I’m the Future Crazy Male Lead’s Mother – Chapter 21

Author: isuzuuy

“Hey, Jang. Are you done with all the work for today?”

“Hoho! Come have some refreshments!”

“Ha! What a fulfilling day of farm work!”

I don’t know when these kinds of conversations started happening, but at some point, the Black Hawks had begun acting like this.

‘Can farmer fever be contagious?’

I watched them plowing the fields while laughing among themselves with an indifferent expression, then eventually squatted down and began scribbling on the ground.

My hand automatically drew Axion.

A very tiny Axion compared to Vanilla.

‘He needs to be taller than the heroine, though. Sob.’

Ever since I realized that Axion’s growth had stopped, I had been racking my brain whenever I had a spare moment.

It felt like only yesterday that I had scoffed at mothers who fed their children antler velvet because they said it helped with growth when they were young.

I never imagined I’d end up worrying about a child’s development myself.

‘Ugh.’

Could Ruben, the being that supposedly grew by feeding on misfortune, have something to do with Axion? Remembering the book I had read in the library, I slumped my shoulders.

Maybe I could find some clues if I searched for more related materials?

“Cilia!”

I was so deeply sunk in depression that my shoulders had practically drooped all the way down to the Earth’s core when I heard Cedric’s voice.

“I was actually looking for you.”

“Hm? Why?”

Cedric stood in front of me, his pink hair fluttering in the breeze.

Since he was in the middle of learning how to work in the rice fields, he was wearing boots and a straw hat.

Of course, at this stage, ‘working in the rice fields’ only consisted of making the paddies and tilling the soil.

“His Majesty the Emperor’s birthday is coming up, and there’s going to be a ball. You’ve been invited too.”

“Huh…?”

That Emperor Scarlet, the King Sejong the Great wannabe?

Why would he invite me…?

When I stared at him blankly, Cedric gave me a shy smile.

“You seemed a little depressed lately, so I recommended you as a way to cheer you up.”

He said it awkwardly before hopping toward the fields like a rabbit. The sight of his shy back looked almost exactly like that of a high school girl who had just confessed her feelings.

Ah, so you’re the one who recommended me?

“……”

He had to be the only person who would suggest that this body go to a ball for a change of mood.

Cilia’s social circle was incredibly small, so she was rarely invited to balls.

Besides, she wasn’t the kind of person who enjoyed places that felt like a chaotic marketplace. Naturally, going to a ball would never have been a way for her to relax.

‘But that’s not what he means by “cheer me up,” is it?’

Cilia had a rather pretty face, and she was surprisingly popular at balls, with men occasionally gathering around her…

Until one day, when a young nobleman approached her somewhat rudely.

She took off the shoe she was wearing and smacked him across the face with it, instantly becoming something of a celebrity.

She had said this at the time:

‘Oh. I thought it was a pest attached to a potato.’

Remembering that, I grew serious.

So when that guy recommended that I go to a ball to cheer myself up, what he really meant was that I should go there, beat someone up, and come back.

***

“You said you weren’t going. So what’s this?”

“What.”

The sound of horses’ hooves clattered outside. Along with it came the smooth rolling of carriage wheels over the well-maintained road.

I looked at the person sitting across from me with a sullen expression.

The man sitting arrogantly with his legs crossed was, of course, Dazar.

‘I heard there’s going to be a ball for His Majesty the Emperor’s birthday. Are you going too?’

‘Why would I go there? It’s a hassle.’

That was definitely what he had said.

So why was he sitting right in front of me?

“Do you think I’m going because I want to?”

Dazar muttered irritably, twitching an eyebrow.

I had planned to go by myself for a little while.

Apparently, Dazar had never attended the ball held for the Emperor’s birthday before.

But Emperor Scarlet, who had silently tolerated his absence all this time, had suddenly singled him out and summoned him.

‘Good grief.’

Dazar and I had something in common.

Neither of us wanted to go to the ball.

But even so, I had two reasons why I needed to attend.

Since my name had been put on the guest list through Cedric, simply refusing to attend would tarnish Cedric’s reputation. And there was something I needed to obtain in the Imperial Capital, where the Imperial Palace was located.

‘They said there’s a famous machinist in the capital.’

I intended to meet that craftsman and commission some machines necessary for rice farming.

So even if I went to the ball, my plan was simply to show my face for a moment and sneak away.

Apparently, the ball would be held for several days anyway.

***

After traveling for half a day, we arrived in the Imperial Capital, which was bustling with celebrations for the Emperor’s birthday.

We passed through the noisy, lavishly decorated main street and entered the Imperial Palace.

After resting from the long journey in a room that had been prepared for us, we headed to the ballroom the next day.

“His Grace, Duke Dazar Siastor, has entered!”

At the attendant’s booming announcement, the murmuring inside the ballroom abruptly fell silent.

I had been peeking out from behind Dazar, watching the scene, and seeing the admiration and slight fear on the nobles’ faces made me realize once again just how high his status was.

“Oh my, it’s Duke Siastor!”

“I heard he changed his schedule at the last minute to attend. So he really came.”

“What could have happened? He’s never shown his face at His Majesty’s birthday celebrations before.”

“Ahem. Haven’t you heard? That child. Perhaps he thought the child needed a mother?”

“Oh my!”

The moment he appeared, voices calling for their daughters could be heard from every direction.

Dazar couldn’t possibly have been the only one who heard them, but he merely stood there with a gentle smile.

However, I could hear the quiet voice he muttered.

“You. Don’t go anywhere. Stay by my side.”

“Why should I?”

“I need someone with a reputation as bad as yours to keep that army of mothers away.”

“……”

How nice of him to acknowledge this body’s reputation.

I’d like to thank him, but I’ll pass on dealing with such a nuisance.

I conveyed my feelings with an indifferent look, but he didn’t even look at me and simply strode inside.

I followed along, having been hiding behind him.

“Miss Cilia Evanroar, daughter of the Viscount Evanroar, has entered!”

The attendant, standing perfectly upright, announced loudly with an expressionless face.

The ballroom was once again engulfed in silence.

I could feel countless gazes shooting straight toward my face.

“Eek…!”

I heard a frightened voice as well.

They must have remembered me smacking a young nobleman across the face with my shoe at the last ball I attended.

I put on an awkward smile, checked my name off the list of nobles, and entered.

‘This feels like I’m casting magic.’

Like the Red Sea parting before Moses, the nobles in front of me hurriedly moved aside.

‘This body really does have quite the reputation.’

I already knew from Elston that this body wasn’t well regarded, and from the fragmented memories that surfaced, I had realized she had been quite an extraordinary person.

But seeing all these nobles desperately avoiding eye contact with me…

‘Nice.’

I normally hated crowded places, so having everyone around me automatically clear a path was incredibly pleasant.

Unlike me, however, Dazar was surrounded by people.

I saw his eyes roll toward me. His golden eyes were practically saying:

Come over here. Now!

But.

I had no intention of listening to him.

I sidestepped away from him like a crab, gradually increasing the distance between us.

“Why should I stay beside you?”

I shrugged and secretly slipped out of the ballroom.

The kind-hearted Cedric had recommended that I attend the ball so I could cheer myself up by beating someone up.

But I had no intention of cheering myself up that way.

I’m a pacifist, you know!

“Is this the right way?”

I had literally only set foot in the ballroom before immediately leaving.

Since I needed to leave the Imperial Palace to reach the capital, I strode through the enormous palace.

Instead of taking the main road that stretched straight ahead, I planned to use a side path through the gardens.

Just in case Dazar came looking for me.

But just as I was wandering around the garden, I suddenly heard a strange noise somewhere.

Rustle!

Rustle rustle!

It sounded almost like a message desperately begging me to come look, as if ignoring it would mean I wasn’t even human.

“……”

I decided to ignore it.

I had a feeling I would get dragged into some annoying situation.

I continued walking with an indifferent expression, when a small shout came from behind me.

“H-hey, you!”

She had only spoken one sentence, but the woman’s manner of speaking was extremely suspicious.

Reluctantly, I creaked my head around.

And what entered my eyes was a strange woman tangled up in the bushes in an even stranger position.

Perhaps to hide her face, she had a yellow cloth draped over her head and was wearing a pair of large, thick-lensed glasses. She looked suspicious at first glance.

“……P-please help me.”

“……”

My internal radar was sending a clear signal that helping this woman would get me dragged into trouble.

But it also felt like not helping her would get me dragged into even more trouble.

So I decided to help.

“Thank you. Ahem.”

“No need to thank me. People should help each other.”

I smiled innocently as I watched her brush the leaves off her clothes.

“You snuck out of the ballroom too?”

I had planned to help her and leave immediately, but apparently, we were heading in the same direction.

What was with this old-lady-like way of speaking?

I nodded.