Successor Dispute
It has been nearly 2 months since Kohaku came.
Kohaku has already gotten thrice as big. His fur has also shed and become pure white. His facial features have also become that of an adolescent, and is a wolf through and through.
I’d informed the stable’s Alberia, but I deliberately didn’t tell anybody else. But I disclosed it since I couldn’t hide it anymore.
Because wolves move in a pack and are also highly intelligent, he recognises the horses and humans as his new pack and family by conversing with me. That’s why he won’t attack people. I informed them of that and received permission to continue rearing him.
After that, Kohaku became the castle’s official mascot and came to follow around behind me. We’re together as well when we’re taking care of the horses, Ar and Sonia. The horses have also recognised him as family.
He’s always running side-by-side when I’m riding Ar, sitting to the side and watching during my swordsmanship practice, and running together when I’m running around the training grounds as well. Forlan seems to be happy about the fact that he can run together with Kohaku as well, and has become capable of running longer than before.
It’s a life where, aside from eating and sleeping, we’re basically always together. But this is something very important; if I keep Kohaku out of sight, the people who see him for the first time after a short while will end up getting frightened by how overly big he has gotten. It’s the strategy of having them see him in the day-to-day and get them used to seeing him gradually get bigger so that that doesn’t happen.
I think his vocabulary has also increased recently. As always, it is difficult to understand because there is no noun though. In comparison, Ar and Sonia’s vocabulary doesn’t really increase. This is my deduction, but, ‘perhaps horses that are herbivores are just living by their instincts?’.
They basically eat, sleep, and run. And then they breed when the season comes. That’s all. Of course, it looks like they remember the environment they stay in and their owner though.
But wolves, they create a community, and they hunt and raise their children while cohabitating. They’re very highly intelligent. In exchange, they cannot survive alone if they end up straying from their companions like Kohaku though.
I’ve heard it before from Mai. Although dogs were selectively bred from wolves, the dogs genetically closest to wolves, are not the wolfdogs such as Siberian huskies that are similar in appearance, but are apparently actually the Shibainus.
It’s true that Shibainus are smart after all. It’s only a given for wolves to be smart as well. But although both wolves and Shibainus are kind to their family, their wariness towards others is strong, so I have to train him so that he sees the castle’s people as his family from here on out as well.
From around this time, Tsukikage-nee-sama came to visit the castle once a week on her rest day. Horse-riding with Okaa-san and me, frolicking and playing with Kohaku. Tsukikage-nee-sama became very cheerful.
After dinner, I popped into the dining hall’s kitchen, got the leftover raw meat, and went to the stable where Kohaku is.
‘Kohaku! I brought meat’
‘for me!‘
‘Here, go ahead. Eat up’
‘delicious, delicious!‘
Kohaku is eating absorbedly.
‘Kohaku, do you remember your Otou-san or Okaa-san?’
‘otou-san, no idea‘
‘You don’t know your Okaa-san either?’
‘okaa-san, no idea, delicious?‘
‘They aren’t food, you know. I see’
‘Kohaku. Do you like it here?’
‘delicious food, for me‘
‘running, fun‘
‘horses, stink, but don’t hate‘
‘I see. You like it here then huh’
‘like, Tsukuyomi, like‘
“I see, thanks”
‘Let’s be together forever, alright’
“together, forever”
We wrapped up in a blanket and sat down outside the stable. I was warmed up by Kohaku’s fur when I snuggled up to him.
I could see the moons situated slightly lower than when looking from the Moon Capital when I looked up at the sky. I stared at those two moons rotating around each other without ever getting tired of it.
I lost Kohaku in my previous life. I couldn’t even be there for the passing of Mai’s dog, Artemis. I have no memories of my mother, and the memories of my father are also steadily disappearing. And then I also lost Mai.
And then I got myself a kind father when I came to this world. I also somehow got myself a beautiful mother who I can’t imagine is my mother. Kohaku is by my side like this. Furthermore, we can even have a conversation. I even have a horse called Artemis.
Something might change now that I’ve come to this world and Nemophila. But, I still haven’t found what I want to do. I’ll probably live as a doctor while being swept up by the situation for the time being.
The February’s mid-winter air was chilling, and it was showing the moons even the more clearly.
The next morning, as I was eating breakfast, Louisa-nee-sama told the maid to get her another serving of milk.
“Louisa-nee-sama. Had you always been drinking milk?”
“Yes, I had been drinking 1 cup”
“There is no need to drink a second cup in that case, you know”
“Eh? Is that so?”
“Yes. Dairy products have ‘oils’, and the body will gain fats. You will end up getting fat if you consume too much, and your beautifulness will take a hit this time around”
“Eh! Is it the same for the cake with tons of cream too then?”
“Eeh. If you have always been eating them, you can just eat the same amount. Or did you not like them until now?”
“No, I love them”
“In that case, you can do as you have thus far. Make sure not to eat more than what you have thus far”
“Tsukuyomi. Last night, Louisa suddenly showed up and asked me strange things. Do you know of anything”
“Silenus-obaa-sama. I cannot reveal the patient’s secret”
“My! Does Louisa have some kind of illness?”
“Yes. It is something, a woman specifically has at this age”
“Aーh, that is what it is huh”
“Yes. That is what it is”
“Got it. Thank you for looking after her”
“No problem”
The day to visit Anna, Mira’s elder sister and Okaa-san’s friend, came.
Okaa-san and me, and furthermore, we make Mira and Nina tag along as well. Nina is in her usual maid’s uniform, but Mina is not treated as a maid and is in a noble daughter’s outfit instead. It seems we’re riding the Royal Family’s small ship over.
As bodyguards, the Royal Palace Chivalric Order’s Sword Saint Stellaria and Veronica are tagging along. The Royal Family’s ship, despite being small-sized, is slightly bigger than the common-use ones. There are 3 horizontal rows of seats where 4 people can sit side by side. It seems the Knights are sitting in the front row in order to steer and escort, the Royal Family’s people sit in the middle row, and the servants are in the back row.
Mira’s elder sister, Anna Meier Laurel. She appears to be Marquis Martin Laurel’s third wife. There’s something bugging me about the ‘third wife’ part. Well, it’s no good to have a negative preconception before even meeting though.
“Mira. How long does it take to the Laurel household’s mansion from here?”
“Yes. I believe we will arrive in 3 hours”
“Is that so”
Okaa-san is staring outside the window expressionlessly. I wonder if she’s thinking that 3 hours until arrival is long? Alright, in that case……
“3 hours huh. Erm, the person who is steering. May I?”
“Yes! What is the matter!”
The Knight who is steering, Veronica, answers nervously.
“Does this ship fly in a straight line all the way to the mansion?”
“Ye-, yes. Exactly so”
“We will not be able to take our time talking over there if it takes a whole 3 hours, so I will push this ship from behind, alright”
“Push from behind? is it?”
Veronica was bewildered, and in the next instant, ‘gakun!‘, the ship’s speed went up suddenly like it was being pushed from behind.
“Wha-! Wha wha wha whatー”
Veronica shouts reflexively.
“It is alright. I am just pushing it a little. More importantly, please look at the scenery closely so we do not overshoot, alright”
After flying for probably about 10 minutes, Sword Saint Stellaria shouts.
“Oi, Veronica. We have already entered the Laurel territory here, no?”
“Eh? Eh. Ah. We might have!”
I stop pushing, and the speed drops to its original speed suddenly. And then Mira shouts.
“Ah! The large mansion over that side is Onee-sama’s House Laurel! We already arrived huh!”
“It is great that we arrived early huh”
It’s still, not even 10 in the morning. It might have been a little too early.
We park the ship at the front main entrance on the mansion’s second floor. The maids see the Royal Family’s ship and are panicking. I suppose it’s because it’s close to 3 hours earlier than the agreed time.
“Mira. We will wait here, so could you go in first and inform them of the situation for us”
“Understood”
“Tsukuyomi. Let’s arrange it beforehand next time”
“Sorry. Okaa-sama”
“It is fine. You tried to increase the time for us to talk after all. Stellaria. You are probably surprised, but if it is Tsukuyomi, then he has the power to Teleport even the Amaterasu household’s ship from here all the way to the Moon Palace”
“Th-, the entirety of that large ship, is it!”
“Eeh, on the return trip, we can return to the castle with Teleportation”
“T-, to actually do something like that!”
“Armeria-sama. Tsukuyomi-sama. Sorry to keep you waiting. The preparations are done; please go ahead”
Mira and Mira’s elder sister, Anna, came out to receive us.
“My! Anna. It has been a long time. I’m sorry that it ended up being earlier than the agreed time”
“Not at all. Armeria-sama. For me to have you make such a long trip over here”
“Anna. This is my son, Tsukuyomi”
“It is my honour to meet you. I am Marquis Martin Laurel’s wife, Anna Meier Laurel. Welcome. Also, thank you, for looking after my younger sister, Mira”
“Nice to meet you. I am Tsukuyomi”
“Now then, please come on in”
It may be the countryside, but once you are at the level of a Marquis’ house, it sure is a magnificent mansion huh……no, this is already, a castle. I was getting impressed by myself as such. We were led to the saloon and served tea.
“Anna. Today, I have Mira follow along, not as a maid, but as your younger sister. So is it alright to let her take a seat together?”
“As you wish. Mira. Well then, please sit down in the seat over there”
“Yes. Onee-sama”
Nina is standing behind the seat, and Stellaria and Veronica are each standing at the entrance and window.
There’s just one maid of this mansion standing in front of the tea wagon.
“Anna, have you been doing well? By the way, are you the only one in this mansion?”
“Yes. I have been doing well. There are only me and my daughter, Melissa, in this mansion”
“Marquis Laurel and the other wives are staying in the Royal Capital’s mansion?”
“Yes, that is correct”
“And, why is that?”
“I am not sure”
“Did House Laurel get a successor?”
“No. Not yet”
“What about the children of the other madams?”
“I have 2 Onee-samas, but they do not have a single child”
“Your Onee-samas, how old are each of them?”
“26 and 23 years old”
“Did the two of them, get married recently?”
“No. It was 10 years ago and 7 years ago. 4 years ago for me”
“And your Onee-samas have not conceived a child?”
“Eeh”
“Well then, would it mean that he is living together at the Royal Capital for the sake of the two who have yet to conceive”
“I have no way of knowing since milord did not say anything like that”
“Does Marquis Laurel return here often?”
“He has not returned for a year”
“My! What in the world! Are you not lonely?”
“I am lonely, but I have Melissa after all. But that child, still does not remember milord’s face”
“How horrible. I wonder why in the world is that so”
The elderly maid standing at the room’s entrance. She has been listening to Okaa-sama’s conversation and frowning since just now. That woman is probably this mansion’s head maid based on her age. How very suspicious. Let’s try reading her mind for a bit, shall we.
I focus while making sure my eyes don’t meet with that maid.
『I hope this lass doesn’t say anything unnecessary……she shouldn’t have realised that I lied to milord. If either of the Hyssop household’s daughters conceive a successor during this period, this lass will become unneeded……』
Uーn. Is there something like a rat race between the nobles or something? Whatever it is, there’s no doubt that this maid is contributing to the set-up of Mira’s elder sister. Is it for money, or is she related to Anna’s sisters-in-law?
“Anna. Next time, how about you come to the Royal Castle? We will call Marquis Laurel over there as well. I would like to try asking what is going on”
“Armeria-sama, for me to ask so much of you……”
Nn! The maid’s face turned beet red……
『My! What an unnecessary thing that princess is doing! I cannot answer to the House Hyssop if I allow something like that』
“Milady. I am not sure you should decide on something like that without discussing it with milord……”
“Yeah. Yemy. I have to bring it up and discuss it with milord”
Uh-huh. It’s confirmed. This maid is unforgivable.
