Is my clumsy comforting actually making you feel better?
Lord Veloren, who had been pouring harsh brandy down his throat like water, finally began to enjoy the taste and aroma of the drink, wearing a more relieved expression.
“Haaa…”
But just because he looked better didn’t mean the effects of the alcohol were gone; his eyes were still blurry and his face bright red.
I thought he was drowning his sorrows in drink, but maybe he just liked drinking a lot to begin with.
In fact, he even offered me a drink, saying, “Want to try some?” while pulling out another glass.
I didn’t particularly want to indulge in strong liquor at this hour, so I tried to politely decline, but unfortunately, this version of Lord Veloren wasn’t someone you could refuse.
“Drink up. Rejecting a drink from an adult is rude, you know?”
He insisted as he forced a full glass of brandy into my hands.
I wondered whether he was aware of how he sounded… what can I say, it felt like a middle-aged manager pressuring a female staff member at a company dinner.
Except this isn’t a corporate dinner—it’s just the two of us in a bedroom, and the other person isn’t a balding old man but rather a well-matured—no, a woman in her late thirties wearing pajamas.
Hmmm… Come to think of it, this is a pretty bizarre scene.
A woman dressed lightly in a negligee, sitting next to me in a private bedroom, offering me drinks as if she’s inviting someone in.
From an outsider’s perspective, it would definitely look like Lord Veloren was trying to seduce me.
Of course, I’m not that oblivious. Seduction? What a ridiculous misunderstanding. That can’t be true, right?
The reason we’re alone in the bedroom is that this is Lord Veloren’s place. Plus, since I’m a fellow member of the same gender and a disciple, she probably felt more relaxed.
Her thin clothing, which barely concealed her, was likely because I suddenly showed up while she hadn’t had time to dress properly due to being tipsy.
The fact that she was so close wasn’t because she approached me; I sat here after moving from across the couch.
Her resting head on my shoulder felt like a person who had been crying, unconsciously seeking comfort in the person who consoled them.
Or maybe she was just too drunk to keep her head up.
As for her offering me a drink…? It was probably a mix of a mother’s playful spirit suggesting cookies to a friend and a touch of mischievousness.
Yeah, that sounds about right.
After carefully analyzing the situation, I concluded that none of this had anything to do with seduction.
There was no reason to analyze this in the first place. She wasn’t looking at me like that; it was more like she saw me as a sweet, commendable kid.
Would a mother mourning the loss of her daughter develop a crush on a daughter-figure that’s still alive?
Maybe if she genuinely decided to consider me a surrogate daughter and feel affection, but a crush? That’s absurd. My Lord Veloren couldn’t possibly be that kind of shameless person.
“Come on, drink up.”
Oh, was I lost in my thoughts for too long? I snapped back to reality at Lord Veloren’s voice urging me to drink again.
“Ah… Okay, then. I’ll graciously accept.”
I nodded and took the drink she offered. I didn’t want to create an awkward situation if I turned down her offer and made her feel gloomy again.
I’ve never had brandy before, so I was curious about the taste. Since I prefer clean white wine, I never had a reason to order brandy with my own money.
Lately, I hadn’t even had the chance to drink at all.
For that reason, I took the glass this time and clinked it lightly with Lord Veloren’s, smiling.
…It’s just one drink, it should be fine.
I tilted the glass.
With the candlelight, the amber brandy flowed into my mouth.
It carried a heavy yet sweet aroma reminiscent of Lord Veloren, filling my whole head with a burst of fragrance.
Oh, this is delicious.
That was probably the last thought I had.
◆◆
The next morning.
“……”
Waking up later than usual, I froze as my blurry vision came into focus.
The morning scene before me was completely different from what I was used to.
‘…What is this?’
The pillow felt far too warm. I could see someone’s belly in front of me. Black hair was draped like a curtain above my face.
I was lying on Lord Veloren’s lap. She was asleep, cradling me as I lay there.
The sheer negligee reflected the sunlight coming through the window, clearly revealing everything inside, and the coat she had thrown on was covering me like a blanket.
What the hell is this?
I clearly just had one glass of brandy before returning to my room, and now I wake up like a child on Lord Veloren’s lap!
What a truly bewildering situation. The only thing more bewildering would be waking up in Lord Veloren’s bed.
What on earth happened? What did I do last night?
I definitely remember Lord Veloren offering me brandy and me drinking a glass… but maybe my confused head blocked everything else out, because I don’t recall a thing afterward.
…Please don’t tell me I did something stupid…?
Panic surged, and instead of lying there, I cautiously tried to move away from Lord Veloren’s thigh.
“Are you awake?”
Despite my efforts, as soon as I stirred, Lord Veloren’s eyes fluttered open.
“Oh, uh….”
“Good morning.”
Unlike me, who was flustered and stammering, Lord Veloren smiled brightly, completely unfazed by the fact that I was lying on her thigh.
“I’m so sorry!”
Snapping back to attention, I sprang up and sat upright on the couch. Lord Veloren chuckled softly as if to say, what’s with all the fuss?
“It’s been a while since I overslept… Perhaps it’s because I feel a bit lighter in my heart? Thanks to you, Hilde.”
With soft eyes and a gentle smile, her voice was filled with affection.
I couldn’t believe how drastically she’d changed, as if I had coaxed a completely different person with just a few comforting words.
What on earth happened last night…?
“Umm… erm, Master? I don’t remember anything after drinking. Did I do something disrespectful…?”
I braved the embarrassment to ask, knowing I had to find out.
“If you want, you can call me mother, Hilde. I granted you that permission last night.”
But her response only added to my confusion.
Mother? Lord Veloren?
What on earth did I say for such a situation to arise…?
“Th-That… Mother? I couldn’t possibly be so rude as to borrow the status of your dearly alive daughter like that…”
“It’s alright. Like I said last night, I’m considering it as having one more daughter.”
Lord Veloren smiled casually as she nodded. The permission to call her Mother felt more like an invitation to do so.
“She often wished for a sister, so this turns out well. Although I doubt she expected to get an older sister instead of a younger one.”
At this point, I was starting to feel a bit scared. What happened in the early hours of the morning that turned this icy, steel-like woman into a puddle of warm water?
I carefully asked again to get some answers.
And finally, I got an unexpected response.
“…I cried? While nestled in your arms?”
“You can call me mother, you know. Anyway, yes. You were really sad. I ended up sweating a lot to console you. The front of my clothes is still a bit damp.”
What she recounted about last night was absolutely shocking to me.
At first, we merely chatted about how delicious the brandy was while exchanging glasses, but then I suddenly became drunk and depressed, sighing heavily?
Even when she asked what was wrong, I brushed it off as nothing, but being persistent led me to eventually spill various complaints.
Like living under the false label of a commoner butcher, full of hardships and injustices.
Needing to act tough to survive, yet struggling with tasks that didn’t suit me.
Despite trying my best, most things went wrong, leading to feelings of self-deprecation.
Guilt for using Friede’s feelings for my own comfort, and the constant guilt of having to lie to those close to me.
The sense of distance and loneliness, feeling like no one could understand me.
Lastly, the anxiety, fear, pressure, and restlessness about the future.
All those overwhelming feelings poured out as I rambled endlessly and, in the end, I found myself sobbing uncontrollably.
The whole world felt like it wanted to harm me, but I couldn’t show that I was struggling to hold up my facade as ‘Brunhilde the Knight,’ and I was terrified, feeling like I couldn’t escape from any of it.
I sobbed, saying it felt like the goddess was throwing me into hell and watching me flounder.
Lord Veloren, not long after being consoled by me, found herself in a position where she needed to comfort me, and although it was a bit bewildering, she held me close and consoled me.
That must have reminded her of her daughter, and perhaps she also realized I was just a twenty-year-old kid, which made her feel a bit pity for me.
“Well… that’s how it went. If I were to advise you as a mother, Hilde, I think it’d be better for you to refrain from drinking in front of others.”
“……Yes.”
I answered in a tiny voice, my head bowed low. My face felt like it would explode from embarrassment.
Oh my goodness. I cried like a child and poured out my woes, what an embarrassment.
If my memory hadn’t gone completely blank, I would have been utterly mortified right now.
…I really need to cut back on the drinking. For real.
