Chapter 27
Good grief.
I don’t know whose mother she is, but her voice was loud enough to make everyone around us turn their heads.
The problem was… that voice just had to come from right next to us.
“Isn’t that the Duke of Bastion?”
“Who is he here to see?”
“Oh, could that child be the one from the rumors…?”
Whisper, whisper.
The way they all chattered like sparrows at once was ridiculous.
I get it, I get it. The Duke of Bastion stepping out in public—of course that’s both thrilling and curiosity-inducing.
What was odd, though, was that there were more people staring at me than at Wolfgang.
Then it hit me.
“Lady Asha?”
“…Stand still.”
I slipped in between Wolfgang and Benjamin’s legs, peeking around cautiously.
After all, I’d escaped the temple pretending to be dead. Maybe I should avoid flaunting my face in public for a while?
Whether they understood my reasoning or not, Wolfgang and Benjamin just looked down at me like I was up to something strange again.
“Come out.”
“W-wait a second.”
“Come out.”
“No, listen to me—”
Don’t push me!
I resisted, but in the end, I popped out alone.
The moment my face was fully exposed, the owner of that thunderous voice appeared—a plump woman with silver hair.
“Daughter! It’s Mother!”
“…Who…?”
“I said it’s your mother!”
Is she crazy? She looks perfectly sane, though.
The woman marched right toward me, looking like she was ready to hug me at any moment.
W-why is she so scary? Help!
I glanced back at Wolfgang and Benjamin, but instead of stopping her, they gave me silent, pressuring looks.
Telling me to hug her.
Under their burning gazes, the words slipped out of my mouth.
“Uh… Mom!”
“That’s right! My daughter! It’s been so long!”
The woman swept me into a hug. To anyone watching, it must have looked like a tearful mother-daughter reunion.
I was squeezed into her ample chest and barely managed to escape before suffocating.
“Baroness Mane.”
“Oh my, Duke, forgive my late greeting.”
“You must have had a long trip.”
“Nonsense! It was nothing!”
The woman acted very familiar with Wolfgang.
She even laughed “Ohoho” and smacked his arm with a slap.
I could feel people around us gasp.
I was the same, but oddly enough, I felt a surge of fondness for her.
Of course—people have to be at least half-crazy to live well. I’m not exactly normal myself.
Looking up at her with sparkly eyes of admiration, I noticed the conversation was heading somewhere strange.
“There’s a rumor all the way to our Mane territory that both the Duke and the young master adore my daughter dearly!”
“Sorry about the engagement.”
“Well, I was a little disappointed, but it just means the young master wanted to form the bond sooner, right? Hoho. By the way, I hope my daughter’s been doing well in your household.”
“Lady Mane is so bright by nature.”
“Well, of course—she takes after me, so she’s very sociable!”
After laughing loudly, the woman suggested they go inside and took Wolfgang by the arm.
Wolfgang, in turn, escorted her quite politely.
“Let’s go, Lady Asha.”
Still dazed, I let Benjamin guide me in.
What in the world…
The restaurant we entered, practically being dragged by Benjamin, was as luxurious as it looked from the outside.
Did they actually coat the walls with real gold? And the size of that chandelier—putting something that heavy on the ceiling seems dangerous.
“Ah, welcome! We’ve been expecting you!”
The moment the manager saw us, he rushed over, trembling slightly, and led us to our reserved seats.
It wasn’t quite a private room, but there were partitions for privacy. A passerby could probably get the general vibe of the place if they peeked.
As soon as the manager promised to bring the food and left—
“My apologies.”
The woman’s face went expressionless.
She stepped away from Wolfgang and bowed politely.
But whenever she seemed to feel people’s eyes through the partition, her expression and behavior switched effortlessly.
So she wasn’t just crazy—she was a high-level crazy.
I hesitated near the round table, and Wolfgang pulled out my chair.
“Let’s eat first.”
“…Okay.”
Honestly, he probably thinks skipping a single meal will stunt my growth.
And so began a meal as lavish as you’d expect from a restaurant that nobles like the Duke of Bastion frequent.
Exotic delicacies I’d never even heard of. Tableware that looked like it could pay for two houses if broken. Perfect service from the staff.
“Eat this too.”
Plus, Wolfgang kept piling meat onto my plate.
I shot him a weary look.
“You should eat more vegetables, Father-in-law.”
“Only if my daughter-in-law eats more meat.”
What, do they want our arteries to clog together? At this rate, we’ll both die young from lifestyle diseases.
The woman watched us bicker like it was fascinating and amusing.
Of course, she didn’t forget to play her part.
“Ohoho, so it’s true that the Duke treats my daughter like a princess! You really are hopeless!”
Throughout the meal, she went overboard with her energy, raising the mood.
She skillfully inserted herself between us, praising Wolfgang’s attentiveness toward me as if to make sure the staff overheard and carried the story outside.
But whenever no one was around, she and Wolfgang would exchange a few cryptic words—names, places, and cloud-like phrases I couldn’t understand. Probably code.
It wasn’t until the strange meal finally ended that I got some answers.
“Will you explain now?”
As Benjamin pushed dessert toward me, he whispered.
“Actually, there’s been a rumor going around.”
“What rumor?”
“That the Bastion heir got engaged.”
Really? Not that it’s my business, but how did that happen?
I tilted my head, and Benjamin gestured like he was passing the ball.
“It spread to the academy students, and then to their parents.”
“Oh… but how did the students know?”
It’s not like he has friends.
Maybe my face said that, because Benjamin pointed at me while stifling a laugh.
“Thanks to your letter, Lady Asha.”
“Huh, was it leaked?”
“No, the young master simply told people. Said it was a letter from his fiancée.”
Oh my, how surprising. How commendable.
I nodded proudly, my earlier annoyance about his lackluster replies melting away.
At least he’s not the kind of scoundrel who pretends to be single when sent away.
“So this lady is…?”
“Your mother, Lady Asha.”
“Don’t joke.”
I frowned, and Benjamin continued without even pausing for breath.
“Haha. Lady Asha, beloved daughter of the loyal vassal House Mane, a distant branch of Bastion. Since childhood, there’s been close contact between the two houses. As the heir, Lord Levi, was to be formally appointed soon, they sought an early marriage alliance. Due to certain circumstances, you were staying here in secret, and since your age matched well, they hurried the engagement before the young master returned to the academy. The Mane territory is far, so your mother could only hear the good news by letter, and now, belatedly, she has come to be honored.”
“…So that’s the cover story.”
Who came up with it? It’s oddly detailed.
It’s ridiculous, but at least they care about public image a little.
I rolled my eyes, then politely greeted my fake mother.
“Hello.”
She nodded mechanically.
Still, there was one thing nagging me.
“Is she actually the Baroness Mane?”
Slowly…
The three of them looked at me, then turned away without a word.
Fine. I don’t need to know the shady details.
I swallowed a sigh and scooped up my pudding-like dessert.
“So, in short, I’m now the Baron’s daughter.”
“That’s right.”
“And known to the world as the fiancée of Bastion’s heir.”
“That’s right.”
“You could’ve told me sooner.”
“We didn’t want you to stress about it…”
“Exactly! I could’ve made a bigger deal out of it if I’d known!”
Clink!
I set down my empty dish with a sigh.
We agreed that when leaving, I’d make the most of this chance to flaunt my “clean” new identity.
All the way out, with the overbearing manager seeing us off, the mystery woman kept playing along.
She did seem to flinch a little when I clung to her, calling her “Mom,” though.
If there’s nothing to hide, I should spread my new status as widely as possible!
After all, my goal was not only to live longer but also to become the daughter-in-law of a family so powerful even the Imperial family wouldn’t dare challenge them.
Behold, world! I’m the future Lady Bastion—and I have a perfectly fine mother!
Riding that triumphant mood, I got into the carriage and politely thanked the woman.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“Ah, yes…”
Her plump cheeks seemed a bit thinner already.
Either way, I was satisfied—I’d attracted plenty of attention inside and outside that grand restaurant.
By tomorrow, the rumors about the cute little daughter-in-law loved by Bastion would be even louder.
Humming to myself, I heard Benjamin ask:
“By the way, what about your name?”
“My name?”
“It’s a bit late, but changing it would make things cleaner. Up to you, of course.”
Naturally I should change it. You can’t always change your face, but changing your name is basic in identity-swapping.
Yet, the opposite words came out of my mouth.
“Uh… then maybe I’ll just keep it as it is.”
“Very well.”
Benjamin shrugged, like it truly didn’t matter to him.
I could sense a quiet arrogance in that attitude.
Of course—because he’s a Bastion, any “cleanup” could be handled without a second thought.
It was a bit unnerving, but if they were on my side, it was reassuring.
By the time we returned from the noisy dinner, the estate was already dark.
The mysterious woman followed Hugo away, and Wolfgang and Benjamin vanished into their usual overtime work.
Why does their workload never go down?
What exactly do they even do? I wondered—then shook the thought away.
Ugh, no. Don’t dig too deep. Focus on my own situation. I’ve told myself this countless times.
Grumbling, I returned to the library bedroom, where Betty was waiting.
“Welcome back, my lady.”
“Mm. I’m stuffed. Oh, and I’m apparently now the Baron’s daughter.”
“I see. That’s good news.”
Betty naturally accepted the fabricated story and began undoing my hair.
While tying up a ribbon, she asked with an unreadable smile:
“Did the young master really do your hair for you?”
“Yeah. Surprisingly, he’s good with his hands.”
“More likely, it’s because he cares for you a great deal.”
Hmm… maybe he just found it amusing. Like playing with a doll.
Betty, unfazed by my reasonable suspicion, skillfully bathed me, dressed me in pajamas, and guided me to bed.
“I still have homework…”
“It’s late. Sleep early if you want to grow tall.”
Good point. Can’t argue with that.
Full stomach, warm and sleepy body—I gladly crawled into bed, not wanting to sit at my desk.
Tomorrow, when Hugo comes to check, I’ll just use some charm to get by. It’s not like it’s the first time.
Sinking into the blankets, half-closing my eyes, I mumbled:
“Did you send the letter?”
“Of course. The one on your desk, right?”
Yeah. I hope it arrives soon—both my letter and the reply.
With that, my lips stilled, and I drifted off to sleep, feeling like I’d have a good dream tonight.
