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In conclusion, we successfully retrieved Maible from Gehenna.

There were some nerve-wracking moments, but Maible, recognizing Helga, lost her will to fight.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Maible couldn’t stand up in front of Helga for a while. To those unaware of the situation, it probably looked like Helga had subdued Maible.

Moreover, Helga’s decision to release her magic power was a good call. The lightning strike turned the surroundings into chaos, which helped the emotional mother-daughter reunion go unnoticed.

Although she disobeyed my orders, the result was good, so I’ll let it slide.

I informed Brock, the warden of Gehenna, that I “highly admired her audacity to challenge me” and took her under my command without any formal procedures.

Brock will handle the rest of the cleanup. It’s not like taking a few prisoners from Gehenna will cause any issues.

The only tough part was…

“You’ve… grown so much. My daughter. My one and only treasure…”

“Mother… *sob*…”

The carriage ride back to the mansion was a sea of tears.

They had been separated for nearly 20 years. And Helga had thought Maible was dead all this time. Imagine how she must have felt.

It was truly a touching reunion, but I didn’t belong in such a scene. My cynical nature aside, not many would fit in a tear-jerking moment like Tristan does.

To give them space, I decided to pretend to sleep.

But when I peeked, I noticed the man who was Maible’s subordinate also pretending to sleep.

Marco, was it?

At first, I thought he might be related to Marco, Leon’s son and the Imperial Guard Captain, but it turned out to be a pseudonym he used to hide his identity.

He seemed to have some awareness, as he kept his eyes closed and tried not to disturb their reunion. Though we hadn’t talked much, he seemed quite capable.

Upon arriving at the mansion, I gave them time to catch up without any further instructions.

How many words must have gone unspoken over those 20 long years?

In the original story, they never got to have this conversation. I hope they can say everything they need to.

Maible formally greeted me the next day.

“Count. Let me reintroduce myself. I am Maible, Helga’s mother.”

She bowed her head to me, even without using ‘Wrath.’

Helga, without being told, stood beside Maible and also bowed. Both of them must be expressing their gratitude.

“I don’t know how to thank you… Not only did you take in my daughter, but you also gave her sight…”

Maible covered her eyes, perhaps choking up again. She must be more emotional than I thought. Seeing her grown daughter by her side must have stirred something.

Helga, unable to bear it, comforted her.

“Ah, I’m fine now, really.”

“I’m sorry. Thinking about how much you must have suffered as a child breaks my heart…”

“Mother…”

Helga looked genuinely awkward.

Having never experienced normal parental love before, she seemed unsure how to handle it. And being in front of me probably made her even more embarrassed.

Maible, having composed herself, continued.

“I’ve heard everything from my daughter. You’ve helped her so much, Count. If it weren’t for you, she might have gone down the wrong path because of her foolish parents… The fact that I can meet my healthy, grown daughter is all thanks to you. Thank you, truly.”

Her humble demeanor was surprising, given how she usually looked down on nobles and royalty.

But Maible wasn’t thanking me because I was a noble. Even if I were a slave, she would have shown the same gratitude.

It just showed how much she cherished Helga.

“No… thanks aren’t necessary.”

“No, if it weren’t for your help, I wouldn’t have been able to enter the Empire so easily. I’m grateful, and I’ll always be.”

Come to think of it, Maible had deliberately stayed in Gehenna to hide her identity.

What she had planned over many years was accomplished in half a day with my help. She must be overwhelmed.

But seeing both Wendy’s mother and Helga’s mother bowing to me feels a bit strange.

Is this what it’s like for parents with daughters?

“Honestly, given my background, I don’t have many skills, and I’m not the type to work under anyone. But… you are my daughter’s greatest benefactor and family. I’ll help you with anything I can.”

Benefactor, I get, but family?

Maybe she meant something like comrades. For pirates living in groups, comrades are like family. Similar to how mafias talk about “family.”

Even if it’s a different culture, it’s best to respect it.

I didn’t bother correcting her and moved on.

“I don’t expect anything special from you. Just don’t take a single step out of the mansion without my permission if you want to stay with Helga.”

“Yes, of course.”

“And…”

There’s one more thing.

This needs to be made absolutely clear.

“Forget your grudge against the Imperial family for now.”

“…Why?”

“The Emperor you wanted to kill, Maxim, died long ago.”

“You might not know this, but…”

“No. I know.”

From the beginning, Maible didn’t have some grand plan to assassinate the Emperor and bring down the Empire.

She just wanted to demand the release of her captured pirate comrades directly from the Emperor, but it was misinterpreted as an assassination attempt.

I know this from the original story.

But there’s no need to go into all that now.

“…I know you lost many comrades. I know the grudge still lingers.”

“…Then you must also know why I can never forget.”

Maible’s face darkened.

That face was familiar.

A look of swallowing hatred and resentment. I’ve seen it before on Blanshe.

Grudges lead people to ruin.

Having been stabbed by Blanshe’s blade of revenge, I know this well.

There are countless people who hold grudges against Tristan and the Ruelberta family.

Even though I’ve put out some fires since taking over, many still hold grudges. They’re just suppressed by the Ruelberta family’s power.

The moment the Ruelberta family falls, they’ll all rush to stab me in the back.

Maible’s grudge is no less than theirs.

Even if Maible hadn’t died saving the protagonist’s party, she would have eventually sought revenge against the Imperial family. In the process, she would have either lost her life or gained an even greater grudge.

But I have no right to stop her revenge.

All I can do is ask her to delay it… No, that’s not all.

For now, that’s enough.

“Yes, I know. But I’m not asking you to forget completely. Just for a while.”

“For a while…?”

“One year.”

I stared at Maible.

“For one year, forget everything about the Imperial family. That’s my final condition for letting you stay in the mansion.”

The reason for this condition is simple.

Within a year, the world will be thrown into chaos by the players. If she just stays quiet until then, I’ll have no complaints.

After giving her a specific timeframe, Maible pondered for a moment.

“Are you giving me time to think…? My feelings probably won’t change…”

“It doesn’t matter. Just wait for one year. After that, do as you please.”

“…Alright. I’ll forget for now. Since you asked, Count.”

“Good. Then I’ll formally employ you.”

I nodded and gave her a new position.

“From now on, you are Helga’s exclusive maid.”

“Huh?”

“What?”

Maible and Helga looked at me in unison, as if they had planned it.

Like mother, like daughter. Their expressions were identical.

“I’ve been thinking Helga needed a maid for a while now. Her room is always a mess.”

“C-Count?! Are you saying I don’t clean my room?!”

“I’m not saying you don’t clean, I’m saying it’s a mess. Helga. Your room is dirty.”

“That’s…!”

Embarrassed by her own shortcomings, Helga glanced at Maible. She looked exactly like a teenage daughter wary of her mother’s scolding.

“Room?”

But Maible tilted her head, confused.

“Um… I might be wrong, but do nobles usually have separate rooms even when married?”

“…Married?”

What’s she talking about?

At my reaction, Maible looked even more puzzled.

“Didn’t you take my daughter as your wife?”

“……”

Finally, I understood why she had called me her benefactor and family earlier.

The source of this misunderstanding was, of course…

“…Helga.”

“Ahaha… I wonder why Mother would think that…?”

Helga was sweating bullets.

She couldn’t even look me in the eye. Should I add some ‘Wrath’ to my gaze?

Unable to bear my cold stare, Helga apologized with a sheepish face.

“I’m sorry. I should have introduced her as a concubine…”

She’s not even a concubine.

 

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