“Mom?”

“Yes.”

“Hehe.”

Upon discovering me, Euphemina half-closed her large eyes and smiled broadly.

Her gentle face looked the same as usual, but strangely lacked energy. Perhaps she had lost weight in just a few days.

“How strange. Our daughter, not rushing into my arms when Mom comes?”

“Umm…”

Euphemina used to drop everything and run to cling to my waist whenever she saw me.

The daughter who was even more clingy than Chersion, the youngest.

But today, she’s just peeking her face out while hiding her body tightly under a blanket.

“My daughter. You haven’t eaten either.”

“Um. I don’t have an appetite.”

“I see. But why are you wrapped up in a blanket? Are you very cold?”

“Umm, no.”

“Then is it because you’re hurting somewhere?”

“…That’s not it either.”

“Then shall Mom take a look at your wounds?”

That was clearly the issue. Euphemina’s gentle gaze instantly contorted.

“Euphy, it’s okay. Actually, wounds heal faster when exposed to air.”

However, the persuasion didn’t work well.

Euphemina shook her head back and forth while her fingertips whitened from gripping the blanket tightly.

Wondering what to do in the face of such clear refusal, I slumped my shoulders.

“I’m not trying to force you. But I’m hurt. Won’t Euphy share secrets with Mom anymore now that she’s all grown up?”

“No, that’s not it.”

Finally, a reaction came. Pouting her lips, she spoke in a voice that sounded like she might cry.

“The wound is too gross… I don’t want to show it to Mom.”

“It’s okay, it won’t look gross at all to Mom’s eyes.”

“No, it’s gross. My body has been marred. They say that lowers my value and no one will like me anymore.”

It was the reaction I had expected.

Nevertheless, I felt nausea rising to the top of my head.

The wounds that damn husband left on my children were too deep. So deep that mere death couldn’t atone for his sins.

Only after calming my emotions for a moment could I move my pursed lips to gently call the child’s name.

“Euphy. Was it Dad who said that?”

I embraced Euphemina’s shoulders. Still wrapped in the blanket, my daughter nodded slightly as she was pulled into my arms.

“Do you think everything Dad says is right?”

At that, the child shook her head vigorously.

“Nuh-uh, Kar elder brother says Dad is a fraud. He says that while Mom stays up all night working to earn money and manage the estate, Dad lies and says he did it all.”

I had never told the children, but I knew they would understand.

“And Kar elder brother said to keep this a secret, but he had many mistresses too. He said that the money he claimed was for business was actually used to buy jewels for courtesans…”

What?

“Those women even came to the house when Mom was away working.”

This was news to me. For a moment steam rose to my head and I almost shouted, but I barely managed to control myself.

Now was the time to listen to my daughter’s story.

“I see, so now Euphy knows too? That that man… that not everything Dad said was right.”

“Uh-huh, I guess so. It seems that way.”

“So Mom’s beloved daughter Euphy is the prettiest in Mom’s eyes even with some burn scars. Losing value, what nonsense. Mom loves our Euphy no matter what she looks like.”

“Heh. Really?”

“Of course!”

Up to that point, Euphemina seemed to understand to some extent.

Of course, judging by how she was still gripping the blanket tightly, she didn’t seem completely at ease.

It was only natural. One word from me can’t change a mindset that’s been indoctrinated for over a decade.

Euphemina will need more time. Only then will she eventually be able to make healthy value judgments on her own.

But that’s that, and right now the child’s health and confidence recovery are important. It seemed a somewhat stimulating method was needed for now.

“But why would Dad say such bad things to our Euphy about not letting her value drop?”

At my leading question, Euphemina tilted her head with her characteristic blank face.

“Um, so I can catch the most expensive marriage prospect like Mom?”

“My goodness. Does Euphy already want to get married?”

“…!”

Euphemina’s pupils dilated instantly upon seeing my reaction. It seems she had never thought about it that far.

Pretending to be slightly disappointed, I clicked my tongue lightly and said.

“And here I was planning to keep our daughter until she turned eighteen. But Euphy is already preparing for marriage.”

“Uh…”

The large amber eyes wandered with a look of bewilderment.

“I guess it can’t be helped. Mom can’t say no to what our Euphy wants. Since you want to marry into a good family, I should start looking for the best place from now. Oh! You know what, Euphy? A good marriage prospect means a great noble family with vast lands like the Daiern duchy. My daughter, we won’t be able to see each other often after you marry. But we can still see each other’s faces during the social season…”

“I won’t get married!”

At that moment, Euphemina raised her voice in outburst.

“I won’t! I’ll live with Mom!”

Euphemina threw off the blanket she had been wrapped in and flung herself into my arms.

For a moment I thought my waist would break from the surprisingly great force.

“Please spread the word in high society right away. Tell them I got a burn on my arm so I absolutely, absolutely cannot find a good marriage prospect!”

“Euphy, wait…”

“Look at this! I have a burn scar here on my arm…!”

Euphemina’s reaction was more immediate than I had anticipated.

I carefully held the arm the child thrust out and was finally able to examine the wound.

“…”

And my expression slowly hardened as I saw the burn scar.

To be frank.

Yes, the wound was not as serious as I had worried.

It should heal quickly with consistent care and application of ointment.

Yet I couldn’t control my gaze from turning fierce. It seemed unavoidable that a scar would remain on the child’s skin.

It felt like my insides were boiling.

I was so upset that I couldn’t even think ‘At least it’s only this bad’.

If only I could transfer the wound to my own arm, I would desperately want to do so. It hurt my heart more than if I had been injured myself.

“The court physician said there will still be a dark mark left here even after time passes. Hehe. This is enough to prevent marriage, right Mom?”

“…”

“Mom?”

I don’t know, I…

The current situation felt so bizarre.

It would have been better if Euphemina was worried about how to wear dresses that expose her arms from now on.

I wouldn’t have felt this upset if she was worried about someone making fun of her scar.

Then I could have been like other ordinary parents, honestly feeling sorry and making a fuss.

I could have cried together over the wound on my daughter’s body, comforting her saying, ‘Mom will find a way to fix it somehow.’

But for this young girl…

For my daughter, I couldn’t do that. I shouldn’t do that.

But I also can’t just brush it off as if this level of scar is nothing, acting like it’s no big deal.

It was complicated. How to empathize with the child’s feelings in this situation, what method to use to truly comfort the child.

I don’t know. I guess I’m not such a good mother.

“…My daughter. You want to stay with Mom that much?”

“Uh-huh, yes!”

Even with the bright red burn scar thickly coated in ointment, the child smiles brightly as usual.

“Alright.”

A lump of painful and aching emotions got stuck in my throat.

I deliberately smiled even more happily so that those filthy things wouldn’t spill out.

“Let’s do that, Euphy.”

So in the end, that was the only reaction I could show.

“You don’t have to get married or anything like that.”

You don’t need to have a debutante ball if you don’t want to.

It’s fine if you never associate with high society for your whole life.

In the greenhouse you love, raising beautiful flowers and plants…

“Let’s live together with Mom.”

As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters, my beloved daughter.

“But Euphy. To live with Mom, you need to be healthy, so are you just going to stay in bed without eating? You need to eat meals so we can take walks together wearing pretty clothes.”

“Oh…!”

Euphemina’s eyes immediately widened as she got up and approached the table.

The leaves weathering December, though not as vibrantly green as in summer, were spending the winter with their own vitality in a deep green hue.

After Euphemina finished her meal, I picked out clothes for her and we took a walk together in the imperial palace annex garden.

Euphemina enjoyed walking between the rugged coniferous hedgerows that couldn’t be seen in the Daiern mansion greenhouse.

That was enough. For now, I could breathe a sigh of relief.

“My lady.”

Suddenly Loretta, who had been following behind, came trotting up and called out to me.

I turned my head to ask what was the matter, but I could guess the reason without asking.

When I said this annex was prepared by Prince Raphael, perhaps I had anticipated this encounter.