Once more.

One more time.

As Sera grabbed the broom on the ground, she repeatedly said ‘one more time’--seven times.

Each time, she changed the angle of the broom slightly, all the while talking to herself. Then, she was startled when she felt someone behind her, and turned around.

“...Sera? What are you doing here?”

It was Iris, who had walked into the room, which still had to be cleaned; she had no ability to hide her presence.

The mansion was still on high alert after the recent assassin incident.

“Haah, Lady Iris.”

“Hehehe! What is that? That weird pose” Iris giggled when she saw how Sera was standing.

“This is…”

Sera’s face went red.

She was standing in a strange pose due to stopping midway in her training; she quickly straightened up and pulled the two brooms against her chest.

“Ahahaha…I was training--I have shown you something embarrassing.” She moved both brooms into one hand and lifted the edge of her skirt with her other, bending her knees slightly.

It was clumsy, but it was still a curtsy that retained its proper form.

“It’s alright. It is nice to see someone make such an effort to improve themselves, no matter how it looks. In fact, I should be embarrassed--it seems like I’ve interrupted your training.”

“Please refrain from saying that I was improving myself…it hurts.” Sera blushed and looked down.

“Hurts?” Iris raised an eyebrow.

“The truth is, I was slacking off.” Sera looked up again and smiled shyly.

She may not be able to answer Stein in this way, but it was okay for Iris. If Ian was responsible for Riley, Sera was responsible for Iris. The servant who spends the most time with her is Sera--talking like friends is just another daily occurrence for them.

“Slacking off?”

“Well…Master Riley has decided to disappear.”

Iris’s face went pale with worry at those words, imagining that there were still assassins lurking around, “Riley has?”

“Oh, it’s not what you’re worried about. Truth is…Master Stein called Master Riley into his office. It’s the tournament season--I believe that it’s because of that.”

“Ahh.” Iris nodded, an expression of understanding appearing on her face, “Is it hide and seek?”

“Yes. And I’m supposed to find him, but…my focus turned to training halfway.” Sera awkwardly laughed.

When the third son of the mansion hides, no one can find him--that was the truth.

“Oh Riley…”

“Well, is there nothing you want from him?”

“Want from him?”

“Yes. It seems like Master Stein wants to make Master Riley do something, but Master Riley would just run away…Yet, you seem different from him. Aren’t you bothered? Like that talk about…the successor.”

This question was a question which was asked often by Ian as well.

Even the now-banished Lady Orelly was quite strict with her children--but Iris was the complete opposite. No matter how lazy her son was, she would just smile warmly at him.

“Um, I don’t think that’s the case.”

“Really?”

“I scolded Riley just yesterday as well--weren’t you watching too?”

‘I know the popcorn you made tastes nice, but how can you worry everyone around you so much?’

It was Iris who forced Riley to apologize to Ian, Sera and herself.

“Well, I think I can safely say it was too soft.”

“Then…” Sera didn’t finish her sentence.

It seemed that Iris still had something to say, and continued, “I have been taught that a mother must understand what her son’s thoughts are. Of course, I’m no psychic, and I can’t read what he’s thinking about, but--I can understand the emotion he is experiencing, as his mother.”

She smiled bitterly, and continued to explain how she saw Riley, as a mother, “Sometimes…I can see his eyes shake, or endless sadness on his face. I’ve wondered, many times, why he would make such a face but I could never find out. So, I’ve privately asked him, ‘Is there anything making you sad or causing you pain?’ Do you know what Riley said?”

It was something that Sera, who was always next to Iris, never noticed.

Sleeping or reading; or just consuming food.

The Young Master, who would hum as he leaned on the apple tree, would show such a face in front of his mother?

It was unexpected.

Sera asked in a surprised tone, “What did he say?”

“He acted like he knew nothing about it. That it was nothing, that nothing happened.”

“It was…nothing?”

“Yes. Even while he made a worried face, as if he was being scolded. It seems like he was trying to hide it.” Iris began to play with her fingers,  “It hurts me that he won’t tell his mother about it, but…I guess it means that he’s thought about it as well--I’m sure it’s to make so that I don’t worry.”

Her bitter smile began to change into a gentle, calm smile.

Although she was quite young, a little too young to be called a veteran mother, it was a smile that made her look so gentle--you could feel the warmth radiating from it.

“There must be something. In a place I don’t know, when I couldn’t see him, something happened to Riley. Something that would make his eyes tremble, and make a sad face as if he’s shouldering the weight of the world…something like that.”

The answer did not come.

Therefore Iris decided to be strong.

“As his mother, I have to understand. So…at least, I won’t force him to do something. And at least I won’t be like the others in the mansion--I will believe in my son.”

She believed that her son would also believe in her one day, “I will wait for him; I just…wish for Riley’s happiness. More than anyone in the world.”

Iris was a good mother.

Sera decided to herself: ‘When I get old, get married, and have a child--I will become a mother like her.’

“Is there something on my face?” Iris asked, because Sera was staring with a satisfied smile on her face.

“No, I was just--admiring.”

“Oh Sera--you’re making me blush.”

Sea, who was considering whether she would need to tell Iris about Riley’s advice, tightly held the broom in her hand.

She eventually decided that there was no need.

‘Shh, act like this never happened.’

It was Riley’s personal request as well.

So, she decided to keep her silence.

“Then Sera, work hard.” Iris turned away after encouraging the silent Sera.

“Umm, Lady Iris.”

“Hmm?”

“Are you, perhaps, going off somewhere?”

As the maid who served Iris, it was part of her duty to know about her whereabouts.

Sera was going to follow her after her cleaning duty was finished.

“Well…” Iris stopped at Sera’s question.

As if trying to hide something, she had a playful expression on her face.

“Perhaps…to the bathroom?”

“Sorry?”

“Huhuhu, it’s a secret.”

Iris then continued to walk away.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to hide like Riley.”

 

***

I sighed, sitting in my hiding spot.

Iris isn’t just kind, her real strength is her ability to judge others.

‘I should respect my parents--especially my mother.’

It was an obvious decision, especially for a mother who would love and trust her son that much.

I remembered Count Stein’s eyes.

Likely, Stein must have seen what Ian had seen as well. That must be the reason--the reason why he looks at me with eyes full of expectation.

‘Father…’

Well, he was my father this life--and if I were to respect my parents, I would have to respect him as well.

‘The Capital.’

Stein was awkward with his words, only speaking harsh and cold words--but holds deeper thoughts and feelings.

Today was also the same. It was, perhaps, to keep me away from Lloyd, who was furious with Orelly’s incident, that I was given the invite to the Swordsmanship Tournament.

But if I went, I don’t think I will be able to avoid fighting.

Let’s say I accepted my father’s wishes and went to the tournament.

Then what?

I doubt I could hide my old habits for the entire duration of the Tournament.

‘Then again--’

The Mana that I was absorbing began to tremble.

Someone began to knock on the door.

“--Riley?”

I quickly extinguished the glowing Mana around me and looked up from where I was leaning against the wall.

The door began to open with a creak.

“Mother--”

Iris entered the room and came over to my hiding spot.

“Were you hiding again?”

“I’m sorry, I just--had something to think about.”

I was currently hiding in my mother’s closet, it was one of the few places that I could hide in the mansion. It was here that Riley polished my Mana, eavesdropped on Sera, and contemplated my father’s talk of the Capital.

“Don’t you know that this is bad? As I told you yesterday--everyone will worry if you do this.” Iris knelt down, looking at me, “Something to think about--is it the Capital?”

Iris’s face was filled with warmth.

I simply nodded my head without an answer.

“Why?”

“I’m just scared of the sword.”

Unlike other times, I answered much more truthfully than before. It wasn’t exactly that I was scared of the sword--but scared of what comes after people know you are good, and then get expectations…the adoration that soon turned to hatred.

“Hmm, I see.” After a small pause, Iris tilted her head, then continued to speak, “Then--how about a vacation?”

“What?” I felt surprise at her words.

She was smiling brightly, “A vacation--with your mother.”

I couldn’t formulate an answer.

With a warm smile, she added, “Your mother will help.”