“In any case, now that you’re going to become a Court Mage, Jared, you should carry yourself with more dignity. Don’t let someone with such ill manners say whatever they please,” Olivier said.
“Even if you say that, I’m not officially appointed yet,” Jared replied.
“If you don’t intend to refuse, it’s as good as decided. Neither the country nor the Mage Association would dream of letting you go now, so you should just carry yourself with more confidence!”
Karina smiled faintly at Olivier, who was clearly displeased with Jared’s demeanor.
Having known Jared since he was young, Olivier couldn’t believe he had been chosen as a Court Mage, even when they met like this. Karina herself came from a military family and understood what sort of person a warrior was, but to her, her son, whom she loved as if he were her own, didn’t look like a fighter.
While she couldn’t exactly call him gentle, he lacked the intense, fiery spirit characteristic of warriors. His build was slender, and though he likely trained, he didn’t appear to be a strong person at first glance.
This was the same for Jared’s grandfather and father.
Before Karina was married, her father’s friends were all visibly strong and looked like warriors. Perhaps that was why she became interested in her husband, Johan. Like Jared, he had a slender build and an aura that made it hard to imagine him wielding fierce swordsmanship on the battlefield.
Karina didn’t know what Johan truly thought of Jared, but she felt they had many similarities. Because of this, she ardently wished that, with some catalyst, they could reconcile—no, mend their relationship.
“Besides, Jared is too hesitant with me and even with Mother. I wish he would be more dignified, as befits my fiancé!”
“Fufu.”
Seeing Olivier puff out her cheeks and Jared listen to her with a troubled expression, Karina couldn’t help but let out a smile.
It was heartwarming. And enviable. Thinking back, Karina realized she hadn’t spent much time like this with her husband. She didn’t regret her life one bit, but she wished they had had more time as a couple.
“Mother-in-law?”
“I’m so sorry, Olivier. Your relationship with each other is so heartwarming and, frankly, enviable. You two are already like a married couple.”
“Wh-what are you saying? Like a married couple? How awful, Mother-in-law…”
Olivier, who had been sulking moments before, now blushed so intensely she looked younger than her actual age, which Karina found adorable.
However, she mentally marked down a point against her son for not looking even slightly flustered at being called a married couple.
“If you two get along well, I will be happy too. Olivier, please take good care of Jared.”
“—Yes. I have many shortcomings, but I want to do my best together with Jared.”
As the two of them smiled, Jared felt the tense atmosphere, which had been heightened by Annette, dissipate, and he let out a sigh of relief.
But Jared’s trials were just beginning.
“Since you’ve gone to the trouble of visiting our mansion, shall I tell you about Jared’s childhood?” Karina offered.
“—Wait a m-”
“Please, do! Jared doesn’t talk much about himself, so I’ve always wanted to know more. Yeny has many memories since she’s my cousin, but I don’t, so I was hoping to at least hear some stories.”
“In that case, I have a few photos, though not many. Would you like to see them?”
“Yes, of course!”
Olivier beamed with a smile as bright as a sunflower. Jared, however, had not anticipated this turn of events and felt despair.
It wasn’t that he wanted to hide his past from Olivier. He had already revealed to her things he wouldn’t easily speak of, like his encounter with Luzer and his relationship with Almeida. He trusted her and had faith in her. However, his past as told by his mother-in-law was likely to be mostly black marks.
Especially his time living in this mansion; he was a completely different person from who he was now. To put it in one word: embarrassing.
Of course, neither Olivier nor Karina seemed to notice Jared’s inner turmoil—or perhaps they noticed and were only more delighted.
Unable to overcome the momentum of the two women, Jared began to mindlessly eat the prepared sweets, trying to tune out the increasingly lively conversation between his fiancée and mother-in-law as much as possible.
He was trying to distract himself, even just a little.
“Oh my, Jared was so cute when he was little.”
“He still has similar traits. The other day, when he showed me his face—”
Crying inwardly, “Please stop,” Jared questioned God, wondering when this torment would end. Naturally, there was no reply.
He considered visiting Roik, but Jared’s expression remained gentle.
Actually, despite their relationship being in-laws, he was a little worried about whether his mother-in-law and Olivier, who treated him as if he were her own child, would get along well.
They might not see each other often, but if possible, he wanted them to become friends. It was natural to wish for that.
Jared didn’t want to be separated from Olivier now. After all, it had been two months since they started living together, and he had never once felt uneasy or overwhelmed.
Perhaps his duty was over now that Cornelia’s matter was resolved, but Jared truly did not want to sever ties with Olivier, whom he cherished deeply.
She called him her fiancé and had come to his family home with him, so he wanted to believe she felt the same. No, she had even said she wanted to greet his grandparents, so he believed they felt the same—or so he thought.
Watching Olivier and Karina chatter excitedly and happily, he suddenly thought,
“They look like sisters.”
He was aware that this thought made his expression soften.
However, he quickly reconsidered. It was fine if he felt his fiancée and mother-in-law were like sisters. He didn’t mind them getting along. But if she were to eventually marry him, their relationship would be that of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
“Hmm. They don’t look like mother and daughter.”
He realized that Olivier and Karina were not even ten years apart in age.
Of course, he knew that saying that would make Olivier sad—no, it would likely send her into a fiery rage. He consciously kept silent, stuffing another baked good into his mouth as if to seal his lips.
Before he could say anything foolish, he intended to leave the room—just then, there was a small knock on the door.
