September 8, 2026

Chapter 243 - Windsor 3 — Tears Unshed

Windsor's Perspective:

The moment we stepped outside, Milusha visibly relaxed. Her ears perked back up.

"That scared me half to death, meow..."

"Why?"

"Because it was Lord Rudeus, meow..."

"Father is very gentle."

"I know, meow!"

She nodded immediately.

"That's exactly why I was so nervous, meow!"

What kind of logic is that?

I didn't really understand. But I didn't press her on it either.

Aisha and Pursena followed a short distance behind us.

We headed to the commercial street first. Milusha had clearly planned this out ahead of time, she kept pointing things out the whole way.

"The grilled fish here is amazing, meow!"

"The accessories at this stall are so pretty, meow!"

"And the juice here, meow!"

She was completely earnest about all of it. I listened quietly, responding here and there. Mostly it was Milusha talking. I didn't mind. She was genuinely happy today, and it showed.

Then a long line appeared up ahead.

"Meow?"

Milusha stopped. "Why are there so many people, meow?"

I followed her gaze. An ice cream shop. Ice cream, the dessert Father and Nanahoshi had developed together, far smoother than frozen sweet milk. All three mothers loved it. At some point, Aunt Norn had let Her Majesty Ariel try some, and Ariel had loved it so much she kept pestering Nanahoshi until Nanahoshi got tired of it and handed over the recipe. The dessert was born in the Ranoa Kingdom, but somehow became famous in the Asura Kingdom.

Twenty or thirty people were already queued outside. It must have just opened.

Pursena's eyes lit up instantly.

"Ice cream desu!"

She'd been dragging her feet moments ago. Now she was practically vibrating.

Food. Of course.

Milusha looked at the line and let out a small sigh. "So many people, meow..."

"Should we queue?"

"It'll take forever, meow..."

Aisha spoke up. "Lady Windsor, you and Milusha can browse nearby. Don't go too far, I'll hold our place."

I looked at the line.

Something came to me. A memory.

Father had taken me and Mother Eris out once, also waiting in a line to buy something. Mother Eris had gotten fed up with waiting and simply bought everyone ahead of us at once. The whole crowd parted cheerfully. Father hadn't objected at all. He'd actually laughed and said:

"Ah — why didn't I think of that?"

I grabbed Pursena's wrist and walked to the front of the line. Milusha and Aisha exchanged puzzled looks and followed.

At the front, I turned to face the queue.

"Sorry."

Everyone looked at me.

"I'd like to go first."

A brief silence.

Then someone laughed. "Little miss, everyone wants to go first."

I nodded. "So I'll pay for everyone. Is that all right?"

Silence.

The shop owner's head appeared around the side of the stall. "E-everyone?"

"Yes."

I nudged Pursena. She caught on immediately and pulled two gold coins from her pouch.

"Is this enough?"

The owner looked. His expression shifted into a wide grin. "More than enough, young lady, this is far too much..."

"It's fine. Just give everyone a little extra."

What followed went very smoothly.

"Ha, let the little miss through!"

"No problem at all!"

"Thanks for the treat!"

"So generous!"

The crowd parted. Not one person complained. They were only stepping back a little, and they weren't paying for their own ice cream. I would have agreed too.

Milusha stared. "You can just do that, meow?!"

"Father and Mother Eris taught me."

"Lord Rudeus and Lady Eris are incredible, meow..."

I feel like she's missing the point.

At the counter, the owner smiled. "How many?"

"Four."

"Flavors?"

I thought for a moment.

"Strawberry."

"That one's for me, meow?!"

"Yes."

Milusha's tail shot straight up.

I looked at Pursena.

"Honey."

"Long live Lady Windsor desu!"

"...Don't say things like that."

Vanilla for Aisha. Plain milk for me.

Four ice creams, ready shortly after.

Pursena took a long, immediate lick. Her eyes narrowed with pure bliss.

Aisha accepted hers with a small bow. "Thank you, Lady Windsor."

"Mm."

Milusha held her cone carefully and took one tiny lick. Her ears gave a little shiver.

"It's so good, meow..."

"Glad you like it."

"Windsor is really amazing, meow..."

"I just bought ice cream."

"That's not what I mean, meow." She shook her head, then ducked her chin a little, almost bashful. "It's just... I feel like Windsor can do anything well, meow..."

I was quiet for a moment.

Looking at the cone in my hand.

Actually, that's not true.

I still hadn't worked out that strange feeling from earlier, the one I couldn't name. When Mother had touched Milusha's ears. Why had I felt a little off? It was Mother. Milusha hadn't minded. There was nothing to feel anything about.

And yet.

Something small had lodged in my chest, and it was still there.

I glanced at Milusha beside me. She was eating her ice cream with obvious happiness, tail drifting back and forth, completely unaware of my gaze. Like a small, satisfied animal.

I'd figure it out later.

After we left the ice cream shop, we walked slowly down the street, eating, drifting, the afternoon heat pressing in around us. The wind was warm. But the ice cream was good, and Milusha's tail hadn't stopped moving the whole time. Pursena was still working on hers with quiet concentration. Aisha stayed composed, as a guard should.

Milusha took us deeper into the commercial street after that. Hair accessories. Small toys. Beastfolk specialty snacks, a lot of specialty snacks.

"Windsor, this one is so good, meow!"

"Mm."

"This one is good too, meow!"

"Mm."

"This one is even better, meow!"

"Mm."

It was all food.

After half an hour I understood: Milusha wasn't really showing me the street. She was sharing everything she loved to eat, one stall at a time. Like she was handing me pieces of something she'd been keeping for herself.

I didn't mind.

In the afternoon we reached the plaza. Children running, street performers drawing small crowds. Milusha stopped walking.

"Windsor, meow."

"What is it?"

"That one, meow."

She pointed.

A shooting booth. Bow and arrow, lined targets, prize shelf behind the counter. On the top row sat a very large cat plushie, about half as tall as a person.

Milusha's ears moved. So did her tail.

I understood.

"You want it?"

"A little bit, meow..."

"Then let's go get it."

"Eh?"

I was already walking over.

The owner glanced at me. "Taking a shot?"

"Yes."

Simple rules. 10 arrows. Hit every target, claim the top prize.

I looked at Aisha. She read it immediately, stepped forward, and picked up the bow.

10 seconds.

THWACK!

The last target dropped.

The owner's mouth hung open. He didn't say anything for a while.

"Every single one?"

"Yes."

"That's... something."

He handed over the plushie. I turned and held it out to Milusha.

"For you."

"Eh? Is this okay...?"

"Didn't you want it?"

She took it. She held it in both arms, ears straight up, blinking. Then a smile broke across her face, wide, unguarded, completely genuine.

"Thank you, meow!"

"Mm."

By evening we reached the river. The sun was sinking, the sky bleeding orange and red. The streets had quieted. Pursena stretched out on the grass and yawned. Aisha stood a short distance away, watching. Milusha sat beside me with the plushie in her lap.

We stayed like that without talking.

After a while, Milusha spoke.

"Windsor, meow."

"Mm?"

"I had a really good time today, meow."

"Did you?"

"Really, meow."

She pulled the plushie a little closer. Her voice dropped.

"After I transferred here, the first person I got to know was Windsor, meow."

"Mm."

"I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, meow..."

"Why would you say that?"

"Because... Windsor was my first friend here, and Windsor likes me so much, so everyone assumed the beastfolk sent me to get close to Lord Rudeus. No one else would talk to me, meow. Except Windsor. And Edward..."

"I'm sorry. I had no idea."

"Windsor doesn't need to apologize, meow. It's just... there weren't many beastfolk in the class to begin with. Even without Windsor, I probably wouldn't have made many friends, meow..."

I looked at her. She'd transferred in last year. A whole year, and I'd thought the distance was just about race.

There was also me.

"I really mean it, meow! I really like Windsor, and I'm really grateful, meow!"

"Mm."

"I'm saying this because... I don't want Windsor to think I only like you because of Lord Rudeus, meow..."

"Mm."

"Even though I do admire Lord Rudeus a lot... but, meow... I like you more. Windsor."

I was quiet for a moment.

Then: "You're Milusha. I'm Windsor. That's enough. You don't need to explain anything."

Milusha went still.

Her ears gave a small, soft twitch.

Then she smiled.

"Mm, meow." She tilted her head. "Is there anything Windsor wants to say to me? I could tell Windsor's mood wasn't quite right today, meow..."

Was my mood off?

Not really... it was more that...

I thought about it.

"Milusha."

"Meow?"

"From now on, if anyone wants to touch your ears or tail, they need my permission first."

Milusha froze.

Then she looked down. Didn't say a word. Her face went completely red.

Pursena sat up from the grass.

She looked at me for a long moment.

"Windsor..."

"Mm?"

"...Do you think I've gotten old, desu...?"

"What do you mean?"

"...Exactly what I said, desu."

"I don't think Pursena is old. Pursena is very cute."

"...Then why didn't you...?"

She glanced at Milusha. Sighed.

"Because she's the big brother's daughter...?"

"What?"

"I mean — Windsor, you really are just like him, desu!"

"Like Father?"

"Yes!"

After that, Pursena went quiet and a little sulky. Milusha also stayed silent.

The sky darkened fully before we finally started home.

Coming up to the mansion gates, we could see the lights from far away.

That was home.

Warm.

We pushed open the front door. The living room was already noisy.

"Sister Windsor is back!"

Tina reached me first. Sieg right behind her. Lily was on the sofa, turning over some disassembled part she'd found somewhere. Lara was sprawled across the cushions, limp as a ragdoll.

When she spotted me, she raised one hand.

"Sis Windsor~"

"Mm?"

"I'm hungry."

"Why didn't you eat?"

"Waiting for Sis Windsor was so hard..."

"...?"

I checked the table. Dinner wasn't ready yet.

"The food isn't even out yet."

"If Sis Windsor had come home earlier, the mothers would have finished sooner."

"Stop making things up."

The smell drifted out from the kitchen. Then Mother's voice, loud and clear:

"Dinner's ready!"

"Yeah!"

Lara was off the sofa before the echo died, running faster than anyone.

Father watched her go and smiled, that quiet, helpless smile he gets.

The maids began bringing dishes out. Mother Sylphie and Mother Roxy leaned out from the kitchen doorway, counting heads. They spotted Milusha beside me, exchanged a look, and smiled. Apparently she'd been counted in without a word.

Mother Eris came out of the kitchen then. She went straight to Father and kissed him first, then came over to me.

"Windsor — have your friend stay for dinner?"

I looked at Milusha. "Stay and eat with us."

"C-can I, meow...?"

"Of course."

Father smiled and nodded. "You're welcome here."

Milusha's ears shot up.

"Then — pardon the intrusion, meow!"

The living room was bright. Laughter filled every corner of it.

Today was a good day.

➤ Next: Lara's Daily Life at the Academy