After-Story Chapter 23: The Boisterous Everyday Life of the Kingdom of Euphoria (Part 4)

While everyone was momentarily stunned, Maria, unperturbed, said, “I’m intruding,” and took the vacant seat. She then gently turned the direction of her beloved daughter, Stella, whom she held in her arms, toward Jeanne. Stella, a small, adorable girl who could be called ‘Mini-Maria,’ looked utterly confused.

 

“See, Stella. That’s Auntie Jeanne~”

 

“Ow? Auntie Jyan-shan?” Stella, who looked about two or three years old, tilted her head in confusion.

 

“Ugh… Auntie…” Jeanne was subtly shocked at being called ‘Auntie.’ It was true, but being called that at this time, in her twenties and still feeling like a newlywed, stung a bit. Moreover, she didn’t mind if Stella said it herself, but she couldn’t accept her sister introducing her that way.

 

“Sister. Calling me Auntie out of the blue is cruel.”

 

“Ufufu, I only stated a fact.”

 

“…You know exactly what you’re doing. That’s malicious.”

 

“Fufufu. If you want to retaliate, why don’t you bring over Sei-kun?”

 

“He’s napping right now! Besides, you definitely wouldn’t let Stella call you Auntie, would you?!”

 

“Fufufufu.”

 

“See, you’re not denying it!”

 

Maria listened to the pouting Jeanne’s complaints with a beaming smile. By the way, Sei-kun was the name of Jeanne and Hakuya’s first child. His full name is Sein Euphoria. He’s a boy with a cute face, similar to Jeanne’s, but with Hakuya’s black hair. Since Sein was born, Maria occasionally drops by to talk to the baby sleeping in the crib, saying, “I’m Big Sister Maria~,” much to Jeanne’s chagrin.

 

Elulu, observing the sisters’ playful exchange, whispered to Lumière, “Ah, is that the former Empress Maria? She’s much more casual than I expected.”

 

“…”

 

Elulu discreetly addressed Lumière, but received no answer. When she turned to look, Lumière was watching Maria with a heartbroken expression. She looked like she was on the verge of tears but was trying desperately to hold back, yet she couldn’t tear her gaze away from Maria.

 

Noticing Lumière’s distress, Maria smiled gently. “It’s been a while, Lumière.”

 

“! …Yes. It has been a long time, Lady Maria,” Lumière replied, her voice strained.

 

Maria spoke kindly to her. “Are you doing well? Did you not overwork yourself? Are you eating properly? You always had a tendency to try too hard, so I was worried about you.”

 

“Ah, well…”

 

“Sister. You sound like a nagging town proprietress.” Jeanne interceded, taking pity on the confused Lumière, who was being peppered with questions.

 

Maria pouted. “But I’ve been worried about her all this time. This girl was even stricter with herself and others than Jeanne, awkward with relationships, stubborn, and bad at navigating the world. I wondered if she could manage without a confidante like Jeanne.”

 

Since Jeanne and Lumière were close friends, Maria and Lumière also met privately, and Maria understood her personality well. Maria often saw her as a younger sister figure, just like Jeanne, even more so than the secluded Trill.

 

“I… I have no right to be worried about by Lady Maria.” Lumière opened her mouth, having resolved herself. “I joined Kuhee and the Great Tiger Empire, playing a part in the collapse of the Grand Chaos Empire. I betrayed Jeanne, who was so kind to me, and Lady Maria, who was so gentle. So… I have no right to be worried about…”

 

“L-Lady Lumière.” Elulu looked flustered, unsure what to say.

 

Maria shook her head quietly. “If you say you played a part in dividing the nation, then I was the protagonist at the time. The Grand Chaos Empire, which had bloated from embracing the feelings of various people, could never have been governed in a way that pleased everyone. It was only barely held together by captivating people with strong personalities like a Saintess or a Hero.”

 

“Sister…” Jeanne looked worried, but Maria continued.

 

“I was tired of being hailed as the Saintess of the Empire and all the expectations. I was already considering shrinking the nation down to a size that was easier to govern. When the appearance of a dependable ally in Lord Souma of the Kingdom of Friedonia and the rise of Fuuga Haan of the Great Tiger Empire meant I no longer had to shoulder the fate of the world alone, that thought grew stronger. And I knew that with me thinking that way, there would inevitably be people who would leave me.”

 

“…So you anticipated that we would betray you?” Lumière asked.

 

Maria shook her head. “No. I didn’t know who would leave. If the reason was kindness or compassion, like ‘to free me from the curse of being Empress,’ then it wouldn’t have been strange if Jeanne or Lord Günther had left. Yes… I didn’t know who would leave… but what I did know was that many people would surely distance themselves from me.”

 

“…”

 

“Lumière, you neither ran away into an illusion like Kuhee nor did you shirk the responsibility of the path you chose. Therefore, I affirm your choice.”

 

Seeing Maria smile as she said this, Lumière understood. Maria used the phrase “to leave me,” but she never used the word “betray.” This meant that, to Maria, Lumière was not a traitor. Maria held no feeling of blame toward Lumière. The only reason Lumière’s heart was aching was self-loathing.

 

If she were blamed, she could beg for forgiveness, but since her choice was affirmed, she had no choice but to face her inner pain herself. She had to come to terms with herself.

 

(Ultimately, everything depends on my actions from now on…) The validity of Lumière’s choice would be judged by what she accomplished in the future. She realized that to walk with her head high, she had no choice but to keep moving forward.

 

As Lumière resolved herself, Maria, who had passed Stella to Jeanne, leaned forward and gently pinched Lumière’s cheeks with both hands.

 

“Now, stop making that scary face.”

 

“H-Hey! What are yo-u doi-ng!” Lumière protested, her voice muffled.

 

Ignoring her, Maria continued kneading and patting her cheeks. “The mindset of ‘I have to do my best alone’ is a quagmire, you know? Your vision narrows, you overexert yourself, and eventually, you hit a wall. All without noticing that the people around you are looking at you worriedly. The prime example of that is right here, isn’t it?”

 

“…”

 

“If you calm down and look around, you’ll notice the eyes watching over you and the hands reaching out to support you. Even if you can’t see them nearby, there are people who care about you from afar. Even Jeanne and me. As long as you don’t forget that, you will never be alone.”

 

“Lady Maria…” Lumière gently placed her hands over Maria’s hands that were pinching her cheeks and closed her eyes.

 

She remembered the backs of the departed Fuuga and Mutsumi, the voices of her colleagues like Shuukin who supported the Great Tiger Kingdom, the gazes of Jeanne and Maria who cared for her despite their separate paths, and…

 

“Administrator Lumière!”

 

…the smile of the younger colleague who sincerely admired her.

 

(She was right… I was never alone.)

 

Lumière opened her eyes and smiled faintly at Maria. “Thank you, Lady Maria. I feel like I can try even harder now. Together with everyone, of course.”

 

“Fufufu. That’s good.” Maria smiled sweetly as well.

 

Then…

 

“By the way, Lumière had a moment of warm, gentle expression just now, didn’t she?” Maria suddenly said, smiling mischievously.

 

Lumière’s eyes widened. “Eh, did I?”

 

“You did~. I wonder who you were thinking of to make such a gentle face?”

 

“No, I don’t think it was anyone in particular…”

 

“Sister. It looks like Lumi has finally found a good man.” Jeanne interjected.

 

“Jeanne!?” Lumière was taken aback by Jeanne’s sudden revelation of a potential romantic interest.

 

Maria’s eyes instantly sparkled. “Well, well, well! I absolutely must hear the details!”

 

“No… um… J-Jeanne! You shouldn’t have said anything unnecessary!”

 

“Stella~. It would make me happy if you called me Big Sister Jeanne~” Jeanne cooed.

 

“Aw? Big Sis Jyan-ne?”

 

“Hey, listen to me!”

 

Jeanne ignored Lumière’s protest while playing with her niece, Stella. The tea party gazebo, which had been the site of a very serious conversation just moments ago, suddenly became boisterous.

 

Elulu, who was somewhat left out in the middle of the lively atmosphere, thought:

 

(…Well, whatever. It seems to be helping Lady Lumière relax. I wonder if it’s the ‘returning home’ effect? Maybe I should go back to the Spirit Kingdom too. Oh, and of course, I’ll have Lord Shuukin come with me… Munch)

 

Thinking this, she popped a piece of the prepared cake into her mouth, a contented smile spreading across her face.