Meanwhile, Fuuka was inside a rocking carriage headed for the capital. Her glossy black hair swayed in the wind. She gazed at the scenery as it flittered by. Sitting next to her was Odina Florence, Miyako’s older brother and a spy in the service of their shared, indecisive ex-fiancé Klaus Reinhardt.
“Are you sure you want to do this, Fuuka-sama? Umm...”
“Do what? Abandon your little sister? Or turn tail back to the capital?” asked Fuuka, keeping her gaze pointed outside the window.
“Both.”
“I do feel a little guilty for doing this to Miyako. But... the Florence family are regional nobles. If it came to light that Miyako abducted me, the eldest daughter of the Hamilton family of the royal court of the capital, it would spell the end for your family, don’t you think?”
“Ah, well, you have a point,” said Odina. He then added bitterly, “Although I’m not so sure my master has thought that far ahead.”
“Klaus-sama asked you to bring Miyako back. But if she goes back there, she’ll be stuck there with him this time... I’m certain that’s the last thing she wants.”
She’s like the sun, warm and bright. She’s as free-spirited as a bird; she wouldn’t be able to bear living the life of a noble’s bride in the royal court.
“So I’ll apologize on her behalf, and tell them she’s not coming back.”
“Wait! If you do that you’ll—”
Odina grew flustered. To go up against a family on the level of the Reinhardts was essentially suicide. She probably wouldn’t be able to remain in the capital as a noble anymore.
“I’m only ‘damaged goods’ to the Hamilton family now, anyway. If they want to strip me of my title or banish me, then let them,” said Fuuka, as though she had given up on everything.
With that determination in her heart, Fuuka had slipped away from the cabin, gotten help from Shan Li’s stand-in, and made her way to the Florence family home. There, she persuaded Odina—and now was headed to the capital.
It’s all right. I’m all right. I can cope with living in the capital again, now that I’ve had these fun days, even if it was only ten of them.
The carriage drove on.
✦ ✦ ✦
“...Excuse me, Shan Li-san, Fuuka-chan hasn’t come here by any chance, has she?”
Miyako knocked on the door to the house with an icy look on her face, and Shan Li invited her in without saying anything. A young girl poked her head out from a room in the back. She had chestnut hair, and was the spitting image of the clearly-fifteen-years-old-but-not-actually traveling merchant from the Continent. It was the girl who, until recently, had been bedridden. Back in good health, she speedily poured tea for Miyako.
“Umm, thank you so much for saving me, Miyako-sama... I don’t know how I should thank Fuuka-sama either...”
“Oh, please, there’s no need for the ‘sama.’”
“Don’t be silly, you and Fuuka-chan are our saints! You saved Aisha’s life, so enough of that!”
Hearing her name called, Aisha blushed and nodded, sending her shiny chestnut hair bouncing, and her cute eyes darted up and down.
It seemed unbelievable that this was the same girl who’d looked like a waxwork dummy when she was suffering from miasmal autointoxication. Miyako was frustrated that Fuuka couldn’t see just how far the girl had recovered.
Fuuka-chan, how could you just up and go like this? If she’s not here, then she really has gone back to the capital. But why...
“...Why didn’t you say anything, Umi?”
“I had nyo obligation to stop her. After all, it’s something she decided for herself, nyo?” replied Umi, letting out a large yawn from Miyako’s lap, where she was curled up.
Miyako knew that the fluffy water spirit had done nothing to stop Fuuka from leaving the cabin, but she couldn’t blame her for that. After all, that wasn’t Umi’s responsibility. And Fuuka-chan’s kind. She must have imagined all sorts of things after Odina showed up. Then she took it on her own shoulders and left my side to put an end to it all by herself.
She believes the only thing making me happy is escaping the Reinhardt family. That’s the sort of person Fuuka is, the villainess fated to die a pathetic death in the backdrop of the game’s true ending.
“...Master,” purred Umi from Miyako’s lap, “you’re trying to change fate. I can tell.”
Even though they were right there, Shan Li and Aisha didn’t turn to face Umi. It seemed Umi was speaking in a way that only the person she held a contract with, Miyako, could hear.
“But changing fate is nyot so simple. Nyo matter who you are or where you come from, master.”
Umi seemed to know Miyako’s origins. Now that I think about it, I haven’t been all that conscious lately of the fact that I came from another world, thought Miyako. Ever since her engagement fell apart—since she ran to get Fuuka—she’d lost that feeling that stuck with her when she followed the game’s scenarios exactly.
“As a mighty water spirit, I don’t lend a helping hand to humans as a rule... But if my master decided to use her voice to order me to run a thousand miles, I would lend her my back to ride and take her to the capital at once. Just like the other night.”
Umi yawned deeply and stopped speaking.
Miyako cradled the mug filled with tea Aisha had poured for her and thought to herself. Fuuka-chan told me in her letter that two women living together only happens in dreams, and we can’t make it real. I don’t have anything of worth, so is it really all right for me to chase after her again? She lost herself in thought.
Shan Li was writing something in a corner of the room, possibly an order for merchandise. Aisha sat quietly on a chair, staring outside the window. Miyako felt thankful that they were giving her room to think, not stirring up excessive conversation. They’re being so considerate, even though I just barged in here.
Just then, she heard the door open.
“Ah!” said Shan Li’s daughter Aisha, standing up and running to the entrance. “Mama’s home!”
“Huh? Your Mama?”
Aisha’s mother Shan Li was still working on her document in the corner. It looked like she had finished writing, as she was drying the ink on the pen with a cloth. So why did she say “Mama” is home? Two pairs of footsteps drew closer—one pair heavy, one pair light.
The door to the living room opened, and in came...
“...Oh, are you Miyako Florence? I heard you helped my Shan Li, and my darling daughter.”
“T-That’s me.”
“Thank you so much... I mean it.”
The woman who showed up had glowing blonde hair and was tall enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with the soldiers of the capital. Her voice was low and sweet. She was a beauty dressed in dignified traveler’s garb. She looked so mature, so pretty, so cool.
“Mama, welcome home!!” Aisha beamed, clinging to the woman’s legs.
But what does she mean, “Mama”?
“Ah, Shan Li, you haven’t told her?” The tall beauty smiled gently. “My name’s Maria. I’m Shan Li’s wife.”
“Huh?”
“Geez, Maria!!!” Shan Li didn’t stop dealing with her pen, but her cheeks reddened. “A-Ahem! What she said. That’s how it is,” Shan Li blurted, then began muttering to herself in Continental.
Even Miyako could see she was a little embarrassed.
Looking at Maria’s body and its very prominent curves, she was beyond all doubt a woman. So basically... that means...
“Shan Li-san is Maria-san’s wife.”
“Yeah.”
“And Maria-san is Shan Li-san’s wife?”
The one who answered Miyako was Aisha.
“Yep! Shan Li’s my Mom, and Maria is my Mama!”
Miyako’s jaw dropped, and Maria said to her mischievously, “Hahaha, surprised?”
“Er, no, I...”
Miyako clammed up.
Two mothers. I never knew that sort of family structure existed in this country. Yet, she couldn’t deny the family in front of her did, in fact, exist.
Miyako was surprised, but a warm light flowed into the back of her chilled heart.
“So... do you want to hear about how we met?”
Drawn in by Maria’s gentle tone of voice, Miyako nodded.