Stepmothers Are Not Always Evil Chapter 81

Chapter 81

 

“Tia, stop!”

“Hey! Don’t come!”

It was such a peaceful afternoon.

As I sat in the pavilion and looked through the reports from the academy, I watched the children playing in the garden.

In this hot weather, they couldn’t stop laughing as if they weren’t tired.

‘I wonder if they’re overheating.’

Although the fountain spouted cool water, it was not enough to cool off the hot summer heat.

I was about to ask them to stop, thinking it would be a bad idea if they got sunstroke, when Mary, carrying a tray, opened the door to the pavilion.

“Madam, I brought ice cream.”

“Thank you, leave it here.”

Mary, who had carefully brought tea and cake to ice cream topped with fruit, set the table and said:

“You’ve been quiet for a few days, but you’re excited today.”

“I know.”

I just looked inside the room to see if I noticed that the atmosphere in the mansion had subsided over the past few days.

As soon as the problem was resolved, seeing them playing as usual again made me feel sorry for the children.

I shouted at the children spinning around the fountain.

“Escal, Tiaris! Stop playing and come in!”

“Yes!”

The kids ran into the pavilion at the sound of my voice.

“Wow, ice cream!”

Tiaris, who came in first, was delighted with the ice cream.

“You have to wash your hands first.”

I tried to stop Tiaris from grabbing the teaspoon, wiping her dirty hands with a wet towel, and trying to wipe Escal’s hands who came after her.

“Mom, take this.”

Escal shyly held out the hand he had hidden behind his back.

Lycianthus, which had been in full bloom in the flower bed for a few days, was held in the child’s hand.

“Are you giving it to your mother?”

Escal smiled shyly and nodded his head.

“I brought the flowers because they are pretty.”

“Thank you.”

Escal blushed as I kissed him on the cheek, thinking it was sweet of him to think of me..

“Escal will do better so as not to upset Mom.”

“…….”

I’ve heard that too much heart isn’t always a good thing.

Sirius, I was heartbroken that the man seemed to have worried the children as well.

“You’re still doing good enough.”

I smiled as I patted Escal’s ass, securing the flower with my brooch.

“Let’s eat ice cream before it melts.”

“Yes!”

The children answered loudly and started eating ice cream with spoons.

Seeing these children happily, I also drank tea.

‘Huh, it’s hot.’

The weather is steamy enough to make cold tea feel lukewarm.

Baron Hazel told Escal to reduce his swordsmanship practice to 30 minutes.

It would be nice to go to a cool place for a vacation, but let’s talk to Helios… While I was thinking about it, my eyes met children who were scratching their empty ice cream bowls.

“Mary, go get two more ice creams.”

“Yes. What about tea?”

“The tea is fine… Oh, wait.”

I cut off my answer and got up from my seat.

Baron Hazel, who had been out since early morning, was walking this way.

‘I just had something to say.’

I ran out of the pavilion and called Baron Hazel.

“Baron.”

“Madam.”

Baron Hazel, who was heading to the annex, stopped and greeted me.

“Are you coming back now?”

“That’s right.”

“It’s hot, so come in and have a cup of tea.”

“Then excuse me.”

The Baron did not refuse my invitation and entered the pavilion.

“Grandpa!”

Tiaris, who was sucking the spoon, abruptly got up and hugged her grandfather.

“Look at you, your face is all red.”

Baron Hazel sat Tiaris on his lap and gently stroked the child’s head.

I poured tea into an empty teacup and handed it to the Baron.

“Are you still looking for the mansion?”

“Yes. There is no suitable place in the capital, so we are looking around the area.”

Baron Hazel said with a bewildered look.

Since autumn is the full-fledged socializing season, now is the right time to find a mansion.

If you don’t find a decent place during this time, you’ll be stuck here for at least two seasons.

“I’ll look over it during the summer, and if I don’t find anything, I’ll move down to my hometown.”

“Where are you from?”

“It’s a small seaside town in the south.”

“Wouldn’t the capital be better for Tiaris?”

Carefully speaking, the Baron looked down at Tiaris.

“Human life is the same everywhere, but I’m worried about monsters.”

“A monster?”

“Yes. It’s the season for demons to run rampant soon….”

Baron Hazel murmured with a dark face.

Tiaris’ parents said that they lost their lives in a monster attack.

Come to think of it, I thought that the reason the Baron wanted to settle in the capital might be because of the monster.

Because it is a place where the risk of being attacked by monsters is minimal.

“Otherwise, we have to go back to Daleswood.”

“Tia is eager to go….”

Tiaris, who was sitting on Baron Hazel’s lap, wiggling her fingers, muttered a little.

“Grandpa, why don’t we just rent it out here?”

Tiaris pursed her lips and looked up at her grandfather.

I said to Baron Hazel, who was perplexed.

“I heard that Daleswood is in many ways uncomfortable for a small child to live in. If it’s okay with the Baron, I’d like to see Tiaris stay here with Escal…”

“Thank you, but I will decline.”

Baron Hazel declined my offer.

“People have to live according to their fractions. If you get used to this kind of life, it will be difficult for Tia later.”

“Would it be okay if you continued living like this in the future?”

I carefully let out the words I had been harboring.

“With all due respect, Tiaris is a lady, and even if the Baron takes care of her now, she’ll need a woman’s touch when she grows up.”

“…… ”

“In a few years, she has to make a debut in the social world and make friends, so she’ll need to be in shape for that….”

“I don’t want her to have a social debut, I just want her to grow up and live a normal life like everyone else and that will be enough.”

Baron Hazel was stubborn.

I wondered how I would break the stubbornness that even the Emperor couldn’t break.

“Tia’s talent is too precious for that.”

“That’s nice of you to say, but Tia is a Baron’s daughter. I think madam is well aware that there is nothing good for a woman from a powerless family to jump into the social world.”

“……”

I know how Lenia, the daughter of the Viscount in the countryside, was treated in the social world.

But that was the case with Lenia, who had nowhere to turn to, and Tiaris might be different.

“I would be willing to be Tia’s godmother, if the Baron would allow it.”

“I will be grateful, but it’s okay.”

The baron eventually turned down my offer.

Looking at Tiaris with regret, the child bowed her head gloomy as if she knew something.

‘Perhaps I should have proposed an engagement.’

The four and six-year-old’s engagement seemed too early, so I kept my word.

“If you change your mind, please let me know.”

Baron Hazel, who only smiled without answering, got up from his seat holding Tiaris.

I clicked my tongue as I watched the Baron heading to the annex.

“He’s very stubborn….”

I didn’t realize it was Baron Hazel, not Tiaris, who was stubborn.

If Tiaris hides like she did in the original novel, Escal will be the only one who will suffer.

As I sighed in frustration, Escal grabbed the hem of my dress.

“Mom?”

“Yeah? Come on, let’s go inside.”

I left the pavilion with Escal.

 

*****

 

“I told you. You wouldn’t be able to convince him.”

“I didn’t know it would be like this, though.”

Seeing me grumbling with a swollen cheek, Helios raised an eyebrow.

“It must be because he saw a lot of bad things while he was in the Imperial Knights.”

“Well, it’s the Imperials, what could possibly go wrong with us?”

“Well… don’t know.”

Helios trailed off, studying my eyes.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean what I mean. I just mean, I don’t know.”

What, he’s onto something?

I was about to question him, but Helios awkwardly changed the subject.

“What’s with the flowers? Where did you get them?”

“Our son gave it to me.”

I held out the flowers proudly.

“He said the flowers were pretty, so he picked them up for me. Isn’t that sweet?”

“Is that so good?”

“Yes, it is. My husband doesn’t even give me flowers, but my son takes care of it.”

At a light joke, Helios hugged my waist and whispered.

“Why do you need flowers? You are a flower.”

“You’re trying to sneak past those words again.”

I slapped Helios on the cheek with my elbow and escaped from him.

“Can I buy you a flower shop?”

If you can’t speak.

As I rolled my eyes in condescension, Merlin knocked on my office door.

“Madam, the letter has arrived.”

“A letter? From who…”

“Give it to me.”

Without a second thought, Helios snatched the letter.

“Give it to me, it’s my letter.”

“Wait. I’ll just check who sent it.”

He ignored me and opened the letter.

Perhaps because of a letter from Sirius impersonating Count Tilburn, he was particularly sensitive.

After confirming the sender, Helios furrowed his eyebrows and held out the letter.

“Who is it?”

“Grand Duchess Crawford.”