We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Forgetting our fatigue.
The first person we met was Mistral.
It started in the Dragon Forest with a half-forced arranged marriage, didn’t it?
Right, the time has finally come for me to tell my mother what I was doing in the Dragon Forest. I met Sleigsta (Old Man), the Guardian Dragon of the Dragon Forest, and learned the Dragon Sword Dance, which could be called a secret art of the Dragon Race. That’s what led to who I am today.
When I finally confessed that it was Mistral who gathered the blessings of the Dragon Forest for me every day, my mother was deeply grateful.
Next was Ruiseine.
She was a classmate at the same school, and the errand was her request. I vaguely explained the various details during the errand, that is, I showed her my indecent form, and that it was to take responsibility for it.
Of course, my mother wouldn’t understand if I told her about the Dragon Eye, so I omitted the unnecessary parts.
My mother’s eyes welled up with tears, saying, “My child is going to marry a Miko!” Unlike me, my mother is a devout believer. The Miko seemed to be a particularly special existence.
Explaining Laira was tough.
She entered Dragon Peak alone and, after various events, came to admire me.
Laira’s past is complicated. She is not a princess, but the King of Yorttenitos Kingdom is behind her. And for that reason, I made sure to explain that the Yorttenitos Kingdom would act when something happened.
When something happens, that is, weddings, mother-in-law problems… I’m not worried about mother-in-law problems, but weddings are a cause for concern.
Yufilia and Nina were also known to my mother.
The servants who work in the mansion where my mother and father live seem to be the same people who take care of the twin princesses at the Royal Castle. I was told that the kingdom had informed them of my achievements and my relationship with Yufilia and Nina, which is why things turned out this way, and my mother sighed.
Given the circumstances, I couldn’t refuse. I thought my mother would be intimidated by the fact that they were princesses, but she didn’t seem as flustered as I expected.
It seems that the servants had already coached them on various things beforehand. Hearing that they were cheerful twins, I was able to exchange greetings in a bright manner.
“You know. I want you to explain about Priscilla too?”
“Ares too.”
“Nyan too, nyan”.
“That’s right.”
First, the brides. So, I explained them to my mother one by one.
My mother was surprised with each explanation, but perhaps she had some idea beforehand, as she maintained her sanity throughout my story and received greetings from the women.
After that, the group of young girls, who are not brides but part of the family, started to pester me.
“I was surprised. I thought you already had such a big child!”
“No, no, the ages don’t match at all!”
“But, it’s you, after all…”
“Mother, my reputation…”
Moreover, Priscilla-chan is of the Mimicho Race. She wasn’t wearing a hat in the room, so I could tell who she was just by looking at her.
“So this child is of the Dragon Race. She looks just like a cute little kitten.”
“Um, Priscilla wants to be petted too.”
“Me too, me too.”
As my mother was petting Nimia, Priscilla-chan and Ares-chan also poked their heads out, and everyone laughed.
It seems that the nervous introductions and greetings passed uneventfully. Seeing everyone healed and laughing at the sight of the adorable young girls, they seemed to be relieved from the tension and had a relaxed expression.
A moving reunion?
A big commotion introducing brides?
I had anticipated various things, but reality is often like this.
Perhaps it’s thanks to Mistral and the others who chose their words carefully and greeted us modestly, so as not to make a big fuss.
I think it’s fine to talk about my one-year journey in detail and deepen our relationships little by little from now on.
First of all, I was relieved to have overcome the initial problem.
Then, Father collapsed!
“Y-You’re really princesses!?”
It seems that my father, who is fond of common things, was more astonished by the First and Second Princesses of the Armēdo Kingdom than by the residents of a fairy tale world like Mistral of the Dragon Race and Priscilla-chan of the Mimicho Race.
That’s natural. Royalty feels both familiar and distant, like beings from another world.
When Father returned from work at night, he collapsed from everyone’s greetings and was taken away by the servants.
I wonder if he’ll be alright for work tomorrow…
My mother talked well with the servants, as expected of a woman, and had become accustomed to Yufilia and Nina. However, my taciturn father had fewer opportunities to hear about them directly from the servants, and it was too stimulating for him.
I reflect on this.
We ended up spending the night at our family home, which had been transformed into a mansion.
Something feels strange.
It’s our family home, yet we “ended up spending the night.”
We couldn’t return to the palace or go to the temple, so we decided to stay at our family home.
We were treated to a luxurious reception like the one we received in Yorttenitos Kingdom, and I felt uneasy in my own home. Looking around, everyone except Yufilia and Nina was eating dinner with a bewildered expression.
Even my mother was eating with unaccustomed movements.
I’m sorry, Mother…
Mother and Father, like me, probably want to continue our simple life as before.
Once things settle down, I’ll consult the King. If we continue living like this, Father and Mother’s lifespans will be shortened.
Speaking of which, I asked if Grandfather and our old neighbors wouldn’t live together in such a large mansion, and it seems they ran away upon seeing it.
I’m sorry, Grandfather, Grandmother. And my dear neighbors.
After dinner, we were shown to our rooms.
And as soon as I peeked into the room we were shown to, I ran away.
No, no, I can’t sleep in a room like that!
In Yorttenitos Kingdom, I could endure staying in luxurious rooms as a guest. But here… having equally luxurious rooms as my own unfurnished room makes me uneasy.
I shook off the servant and fled to Mistral’s room.
“Elnea came too.”
“It seems everyone else ran away too.”
Everyone had gathered in Mistral’s room.
This is indeed a mansion, donated by the kingdom. There were properly prepared rooms for my family. And all of them were luxurious rooms.
The luxury itself made us uncomfortable, and everyone except Yufilia and Nina gathered in Mistral’s room with a troubled expression. The two princesses seemed accustomed to it, but they seemed to have gathered for now.
Gathered in Mistral’s room, we looked at each other at the unexpected splendor and laughed.
“Thank you all for today.”
“What are you thanking us for? We should be thanking you. Thank you for introducing us to your wonderful parents.”
“I also have something to thank you for. Thank you for overcoming Mother’s trial.”
“I also have something to thank you for. Your greeting to Father was splendid.”
“I knew there would be a trial, so I was really nervous. I’m glad I got through it safely.”
“The only one left is Ruiseine-sama.”
“I think the greetings with my parents and the temple will be the biggest hurdles.”
“Then, since it’s scary, shall we not greet Ruiseine?”
“Priscilla-chan, what are you saying? I will greet them properly!”
I apologized to Ruiseine for the delayed greeting and vowed to visit them tomorrow. Everyone was surprised.
“Why are you surprised?”
“Well, you make decisions so suddenly.”
“But I can’t put it off, and it’s not good to keep dragging it out. I think we have momentum now. So, at times like this, it’s an offensive strategy!”
“I dislike the mansion, so I’ll escape to the temple, nyan.”
“Ah, Nimia. What are you saying?”
Nimia, as always, read my thoughts and voiced them, making everyone laugh knowingly.
“The bath is ready, would you like to use it?”
Karen-san came to the room and informed us while we were chatting.
“Priscilla wants to bathe with Older Brother!”
“I apologize. We also use the bathtub, so it is separate for men and women.”
The servants like Karen-san, who work in this mansion, seem to be working overnight. They have also lost their homes, so they are grateful for the overnight stay. And the servants are not all women. Of course, there are men for heavy labor.
It seems that about thirty people are working as live-in staff, so they share the bathhouse.
“Priscilla will be with us.”
“Ugh, Mistral is mean.”
“Yes, yes, I’ll be mean if I have to.”
“Hahaha. Well then, I’m going to take a bath. See you later.”
We need to go in first so the servants can use it. I should hurry and take a bath.
As I was about to leave the room, Nimia naturally followed at my feet.
“Skipping ahead is not allowed, wa.”
“Nyah!”
However, Laira caught her, and she was promptly apprehended.
And, guided by Karen-san, I arrived at the bathhouse, which was about the same size as my old family home…
It makes me feel the class disparity, doesn’t it? As I thought this and was about to take off my clothes, I noticed that Karen-san had not left.
“I will wash your back.”
“No, no, I don’t need such service!”
I hastily ushered Karen-san out of the changing room. Was it my imagination, but Karen-san was smiling.
She was Yufilia and Nina’s servant in the first place, so she might be someone who can’t be underestimated. I should be careful.
After confirming that no one was in the changing room, I took off my clothes. And then, to the bath.
There was a previous guest in the bath.
“Elnea, I’ll wash your back.”
“Yes. I think I’ll let you.”
It was Father, soaking comfortably in the hot water. Father got out of the water and mercilessly poured hot water over my head.
I obediently sat down on the floor and left myself to Father.
The high-quality soap lathered finely, enveloping my head. Unlike the soft and gentle touch of Mistral and the women, a masculine strength stimulated my scalp, and my head swayed with Father’s movements as he washed my hair.
After rinsing my hair, he vigorously scrubbed my back with a soft cloth.
“Your back is still small.”
“Is it? I thought I became more manly after all my adventures.”
Having experienced a year of travel, I thought I had become a fine adult. However, from Father’s perspective, who has continued to support our family, I might still be a child.
I need to show him the faces of my grandchildren soon and make him a grandfather.
Father and I enjoyed bathing together in silence.
Men don’t need words.
My old family home was very small, and only one person could bathe at a time. Just being able to bathe together like this was enough for Father and me.
Warmed thoroughly by the hot water, Father and I got out. Then, steaming, we went to the living room, where Mother was relaxing in front of the fireplace.
Suddenly, I felt like I wanted to talk a lot.
I feel like I talked a lot after coming home and during dinner, but not enough.
“I’ll make some tea, shall I?”
Mother prepared teacups for Father and me.
“Ah. I was talking about reuniting with everyone.”
“They said in the bath that they were tired today and would rest first.”
“I see.”
It seems Mistral was being considerate.
There will be plenty of opportunities for the whole family to talk together happily from now on. Tonight, it seems, they gave us time for my reunion with my parents after a year.
I’ll thank them tomorrow.
“You know. I had a truly wonderful adventure.”
And, with a cup of tea brewed by Mother in hand, I talked about various things.
Father’s eyes sparkled like a boy’s as he listened to my adventure stories. Mother, on the other hand, would pick at me about how I met everyone, acting like a young girl.
