Now This Family Belongs to My Mother Chapter 99

* * *

The hired workers cleaning the area whispered among themselves.

 

“What’s with that woman…”

 

“She’s been like that for a while now…”

 

A woman with wiry, rough hair tied tightly into a single knot was hiding behind a pillar, gazing longingly at the garden. She thought she was hiding her body, but her towering and robust frame made it impossible to go unnoticed. Because of this, even the maids in the garden kept stealing glances at her. The only person who didn’t care about her was Leonoe, who was innocently playing in the garden.

 

“That woman, it’s her, isn’t it?” A worker, who had been sweeping the floor, spoke as if suddenly remembering. “Mizulin from the laundry room!”

 

“Ah, the one who doesn’t talk much but is ridiculously strong?”

 

Mizulin from the laundry was infamous. She rarely showed her face, but the rumors about her were endless. Some said she had caused a huge incident in the past and was exiled to the laundry room. Others claimed they saw her late at night, alone, reading books of black magic.

 

“Did she bulk up her body with black magic or something?”

 

One of the workers snickered. Then, with a look of disdain, she approached Mizulin.

 

“Hey, what are you doing here instead of doing the laundry?”

 

At her call, Mizulin slowly turned her head. Her face, as solid as her body, looked down at the worker with a blank expression, making the worker flinch for a moment.

 

“The laundry is done,” Mizulin replied in a low, monotone voice. Her presence was too overwhelming to dismiss her as just someone from the laundry room.

 

The woman took a step back, but her pride made her throw out another jab. “H-How did you finish all that laundry already? I heard the other laundry maids dumped it all on you to do alone!”

 

“If you don’t believe me, go check for yourself.” Mizulin turned her head away, as if she couldn’t be bothered. She barely had enough time to keep an eye on Leonoe.

 

The maids who care for Madam Leonoe are all experienced, but something still feels lacking. If it were me, I could take better care of her…

 

On top of that, Leonoe’s daughter, Epirosa, had been busy with her theater work lately. Mizulin couldn’t shake off her worries.

 

Madam Leonoe hasn’t been at the mansion for long, so it must be hard for her to adjust. Her daughter should be by her side. How cautious must everything feel to her? Just as that thought crossed her mind, Leonoe yanked out some precious flowers by their roots.

 

“Aah, No! Madam Leonoe!” The maids attending to Leonoe screamed in panic.

 

“…”

 

Well, it’s just because everything feels unfamiliar to her. That’s why I have to watch over her, even if it’s in secret. Mizulin had yet to realize that she had already failed at being ‘secret.’

 

“We need to clean here, so get out of the way. If you have nothing to do, go to your room and take a nap or something!” The woman, still unwilling to give up, picked a fight with her.

 

Mizulin shot the woman a sharp glare and strode toward her.

 

“W-What are you doing…?!”

 

And then, she raised her hand high toward the woman.

 

“Kyaa!” The woman screamed, closing her eyes. But even after a while, she didn’t feel the sting of Mizulin’s hand. The only thing that changed was that the rag in her hand had been snatched away.

 

“I’ll clean it for you.”

 

“No, you can’t just clean randomly, there’s a whole technique to it… !”

 

The woman, who had been protesting, couldn’t finish her sentence. Mizulin had started wiping with the rag at an incredible speed, meticulously cleaning every corner. With cleaning skills she must have picked up somewhere and her natural arm strength, the space began to shine as if it were polished.

 

“H-How can you clean so fast…!”

 

Not only the woman who had been picking a fight with Mizulin, but even the other employees cleaning alongside her were left in shock.

 

Mizulin threw the rag back at the woman with a cynical expression. “That’s enough, right?”

 

“I-I suppose so, but…”

 

Mizulin turned her back on them and once again gazed longingly at Leonoe.

 

* * *

It was a few days later. The employees of the Blanche Mansion began to wish that Leonoe would spend more time around them.

 

“Is it inconvenient to move things because I’m here? Let me move them for you instead.”

 

“I’ll stir the hot soup, so just let me watch Madam Leonoe while she eats.”

 

Whenever Leonoe appeared, Mizulin would inevitably show up as well. To secretly (?) watch over Leonoe, Mizulin refused nothing. One of the things she did was take over the tasks of the employees present at the time.

 

“Is Mizulin really just a laundry maid? She organized the books in the study perfectly without a single mistake.”

 

“She even knows where all the kitchen utensils are. I think she knows them better than I do.”

 

It wasn’t just about helping with work.

 

“When I was crying because the work was too hard, she told me to stop crying because it might bother Madam Leonoe, and then she gave me advice. It really helped a lot.”

 

Without realizing it, she was soothing the hearts of the employees as well. People were curious about how Mizulin, who was supposed to stay in the laundry room, had become so adept at household chores. In truth, she had been silently observing every detail of the ducal household in order to restore her mother’s honor. Thanks to her clever and meticulous nature, she even knew the exact number of forks in the mansion.

 

Unaware of this, the employees began spreading rumors. “Mizulin is scary, but somehow, she’s also really cool.”

 

* * *

I stared blankly at the phoenix sleeping inside the cage. Phoenix, I brought Mom here because you wanted me to. So why aren’t you reacting at all? Mom was standing right in front of it, but phoenix acted as if it couldn’t see her at all.

 

“Leonoe looks tired. Let’s just head back now,” Hubert said. It was at my request that he had brought Mom to see phoenix. But both Mom and phoenix acted as if the other wasn’t even there, as if they were invisible to each other.

 

“Yes, Grandpa,” I replied, swallowing my disappointment and confusion.

 

On the way back to my room with Mom, I fell deep into thought. Is it because of the curse that the divine beast and Mom can’t connect? If that was the case, breaking the curse had come first, before showing Mom to phoenix.

 

Whenever Mom came into contact with the phoenix’s egg or the unicorn’s egg, her condition seemed to improve. But lately, Ppinix seemed listless, dozing off in the corner of the room all the time. So, does that mean I need to meet Ludwig more often…? After all, he was the one with the unicorn’s egg. I should write him a letter… asking him to visit more often.

 

As I thought about it, a strange sense of embarrassment crept over me. What am I even thinking? This is for Mom’s sake. Besides, all the spies Violet had planted in the imperial palace had been driven out, so it should be fine to send a letter now!

 

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Mom frowned as she watched me. “Shaking your head like that will just give you a headache.” Then, as if worried, she placed her hand on my forehead.

 

“It’s fine. This much doesn’t hu—” I was reassuring her when I suddenly froze. It was because at the corner of the hallway, a towering woman was awkwardly trying to hide herself. Mizulin! So, she’s been watching over Mom even at this late hour.

 

I glanced around. At this time of night, the hallway was empty except for us. Gripping the doorknob, I spoke softly. “Thanks for looking out for Mom, Mizulin.”

 

Mizulin flinched in surprise. Her face showed an expression of ‘How did she know I was here?’

 

“You’re already caught, so you might as well come out,” I said, a bit amused.

 

Mizulin slowly stepped out with a look of ‘How could this happen…!’ on her face. It was almost a shame that, despite her agility, her naturally large frame made it hard for her to hide properly. “Don’t misunderstand. I was just passing by.”

 

“Want me to teach you how to hide perfectly?”

 

“Is there such a way? Please tell me right awa—” Mizulin’s face turned red as she accidentally let her true feelings slip.

 

Seeing that, Mom burst into laughter. For a moment, Mizulin’s expression became desperate.

 

“That bright smile of yours hasn’t changed. Even back then, when I was just a mere servant, you smiled at me like that.” She closed her eyes, as if reminiscing about the past.

 

It seems like Mizulin’s loyalty to Mom is greater than I thought. Maybe it was because Mom had protected her, provided her with a high-class education, and helped her in so many ways.

 

I spoke to the sorrowful Mizulin. “Grandpa will soon recognize your contributions.”

 

Mizulin’s eyes widened. “I only stayed by Madam Leonoe’s side and watched over her. There’s no way I’d be rewarded for something like that.” Her tone was as if to say, don’t be ridiculous.

 

“I’ll make it happen.” I smiled warmly but with certainty. “So when the time comes, tell Grandpa.”

 

“Well, I doubt such a thing would eve—”

 

“Ask him to restore your mother’s honor as a reward.”