A number of vassals were bustling around my mother's grave, most of whom were not wearing swords and were probably back-facing samurai. Most of them were not wearing swords and were probably back-facing samurai. They must have been preparing for the festivities, which began at noon, while the hatters were gathered in the hall.

　It would be impossible to calmly report to my mother. If Goz or Cecil had been there, they would have been smart enough to pay the man off, but I was the one who had left them behind. If you think about it calmly, the situation was sufficiently foreseeable, so you can only laugh at your own shallowness.

　Should I identify myself as Miken Shizuya's (Shizuya) son and ask them to leave their seats for a moment? No, but that's their job, and I don't think they'd be willing to give up their precious time to prepare for their disowned son.

　There's a chance they won't even believe I'm their son. It's unlikely that the father would have informed his staff that the son he disowned five years ago is coming today. Aside from those in the great hall, I should assume that the rest of the vassals didn't know about me.

　If they didn't know about me, they could just ask Goz or someone else to confirm it, but we were told that the test was to be held a quarter of an hour or so later. By the time we had finished, there was no time left to visit the grave.

　So, what should I do? That's when I nodded my head as I thought about it.


"--Sora?


　When my name was called from the side of the room, I couldn't help but shake my back with a jolt. For a moment - just a moment - I thought it was my mother calling out to me.

　It wasn't so much the way she called me, but the sound of her voice, which was not malicious in any way, but only the sound of her affection, reminded me of my mother.

　Of course, my mother, who died more than ten years ago, could not be brought back to life. I turned toward the voice with a rusty, tinny motion and saw a woman with glossy hair that reminded me of gold thread and beauty that reminded me of a fairy.

　It's Laguna's mother, Miken Emma.

　I don't know what to say immediately, and I open and close my mouth for no reason.

　Unlike my child Laguna, I have no grudge against his mother. Rather, I have a guilty conscience here. This person, who became my full-time wife after my mother's death, cared a lot for me when I was a child, and I repaid all of that with rejection.

　I was a kid, I know now. But I didn't understand back then. I think I was always glaring at my mother with a resentful look in my eyes, with feelings that were almost like taking it out on her - or even the feelings of taking it out on her - that she was the one who took her mother's place.

　After that, he began to keep his distance from me, probably because he took into consideration my feelings at a young age, but at the time I was snooty that I got rid of the bad guy.

　.........Yeah, this area really makes me want to hold my head up every time I remember it.

　And another thing I heard from Cryer, who had been holding me hostage until the other day, was making my reluctance even greater.

　When I was exiled from the island five years ago, he was the only one who spoke out against my father.

　He told me that he was the only one who had spoken out against my father when I was exiled from the island five years ago, and that he was the only one who had ever spoken out against my father. I want to apologize for my past transgressions, but I don't know how I'm going to stand up to him.

　My hesitation had placed intangible fetters on my words and actions. I barely got down on my knees to show my respect, but I had no idea what to do beyond that.

　It's not because of that, but I couldn't react to the next action she took.


　--The next moment I thought I heard a tap and a kick on the ground, I was being held in the chest of my opponent.


''Mugu!''

'Oh, the sky!　I'm so glad you're okay.


　Emma's face is filled with joy as she embraces me, as if she is overwhelmed with emotion. I can smell the sweet scent of Kyara incense wafting from the black kimono that she must have gotten especially for the anniversary of her death. I could also feel the softness of the kimono, which made me feel very uncomfortable.

　I tried to move away quickly, but consciously or unconsciously, Emma put more strength into her arms to hold me close.

　Of course, it would be easier to get out of it if I did my best, but I couldn't just pull it off by force. And yet, it is hesitant to stay in this position. I seriously wondered what I should do.

　If this were any other human being, they wouldn't be so easily restrained, but as for Emma, I was the one who had the advantage, and I had no malice or wariness at all, so I was slow to react.

　In the end, I had no choice but to keep my position until Emma was satisfied.

　When Emma-sama let go of me, she told me to stand up, and I returned to my standing position from my kneeling position. And then Emma reached out with her cilia and touched my cheeks, squinting at me curiously.




Ha. Well, I'm sorry, sir.

''Don't be afraid, please let me see your face more closely--oh, your hair is the same, and the color of your eyes is just like Shizuya's. Her face is also tighter and tighter like your lord's... that little girl, really...


　Emma-sama's voice trembles slightly as she takes a white cloth from underneath and gently wipes her eyes. I can clearly see that she is truly pleased with my growth.

　I'm not going to be able to get a good idea of what I'm talking about.

　--I'm not going to be able to say that I'm not a fan of her.

　It's hard to believe that he has a son (Laguna) the same age as me, both in his face and in his gestures.

　I suddenly remembered something from the past.

　When I was a child, my mother once read me a story about a mermaid princess. The mermaid princess was so beautiful that I could hardly believe she was from this world, her hair was like gold, her blue eyes were like jewels, her skin was like snow - my mother went on and on about the beauty of mermaids.

　Hearing this, my mother burst out laughing, which was a rare occurrence, and I remembered the moment as a memorable one. The next day, Lady Emma heard it from my mother and patted me on the head with a very happy look on her face. I also remembered that the guy from Laguna had looked at it with envy.

　Afterwards, Emma-sama, who had paid off her tears, took me by the hand and led me to my mother's grave. Lady Emma then cleared the people around me and even left the place for me. The only thing I could do was to bow to her for her thoughtfulness in letting my mother and I be alone.



　--I don't have much to say about the report to my mother after that. I'm just describing the days since I left the island until today.

　I couldn't be someone who could be of use to the world.

　I couldn't become a person who could protect anyone.

　I couldn't be a great heir.

　I couldn't be like my father.

　--I couldn't become as big as Sora.

　Rather than a report on his five years, it felt like he was doing penance for five years. Still, I didn't hide anything from him. Nor did he gloat.


The word 'empty' doesn't always have a bad meaning. If you have nothing, you can be anything. From now on, pack as much into you as you can and be whoever you want to be. No matter what it is, I will bless your choice of a path.


　I never got what I once wanted, but that doesn't mean that what I grabbed was worthless.

　It's been five years since I was exiled from the island. I can't even begin to count the mistakes I've made. I have a mountain of regrets.

　But the person who made the decision was me, and no one else. I've made my own choices. I don't have to hide anything. I have no need to hide anything.

　After all that has happened and all that is to come, it's hard to say that I want your blessing, but still--


But this is who I am now, Mother.


　Then he slowly stood up.

　At that moment, the flowers that were pointed at the grave swayed faintly. I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to find a way to make it work.

　-- it would indeed be a sentimentality to think that it was my mother's reply.

　Still, somewhere in my heart I want to think that.

　Should it be something to lament or something to rejoice over? I couldn't decide right now.