Chapter 5

"Oh, what should I do?"

Those were magic words.

Not that Merlina was a sorceress. Swords and magic—those things were scary. Relying on violence right away wasn't good, Merlina thought. Why should everyone have to resort to fighting? Shouldn't everyone strive for a more peaceful mindset? What could it be? Maybe she just needed more moisture. If only things could be resolved through conversation. Every time Merlina saw adventurers, soldiers, or knights in town, she thought this.

Because Merlina would say, "Oh, what should I do? I'm thirsty." "Oh, what should I do? I can't buy a dress." "Oh, what should I do? What should I do? What should I do?"

Just by saying that, her wishes came true.

Just by muttering those words, the royal family's tea, beautiful dresses, a wonderful husband, and a cute daughter—all her wishes came true. Someone always helped Merlina, no matter what.

People were all kind and noble beings. Merlina loved a world full of kind people. Every day was peaceful. Every day was happy. Every day was filled with joy! When Merlina smiled with a "hehe," everyone smiled back at her.

Everyone loved Merlina.

Yet, her husband's daughter, Sophilia, was not at all kind to Merlina.

Merlina was very surprised. She had never seen anyone who wasn't kind to her. Impossible. It couldn't be. Maybe it was a misunderstanding. Maybe she wasn't feeling well. Maybe she was just in a bad mood.

Every time Sophilia looked at her with hollow eyes and a smile that seemed to lack any sincerity, Merlina was hurt, but she kept telling herself, "It'll be okay. It'll be okay."

But no matter how much time passed, Sophilia, her husband's daughter, never showed any kindness to Merlina. Not at all. Not at all. It was like a fortress. No way.

When Merlina invited her for tea or shopping, Sophilia would shake her head and smile thinly, saying she had studies or work. What was that fake smile? Scary. Besides, studies were one thing, but work? Work? What kind of lie was that??

After all, Sophilia was only a year older than Merlina's daughter, a mere 10-year-old child. Merlina's beloved daughter, Lirina, hated lessons, studies, and embroidery. She would only sit in a chair with the promise of sweet treats and stuffed animals. Work! How could she say she had work! It was so cute and yet so cheeky. How could she tell such an obvious lie? Merlina shed tears, thinking, "Does she hate me so much?"

"Sophilia, I'm no longer a poor noble. I'm the lady of the Lotus family and your mother. So, let me tell you, lying is not good."

For Merlina, who had never been disliked by anyone, this was a very shocking incident.

Well, children do make mistakes. It can't be helped. Lirina, for example, would hide her homework behind her back and look away when her tutor asked if she had done it. That gesture was so cute, it made Merlina want to nuzzle and kiss her. But lying wasn't good. But she was so cute.

When Merlina tilted her head and said, "What should I do?" Lirina, seeing her mother's confusion, immediately shed tears and said, "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry for lying, Mother."

Ah! How cute!

Unable to resist, Merlina hugged her and said, "Good job for apologizing! I'll pat your head a lot." She patted Lirina's head affectionately.

Lirina, who would do a little mischief but knew the importance of apologizing and reflecting, was a very good child. Children learn right from wrong this way and grow up to be adults.

So, Sophilia would soon apologize, and if she did, Merlina would hug her, pat her head, and take her shopping, Merlina smiled. The very pitiful Sophilia, always wearing outdated dresses, looked up at Merlina from a blurry distance.

That's right. She's a pitiful child. She must be trying to get Merlina's attention by lying. She must have envied Lirina, who got along well with her parents.

Thinking this, even Sophilia's plain face started to look cute. After all, Sophilia was also Merlina's daughter.

Nodding, Merlina wiped away her tears, bent down, and met Sophilia's eyes.

But.

"Hey, Sophilia. Liars end up alone, you know?"

"Hmm."

Hmm.

Hmm? Hmm, really!

Merlina was shocked. So much! The words! Didn't get through at all!!

Even at 10 years old, this child was already so twisted. The only word that came out was "hmm." Was this the attitude to take with a serious adult?

"Sophilia, you—"

"Excuse me, but I have an appointment with His Majesty the King. I can't be late, so could we do this later? If you tell me in advance about tea or shopping, I can adjust my schedule."

What a surprise. The King! An audience with the King!!

Merlina knew that Sophilia was the Crown Prince's fiancée, so if she said she was meeting the Prince, Merlina might have believed her. But to bring up the King's name like this, what an impertinent girl. Merlina was so shocked she almost fainted, but she thought, "This won't do," and met Sophilia's eyes again.

"Sophilia, even noble ladies can feel lonely."

"…Eh?"

Sophilia's eyes widened. Her round eyes looked at Merlina in disbelief. The childlike face of Sophilia, who usually had a calm, adult-like smile, was a bit cute. Merlina must have seen through her heart, so she was surprised.

It's okay, it's okay. Merlina understood. She was lonely, couldn't be honest, and wanted attention, so she did bad things.

Merlina wouldn't abandon such a daughter. Because she was a mother.

"It's okay. I love you too."

"Eh, uh, that—"

Hugging her tightly, Sophilia fidgeted in panic. She might not be used to being hugged. Merlina's heart ached. How pitiful.

Her husband, Wilson, had said that Sophilia's mother was a difficult person. Cold, proud, and lacking in charm. She was the complete opposite of Merlina. When her husband smiled and said this, Merlina thought, "That's an exaggeration," but maybe it wasn't. She must have treated her daughter the same way.

Then, I have to raise this child properly!

Burning with a sense of duty as the lady of the Lotus family, Merlina was pushed away the next moment.

Eh? By the time she realized it, she was sitting on the floor. Looking up, she saw Sophilia looking at her in surprise.

Merlina was, of course, surprised. She never expected to be pushed. Never, never. But more than that, Merlina was sad.

This child is so hurt.

Thinking this, her chest tightened again.

"Ah, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I was just surprised."

Sophilia looked around, saying, "No, umm."

Seeing Sophilia looking around, Merlina reached out her hand again, saying, "It's okay, it's okay." But Sophilia took a step back, and her hand missed.

Did she think she would be scolded? Merlina blinked, and Sophilia started rummaging through her bag. Oh, it's not proper for a noble lady to do that. Where was her maid? Did she leave her maid behind and wander around? I have to scold her later, Merlina thought, and was shown a stack of papers. Blink, blink.

"Um, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push you, even if it was unintentional. But I have an appointment with His Majesty to show him these documents. Please, could you let me through?"

The stack of papers was thick, and the cover read, "Three Proposals for Talks with the Neighboring Country."

Merlina, who spent every day with the cute Lirina, immediately knew that this wasn't a child's handwriting. Lirina's writing was lively, like worms trying to escape from something scary, but this was so neat, it might even be prettier than Merlina's. A 10-year-old child couldn't write like this. Moreover, talks with a neighboring country? Proposals??

"You must be a terrible child to take your father's documents and lie about it!"

Without thinking, she snatched the documents, and Sophilia reached out with both hands, saying, "Give them back!"

"They're important!"

"Yes, so I'll return them to your father. It's okay, if you apologize properly, I'll keep it a secret. Come on, say you're sorry, Sophilia. You're a smart girl, right?"

Merlina spoke with all her heart.

She wanted Sophilia to understand. She wanted her to believe in her. With all her heart.

Sophilia, who had been silent, looked up at Merlina after a moment.

In those eyes, those ordinary brown eyes, Merlina felt a chill run down her spine.

Was this how a child looked at a parent, at an adult?

"...Mother, I'm very sorry."

Feeling an inexplicable chill, Merlina was relieved when Sophilia bowed deeply. Ah, that's good. Finally, she understood. There's no problem that can't be solved by talking. Anyone can understand if you speak from the heart. Right!

"...I'm glad you understand."

When Merlina smiled sincerely, Sophilia slowly raised her head.

Her chestnut eyes had returned to their usual calm color. Hmm, what is it? Merlina was relieved. With a child? That's strange, she blinked.

Sophilia called out, "Mother," and Merlina asked, "What is it?" kindly.

"I'll return the documents to the study. If they're in the wrong place, Father will be confused and it will be discovered. Mother, will you keep it a secret?"

"...I see."

What's the word for this? Merlina thought for a moment.

It's not cute. She's so clever. It's like she's pretending to be a child.

Ah, no, no. That's not right, Merlina shook her head.

"Yes. Go ahead and return them. And could you call Lirina? Let's go shopping."

"Yes!"

Good response. That's right. A response shouldn't be "hmm." Ah, she's changed her ways.

Feeling relieved by this, it was a mistake.

The next moment. The moment she received the documents. Sophilia started running.

How improper! Before Merlina could scold her, Sophilia was already running. Wait, wait. That's fast. Too fast?!

Merlina, in her beautiful dress and high heels, couldn't catch up no matter how hard she tried.

Of course not. Merlina, born into a poor noble family, had never done anything as barbaric as running around. Besides, beautiful dresses and high heels weren't made for running. Impossible. Limit.

Merlina collapsed before she could reach the hall.

"Mother!"

Lirina, passing by, noticed Merlina sitting on the floor and hurried over. The maid with her asked, "What happened?" worriedly, and Merlina's maid, who had been following her, helped her up, panting.

Merlina, moved by their kindness, shed a tear.

What a terrible child!

Merlina couldn't stop crying.

That night, as Merlina, exhausted from crying, rested in bed, her beloved Wilson, who had just returned home, asked, "Are you okay?" gently, and Merlina cried again.

"I seem to be completely disliked by Sophilia."

Wilson stroked Merlina's cheek and said, "I'm sorry to trouble you."

"That's a bad girl. She's a lot like her. Her face, her manner of speaking, her gestures. Just seeing her is unpleasant, but she's the Crown Prince's fiancée... I can't just get rid of her."

"But, she's your daughter, isn't she?"

"Daughter?"

Wilson laughed unpleasantly. Whenever he talked about the late Sophilia's mother, he always had this look. Merlina didn't like this look. It was as if the kind Wilson had gone somewhere and was thinking about someone else.

"I've never thought of her as a daughter. She's just there. But she's useful. So, Merlina, I'm sorry to make you suffer, but can you bear with it?"

Merlina blinked.

Bear with it. She had never done that before. Wilson had always been kind and truly cared for Merlina.

Sure, when they first met, he was someone else's husband, and it was a bit, a little, difficult. But she was a noble. Arranged marriages were common. Merlina always felt sorry for Wilson, who suffered from an unwanted marriage and the pressure of his family, and wanted to make him happy.

"It was hard to see you go to her, but you came for me. I'm so happy, it's scary."

"Merlina..."

Sophilia's mother died in an accident. On her way back from a tea party, she was getting into a carriage when the horse suddenly went wild. For a gentle horse to go wild, what did she do? As a lady, it was a bit questionable, Merlina thought. That's why Sophilia turned out this way. Oh, how pitiful.

"Hey, Will. I want to raise Sophilia to be a proper lady. But I can't get along with her. What should I do..."

Sniffing and shedding a tear, Wilson said, "You're a wonderful woman," and blushed.

Merlina held his hand, which was rough from supporting the family, and said, "Stop it." She loved those hands.

"It's my fault. I'll try to talk to her. But she won't listen, so there's nothing I can do. I'll be stricter."

"Ouch, that's no good."

"But it's for her own good, right?"

Is it? Maybe. It probably is. Merlina nodded.

Because Merlina had never seen anyone who wouldn't listen to her, who was so clever, and who would even resort to violence. A little bit wouldn't be enough to straighten out that twisted nature. Merlina was the lady of the Lotus family. She had to do it.

"I'll try, even though it's hard."

"Thank you, Merlina."

Ah, but.

Despite Merlina's determination.

Sophilia didn't change at all. Not a bit. Not a bit at all.

Always with the same doll-like smile, she would lie about studies, work, and training whenever invited.

There's no way she had that much study every day, and what kind of work? And training. Yes, Sophilia apparently ran in the garden and trained. She didn't become a proper lady at all. Could she really be the Crown Prince's fiancée like that? Merlina was very worried.

So, she scolded Sophilia, but it was too late. "If you had invited me in advance, I could have adjusted my schedule," she would say. Her words had a sharp edge. Not cute.

Besides, if I want to go now, I can't know how I'll feel tomorrow until tomorrow.

But that's not the point. The point is that she was lying and behaving inappropriately for a lady.

So, Merlina steeled her heart.

Like Wilson.

This is for her education. There's no other way.

So, when Lirina said, "His Highness said he likes me," with a blush, Merlina wasn't surprised at all.

Because my child is cuter.

Lirina had grown into a wonderful lady. Cute, gentle, and kind to everyone. She was a popular figure at tea parties, attracting people of all ages.

How cute. What a beautiful lady. I've never seen such a beautiful lady. She looks just like her mother.

This felt so good. Merlina was so happy.

Completely different from Sophilia, who couldn't even attend the monthly tea party with the Crown Prince!

If the Crown Prince wanted Lirina, who could blame him? Ah, but sadly, noble and royal marriages were not that simple.

"I want to fulfill her wish... I want her to feel the happiness I feel with Will. What should I do..."

Tears streaming down her face, Merlina consulted with Wilson, who stroked her hair gently and said, "I see."

"I'll talk to the Crown Prince. If Lirina becomes the fiancée, we can finally get rid of her. But, understand, Merlina. It's not that simple."

"Of course, Will."

"I'll do my best, so wait for that time."

"Thank you, Will."

Ah, Will. As expected of my Will!

Merlina didn't doubt Wilson, who gently hugged her.

After all, Wilson always loved only Merlina, gave her the treasure that was Lirina, and made her his wife.

Every day, the three of them laughed together, surrounded by kind maids and many servants. Merlina was happy.

She was happy.

"What have you done...!!!"

Just a moment ago.

Just a moment ago.

She was happy. Wilson had never shouted at her or shown her an angry face.

They were all invited to a royal ball, and they danced together. They danced many times, and many people said they were a great couple and envied them. She was happy.

Until Lirina was found with the Crown Prince in a room in the castle.

"Will, Will!"

"Shut up, you slut!"

Smack, thud. Her legs wobbled, and Merlina collapsed onto the sofa in shock.

Eh, smack, just now. Me. Eh. Did he hit me? Eh. Wait. Wait. Eh. Hey.

This is just like that.

"Didn't I tell you to wait? Didn't I tell you to wait? At a ball where even the king of a neighboring country is invited, what have you done...! With so many people watching,