The next day, leaving Polena, who was slightly unwell, behind, Cazerose and I found ourselves sitting again in front of ‘Mother’.
However…
As I observed her, I sensed a distinctly different atmosphere compared to yesterday.
“What should I say… It seems like, though just a bit, there’s slightly less hostility than yesterday.”
Honestly, when yesterday’s sudden meeting concluded, I was quite taken aback, but still, the fact that the woman in front of me looked at me with less venom in her eyes gave me a certain relief.
Then, noticing my contemplative state, the Duke, who was my mother, calmly asked a question.
“Since you had to step away for a bit yesterday, we’re getting back to the conversation now that things are somewhat settled.”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Then, first, let me ask the most basic question again. What is it about my daughter that you find so appealing?”
A typical question, one could say.
To this, I honestly responded with what was in my heart.
“Everything is wonderful. Her silk-like soft personality and beautiful appearance, and the fact that she always supports and loves someone as inadequate as me.”
“Regrettably… she takes after me, so those important traits are lacking.”
“Uh… Mother!”
“From what I can see, that maid you brought yesterday was considerably superior compared to our daughter… Honestly, wouldn’t any guy find her more appealing?”
“Ugh…”
“…”
It might be funny, but it felt like I was sitting on a bed of needles while answering that question. I realized I had to respond with extreme caution and contemplated for a brief moment.
Of course, I couldn’t say anything that would make me look bad, but then again, if I gave a half-hearted answer favoring the smaller things, that would open a whole new can of worms.
And so, my answer came out.
“I cannot speak recklessly on that matter, but at the very least, in my heart, Cazerose has become someone I no longer care about such trivial matters. I’ve become a man for whom life would be meaningless without Cazerose.”
“Ugh…”
“Mm… ”
Even I felt my words were cringe-worthy, making Cazerose’s face turn beet red as she struggled to find a reaction.
Meanwhile, the Duke, hearing my answer, seemed to experience a slight emotional stir and cleared his throat.
“Well… I can’t say it’s bad to hear that from you as a mother…”
Seeing her reaction made me feel a slight wave of relief for successfully avoiding a dangerous landmine.
Then, the Duke’s gaze shifted towards Cazerose, who was sitting next to me.
“Now, sweetheart, it’s your turn to speak. Why is this man so good in your eyes? I’d like to hear your feelings about pushing for this marriage, even going through such diplomatic shenanigans.”
The Duke asked with an air of slight indifference.
In response, Cazerose looked at me with a slightly flushed expression before speaking up with a tense voice.
“I too find everything about Mr. Santana commendable…”
Cazerose’s words echoed the sentiments I had just expressed, and I thought to myself, “Simple yet profound.”
But then…
“As I’ve mentioned before, the character he has shown me has always served as a guide in my life. In my wandering, his life has shown me what true faith is.”
‘Uh?’
“The way he accomplishes so much through his own power, while willingly sacrificing for others… That made me realize how one should carry themselves if they claim to be a disciple of God.”
‘Hmm…’
“For the past several years, the image of Mr. Santana has always been like a guiding light to me. In a world full of lies and hypocrisy, he’s the only one I can rely on… How could I not love such a person?”
Her words were even more cringey than my earlier ones.
With statements like that, it felt almost like a level of devotion rather than just love, and I found myself suddenly overwhelmed by a heavy burden.
On the other hand…
After hearing Cazerose’s words, the Duke looked at me with a glance that seemed to say “I expected nothing less” and remarked with a hint of sharpness, “So this is how it is. At this level, it’s almost beyond love, more akin to a faith. As her mother, I wouldn’t want to see my daughter disappointed, you know.”
“….I will… do my best to take responsibility.”
“Yeah, that’s it. If I hear that tears are flowing from my daughter’s eyes, I won’t forgive you.”
“I will remember that, Your Grace.”
Thus, the Duke combined a warning with a sort of permission.
I couldn’t help but feel a chill down my spine, yet I still felt relieved by her noticeably gentler demeanor.
‘Regardless, it seems she’s much less hostile than yesterday… What on earth happened?’
After that, there were still a few more landmines, but surprisingly, the meeting went quite smoothly.
As I admired how much Cazerose’s mood appeared to have changed, I couldn’t help but feel curious about the reasons behind it, yet I chose to remain silent on that matter.
Touching on such a potentially explosive topic could easily shatter the newfound gentle atmosphere.
After a while…
With a few more resolutions and some additional discussions regarding diplomatic matters, the end of the heart-pounding ‘meeting’ was finally coming into sight from my perspective.
“I’ll warn you again, should anything happen to our daughter, I won’t let you off, so always keep that in mind.”
“I will remember, Mother.”
“Though I won’t object to the matter of taking a concubine, if I hear any bad news regarding this, then…”
“Then I’ll prepare my coffin and wait for it. I assure you, I won’t let there be any such situations, so please do not worry.”
“…All right. For now, since my daughter seems to be so fond of you, I’ll give it a try. Just be careful that trust doesn’t turn into disappointment.”
“Yes, Mother. While I may be lacking, I will do my utmost to meet your expectations.”
*
Immediately after the meeting concluded, I felt a wave of fatigue wash over me as I headed back to the separate quarters with Cazerose.
“Phew…”
“Thank you for your hard work. Truly…”
Seeing my clearly exhausted expression, Cazerose spoke with concern and remorse.
While looking at her, I slowly formed a smile.
“Well, at least they granted permission, so that’s a relief. Honestly, I expected a bit more pressure here and there.”
“I was a little surprised about that too. Considering Mother’s personality, ending things at this level is quite generous.”
“What could be the reason behind that?..”
“..I’m sorry, I’m not sure about that either…”
Even though it was pretty intense, the fact that our conversation continued under the premise of having received permission already set a significant difference. There was a clear distinction when we compared yesterday’s conversation, which was filled with a strong intent to grill me, to today’s lighter discourse.
Yet, for some reason, we couldn’t uncover the reason behind it.
Pondering over that mystery, I suddenly turned to look at Polena, who was peacefully asleep against one wall of the room.
Her peaceful demeanor evoked a sense of comfort.
Cazerose and I shared a subtle smirk as we both observed.
‘Even in this situation, she sleeps so soundly… One would think she’s back home.’
