Chapter 106
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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Dear, I believe you may be misunderstanding.
Episode 106
Grace had been watching the direction the carriage disappeared for quite some time when she turned at the sound of hushed whispers behind her.
A towering tree at the edge of the Garden.
Behind it stood the General and Haem.
'What are they doing over there?'
I couldn't fathom why they were hiding behind a tree, but both of them looked terribly busy and grave.
I was curious about what it could be, yet something told me that even if I didn't wish to know, I would find out soon enough.
Whenever Lucas lingered about my vicinity with that suspicious air, it was almost always something connected to me.
"Grace, there you are."
I was debating whether to approach Lucas or wait for him here when—
Selena drew near.
"Madam."
Grace hastened to greet Selena.
Selena approached with a smile, regarded me for a moment, then spoke abruptly.
"Once we grow a bit closer—"
"Yes?"
"Would you call me Mother?"
"Ah..."
Only then did I realize I had still been addressing Selena as "Madam."
I answered quickly, my expression one of chagrin.
"I'm terribly sorry. I hadn't given it proper thought. I'll be more mindful going forward."
"Oh, my."
At my hurried, tense addition, Selena's face grew apologetic instead.
She hadn't meant to reproach me; it had simply come across that way.
Just when I thought the walls between us had begun to crumble, I had made this new family tense again, and I felt utterly dismayed.
"Don't be like that. I wasn't scolding you, Grace."
She quickly took my hand.
"Truthfully, it's perfectly fine if you don't call me Mother. I simply thought it would be lovely if we had a different way of addressing each other that felt more intimate. The only word that came to mind was Mother, so I mentioned it. That's all."
Selena's gentle gaze caressed me.
I understood what her hurried explanation meant.
'She wants to grow closer, to draw nearer...'
Beneath her words lay an implicit signal—that she cared for me.
Once I grasped that sentiment, the thin wall that had awkwardly remained crumbled away entirely.
"Grace?"
Selena was the warmest person I had ever known.
The mere fact that I could exist within the bonds of family alongside someone so kind felt like a blessing.
'...Family.'
One could become family without sharing blood.
Just as not all who gave birth were parents, this bond woven by choice could become more precious than any other.
"Yes, I understand. You're not that kind of person. So...."
Grace spoke with a genuine smile.
"You don't need to make that face, Mother."
Selena, who had lifted her eyebrows in surprise, soon laughed.
"Perhaps it's because I've only heard it spoken in the dull voices of those men, but when Grace pronounces 'Mother,' it sounds far more pleasant."
"Does it sound strange to you?"
"Not at all. It's like listening to a nightingale sing."
"Pardon?"
"I'm simply saying it's delightful to hear."
Selena playfully jabbed Grace in the ribs with her elbow.
"Come here for a moment, won't you? I've had a table prepared over there. The kitchen staff has made something particularly delicious today."
* * *
"Mmm."
The moment I placed it in my mouth, my eyes widened at the flavor, aroma, and texture I had never experienced before.
This was incomparable to any dessert I had ever tasted.
As I bit through the slightly thick exterior, a chewy and nutty taste filled my mouth.
The sweet honey nestled inside the spherical form burst forth, introducing yet another distinct flavor.
"What is this?"
"It's called rice cake. It's made from rice, and it has quite a unique taste, doesn't it?"
"Yes, I've never tasted anything like this before. Or rather, I've never experienced this texture before."
The sticky, chewy quality filled my entire mouth.
The enjoyment didn't end with the aroma and flavor—the delightful texture provided another layer of pleasure.
It was as though a tightly closed bud had burst open, releasing the honey within.
The burst of sweetness wasn't merely sugary.
The tiny seeds filling the interior added a nutty richness.
Cotti called them 'sesame.'
Grace, mesmerized as she ate the confection, gazed at Cotti with eyes full of wonder.
"This is truly delicious, Cotti!"
"I'm delighted, Young Mistress! In my homeland of Coreano, we prepare this for the harvest festival! It's a most auspicious food! I'm grateful to be the cook in this estate. I can experience dishes here that I could never taste anywhere else."
At Grace's praise, Cotti's whiskers trembled with emotion.
"For the ladies, this Cotti shall research diverse and delightful dishes! Please look forward to this evening's meal!"
Cotti departed with exaggerated gestures.
Despite his rotund and massive frame, there was a spring in his step as he bounded away on his toes.
He was always such a cheerful man.
"Are you not tired? Even if the wedding was modest, brides tend to feel considerable tension."
"I'm fine. Embarrassingly, I fell asleep almost as though I had collapsed last night. I simply passed out without realizing it."
"Oh, collapsed as though...."
Selena suddenly flushed and began fanning herself.
Wondering if she was warm, Grace cooled her cheeks with the fan she had brought.
"Ahem, well, it's fine. Grace. I see. You fell asleep like you'd collapsed yesterday. Thank goodness, thank goodness. I thought you wouldn't be able to sleep well in the Royal Palace...."
"Ah, I think I was so nervous that I drank quite a bit of wine. So that's why...."
Grace's face flushed with embarrassment.
Selena, who had been gazing at her with a reddened face and contentment, gracefully recommended the Underground Cellar.
"That's right. Wine is wonderful. I used to enjoy it myself, once upon a time."
Selena's gaze grew distant, as though recalling a far-off past.
But it was only for a moment.
She quickly dismissed the thought and looked at Grace with affection.
"There are quite a few decent wines in the Underground Cellar. Let's go down later and choose some."
Selena recommended several wines that Grace would likely enjoy.
Grace savored each name Selena offered, committing them to memory.
After exchanging a few more words, Lora arrived carrying a small box.
The moment Grace saw it, her eyes widened in recognition.
It was something she knew.
"I thought it was time to return this to you."
Selena said, holding out Grace's incense burner.
She had not forgotten Selena's words to return it once Grace came back to the Estate.
Grace traced the cold surface of the incense burner with her fingertips.
The words of the elderly woman who had left this Estate moments before came back to her.
'Light the incense. Dreams will guide you to the truth.'
An incense burner said to show one what they desired.
When I first heard about this incense burner from Selena, I had wondered why my mother possessed such a thing.
'A witch....'
That existence, which I thought existed only in legends passed down through generations, was my own mother.
Grace suddenly looked down at the back of her hand.
Perhaps... the reason this curse's mark was inscribed upon the Divine One's hand was because of that.
Witch's blood.
'Not all children born to us become witches. Just as not all children of shoemakers become shoemakers.'
'Then I....'
'But you... seem to possess an exceptional talent. A talent far surpassing your mother's, a truly remarkable gift.'
The elderly woman smiled softly and patted Grace's back.
Her wrinkled hands were warm and stronger than expected.
'Everyone is special, and everyone possesses at least one decent skill. For us, it is simply a somewhat more unusual power.'
The elderly woman spoke.
Us. Grace was surely included in that word.
Grace, her expression somewhat complicated, stroked the incense burner before lifting her head.
"Thank you for keeping it safe for me."
"I should be thanking you for lending it to me. I had such wonderful dreams because of it."
Selena smiled brightly, gazing at the incense burner.
I could see her eyes wavering.
But that was all.
"He was still so handsome and so endearing."
The dream Selena longed to see, the dream she yearned for—there was only one.
Her love, who had left her side far too soon.
The man she had loved so deeply that after losing him, she nearly lost herself as well.
"...But I don't want to see him again."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Seeing him in my dreams only makes me want to see him more. Again and again, I want to see him. Even knowing the dream will vanish when I wake, I find myself wanting to remain trapped within it...."
Selena's fingertips traced the rim of her teacup.
"But I can't do that, can I? I mustn't confuse the weight of dreams with reality."
There was something about Selena's voice—tinged with resignation—that tugged at my heart.
I didn't know how to offer her elegant comfort.
So I conveyed my feelings through rather simple words.
"Someday, again...."
"Hmm?"
"Let's go eat lemon pie together."
"Lemon pie? Ah... lemon pie!"
That alley from back then.
It was about the East Side.
A quiet, quaint alley that seemed somewhat worn and aged, yet carried the cherished memories of many who had passed through it.
The memory of that day came rushing back—the fragrant pound cake and the sweet-tart taste of lemon pie.
"This time, let the General join us too."
Selena's eyebrows shot upward.
She soon burst into laughter and spoke.
"That's a wonderful idea. That fellow can't handle sour things well... let's feed him a very, very sour pie, shall we?"
Because we are alive, we can create memories—so let us create them together....
My gentle and modest gesture of comfort reached Selena's heart completely.
"I didn't know the General disliked sour foods."
"Hehe, let's drag Cain along too next time. It's been far too long since the family gathered together."
"I'd like that. I regretted not being able to talk much back then."
"I'm so looking forward to it. That fellow has quite the temperament, and I'm worried whether our Grace will be alright."
"More than the General?"
"Don't be surprised, Grace. Lucas is remarkably gentle compared to Cain."
"My goodness...."
Two people with different ages, different temperaments, and different pasts
were becoming family at their own pace.
---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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