The banquet preparations were in full swing.
Watching Aisha going around interfering here and there with a bright expression, Luzbel felt a bit worried.
“So everyone who received an invitation is coming?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm…”
They were people who had known Aisha when she was young.
“I would like to make them keep their mouths shut, but if I do that, they will find it strange.”
“…Yes. That seems likely. Still, there is no harm in being careful, is there?”
“Is that so?”
He was worried.
Whether Aisha, who already had no memories, would be able to handle her friends from her youth, who had likely become as slippery as eels with the passage of time.
All the more so because the current Aisha would welcome them thinking they were genuine friends.
But he was afraid that preventing her from interacting with anyone at all would have the opposite effect.
“…This is frightening.”
“Lord Luzbel.”
“What if Aisha finds out everything later?”
“…”
“If she regains her memories?”
“…”
And if she were to return to the Aisha of the past?
He felt he truly wouldn’t be able to endure it. He was already half-mad, and he might go completely mad.
“I will keep them firmly in line.”
“Good. Just make sure Aisha doesn’t know.”
From Luzbel’s perspective, even this was being quite lenient.
When Aisha had first married into this place, he had truly not allowed her to do anything.
Even now it was the same, but back then Luzbel had been even more fearful. He was full of fear, yet he didn’t know how to love properly, so his way of doing things had been wrong.
Of course, it wasn’t as though he knew well now either. Still, having gone through trial and error, he was confident he wouldn’t act the same way as before.
So Luzbel decided to loosen the leash he had fastened around Aisha a little.
As long as she didn’t betray him.
And since he had set a trap to confirm that, if she was the Aisha he knew, she would surely fall into it.
“Beli!”
She, who had no idea what he had been thinking about until just now, smiled brightly the moment she saw him and waved her hand enthusiastically.
She was cute.
Before he knew it, disarmed, Luzbel smiled and stepped closer to Aisha.
“What brings you here?”
“I came to see you, Isha. I was worried. Is everything going well with the preparations?”
“Yes. There is not really anything for me to do. I did not know this, but they said this is the first time House Valencia has invited people like this.”
“It was that way in my time.”
“Because of the weather?”
“That, and there was no particular reason to gather and chatter.”
“You are too stiff.”
“Now that you’re here, Isha, I suppose I should pay attention to things like that from now on.”
“Really?”
Aisha’s eyes widened.
“Can you really trust me with it?”
“Yes. There is no reason I cannot.”
As long as she didn’t voluntarily try to leave this Valencia territory, anything was fine.
“Hmm. I do not have my memories, will everything be okay?”
“By the way, were there really no names you recognized on the list of noble Ladies?”
“Yes. You said they were people I was close with, right? But they were really all names I did not recognize.”
Would Aisha really not run away anymore now?
“I see.”
“Why?”
“Just in case. Sometimes seeing a name can bring back memories.”
Would she really be able to smile normally even after seeing those faces?
Hiding his sinister thoughts inside, Luzbel smiled gently and softly brushed Aisha’s hair back.
***
Jeron regretted that night.
If he had known it would be like this, he wouldn’t have asked about Aisha.
It felt like he had learned something he was never meant to know.
“Huh? Jeri, what’s wrong?”
She lost her memories.
‘Then what happens if she regains them?’
“…Jeri?”
Thinking that the Aisha looking up at him with such clear eyes had no memories made him afraid.
Would she go back to how she used to be?
“…Isha.”
“Yes, what is it? Are you hurting somewhere? Should I call the attending physician?”
A gentle gaze.
A gaze filled with concern and affection.
Since he had no memories at all of the old Aisha, Jeron didn’t know how she had looked at him before, or what she had thought of him.
But it was only natural for him to think that it wouldn’t have been like this.
“No. It’s nothing…”
“It doesn’t look like nothing, though?”
Jeron simply shook his head back and forth.
Perhaps realizing that he wouldn’t say anything no matter how much she asked, Aisha eventually gave up.
But from that moment on, another kind of anxiety settled in Jeron’s heart.
Of course, its trajectory was similar to the anxiety he had always carried.
“Oh?”
“…Why, what?”
“Did you just take my hand first, Jeri?”
“…Do you not like it?”
“Why would I dislike it? Of course I like it so much!”
Aisha smiled brightly and wrapped Jeron tightly in her arms.
In truth, he had asked on purpose even though he already knew.
Because he wanted to hear her say that she liked it with her own mouth.
And even after hearing the answer he wanted, Jeron couldn’t feel at ease.
It felt as though Aisha might disappear like a mirage at any moment.
“Isha.”
“Yes, yes. What is it, my baby?”
He wanted reassurance.
“Are you going to abandon me?”
For a moment, Aisha froze in place, then suddenly jumped, asking what on earth he was saying.
“Why would I abandon you?! That will never happen!”
“Why?”
“Huh?”
“How can you be so sure?”
“…Well, because I love you, Jeri! You are my son, the child I gave birth to, and even though I haven’t done enough for you until now, that will never happen again from now on. Really. I promise.”
The person who had always been soft and gentle grabbed his shoulders firmly and said it.
That it would never happen.
***
Aisha didn’t know why Jeron was acting this way.
He suddenly asked whether she would abandon him and looked anxious about something.
Had he heard something somewhere? Surely no one had said something unnecessary to him, right?
In any case, to calm Jeron’s anxiety, she made a fuss and coaxed him with all sorts of sweet words.
“Mom has only Jeri, really.”
“…”
“Even if Jeri ends up hating mom, that’s okay. Mom will still love Jeri.”
“…”
Even though she poured out sweet words, he remained silent, but she could feel his expression gradually softening.
Aisha thought this must be why people read childcare romance fantasy stories.
Before possessing this body, Aisha’s tastes had been filled entirely with R-rated content, bleak stories, obsession, and regret, so this kind of pure reaction felt new as well.
“But why did you suddenly start thinking that way? That I would abandon you… That makes no sense.”
“…Because you suddenly changed, so you could suddenly do that again too…”
Jeron mumbled.
“Ah.”
Thinking about it, she realized that everything must have felt sudden to Jeron.
Until not long ago, her goal had simply been to survive without being killed by Jeron, but seeing him say things like this, she wondered if he had unknowingly opened his heart quite a bit.
Everything was better in moderation, though.
“Why are you not saying anything?”
“Huh?”
“…Do you think you will change?”
“No.”
What should she say here?
Usually, when someone opened their eyes in a new body, they grow attached to the other world and end up settling down.
Aisha didn’t particularly have lingering attachments to her previous world. That might have been why she adapted so quickly.
“No. I will not change. Why would I change?”
“…Really?”
“Of course!”
She had no idea how the future might change, but first, it was more important to soothe Jeron, who was trembling with fear.
***
Because the banquet schedule had been set a bit hastily, before she knew it, the day arrived.
“Did I set it too tightly?”
“Why?”
“No, it’s just that Jeron still seems quite unstable. I’m worried whether it will be okay.”
“Really? Has he not become a bit more composed lately?”
Mika asked back, sounding puzzled. If Aisha hadn’t seen Jeron looking noticeably anxious a few days ago, she might have thought the same.
But whether she had seen it or not, once she had seen it, it was impossible not to worry.
“…Does it look that way?”
“Yes. Why? Did something happen?”
“No, no.”
She was worried, but it would be fine. She had already invited everyone, and it was something she just had to take good care of.
“Well then, shall we go get ready now?”
“Alright.”
To get ready for the party, Aisha had to get up from dawn. Looking out the window, it was raining again today.
Since many people would be gathering, she had hoped the rain would let up a little, but it seemed to be falling even more heavily than usual.
The preparations had long since been completed, and one by one, the carriages carrying nobles began to come into view.
Since she had no memories, she had done some studying in her own way.
That large carriage bearing the moon emblem was probably for Count Delua’s family.
Not long after, the rose emblem following behind belonged to Viscount Rose’s family.
“Oh? People are already arriving?”
“Since the weather in the Valencia Duchy is poor, there are likely those who prefer to arrive early and rest.”
“Ah…”
Indeed, when it rained heavily, there was a dampness that clung uncomfortably to the skin.
Seeing the invited guests entering one by one earlier than expected made Aisha a little tense as well.
After waking up at dawn and getting herself ready, it had been somewhat tiring, but perhaps because of that, the ducal manor felt lively.
The servants guiding the bustling crowd of people were busy as well.
“Jeri, you look so handsome today.”
“…Mm.”
Beside Aisha, Jeron was also wearing a tailcoat of a similar style, dressed in matching family outfits.
Perhaps because he resembled Luzbel, he was strikingly handsome.
“You can really tell whose child he is.”
“Huh?”
“It means you are handsome.”
“Ah…”
“What about mom?”
Jeron only gave answers when asked directly.
She didn’t even expect to hear that she was pretty, and thought it would be enough if she heard that she was okay.
“It’s okay.”
As expected. Aisha thought she knew it would be like this.
Relieved that it wasn’t a bad response, she let out a quiet sigh of relief.
At that moment, the door opened and Luzbel appeared.
“Isha.”
“Wow…”
Beyond the open door, thunder and lightning were crashing violently, yet Luzbel looked as though he were bathed in a halo of light.
Without realizing it, Aisha stared blankly at Luzbel, her mouth falling open.
