Rambling thoughts — the faint sense of a new beginning.
About half a year had passed since Liliana began convalescing at the Vanklyft Family estate. Her fevers had become less frequent, and she was gradually regaining enough strength to move about without significant difficulty.
Not long ago, her son had advised her to start physical training.
"Her Highness said something about 'rihabiri,' I think. Said moderate exercise is important."
She learned gentle, slow movements she could do within the confines of her room — simple exercises that kept her limbs from stiffening.
The maids were thoroughly intrigued, joining in with her, which made the whole thing more enjoyable. Chatter and laughter made the routine feel less like a chore.
Thanks to this, she began to feel as though her body was slowly returning to how it used to be.
I got so excited I told her about it, and she suggested we start walking. Not that it was anything grand—just a little stroll around the neighborhood at first. Even so, at first my body refused to cooperate, leaving me out of breath. But as I kept at it, the distance I could walk gradually increased.
Liliana was thrilled, and threw herself into her rehabilitation with renewed energy.
“Princess said this moderate exercise is supposed to be good for the skin, too,” Hume said.
That one sentence spread like wildfire through the manor, carried by the maids.
It was only natural that more maids started volunteering to walk with her.
Soon, Isabella, having heard the rumors, joined in too, and soon the manor was filled with a steady procession of women wandering about. The men of the household were left utterly baffled.
With her strength returning to this point, Liliana decided to discuss it with her son.
"…So, shall we move to the house near the clinic, as planned?"
"Is there anything I can do to help, do you think?"
"The clinic’s always short-staffed, so I’m sure Mother would be fine."
"Really? That’s wonderful."
Liliana was delighted at the thought of working alongside her son.
Back when her husband was alive, it had been Liliana who cared for his patients.
There was plenty to do—cleaning the clinic, preparing meals, the usual chores.
Liliana and Hume decided to bring it up at breakfast, when everyone was gathered.
"...Huh?"
Not just Sauvel, but Isabella, Raffilia, and even the maids all stared, wide-eyed.
Liliana and Hume couldn’t help but feel thrown by the unexpected reaction from the Vanklyft family.
"Ah, um…"
"...Do you have some kind of complaint?"
Liliana and the others blinked at Sauvel’s words.
"N-no... not quite..."
So why the hell are you saying you're leaving? If you've got a gripe, spit it out. I'll fix it.
That’s right. You can stay here, no need to worry about it, okay?
I laughed, saying it was a joke—Sauvel and Isabella leaving?
Ah, um… I’m truly grateful for everything you’ve done for me. My health has improved, and after discussing it with my son, we’ve decided to move to a house near the clinic…
"So, you're actually leaving...?"
Liliana and Hume exchanged a glance, both silently asking what on earth was going on at the look of disbelief on Sauvel’s face.
But I didn’t notice that someone else was the one most shaken.
"O-oh, auntie, you're leaving...?"
Raffilia stood there, stunned.
Liliana laughed dryly and said, “No, that’s not it.”
"Will my son stay on working at the clinic? I thought I’d move house and come help out at the clinic myself from there."
"But you're leaving the manor... aren't you?"
"...Raffilia?"
Sauvel and the others noticed something was off with Raffilia, tilting their heads in concern.
Then, as if something had finally pressed too hard, a tear slipped from Raffilia’s eye.
She muttered, "I'm sorry," and set down her utensil.
Without a word, she turned to leave.
Liliana stood up abruptly, startled.
"Mother?"
"Sorry... please, just let me talk."
She said sorry again, then hurried after Raffilia.
She jogged, keeping pace—her body light now that it had recovered.
She caught up faster than expected, calling out, "Wait—please!"
She wrapped an arm around Raffilia’s shaking shoulders and led her to a bench overlooking the garden.
I gently guided her to sit down, then settled beside her, keeping an arm around Raffilia’s shoulders.
Still trembling, Raffilia sniffled quietly. Liliana, still holding her close, asked softly.
“…Why are you so sad when we leave this place? Can you tell me?”
“…………”
Raffilia tried desperately to wipe away her tears, rubbing her eyes over and over. After her sobs had quieted a little, she spoke.
“…My mother left too.”
“……”
“She did something awful to my father. He was so angry… and then…”
“…I see.”
That’s right—when we first arrived, the lady of the house was here. I remember now.
By the time I noticed she was gone, she’d vanished. I felt uneasy, but no one said a word. It just… felt like something you shouldn’t ask about.
“She was supposed to go back to town… but when I went to see her… she was gone.”
Raffilia’s mother was in much the same situation as Liliana’s.
I must’ve been thinking of Liliana’s mother, imagining her leaving.
I’d heard Raffilia was only twelve. Still young enough to miss her mother, yet her mother had vanished without a trace.
“I was supposed to be convalescing at the clinic’s house…”
“Eh?”
“Everyone was so kind… I ended up staying too long. I was about to leave, so I was talking to my son about it…”
“W-well, that’s not true! Auntie, you came, and everyone in the mansion was so happy!”
“…Is that so?”
“It is! …Auntie, you always hug Hume, don’t you?”
“Eh?”
“When you say goodbye and welcome back!”
“Hmm, yes, I do.”
“…I’ve never done that.”
“…With your parents?”
"Yeah... I just watched my dad start doing it... he noticed and started doing it too."
"Oh?"
"I was embarrassed... but also happy."
"Hmm-hmm. Physical closeness matters. After all, you're loved."
"...Loved?"
"Yes."
Liliana gently stroked Raffilia's cheek, smiling softly.
"Sending someone off with 'safe travels'... and when they come back, checking 'you're safe, good.' That kind of thing."
"...Never happened."
"..."
"When I was in town, Mom's house was a shop—always busy. When I was little, I was always told not to go in, that I'd be in the way."
"Really..."
"I tried helping out, hoping she'd be happy... but I was still just in the way."
"Yeah... that must've been lonely."
"...Yeah."
Raffilia leaned into Liliana, seeking comfort. Liliana hugged her gently.
She started crying again, begging not to be sent away while I ran my fingers through her hair.
"…Well then, I guess I’ll have to ask the Head of the Household, won’t I?"
"…Huh?"
"Can I stay here?"
"Really? You’ll stay?"
"Yes… Actually… I always wanted a daughter."
"...A daughter?"
"You only have one son, don’t you? I imagined us, sharing secrets like this, cooking together sometimes… I wanted to teach her how to sew."
"..."
"I’d slowly make lace. For my daughter’s wedding dress. It was my dream. But when I had a child… it was a son. A son can’t sew lace, can he?"
Liliana chuckles softly, offering a suggestion.
Would it be all right… if I made the lace for Raffilia’s wedding dress?
"…!! Uwaaahhh!"
I was rubbing Raffilia’s back as she sobbed into Liliana’s neck, when I noticed Sauvel and the others peering at us from behind the bushes, their faces full of worry. Looks like they’d overheard the whole thing.
Raffilia doesn’t notice, but Sauvel murmurs something about later, his lips twitching.
Seeing Liliana nod with a smile, Sauvel let out a sigh of relief.
The Hume beside me made a "well, well" face.
After calming Raffilia and getting her to rest in her room, Liliana set off with her son toward Sauvel.
I suggest to my son mid-way. Wouldn’t it be better if we stayed here?
After Mother chased after the young mistress, I was asked by the Head of the Household to convince Mother to stop.
"……huh?"
The fact that Mother’s around… it helps a lot.
"...what on earth is this?"
Well? Why don’t you just listen and find out for yourself?
We’d just reached the door to Sauvel’s study.
Hume knocked, announced himself, and was told to come in.
The two of us stepped inside, and there waited Sauvel and Isabella.
“…Sorry. Raffilia… she…”
“No, it was my fault. I said I’d leave, and now Mother and I’ve ended up… overlapping, they say. I’ve caused a terrible mess.”
“Mm…”
Isabella looked down, her expression sorrowful.
“Head of the Household, I have a request.”
“…What? I’ll listen if it’s not ‘get out’.”
The words had barely left her mouth before Liliana couldn’t help but giggle.
“S-sorry…”
“N-no… I mean…”
“I made a promise to the young mistress. …Could I… stay here with my son?”
“Really?!”
Sauvel leaned forward without thinking, grinning and clasping Liliana’s hand in delight—Liliana blinked, startled.
“Ah, s-sorry…”
“N-no… I mean…”
“Ah, of course you can stay as long as you like. Your coming here… it’s made the house feel softer. Honestly, it’s helped.”
“Soft…?”
“Well… it’s hard to explain. There’s been so much going on lately—the house’s air… it’s been so heavy…”
He was remembering his ex-wife. Pain seeped through his face.
“Seeing you two… I think I finally understand what a family is. Raffilia’s from the common streets, after all. I didn’t know how to act around her—only ever learned noble manners, nothing else…”
“…”
“Watching Raffilia look at you two with envy… I tried copying her. And then… she smiled. Really smiled.”
That must’ve been the greeting Raffilia mentioned earlier.
“…Can you teach me about family?”
Liliana was startled by Sauvel’s earnest tone. It sounded like something else entirely, and she was completely at a loss for how to respond.
But her son figured it out almost immediately. Letting out a sigh, he bluntly asked, “So you want to remarry Mother, is that it?”
“…………Huh?”
Sauvel looked utterly blindsided.
At first, he blinked in confusion, but then he remembered what he’d just said and instantly turned bright red.
“Eh… ah, um… I mean…”
Every visible inch of Sauvel’s face—and the parts of his skin showing—was flushed crimson.
Seeing that, Isabella let out a soft, delighted “Mm, mm,” clearly pleased.
“Um… perhaps Head of the Household is simply curious about what common family life is like?”
“Ah… no, well… I mean…”
"I'm quite fine, really. I'm not the type to be so presumptuous, now am I? Please don't worry about it."
Sauvel stared straight into Liliana’s smiling face—and instantly turned crimson again.
"I—I didn’t mean to suggest you’re presumptuous!!"
"...Huh?"
"Ah, no, well... I mean..."
Blushing furiously, sweat pouring down his face, Sauvel strained desperately to find words. Isabella, losing patience, finally shouted.
"Ugh, you’re so frustrating!! If you’re my son, just say it plainly!!"
"H-Hello, Mother!?!"
"You’re clearly not capable of handling Liliana on your own!! Leave it to me!!"
"W-Wait, Mother!!"
"I’m so sorry, Liliana. Would you like to come with me for a quieter chat?"
Isabella cackled, clutching Liliana’s hands as if she’d never let go.
"A-ah… um…?"
"Such a useless son? Let's just leave him be and go on our way! Hehehehe!!"
Isabella dragged Liliana out of the room, still clutching her hands like she’d never let go.
Sauvel, now pale with shock, got a friendly pat on the shoulder from Hume.
"Ah… Hume…?"
"Mother’s clever in her own way, but incredibly thick-headed. Try your best, now. Though not quite as much as the Head of the Household, of course."
"Huh…?"
"Didn’t you realize? Well, I suppose the Head of the Household just figured it out a moment ago, so you can’t be blamed."
"I… I mean, I—"
"Realized it, didn’t you?"
"Uhh… yes…!"
Sauvel lowered his voice, face burning red. Hume grinned at him.
"The Head of the Household could rely on Mother, you know. Oh, but don’t force her, please."
"Ah, of course not!! I mean, uh—wait, if we remarry, does that mean my son…?"
"Indeed it does."
Laughing lightly, Hume too left the room.
Left alone, Sauvel muttered under his breath.
"Son... my son...?"
He groaned, face burning red again—this time not from surprise, but from the sheer, absurd weight of the thought he'd just voiced to himself.
Even as the afternoon wore on, Sauvel remained flushed and stewing in thought.
Then Lovell arrived. Seeing a potential confidant, Sauvel lunged toward him—only to be shoved away with a grimace. "Ugh, get away. You're making me feel sick."