Chapter 242 - Windsor 2

Windsor's Perspective:

Today, school is on break.

Three days off per week. Today is the first day.

I came down to the dining room in the morning to find the maids already preparing breakfast.

"Good morning, Lady Windsor." x2

"Good morning. Is Pursena still sleeping?"

"Yes. Shall I go wake her?"

"No need. I'll have the same as usual."

"Very well."

I had just pulled out my chair and sat down when Mama Aisha shuffled out of the bedroom, mid-yawn.

She was in her pajamas, and not quite properly put on at that.

Mm....... that room.

Father probably slept with Mama Aisha and Mother last night.

Which meant today, Father and Mother probably wouldn't be joining me for sword practice.

Seeing me, Mama Aisha smiled.

"Windsor, morning."

"Morning, Mama Aisha."

"It's a break day. You're not going to sleep in?"

"I'm used to getting up early. I want to practice today."

"Windsor really does practice every single day, huh~ Ah!"

Mama Aisha seemed to suddenly remember something.

"Didn't your father say yesterday he'd practice with you today?"

"Mm....... but he probably won't be joining me today, right?"

"Why do you say that?"

"Whenever Father sleeps with Mama Aisha and Mother, he sleeps until noon the next day. Sometimes later."

"Ahaha...... no such thing! He was still talking about you last night. I'll go drag him out of bed right now!"

She turned and disappeared back into the room.

About ten minutes passed. I finished breakfast. Father and my mothers came out together.

Mother and Mama Aisha looked perfectly fine. Father....... also okay, I supposed?

He smiled at me.

"Good morning, Windsor."

"Good morning, Father."

"Go wait for us in the courtyard. Your mothers and I will be out after breakfast."

"Okay."

--------

When I practice with Father and Mother, my mind tends to wander.

Not about getting stronger or anything like that.

Just....... that this is nice.

I can't quite put it into words. But I love the time we spend practicing together, the four of us.

I love watching Mama Aisha tease Father.

I love watching Mother hug him like she's trying to squeeze him flat.

I love the quiet gentleness of Mama Green and Mama Blue on the mornings they join us.

I love the way Father looks at us, all warmth and no hurry.

It's just nice. That's the only way I know to say it.

We'd been swinging swords and sparring for about an hour when my younger siblings started waking up. I settled onto the lawn to rest, watching Father and my mothers go at it.

The first one out was Sieg.

My only younger brother, and the only one among my younger siblings who actually cares about the sword.

He likes swords. He likes hero stories. He adores Father.

Sieg is always dragging Lucy along and making her read him the storybooks about Father's deeds, the ones sold all over town.

After Father, the person he admires most is Uncle Ruijerd, that green-haired hero. Their hair color matches, and Sieg latched onto that early.

"Sieg! You ran out here with your hair all messy again!"

Tina marched up behind him with a comb in hand and started fixing his hair, looking every bit like a little grown-up.

His hair didn't really need combing, but Sieg didn't say a word about it. He just kept his eyes on the sparring and let Tina do whatever she wanted.

"All done! Keep watching, I'm going to go wake Sister Lara."

"Mm."

Tina immediately puffed out her cheeks.

"What do you mean 'Mm'? You're supposed to say, 'Understood, Sister Tina.'"

"Understood, Sister Tina."

"Ah! Sieg, you're just too cute!"

She threw her arms around him, squeezed tight, then ran back inside.

Going to wake Lara.......?

Right now, there's probably no one in this house except Father who could manage that.

Lara developed her own silencing magic — specifically for sleeping in — and only Father knows how to break it. But Father can never say no when Lara wheedles him, so the dispel method has stayed a secret between the two of them.

Not that it matters much. It's only during breaks that she gets like this. Father and the mothers don't mind. If anything, sometimes Father and the mothers out-lazy Lara.......

--------

Before lunch, Father and the mothers went to take a bath.

They always take ages, so I used the second-floor bathroom instead.

I finished and came back down. They were still in the bathroom.......

I sat at the dining table. Sieg was already seated properly.

Lara and Lily had only just dragged themselves out of bed.

Mm....... Lily and Lara really are similar.

Both kind of lazy?

No, that's not quite it. They just both love to stay in bed.

Once Lara actually gets up, she turns lively almost immediately.

Lily's energy is a different beast, it only kicks in when she finds a spell that catches her interest, or some intriguing magical tool.

Two little blue creatures shuffled to the table, rubbing their eyes.

Tina came rushing out of her room. Behind her, Lucy spoke at a leisurely pace.

"Tina, leave Sister Lara alone."

"How could I do that? Sister Lara is about to fall asleep at the table! Ah! Lily too!"

"Then let them sleep. They were obviously up to no good again last night."

Lara opened her mouth to retort without opening her eyes.

"Lucy~ why do you always talk badly about me? I am your older sister, you know."

"Sister Lara, open your eyes first."

"Meditating~ mind like still water, my little sister."

"Haah......."

Lucy sighed and gave up on her entirely.

Lily, for her part, was making a visible effort to keep her eyes open.

I pushed back my chair, walked over, and crouched in front of her.

"Lily, do you want a bit more sleep?"

Lily nodded, eyes already sliding shut again. I picked her up.

Tina looked a little wounded.

"But Lily told me she was awake, so I let her come to breakfast......."

I reached out and patted her head.

"You did great, Tina. You're a good older sister. Lily just has trouble saying what she means."

"Really?"

"Mm."

Tina's expression brightened. I carried Lily and started toward the room.

I'd only taken a couple of steps when Lara's voice floated after me.

"Sister Windsor~ carry me to sleep too~"

I kept walking.

--------

At lunch, when Father and the mothers heard that Lily was still asleep, none of them seemed particularly bothered.

They just smiled, gentle as always. Only Mama Blue pressed a hand to her forehead with a quiet sigh.

Same expressions they make when Lara oversleeps. Every time.

I'm glad. Truly glad, to have been born into a family this soft.

Lunch had just ended when someone came to the door.

My teacher, Isolte.

Mama Aisha, Father, and Mother went to meet her.

When Isolte saw Mother, she smiled first.

"Long time no see, Eris."

"Mm. It really has been a while, Isolte."

"Windsor is a good seedling."

"Right? Hahahaha."

After the pleasantries, Isolte's gaze shifted to Mama Aisha. She hesitated briefly, then spoke.

"Aisha....... may I call you that?"

"Of course. Any friend of Sister Eris is a friend of mine."

"Mm....... I once stood against all of you. I had listened to what Geese told me. After all, your husband killed my master."

"I understand."

"I only have one question now. Where did you learn my master's secret technique....... I still haven't grasped it myself, even now. It was something my master created."

Mama Aisha smiled, reached out, and lifted Isolte's sword from its scabbard.

Isolte let her.

Mama Aisha drew a slow breath and settled into a stance.

Then the air around her changed. Completely.

I had never seen this technique before.......

Isolte's eyes went wide.

"Even more refined than that time....... A perfect....... domain....."

Mama Aisha returned the sword.

"I learned it from Orsted. You know who he is."

"....... I understand." Isolte was quiet for a moment. "In any case, I apologize for my impulsiveness — to all of you. Especially you, Eris. I'm sorry."

Mother smiled.

"It's fine!"

Isolte turned to Father and bowed her head.

"I'm sorry, Rudeus."

"It's fine. I killed your master. That's not something I can argue. Coming after me for that was justified."

"....... Mm. Thank you."

Finally, she offered her apology to Mama Aisha as well, and made to leave.

At the door, she looked back.

"That....... the people you have following me. Could you call them off?"

"They found them, huh?"

"Isn't that only natural......."

"Mm, fair enough. Being tailed when you're trying to have alone time with someone....... If someone sent people to follow Brother and me during our time together, I'd kill them."

"That's too extreme. The misunderstanding is settled — just stop having me followed."

"Understood."

Isolte left.

I was about to step forward and ask a few things when I noticed three more people at the entrance.

Milusha....... with two beastfolk bodyguards behind her.

She walked over and stammered through a bow to my father and mothers.

"Lo...... Lord Rudeus....... good afternoon. Lady Aisha, good afternoon. Lady Eris, good afternoon."

Father answered gently.

"Good afternoon. Are you a friend of my daughter?"

"Yes! I-I....... I'm Windsor's friend, meow....... her deskmate too, meow......."

"Thank you for looking after Windsor."

"Not at all! Windsor is the one who looks after me, meow!"

"Mutual, then."

Milusha didn't have anything to say to that.

Mama Aisha teased her a little after that. And then it was Mother's turn.

Mother stepped forward.

"You're my daughter's friend?"

"Yes......."

"How close are the two of you?"

Milusha glanced at me. Then she went pink and dropped her eyes.

"We're....... pretty close, meow......."

"Oh! Then can I touch your ears? And your tail, too."

"Th-that's fine, meow......."

"Oh! Thank you!"

I watched Mother touch Milusha.

Something strange turned over in my chest.

How to describe it.......

It's just........

Milusha had never been touched by someone else in front of me before. I felt a little......

But Mother wasn't "someone else."

If I had to put it another way:

it was like watching someone else use my sword. A little off. A little wrong.

But if the person holding my sword was my mother, I shouldn't feel that way.......

A few minutes later, Mother let go.

Father and Mama Aisha stood behind her, smiling with that familiar helpless warmth.

Then Milusha finally looked at me.

"Windsor, you promised me yesterday, meow......."

"Hm?"

"You said you were free today and could spend time with me, meow......."

"Ah. That's right."

"So can we head out now, meow?"

"Mm. Let me go get Pursena first."

"Okay, meow!"

Before we left, Father and my mothers ran through the usual reminders, then waved us off.

In any case.

I'd deal with that strange feeling later........

➤ Next: Windsor 3 — Tears Unshed