QBSLB 18

Chapter 18. The Genre of This Show Is a Trashy Melodrama

“I’ll provide the carriage. Our precious eldest grandson can’t possibly ride a horse to the academy.”

Since she couldn’t afford to damage the family’s prestige, Sophia would probably send out the finest carriage they had.

And if it were the original Aileen, she wouldn’t have had the nerve to step out of that carriage.

Kind as she was, she would worry that her son might be ashamed of her, that her shabby appearance might bring disgrace to the Morgans family.

And every time that happened, Cale would grow even more disappointed in Aileen and look down on her.

That was how Sophia had cleverly driven a wedge between mother and son.

But I had no intention of falling for it.

If you’re going to give me a chance to go out first, I’ll gladly take it!

I’d been wondering how I was supposed to find my fairy grandmother anyway.

In high spirits, I nodded enthusiastically and exclaimed,

“Yes! Of course I should see him off!”

At that, Sophia and Cale—who was in her arms—both widened their eyes in surprise.

Watching them, I was seized by a strange feeling.

No matter how you look at it, that grandmother and grandson really are identical, like two peas in a pod…

In contrast, aside from their blue eyes, Aileen and Cale had nothing in common appearance-wise.

“……”

I quietly sank into thought.

Ten years ago—sudden amnesia and news of a premarital pregnancy.

“…Then do you happen to know when those two started seeing each other?”

“Oh, don’t even ask. It must’ve been about ten years.”

“Ten years…”

And it had been ten years—or even longer—since Derfel met that former courtesan.

My gaze fell on Cale’s brown hair.

That woman I’d seen back then had brown hair too…

Could he really be Aileen’s child…?

Even when I searched through Aileen’s memories, she had always struggled with the child.

Partly because she had no memory of giving birth, and partly because the child—prickly from a very young age—had nothing about him that resembled her.

Cale, too, had always looked down on his own mother.

…But what if that was because she wasn’t his biological parent?

Sophia left the room without a word, taking Cale with her.

After brooding alone for a while, I soon shook my head.

“Whew. What am I even thinking… This isn’t some trashy melodrama.”

Though, considering Sophia’s behavior, maybe it really was.

Still, Aileen might have been excessively kind, but she wasn’t stupid.

If anything, she was quite sharp.

According to her memories from back then, the chances of tampering with the kinship test were extremely, extremely slim.

In this world, kinship tests could only be done through blood.

And Aileen had personally witnessed, with her own eyes at the temple, blood from two people being mixed for the test.

The result had shown a 99.99% match.

Because none of Aileen’s relatives had survived the fire, the only way to falsify the result would’ve been to steal Aileen’s blood.

But if they’d secretly used Aileen’s blood for the test, it would’ve shown a 100% match—as the same person.

So there was no choice but to trust the test result.

Right. Any other possibility is far too unlikely…

Come to think of it, Sophia and Derfel did resemble each other quite a bit.

On the other hand, Derfel barely resembled Hobsin at all.

“Looks like Sophia’s crazy genes are just absurdly strong.”

Having reached that conclusion, I let out a deep sigh and shook my head.

After the weekend passed, Monday morning arrived.

Just as I’d expected, Sophia brought out the family’s finest carriage early in the morning.

Inside the carriage, the three of us rode together.

“…Do you really intend to see him off?”

Sophia asked me in an irritated tone.

It seemed she’d hoped I’d lower my tail and apologize first over the weekend.

But I pretended not to notice her intention and answered with a bright smile.

“Of course, Mother! If I, his mother, don’t see Cale off, who will?”

Sophia—who had been playing that role in place of Aileen all this time—cleared her throat irritably.

The key to parental fashion was “effortless chic.”

Not flashy, but tastefully refined.

Showing off wealth even while seeing a child off was considered vulgar.

But being a nouveau riche with poor taste and an inability to hide her vanity, Sophia was dressed in outrageously lavish attire.

Not “effortless chic,” but more like “overdone, overdone, overdone.”

In contrast, I was wearing an outing dress so plain it bordered on shabby and worn.

“Are you really going to get out of the carriage? …With that hairstyle?”

Of course, the hair on the side of my head still hadn’t grown back.

Perhaps thinking I’d be ashamed of my chopped hair, Sophia asked several times if I was really getting out.

Each time, I smiled innocently, as if I didn’t understand a thing.

“Why, of course. You were the one who so thoughtfully cut it for me yourself, Mother!”

“……”

Sophia fell silent, unable to find a retort.

Then Cale, who’d been scowling since morning, finally shouted,

“Grandma! I hate it! It’s embarrassing if Mom goes!”

Good grief. Saying that right in front of someone—what manners.

But Sophia had no intention of correcting the boy’s behavior.

She firmly believed that “boys should be raised bold and unbroken.”

“Oh dear. Was our Cale upset? Grandma won’t do it again next time. Just bear with it this once, okay?”

“Ugh, seriously! This is so annoying…!”

Cale threw a tantrum the entire way to the academy.

And Sophia anxiously indulged every bit of his foul temper.

Watching the whole commotion in the jolting carriage made my head throb.

I was desperately wishing we’d arrive already when the carriage finally began to slow.

We’re almost there.

Happy at the thought, I opened the window to look outside.

The academy’s main gate was visible in the distance.

Perhaps because it was a school exclusively for nobles, the campus was broader and more splendid than most universities.

Wow. It’s practically the size of a whole town.

After enduring Cale’s nonstop whining all the way here, letting my guard down for even a moment was a mistake.

As if she’d been waiting for the chance, Sophia suddenly cried out, “Oh my!”

And then—

She very deliberately poured the black tea from the magically insulated thermos she’d brought into the carriage, straight onto me.

“Ah, it’s hot!”

I jumped to my feet in shock.

But Sophia didn’t look surprised at all—she just laughed as if amused.

“It’s already cooled down. Why are you making such a fuss?”

She was right—the tea had cooled during the ride and wasn’t hot enough to burn.

But if you suddenly spill tea all over someone’s dress, shouldn’t you at least apologize?

Sophia merely wore a smug expression and muttered a ridiculous excuse.

“Why is the carriage so shaky today, hmm.”

“……”

Naturally, the carriage was perfectly steady—like a bed.

After all, we were riding in the largest and finest carriage the Morgans family owned.

“I suppose you’ll have to stay in the carriage.”

Sophia sneered at me, drenched in tea.

“You can’t possibly stand in front of the other parents looking that sloppy. Think how embarrassed Cale would be!”

At her words, Cale—who’d been looking at me indifferently—burst into laughter as well.

“Yeah! So just stay inside the carriage, Mom!”

“……”

Right then, the carriage came to a stop.

Without waiting for my response, Sophia and Cale quickly stepped down.

“Good morning, Lady Morgans.”

“You’re seeing young Master Cale off again today, in place of the Viscountess, I see.”

I could hear greetings being exchanged outside.

“Yes, ho ho. As you know, my daughter-in-law really prefers staying at home…”

Seriously.

So that was what she’d been telling people all along?

All to cultivate the image of a kind grandmother who even came out to see her grandson off, in place of a lazy daughter-in-law.

I took out the handkerchief I’d prepared beforehand and tied it over my head.

It was to temporarily hide my cropped side hair.

Alright, then. Shall we begin?

From here on out, it was showtime.

The genre of this show was a trashy melodrama.

And the main character wasn’t me—

It was Sophia Morgans.

I swung the carriage door open with a bang and stepped down.

Sophia, who’d been chatting with the other parents, met my gaze.

She froze, her mouth falling open in shock.