“Yes! They say they take all the children from the tower.”

“What do they do there? On the picnic?”

I wonder what a picnic is like in this world. Gathering a little expectation, I looked at Shasha. In the meantime, we got on the carriage. The Emperor gestured for me to sit across from him, and I sat down in front of him.

“They pick grass.”

“Grass…?”

“Yes! They say they pick herbs and mushrooms and stuff like that.”

“…You don’t mean to tell me that’s all they do? They always go to the mountains for picnics?”

It’s far, but there’s the sea, and lakes, and even a simple outing to the market would make the kids happy. How can they only go to the mountains?

“Yes! That’s all they do! The Tower Lord said it was really fun, and that we should go together next time. But… I want to go on a picnic with you, Sister.”

I was suddenly irritated by the sight of the child’s reddening cheeks.

‘How is that a picnic!’

Taking the little ones. Then let them run around, or play hideandseek or treasure hunt or something. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do? Grass picking? Mushroom gathering? Really, the tower is… a place without a hint of affection.

Especially the human called the Tower Lord, I didn’t like him at all.

“Well, let’s go next time.”

Or is this the picnic of this world? Are these kinds of things what picnics are here? Since the owner of this body, Isabella, didn’t have any memories of going on picnics, nothing came to mind.

I had a feeling that it was because I disliked the Tower Lord so much, and I just hated him, that maybe this is really a picnic in this country, but I only thought badly of it at that moment.

The bridge of the Emperor’s nose, who was sitting in front, flicked. It was as if he was saying, ‘What nonsense is this.’ Unlike when he was with me and Shasha, he seemed unable to speak freely and was talking through expressions.

‘It seems that’s not a normal picnic, after all.’

Anyway, Tower Lord. I won’t leave him be.

While talking to Shasha for a while, the carriage door closed, and we were just about to depart.

That’s when it happened.

The sound of someone knocking on the window reached my ears. While talking to Shasha, I unconsciously turned my head.

Sure enough, there was a person there who was not very welcome.

“Just, just open it for a moment.”

The Countess. She was looking at me with a desperate expression.

“…You just can’t give up, can you?”

“If it was just me going, I would have given up… but they are…”

Stroking Shasha’s head and smiling, as if worried that something might happen because of her, Shasha hugged her bag more tightly.

“Why are you doing this?”

In the end, I opened the door and looked at the Countess.

“That’s… that’s… Isabella.”

“Yes.”

“You talk her out of it. It’s ridiculous to take Shasha.”

“Where is it not going to happen?”

I looked at her with a tsk.

“That’s why you should’ve been nice. Should’ve complimented her.”

“I will compliment her and love her. So…”

“So His Majesty the Emperor will send the child back.”

“It won’t do. Right now, right now, Shasha needs to be here.”

Then, standing on tiptoes, she whispered to me so that only I could hear.
“The place where your father and I invested has completely failed. We even stood guarantee there under Shasha’s name. If they find out there’s no child, they definitely won’t leave your father and me alone.”

So that was it. The reason they had tried so desperately to cling to Shasha. To love the child even once, to feel uneasy about sending her elsewhere, to want to keep her by their side.

Even if it were a lie, had I heard that, I might have made a different choice.

But now it really wasn’t.

“You people are truly terrible until the very end.”

“This too is for your sake. If they know Shasha is with you, they will come after you.”

“Yes, yes. Thank you for the advice and counsel. Thanks to you, I can respond in advance.”

“Isabella!”

“And honestly, was it really an investment? It wasn’t something you gambled away, was it?”

It was a question asked with a feeling of disbelief. But then her pupils began to roll around.

“Now you’re piling up gambling debts in front of the child’s name? You people really need to suffer to come to your senses. Just mentioning the child’s name and money comes from everywhere; you’re absolutely thrilled. To think you call this a family. Disgraceful. Start the carriage. I don’t need to hear this.”

“Do so.”

He tapped on the carriage window, and the carriage began to slowly increase its speed.

“Bella, Bella!!! No, Sha, Shanencia! You should have this mother, right? Huh? Eh?”

But the carriage had already started to speed up, and she couldn’t stop it.

Leaning against the carriage, the countess who had been talking collapsed miserably to the floor.

“My, my lady! Someone, help!”

But no one helped him. Anyone with eyes and ears would know the usual situation of a count’s house.

The count’s house was already finished. Still, a few servants reluctantly approached them, with expressions of helplessness. We left that place.

“Sister… Is it all over?”

Shasha, who had been burying her head in her bag, fearing that she might recognize her, raised her head belatedly.

“Yes… It’s over. Shasha, it must have been very hard for you?”