Chapter 23 Part 3 – Alisa born…what? Now that’s an ominous subtitle. Maybe this is big trouble?!

「What? If you live longer, you can be forgiven of all the mistakes you make!」

「That woman was being fed that crazy drug…that fool of the Shylocks won’t be forgiven!」

「Hurry back. The nightmare is over. That old fart has learned the techniques of poisoning.」

The three men speak to me compassionately.

「We couldn’t help you after all, but when she returns, she’ll match the strength of 100 of us.」

「The magical bow…with her skill, do you think she can beat the demon dogs?」

「Please protect our princess…we need your power.」

But…
I tried to kill my child.
I’m so weak…I have no worth to live…
Why would she ever want to look at my face again?
I want to die, it’s so embarrassing.

「…you are strong. Maybe more than the duke. You just don’t know it. You are a strong woman and warrior. Then, you’re a mother, which makes you even stronger. So don’t act like an aristocrat…act like you are, in your heart.」

「People who have never known setbacks act strong but are really fragile. A truly strong person has to start fighting from the bottom.」

「Stand up instead of whining. You can die any day. First, desire life…even though what we say doesn’t sound so heroic.」

Then the three men roared in laughter.

「…now go, the duke is waiting for you.」

Brian said, squinting at me.

「I’ll take your sickness to the other world with me. Give your daughter and your husband our greetings.」

「Y…yes, thank you!」

There’s a ruggedness to their compassion.

I felt a squeeze in my chest as I tried to answer.

There was no way to thank these men enough.

「Don’t try to act so tough, Brian. I will take the madam’s wrinkles with me to the other world. All from the stress of having to live long years here. The pain of having to give birth…for a man, scars and wrinkles are like medals, after all.」

「Then I’ll take all the bloat and tiredness. You’ll have the sexiness of a mature woman in her 30’s with the tight skin of a virgin. The duke will be sure to love you…swelling and tiredness is proof of a warrior, after all. You don’t need them.」

Black-bearded Bobby and brown Bill interrupted each other.

「Wow! Thank you very much!」

I was happy, but couldn’t be totally ecstatic.

I was in my 20s, barely…I guess I did look old…kind of a shock…that my wrinkles and swelling are treated like wounds…

「Madam, the child has a demon called Alisa after her…much more dangerous than those demon dogs that killed us. She can burn a country down calmly just to make your daughter angry. Never, EVER, relax when she’s around.」

I had tears in my eyes and I nodded to Brian, clenching my lips.

That’s it! I remember! Alisa! That monster!

She afflicted Scarlet, murdered Mary, and using my memory killed him in that avalanche!

She is unforgivable…I will kill her myself.

「But she can’t return to her world with that memory…」

Brian said with regret.

「Maybe I will pray so you might have a smidgen of the memory…and one more thing.」

Brian said, word for word, quietly.

「Never fight Alisa on a full moon. No matter what…or you will surely die on the spot. Never forget.」

He said it as he wanted it to remain in me when I awoke.

It wasn’t long until I remembered this when I heard Alisa’s crazed laugh. And when I did, I noticed a full moon, rising with the color of blood, high in the night sky.

[Storyteller – Scarlet]

「Ms. Cornelia, I’m coming in.」

Bradd called out, outside my mother’s room, but there was no reply.

Bradd, Mary, and I looked at each other.

Mother had very sharp senses.

It was impossible for us to cry out and her not hear it.

「I’m coming in!」

「Madam!」

「Aouuuooo!」

Bradd jumped into the room, with Mary and I following.

My mother was still in postpartum recovery, though Bradd had helped with that a bit.

We thought something had happened, maybe the worst thing we could imagine, so we all rushed in.

I was being held by Mary and my back was squished into a couple of big…well, I am a nursing baby after all.

She was sitting there in her favorite wicker chair, sleeping peacefully.

We all breathed a sigh of relief.

She was caressed by the spring breeze, relaxed like a young maiden that napped while reading a love novel.

And she looked young again…too young, almost the age of Mary…and my mother was a beautiful woman.

Makeup would now besmirch the vivid color of her skin.

「You look so young, Madam almost like you’ve lost years after having birth…what happened?!」

Mary said, tilting her head.

I guess it wasn’t an optical illusion.

So I guess the criminal here is Bradd! He did it!

「Whoooaahhh!」

I said, pointing my finger at Bradd.

You gave my mother a makeover, and you’ve been saying it’s a heart treatment all along! You had better apply it to me soon as well, hurry!

「Auuaaah!」

I told him, as a superior.

My muscles and the pain after distorting my face previously have finally settled because of him.

Heh heh, I guess another reason might me be loosening up after flopping around in sleep in my crib.

I guess now I can correctly express my superior order to him with no problem!

「Don’t look at me like that, if you rejuvenated any more…」

Bradd was taken aback.

Hah! I’m a two week old newborn!

I would actually go back into my mother’s stomach.

「Well, first, I adjusted her blood flow and detoxified her internal organs…but that alone doesn’t explain it…and the heart abnormality has disappeared…I don’t understand why…」

「Auuaauahh!」

I suddenly understood and tried to interrupt Bradd’s words.

I know! She’s in love!

Love that makes a woman shine…it’s called a miracle by women!

「Auuahhaa!」

「Listen, you. Are you thinking love is like magic?! There’s no way.」

He sighed at me as if he was exasperated.

「Well, a zero-year-old like you can’t understand love anyway…」

「WAAOOAAHH?!」

What was that?!

I was called the Jewel of Hydrangea! What an insult!
I used to pass through the ranks of kings, princes, nobles, all with my glorious smile!

Oh, yeah…I passed through them…

Well I only did that because I was worked to death taking care of my country!! I was married to it, practically!

I was practically martyred for all the work I did…ah…it makes me want to cry.

You bastard, Bradd…take back what you said or I’ll kick you with my little newborn legs!

Mary, loosen my swaddling so I can kick effectively!

「No, Mistress, love IS magic! I agree with her! Even now it’s like Bradd and you are having a conversation! That’s what love can do!」

Mary said to me enthusiastically…and then hugged me tightly.

「Auaah!?」

「Why?!」

Bradd and I shouted at the same time.

Phfff, imagine me syncing my thoughts with that scoundrel. Pah.

Next time wait a second so I can speak first.

「See! You reacted at the same time!」

Mary looks so happy.

No…let’s pretend we didn’t…

But it is true that Bradd understood what I was saying WAY faster than normal.

It’s just his cheat…has nothing to do with love.

I guess since Bradd had knelt and kissed my hand, her romance switch had been turned on, but he wasn’t vowing love…just protection.

Also, when I heard he story about my father, she had become such an important fighter on her own field of romance that she questioned my mother about him without knowing her place. I mean, she HAS had a baby before, but she’s still a young girl. I guess there’s no question that she’s moved by romance…

「…Brian…」

We both froze as we heard my mother whisper…

She huffed out silently after saying his name. She was speaking in her sleep…and we could see tears shimmering on her face.

H…hey mom? Th…that’s not your…husband’s name…?

「Bobby, Bill…」

Wait, a four-way?!

「I’m not even in my 30’s…still in my…20’s…」

What kind of dream is she having?! Mom?!

Maybe this is her idea of a joke?!

Has she been pushed here by some kind of anti-trust law?

What kind of punishment is this?!

This is the only place I can play an active role!

So I’m in even bigger trouble than just suspecting her of an affair!