After breaking the curse on the nearly charred Prince Alex (sheep), I sat on one of the hastily installed benches, munching on skewered lamb seasoned with salt and pepper as I gazed at the summer camp.
Karin and Mary were sitting together on another bench, happily chatting away.
Lord Jackson, who had rushed over from Semme after hearing about the camp, was having fun in the mixed bath with his wife and Kira.
“Ah, Lady Evelyn! There you are!”
Goodbye, peace and quiet. Lady Europa, who had been bustling about after the eating competition, had finally found me.
“L-Lady Europa. Good afternoon.”
“And a marvelous day to you, Lady Evelyn! Ah, but once again your radiance is such that it puts the sun to shame! Your purity is such that the moon turns green with envy!”
“May I help you with anything, Lady Europa?” I asked. If I just sat there listening, the preamble alone would take more than an hour to get through.
Lady Europa clapped her hands together. “Right! I was just discussing this with Prince Oz—I was thinking of developing this hot spring as a state-run enterprise!”
My eyes sparkled. “That’s a wonderful idea.”
The sacrificed sheep had returned to the heavens. If this place could prosper as a hot spring and turn into a popular destination for visitors, no such sorrowful curse should ever take root again.
Lady Europa smiled with delight at my immediate agreement.
“Why ask me, though?” I inquired.
“Why, because it was thanks to your grand achievement that the lake became a hot spring, of course!” She opened her eyes wide and grandly proclaimed, “I’ll study curse-breaking going forward as well! As the one entrusted with the great honor of being your successor, I must master all kinds of magic!”
“What’s gotten into you? You almost sound like a normal person...”
“Oh, but I’m so frustrated! I almost managed to lawfully kiss you, and yet...!”
Lady Europa covered her face and started crying. These had to be her true feelings. But...still, she’d been raised by Lady Mamaropa! Why had she turned out like this?
This is very like her, though.
As I watched Lady Europa tearily stamping her feet, a parasol-toting figure appeared.
“You’re lively as usual, Europa.”
“Lady Mamaropa!” I exclaimed.
She bowed her head slightly, then glared at Europa and pursed her lips. “You ran off to Semme and haven’t sent any word since.”
“But, but, mother! I met my beloved Lady Evelyn! I was beside myself! I’m afraid I completely forgot about you and father!”
“‘I’m afraid’ isn’t good enough! I was very worried!”
“Tee hee hee, I’m so sorry about that,” Lady Europa said, sticking out her tongue in a manner more childish than usual.
So she acted like a little girl around her mother. I found that oddly endearing.
Lady Mamaropa, in spite of her exasperated look, bowed her head to me again. “Evelyn, you must’ve had a rough day yesterday after falling into the lake. I’m sorry I fainted again.”
“Oh, no, it’s completely fine.”
I had been worried for a while about what might happen—the terrible possibilities were many—but somehow, things had resolved without incident.
Lady Europa was examining us rather critically. “Mother, could it be you don’t know?”
“About what, Europa?” Lady Mamaropa asked, puzzled.
Lady Europa cleared her throat.
Oh! Oh no.
“W-Wait, Lady Europa. Let me tell her—”
Before I could stop her, Lady Europa puffed out her chest and declared, “Then I must reveal that this woman is none other than the former saint, Lady Evelyn herself!”
Lady Mamaropa just stood there for a while, showing no reaction. She only stared intently at me, as if devouring me with her gaze, not uttering a single word.
“U-Um, Lady Mamaropa?” I called out.
She said nothing. Was she mad at me for hiding my identity?
I began to bow my head over and over, breaking into a cold sweat. “Um, I’m sorry! I did mean to tell you, many times, really, but the timing never seemed right, and I wasn’t sure what to say. I’m truly sorry, Lady Mamaropa...”
But she remained silent, only staring at me with frozen, emotionless eyes.
She’s mad. She must be. Of course she’d be.
Lady Mamaropa was kind, but there were probably limits to her kindness. I had deceived her—the anger was justified. Whatever she said, I’d humbly accept it and apologize until she forgave me, I decided.
Then she opened her mouth. “G—”
I listened closely so as to not miss a single word.
“Guh.”
And she fell backward with a thud.
“L-Lady Mamaropa!”
Her eyes were still open, but nobody was home.
What happened? This seems different from her usual fainting spells...
Lady Europa, who had dropped to her knees, brought her cheek close to Lady Mamaropa’s mouth and checked if her chest was moving.
Then, stiffly, she said, “She’s not breathing! Her heart’s stopped!”
“I-It has?!”
I collapsed on the spot.
L-Lady Mamaropa! I did this...!
What a strong shock I must’ve given her! And she had such a weak constitution. This was all my fault! If only I hadn’t missed the timing to reveal my identity!
As I sat there, full of self-reproach, I heard Lady Europa yell, “Someone! Mother has collapsed!”
People rushed over. I raised my head. Lady Europa was standing there, resolute, even though her dear mother wasn’t breathing. She looked so cool that I felt as though lightning had struck me.
I slapped my cheeks to psych myself up. Right! This isn’t the time to be in shock!
Quick action was the difference between life and death! I could not possibly let Lady Mamaropa die!
Lady Europa quickly shouted instructions at different people. “Father, give mother mouth-to-mouth! Prince Igna, you be the stretcher! Lady Evelyn, give me mouth-to-mouth!”
“Got it!”
“Leave it to me—I’ll be the stretcher.”
“I’m on it, Lady Europa!”
We nodded to one another and sprung into action.
First, a well-dressed gentleman pinched Lady Mamaropa’s shapely nose to secure her airway, covered her mouth with his, and blew. Lady Mamaropa’s chest rose in sync with his exhales.
Prince Igna planked on the spot and declared, “Have at it!”
“Now, Lady Evelyn, your turn,” Lady Europa said.
“Okay!”
Following instructions, I held down the prone Lady Europa’s forehead, pinched her nose, and brought my lips close.
Wait, why am I giving her mouth-to-mouth?!
Something was wrong. I was overlooking something extremely important...
“Come now, quickly! Resuscitate my cardiopulmonary system!” Lady Europa urged in a muffled voice.
“Huh? Uh...”
“Don’t be fooled, Lady Evelyn,” said the gentleman between chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth. “Europa is the picture of health.”
I gasped and turned toward him.
The handsome gentleman, whose forehead glistened with sweat, gave me a crooked smile. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, Lady Evelyn. I’m Europa’s father, Dadapopa.”
Da-Dada what now?!
Honestly! What kind of naming sense did these people have?!
I reflexively let go of Lady Europa, and a frustrated “Ugh!” came from below.
“Oh dear. I’m so sorry. I appear to have gone into cardiac arrest again.”
“Lady Mamaropa!” I exclaimed, crying tears of relief.
Lady Mamaropa, now breathing normally, sat up with a small smile. “I worried you, didn’t I? Five times out of six, my fainting spells are quite ordinary. But sometimes my heart stops. It’s like rolling a die. Nothing to worry about, I assure you.”
“You mustn’t say such absurd things, Mamaropa,” said the dashing Lord Dadapopa.
“Oh! Dear, are you lost again?” Lady Mamaropa asked, blinking.
“I’m not lost. I was looking for you! You had me worried.”
“L-Lady Mamaropa, are you feeling all right?!” I asked.
I expected her to immediately say yes, but instead, she was strangely at a loss for words.
“Lady Mamaropa?”
“Evelyn. Oh, I’m sorry, Lady Evelyn. Um...”
The instant I heard her correct herself, I bowed my head deeply. “No, please, continue as you have!”
“Huh?”
“These three days I spent with you and Kira were delightful! I had fun! So please...”
Though three days wasn’t a long time, they had been special, eventful days for me. They were precious. If Lady Mamaropa distanced herself after learning my identity, I felt like those hours would become no more than a faraway illusion born of the summer heat.
“I know I’m the former saint, but I don’t want you to change how you treat me! I want to keep talking to you as before, Lady Mamaropa!”
Perhaps it was terribly selfish of me to want things to stay the same.
But Lady Mamaropa nodded firmly. “I understand, my dear, sweet child.”
She spread her arms wide, beckoning. Unable to hold back, I dove in.
“Mommy!”
“What a spoiled little girl you are,” she said as she caught me. Gently, she patted my head as I hugged her tightly.
“Wait, this isn’t right! Why are Lady Evelyn and mother so close?! Why am I being left out?!”
“Europa, a word of advice from your dad. If you keep being a weird creep, the object of your affections will hate you.”
“Aaargh! What’s the point in telling me that now?!” Lady Europa shrieked, rolling around on the ground in an agony of frustration.
Lady Mamaropa, watching her daughter flail about, exchanged a glance with Lord Dadapopa and giggled. The sight of the three of them was so wonderful, I found myself smiling through my tears.
“Ngh! Being ignored by the whole family like this... It’s a whole new realm of pleasure!” said Prince Igna the stretcher as he sank into a sea of nose blood, still planking.