“And when I said I would go to Evangeline’s garden party, you tried to stop me. Before that, you were always clinging to me at the tavern.”

Seeming to realize what I was about to say, April quietly nodded.

I gazed at April and continued.

“……That was all because of your precognition ability, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct…….”

“At the tavern, or on the day of the garden party, you saw a future where I made a mistake? So you were scared……?”

“…….”

April’s expression looked as if she might cry at any moment.

Only then did I realize that seeing ‘someone’s mistake in the future’ greatly triggered April’s trauma.

Not knowing that…… I greatly regretted not taking better care of April’s feelings.

“……I’m sorry, April…….”

“No, no. That’s not why I brought it up…….”

April hastily stopped me, looking a bit flustered, as I sincerely apologized.

Even Grayan, who had been silently listening until now, slowly opened his mouth.

“……I must have been lacking in many ways as your uncle. I’m sorry, April.”

“No, I really…….”

April stammered for a while before letting out a soft sigh. Grayan gently patted April’s shoulder with a gentle expression.

As I quietly watched the two, a thought suddenly came to my mind, and I voiced it.

“When we first met…… you knew that I would become your stepmother.”

So that’s why April had been friendly with me from the beginning.

But…… there was something strange. If April could see multiple branches of the future, wouldn’t she have seen a future where ‘Gloria’ became the stepmother, not me?

‘In that future, Gloria must have been very hostile to April.’

However, April seemed to have liked me from the beginning.

If she had seen a future where Gloria became the stepmother, it wouldn’t have been easy to simply like me.

‘Strange.’

Pondering the question, I casually asked April.

“April, what were the futures you saw about me before we met? You can tell me everything, it’s okay.”

“Ah, that is…….”

Then April’s cheeks turned slightly red, and she seemed somewhat embarrassed.

“……?”

Something…… was entirely unexpected, and I was puzzled. I was prepared to accept whatever I was going to hear, but……?

“In all the futures I saw, the Duchess…… was very kind to me.”

“Oh…… is that so?”

“Yes……. That’s why I’ve been looking forward to meeting the Duchess.”

“I see…….”

I replied calmly, but I was inwardly confused. Was it the case that ‘April’s stepmother’ was merely kind in ‘all the futures’? That I was not ‘Gloria’ as a stepmother in any future……?

‘Could it be…… possible? Not a single future where Gloria was the stepmother……? Strange. Something’s strange. I don’t know why it’s strange, but it’s strange anyway!’
It was getting more and more confusing. At this point, it was bewildering. Where had Gloria’s soul, which had departed from this body, gone?

‘What on earth is going on…….’

My head was complicated with all sorts of thoughts, but for now, I took a deep breath trying to stay calm. I was in the middle of an important conversation with April, after all.

“I’m really happy to have met you, too. I don’t know how happy I am because of it.”

“…….”

At my words, April blinked her eyes rapidly and her face flushed even more vividly. It was undoubtedly a happy reaction.

“And thank you for telling me about your secret. In the future, if you’re ever struggling or have any concerns, I hope you’ll tell me.”

“……Yes, Duchess.”

April answered in a soft voice, meeting my eyes, and fiddled with her hands. Inevitably, she looked so adorable and lovely that it bombarded my heart……!

I almost lost control again, but I calmed myself down and spoke slightly more firmly this time.

“And, if you don’t mind, could you call me Mom?”

“……!”

“If you’re not ready yet, I can’t help it…… But I hope you’ll call me Mom.”

“That, that’s…….”

April fiddled with her hands more intensely and finally answered with a face red as a beet.

“I’ll try……!”

“Yes, good.”

“……!”

I reached out and hugged her tightly, and April stiffened as if broken.

I slightly loosened my arms and stroked April’s head with a casual smile.

Somehow, my heart felt filled. Warm and snug warmth spread from the center of my body.

Getting to know April better, I was sincerely happy and thrilled.

(This is a time separator.)

After revealing the secret to Grayan and me, April became much brighter and lively.

It seemed like something that had been weighing on April’s heart had been resolved.

Even, April suggested that she wanted to show us how she practices!

I was very curious about how April practiced when in human form, so I naturally accepted.

Grayan also took time out of his busy schedule to come and watch April’s training. It was around two in the afternoon when the sun was high.

April usually wore a cute dress, but today she was wearing a comfortable tunic and pants.

Moreover, she had protectors on her arms and ankles, so she really looked like a swordsman.

Seeing April’s new appearance, my heart inevitably pounded. I want to call a painter and capture it in a painting…….

“Today…… Jade and I will have a duel.”

“A…… duel?!”

I was surprised and asked in response to the unexpected news. I thought she would just swing a sword a few times……

Grayan next to me was also staring at April with wide eyes as if surprised. He, too, seemed to have never anticipated that April would have a duel.

“A duel…… isn’t that dangerous? You might get hurt…….”

Grayan protested with an unavoidably worried voice. I, feeling the same way, vehemently nodded, but April lifted her wooden sword with a slightly smiling and relaxed expression.

“It’s okay. Jade and I have dueled several times before.”

“……What?!”

What is that? She had dueled several times before!