Sister-in-law of the Heroine in a Childcare Novel - Chapter 215

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 215

“Ahhh, sightseeing by the sea really is the best! This is absolutely killing me!”
“Chirp.”
I plucked another skewer of shrimp from the grill set up on one side of the bungalow, watching it sizzle to golden perfection. The succulent meat was browning appetizingly.
Jemina beside me was alternating between roasted vegetables, shrimp, and beef chunks, barely pausing long enough to breathe.
—Ahhhhh, all the grime’s finally washed off! This is what I call pristine paradise, ahhhh! ◌ ｡˚✩( › ̫ ‹)✩˚ ｡◌
The sword was enjoying his vacation in his own way too. The tip of the blade was submerged in a water container filled with ice, while the handle leaned diagonally against a chair beneath the shade of a parasol.
I’d wondered if it was really safe to soak a metal blade in water, but if he was happy about it, who was I to judge?
A quiet seaside city in the Southern Region. A bungalow situated right on the beach.
Though not enormous in scale, the modest bungalow lacked for nothing and had a certain understated charm. A summer villa set a little distance away, surrounded by sparse brush, was also mine. This entire area was my private property.
Enjoying myself without worrying about prying eyes—nothing beats it.
“I’m an adult now, so I can drink! Fresh beer!”
I was reveling in my newfound freedom, sipping fresh beer with its bubbles fizzing gently—kept cold by a Cooling Magic storage box—when the sword let out a disapproving tsk.
—No one’s watching, so technically you don’t need to concern yourself with such things… but still.
I ignored the sword’s comment and rearranged the charcoal, pushing the fully cooked shrimp, lamb ribs, and beef to the edge of the grill before laying down potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn.
Cheese—I should grill some cheese too! My lips kept curling up in an involuntary smile.
“The sky is blue. The sea is blue. The sunlight’s brilliant and dazzling. The meat is delicious. And over there for dessert we have fruit sherbet, champagne, pastries and everything… Ah, this is so good. I could die happy like this….”
Those nobles from here—they can’t survive a single outing without attendants, wherever they go. But I was different.
To freely enjoy myself with a Divine Beast and a sword and one other person, it was best to have as few watching eyes as possible.
My chestnut-brown hair drifted in the breeze. It was so naturally colored that no one would ever imagine it was a dye. The sunlight gave it a golden shimmer, but that was nothing—no one would ever suspect my natural hair was actually a brilliant platinum blonde!
My false identity was the second daughter of a baronial house.
The family ran a small trading company nominally owned by the eldest son, but I too supposedly had excellent commercial talent and traveled around seeking goods to trade, which justified my ability to spend money freely.
A quiet southern city, some distance from Cortez County.
I’d always thought that if I were to choose a place for leisure, it would be here. There were cities far more elaborate and full of attractions and conveniences, but that was precisely why I chose this one.
This was a city people visited for a relaxing stay and nothing more, so it wasn’t rowdy. And there weren’t many people around.
A fake corpse made up to look like me, and another fake corpse disguised as Sara.
I knew better than anyone that the Empire would be in an uproar once those two bodies were discovered.
After escaping the mansion by Teleportation Magic, I’d switched carriages multiple times and wound through back alleys in circles….
In any case, thanks to Flux’s cooperation, I’d slipped out of the capital in time and could now revel in leisure. I’d given Sara a new identity and appearance, pressed some money into her hand, and sent her back to her hometown.
Not that I hadn’t thought about bringing her along for a vacation and having some fun, but if I left too long a trail, I’d risk being discovered. And Sara said she just wanted to see her family as soon as possible.
I was chewing some delightfully stretchy cheese when a sudden thought made me look up.
“…Hmm. I suppose the Imperial Family must be in quite an uproar?”
—That’s because you deliberately cut yourself off from all news, stocked up only on food and supplies, and have been holed up here the entire time, haven’t you? ヽ（・＿・；)ノ
“So you’re complaining?”
—No, not at all. I wish we could live like this forever and ever…. (＊’͜’ )
“Eeeeak….”
The sword, solid as he was, seemed to be melting like liquid. Jemina’s expression, belly full from eating everything in sight, was remarkably similar.
I felt like I could live like this for a month, half a year, indefinitely….
I sprawled out on the wooden bench beside the bungalow.
—Lying down right after eating is bad for your health! (●´⌓`●)
“It’s fine. I won’t die.”
—Just because you don’t die doesn’t mean everything’s fine! ( ･﹏･)
“It’s fine, really.”
Every part of Titania inside me approved of my current course of action! I deserved to play around! I deserved to rest! I could absolutely just do nothing and eat and sleep and breathe, and it would be perfectly acceptable!
Come to think of it, it had been a very long time since I’d been alone like this, with no one else around.
I’d never once had the luxury of simply playing and eating and resting without worrying about anything at all.
It wasn’t as though my mind was completely at ease.
…If things had gone as they were supposed to, Raymond would have never encountered me, remaining distant as always, not seeing my face for years before hearing of my death. But then we’d reunited in that twisted way, and by terrible chance we’d run into each other near the very place where I was meant to die.
I felt a bit sorry, imagining he’d surely be wracked with guilt, thinking, “I should have stopped her.”
……But regardless, things should work out fine in the end.
“This is really pretty, isn’t it? Is this coral?”
I picked up one of the pale orange and green branching pieces scattered across the ground.
They said it was coral fragments from around here…. I’d heard the local specialty was jewelry woven with coral and pearls.
“…Jemina maybe, or Marybell, or Bibi. Hmm. They’d all probably love these.”
Living in the Capital, I’d become surprisingly close to Jemina and Marybell.
Marybell was a bit simple-minded and had the flaw of speaking her thoughts too directly, but once you got close to her, she was so steadfastly loyal that she’d go to bat for you no matter what. Jemina would restrain Marybell and sigh at her, but still looked out for her.
Thinking back on how they’d clumsily tried to play the role of same-age female friend to me, who had no peer companions, made me smile a little even now.
Queen Elaine too—though she’d make a show of being embarrassed, saying at her age she couldn’t wear colors like this anymore, if I pestered her enough, she’d actually try it on…. And Bibi….
“…….”
No, stop. I’m losing my appetite. Don’t think about these things.
I pulled a fruit sherbet from the storage box to revive my dulled palate. The languid Jemina fluttered her wings and straightened up.
Jemina, who’d been a chick originally, had grown quite a bit now—what should I even call it? She’d turned into something like a fairly sizeable bird, somewhere between a young chicken and a pigeon. Well, since she was eating well now, that was a good thing.
—But Contractor,
“Yes?”
—How much longer are you planning to rest…? (´๑・⌓・｀)
Her tone was somewhat cautious. The sword vibrated faintly, and the water in the basin rippled.
“…When war happens, thinking back on it, I believe… even at most, it would happen within 2 years from now.”
—…….
“So we’ll have to leave before that, which means… I should be able to enjoy myself for at least a year, right?”
—…….
The sword had said nothing when I considered Brian’s proposal, nor when I mocked Cleo for offering her neck.
Perhaps he hadn’t expected me to change my mind now, but I suspected he also understood that by any ordinary measure, this was a contract clause terrifying enough to make anyone flee.
“Where did you say the traces of the Ancient Temple of Chernobog were? Once things settle down and people stop paying attention, I’ll search for it a bit, I suppose.”
—…Yes.
“…And if people truly do forget about the existence of Princess Titania entirely… well, then perhaps I could even visit Queen Elaine someday….”
I stood up and brushed sand from my skirt, then looked at the small heap I’d built from colorful pebbles I’d collected right beside the bungalow on the sandy beach. I couldn’t help but smile at those characters I’d traced clumsily in my writing—Mom, Dad, and such. Here on this beach where no one could ever come, I could finally be honest.
“Knowing everything doesn’t necessarily make you happy, does it?”
—…….
I replayed every conversation I’d had on the day I made my Divine Contract. And the words Podaga had spoken in judgment of it as well.

Yes, Podaga had every reason to speak like that.

Gloriana—she must have loved the First Emperor. Truly, with her whole being, she’d resolved to guard this Empire and its Barrier for all eternity.
That had truly, truly lasted a long time, but in the end her limits were finally approaching.
Which meant a Generational Change was necessary.
“The Barrier Anchor material… The core is the Northern Barrier, but there are a few suspicious things in the Imperial Palace too, and one of them is none other than the Jade Throne. In any case, the Imperial Palace is destined to crumble no matter what happens. My older brother will just have to ascend to the throne amid ruins.”
I scooped up the sweet and tangy sherbet and popped it into my mouth. The cold melted on my tongue, making me tingle pleasantly. Suddenly I felt a sneeze coming on. My eyes watered slightly.
Well, in any case. I deserve to enjoy myself now. Whatever comes next, I need to create memories that will stay with me forever.
Otherwise, I won’t be able to bear the injustice of it all.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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