then, first question."

"Mm."

"Who is your primary wife?"

"There's no distinction of primary or secondary. We were all married at the same time."

"What are you suddenly saying?"

"Since you are to become head of the family, a wife with legitimate noble bloodline is necessary."

"Who said I'm becoming head of the family?"

"Zenith wrote in her letters that this was something to discuss with you."

"What Mother said was to discuss. Me disagreeing is also part of that discussion."

"Hmph! Truly willful."

She said it, but she didn't push the subject any further.

Grandmother shifted to asking me about Zenith's current situation. Her gaze kept drifting toward my daughters as she did.

Now that I thought about it, when my daughters had all collectively said they wanted to leave, her expression had already shifted.

"By the way, where is Norn?"

"She lives in the Asura Kingdom right now. She's a well-known novel author."

"Not doing proper work. Hasn't learned a shred of noble etiquette."

"I don't think Norn is wasting her time. She's working hard at something she loves, and she's already succeeded at it. She has public recognition."

"Heh. Does she have a partner?"

"Not yet."

"Bring her next time. I've already found a marriage candidate for her. She can stop neglecting proper work and writing those books."

Lara stood up.

She had Lucy's and Windsor's hands in hers.

"Great-grandmother! Don't speak ill of Aunt Norn! Her stories are wonderful!"

Windsor chimed in.

"That's right. Way more interesting than Papa's bedtime stories."

Lucy nodded along.

Mm...?

Why specifically bring up that they're more interesting than mine...

I'll actually get sad, you know.

Those bedtime stories were highly praised in my previous life.

Even Eris said she loved listening to them.

Anyway. Seeing my daughters weigh in like that, Grandmother went quiet.

I'd figured it out by now. She was very afraid of being disliked by my daughters.

"As for Norn, Grandmother, you should stay out of it. Things between her and Ruijerd seem to be going well."

"Ruijerd? Another demon..."

Well.

I'm not exactly fond of demons either.

But.

"My wife Roxy is also a demon. So I'd ask Grandmother to be a little more careful about what she says."

Grandmother paused. Then she nodded.

"I understand... Sorry, Roxy."

Roxy had none of her earlier timidity left.

She nodded.

"It's fine, Grandmother."

Grandmother's gaze moved to my daughters.

"Mm... you can tell at a glance which wife gave birth to which. Lucy's mother is Sylphie?"

"Yes."

"It has been this way since ancient times."

"I'll just have Cliff change it. Besides, we don't live here anyway."

"How arrogant... Lucy, come here."

Grandmother beckoned.

Lucy glanced up at me, then at Sylphie.

Sylphie gave her a gentle nudge.

"It's alright. Go on."

Lucy walked over to Grandmother, just a little hesitant.

Windsor followed right behind her. And when Lara saw her older sister go, she went too.

Grandmother frowned.

Windsor spoke up directly.

"Great-grandmother, don't be harsh with Lucy. Lucy is timid."

As expected of my daughter.

The instinct to protect her little sister was engraved right into Windsor's bones.

Eris wore the expression of someone thinking exactly that.

Lara had a bit of a tagging-along energy, hovering just behind Windsor.

Grandmother reached out and patted Lucy on the head.

"I won't be harsh with any of you."

Lara looked at her.

"Great-grandmother speaks very unpleasantly. So we won't like you."

"..."

Roxy spoke up.

"Lara~ Great-grandmother is just a little tsundere. She actually does like us quite a lot."

Grandmother didn't deny it.

Lara studied her great-grandmother for a moment.

"Is that so?"

"Mm. Forgive my earlier rudeness. I am genuinely very proud that my grandson has accomplished so much. And very glad that his wives all seem so happy."

Facing her own great-granddaughters.

My grandmother really would do anything to not be disliked by them.

Where exactly did this tsundere streak come from?

Then Lucy spoke too.

"Great-grandmother... please don't say bad things about Aunt Norn..."

"I know. I already apologized."

"Mm..."

Then.

A strange quiet settled over the room.

Grandmother stroked my daughters' heads, not saying anything. My wives and I exchanged glances.

It stretched on for a few minutes.

Then she finally spoke.

"Stay for dinner tonight. There are spare rooms. I... would also like to properly spend some time getting to know my great-granddaughters."

After she said it, Lara made a face that left absolutely nothing to the imagination.

Windsor and Lucy didn't react much.

My wives and I smiled.

"Alright. We'll be in your care then, Grandmother."

➤ Next: Holiness and Love (Incomplete)