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The first meeting with my mother-in-law, which I had worried about so much, ended successfully.

Just as I thought of Elena when I saw Adelia, it seemed that Adelia also saw Father through me, making the conversation flow comfortably.

Thanks to that, more than 80% of our discussion revolved around Father’s school days and his escapades, but who cares?

To keep the conversation flowing, I could listen to Father’s embarrassing stories as many times as I wanted.

There were parts that were a bit amusing, and I admit I encouraged it a little mid-way, but since what happened here wouldn’t reach Father’s ears anyway, it was fine.

Surely, the one who started the story, my mother-in-law, wouldn’t tell Father, would she?

Adelia seemed to be happy to have found conversational company after a long time, and Hailey and Elena were also enjoying the tales. So in the end, it was a happy conclusion for everyone.

“So, you know! Back then, Arthur and Joachim held Professor’s pants and—whoosh!!… Ah, have I been talking too much? Time has flown by! I guess it’s been a while since I talked to someone, and I got carried away. Didn’t mean to keep you poor travelers from resting.”

“Not at all. I found Father’s student stories fascinating. By the way, the professor you and the Duke had a run-in with isn’t still at the Academy, right? Because that would put me in a bit of a bind.”

“Haha! That won’t happen. He left the Academy due to that incident. But if you meet him, it would be quite a scene. Damian looks just like Arthur! He might charge at you with a sword the moment he sees you.”

As Adelia said, our conversation lasted quite a while.

Still, seeing how Adelia treated me now made me feel it was a worthwhile time.

The formal language we started with had gradually disappeared, and it felt comfortable to call each other by name, easing my heart. That meant we had closed the distance, but I was a bit surprised by how friendly she was compared to my expectations.

Thinking of Elena, it didn’t seem so easy to connect, and perhaps that was because Elena seemed to resemble Joachim in this regard.

The Duke might seem quite warm to Father, but that’s only because they’d been friends for a long time; usually, he had an unapproachable aura.

“Then let’s wrap up here for today. Let’s start touring the capital tomorrow, and for today, everyone should just relax in the mansion. Even though it’s only for a while, it’s important to get used to the house.”

Perhaps aware that it was getting late, Adelia advised us not to go outside after dinner.

Having sat in the carriage for a long time, I tried to loosen my stiff body by looking around, but there was no reason not to comply, so I replied that I understood.

Seeing that she allowed us to go out starting tomorrow, it was clear that her concern was more about us being tired from the carriage journey than a lack of trust in Ruden’s safety. After all, it didn’t seem that Ruden’s security was so terrible as to lose the trust of the nobles residing in the capital.

After that, we finished a simple dinner and dispersed to our respective rooms.

During the meal, there wasn’t as much conversation as before, but instead, it felt like I received even more of Adelia’s gazes than during the meeting. It was precise, as she kept alternating her gaze between Elena and me, and each time she did, a peculiar chuckle flowed from her lips.

I couldn’t figure out what was funny, but she seemed to be in a good mood, so while I was a little concerned, I wasn’t particularly uncomfortable.

“Elena, stay a bit after the meal.”

Adelia was the only one to keep Elena behind while sending Hailey and me back to our rooms.

Could it be related to why she was smiling during the meal?

Maybe she simply wanted to have a mother-daughter talk after a long separation, but I instinctively sensed that the meaning behind her smile was also related to their conversation.

“Well, I can just ask Elena later to find out.”

Once I left the space occupied by them, I wanted to throw myself onto the bed immediately. It wasn’t that I was more tired than expected, but facing Adelia had consumed quite a bit of my mental energy, so it wasn’t surprising.

However, unlike when I first set foot in this place, what I felt now wasn’t worry or anxiety, but a small sense of accomplishment that brought me peace.

That single accomplishment was enough to break free from the oppressive weight that had been crushing me.

With heavy steps, I moved my body to the room that had been designated earlier.

For some reason, I felt like I would sleep deeply tonight.

*

Elena’s face, left alone with Adelia in the Banquet Hall, was no different whether there were people present or not.

Normally, one would at least have a fleeting thought about why they were being called by an elder, but there was no such indication from Elena at all.

Especially since this was a long-awaited reunion after months apart, I couldn’t sense any emotional exchange like longing between them.

However, one thing to note is that they had been communicating regularly using a communication crystal, which likely dulled that feeling of longing to some extent.

Damian had no idea about this and thought that the letter sent to the Lord’s Castle was the first contact, but it was also somewhat intentional on Adelia’s part to make Damian think that way.

According to her, it was meant to add a little tension for her future son-in-law.

That said, just because she hadn’t contacted him first didn’t mean Damian would take it calmly, thinking, “Oh, she must be busy.”

Naturally, Damian had sent several letters to her accommodation in Ruden.

No matter how busy Adelia might be, it’s not like there wouldn’t be time for a reply to a letter from the family her daughter was to be married into. However, through Elena, she had hinted that she wouldn’t be able to check the letters due to being busy and intentionally refrained from responding.

The reason she treated it so coldly was to see how Damian would react when faced with such a mother-in-law.

It might seem a bit harsh, but it was her way of testing her son-in-law.

Even though it was a betrothal arranged before birth, Adelia’s will had not been at all reflected in the engagement, so she often thought rather poorly of it.

After all, who bears a child without consulting anyone beforehand, to have a drink and decide the child’s future at such a whim as Joachim did?

This reason played a significant role in why she followed her son to Ruden rather than leaving him alone.

Though having the two meet and agree to the engagement eased her anger a bit, it certainly hadn’t completely settled down.

She had heard various tales of Damian through the communication crystal, but Adelia chose to confirm things in person.

Although she hadn’t replied to the letters, she had read their content, so she could somewhat guess Damian’s character. But in the end, her choice for this method stemmed from her mischief.

If things had gone according to her original script, today Adelia intended to act as the worst possible mother-in-law she could imagine. She planned to push her anxious son-in-law to the brink of his patience.

However, judging by the results already seen, this plan had completely vanished from her head the moment she saw Damian’s face and actions.

Before Elena and Damian entered the reception room, Adelia had been watching them from inside.

With numerous familiars created by alchemy hiding throughout the mansion, it was an easy task to borrow the eyes of one of them.

Her long-time friend bearing a striking resemblance to a young man was walking side by side with her beloved daughter, approaching her.

As much as they looked alike, it was uncertain whether they inherited the skills, but as Adelia peered through the familiar, Damian soon caught on that someone was watching him.

As their gazes tangled through the familiar, at that moment, Adelia felt her body stiffen in the merciless gaze emanating from Damian. But it was only fleeting; swift as a moment, the pressure diminished, and when she looked again, all that remained was Damian’s face twisted in tension.

That expression didn’t seem performative. The previous gaze had shocked Damian; he remained conscious of her eyes, but the more intense her gaze became, the more his body trembled.

Seeing this, Adelia felt a peculiar sensation.

It was as if the boy, looking like Arthur, was afraid of her gaze, evoking a strange thrill while simultaneously stirring up feelings of guilt towards Damian. After all, the child in front of her was suffering because of her own mischief.

Seeing it in person softened Adelia’s heart, but the thought of her test had not completely left her mind until after that.

Just a short distance from the reception room, Elena took Damian’s hand.

Knowing her daughter’s timid personality well, Adelia couldn’t help but be amazed by Elena reaching out to hold Damian’s hand.

While she knew Elena had changed a lot from their conversations through the crystal, seeing it unfold in person was a first for her.

Moreover, when Elena looked at Damian with warm yet playful eyes and began to speak, all of Adelia’s plans evaporated.

Adelia couldn’t take her eyes off the two until they completely reached the reception room.

“You’ve changed so much.”

“You said that before, didn’t you…”

“No, you’ve really changed a lot. I wonder if this is really my daughter. But Mom loves seeing this changed version of Elena so much.”

Adelia said, looking at Elena seated in front of her.

She knew well that love could change a lot, but even so, the change in Elena was remarkable enough to be called dramatic. It was as if she had completely switched personalities.

When she first heard the news of Elena personally thwarting monsters during the raid that occurred in the south, she initially didn’t believe it. It wasn’t a doubt about Elena’s abilities; rather, she knew all too well how passive her daughter was and how she disliked being the center of attention.

However, seeing Elena like this today made her think that what she had deemed impossible could indeed happen.

Through dinner, Adelia observed that besides a few exchanges with her, nearly all of Elena’s gaze had been fixed on Damian. In her gentle gaze toward the young man, there was an unmistakable affection emanating from Elena.

Seeing Elena with the eyes of a girl completely in love, Adelia had no choice but to accept the change that had taken place in her daughter.

“Is that so?”

Elena beamed, unable to hide her joy in reaction to Adelia’s words.

 

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