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The wagon continued on while one entirely innocent man suffered some undeserved damage to his reputation.
They had the bad luck to encounter a pack of wolves along the way, but the moment Liz threatened them with fire magic, they fled.
It was rare to encounter powerful monsters around here. Whenever one appeared, the Royal Knights or high-ranking adventurers were dispatched to deal with it immediately, since leaving one alone would interfere with the flow of goods to and from the capital.
Lulu had become completely attached to Levia.
Levia was perfectly willing to play things like house or cat’s cradle with her, and she had plenty to talk about too, including stories of her exploits as an adventurer. She also knew all about the latest fashions and trends in the capital. Between her boyish skills and feminine skills, she never gave Lulu a chance to get bored.
Even so, when night came, family was family. After they finished preparing camp and ate around the fire, Lulu eventually grew sleepy and returned to Land. She rested her head on her father’s lap and soon began breathing softly in her sleep.
“She fell asleep. I guess she really was tired.”
“Travel is tiring even for adults. I think she’s doing very well just by not crying.”
Liz seemed used to children as well and had started helping Levia look after Lulu along the way. Since she had also driven away the wolves earlier, Lulu apparently thought of her as the “strong big sister.” Surrounded by the princess big sister and the strong big sister, Lulu had looked delighted all day.
“Hmm. But why would she not warm up to me…?”
Ney, on the other hand, had been avoided. She liked children herself, but for some reason children never seemed to like her much.
“You’re too stiff. Your speech, your expressions, everything. Even adults might hesitate before approaching you. Why would a child come running over?”
“I-is that so? I thought I was acting normally.”
“At the very least, stop making that cool, serious smile. Just smile normally. Like this—smile.”
“I-I see. Like this?”
Apparently, Ney smiled.
“…You need facial training.”
“Yeah. Your mouth is twitching, and your eyes aren’t smiling.”
Levia and Liz gave her harsh evaluations. Whatever expression Ney was making, it could hardly be called a smile.
“If you keep that up, whether children like you or not will be the least of your problems. You’re still young now, but your face will start sagging as you get older.”
“What?! Is that true?!”
“Yes. You should train your facial muscles while you still can. Chopsticks… no, we don’t have those here. There’s an effective exercise you can do with a small twig.”
“Really?! Please teach me!”
“What happened to the part about getting children to like you…?” Liz muttered in exasperation.
A little modern-world knowledge had slipped into the conversation, but it was so trivial that Levia herself had not even noticed. If she had, she probably would have charged Ney for it.
Land laughed as he watched them.
“Hahaha. You really are an entertaining group. I had heard rumors that Poppy Anemone was quite the problem party, but I suppose rumors are only rumors.”
“At A-rank, one inevitably attracts envy. I’m glad you understand.”
Levia answered with a pleasant smile.
For some reason, both women beside her were giving her flat looks, but there was probably no need to worry about that.
“I was certainly surprised when I first saw you, Miss Levia, but after watching you with Lulu, I understand now. You have all sorts of things hidden under those clothes, don’t you? The hiding place is so obvious that it actually becomes difficult to notice.”
“Oh my, you found me out. Cosmetics, hand cream, bathing supplies, a sewing kit, cookies for snacks… I keep all sorts of things in there. I don’t believe in carrying bags.”
“Hahaha! You really are an amusing woman.”
Land slapped his knee and laughed, apparently thinking she was joking.
Levia looked genuinely puzzled as if wondering what was so funny, while her two companions sighed.
“Mmm… Daddy, you’re loud.”
“Oh. Sorry, sorry.”
Apparently Lulu had not been fully asleep. She complained without opening her eyes, and Land apologized as he pulled a blanket over her. Then he began gently patting her body in a steady rhythm.
When Lulu started breathing evenly again, Ney looked impressed.
“You seem quite practiced. Do you usually take care of her yourself?”
“Well, only when I’m home. With my line of work, I usually leave most of it to my wife.”
“Hehe. She looks comfortable. I suppose her father’s hand makes her feel safe.”
Liz watched them with a gentle smile. There was something nostalgic in her expression, as though she might have been remembering her own family back home.
“I want to do things like this for her while I still can. Her older sister won’t even let me pat her head anymore. ‘Dad, you’re gross,’ she says. What can a father do?”
“My. Is that so? Mine was still little, so I never reached that stage. Around what age did she start refusing?”
“Probably once she got past ten. That’s when they start getting cheeky.”
“Puberty begins around then, after all. I imagine girls are especially difficult. Perhaps those things are better left to the mother.”
“Exactly. Even if she is my child, she’s still a girl. There are plenty of things a father simply doesn’t understand. If you interfere carelessly, they tell you you’re insensitive. I imagine you had the same experience, Miss Levia… Wait. Hm?”
“…Ah. Forgive me. I was talking about my younger sister.”
“O-oh. I see. You startled me. For a moment there, it sounded like two fathers comparing notes.”
“Ohohoho. How embarrassing.”
Levia laughed to cover it.
Land looked a little puzzled, but apparently had no intention of pursuing the matter. He turned his attention back to Lulu, and after confirming that she was fully asleep, he picked her up and carried her toward the wagon. It was cramped inside, but there was enough room for a child to sleep.
Levia watched his back absentmindedly.
Ah, damn. Kids around that age always make me remember. Wonder how she’s doing.
She thought of her own daughter.
A memory from when she had still been Shinnosuke.
Even after sixteen years, she could still remember her clearly.
She had looked very much like him. The same hair color, the same eyes. She resembled him so strongly that it had almost been difficult to find anything inherited from her mother.
And yet, whenever she smiled, her smile looked just like his wife’s.
He had always found that strange.
I did my wife wrong too. Left her a single mother while she was still young. Well, I left behind enough money that she shouldn’t have any trouble.
It had been enough to put him on the list of the country’s wealthiest people. If anything, she probably had too much money rather than too little.
Hopefully she hadn’t dumped it all into some religion…
…No, that seemed unlikely.
If anything, she was more likely to start a religion herself.
In that case, would his corpse become the object of worship? It might even have been turned into some kind of holy relic by now.
Still, I would’ve liked to see my daughter in a wedding dress. That was sixteen years ago, so she’d be twenty-two now. About the age to finish university, I guess? She takes after me, so I’m sure she’s popular. Maybe she’s already married.
Levia looked up at the starry sky.
Herself, her wife, and their daughter. They had been a close family. She had thought they would always be together. But that had become impossible, because of her own stupidity.
She could never go back there. The thought made her eyes sting a little. Sixteen years had already passed, and here she was still getting sentimental. Pretty pathetic of her.
“Levia. What’s wrong?”
Levia blinked and looked over to find Liz watching her with concern. She wiped away the tears beginning to gather in her eyes and put on a smile. “It is nothing.” Liz’s expression did not change, however, and remained worried.
“…It truly is nothing. I merely remembered something from a long time ago.”
“A long time ago? When you were in Granleve?”
“Earlier than that. Before I met you.”
“I see. …Do you want to go back?”
—I want to go back.
Her eyes threatened to sting again, but this time she held it in.
“Ohohoho. Who would ever want to go back to that old man? I might put my hands together for him when he dies, I suppose. And I’ll have to deal with the inheritance.”
“…I see. Hey, Levia.”
“Yes?”
“If you ever want to talk about it, I’ll listen. I know it’s probably hard to say, but…”
Apparently Liz had noticed something. There was no way she could have guessed anything about a previous life, but this was Liz. She must have picked up on Levia’s sadness and was trying to be considerate.
“Ohohoho. It is nothing so serious.”
“I’ve put up with you for two years, you know? I can tell whether something is serious or not. You’re easy enough to read already.”
“My, my. Then perhaps I shall let you comfort me sometime. Though with a chest that flat, I doubt there would be much to lean on.”
“Gh…! I was trying to be nice, and you had to say that…! Fine. I’m never comforting you again.”
Liz lay down in a sulk and told her, “You’re taking first watch.”
Levia chuckled and looked back up at the sky. The homesickness was still there, but it was much better than before.
She’s a good person. Kind of… maternal, I guess? If I were still a man, that might’ve made my heart skip.
Maybe I’ll buy her dinner sometime—
As she was thinking that, someone gently patted her shoulder from the other side. She turned to find Ney standing there, looking strangely gentle.
“Don’t let it get you down. There are as many men in the world as there are stars in the sky. Forget the one who dumped you.”
Her voice carried a mixture of sympathy and encouragement, as though she knew exactly how Levia felt.
“…Haaaaah…”
Levia let out a long sigh.
Liz was eleven years younger than Ney, and yet somehow there was this much of a difference between them. Levia looked at Ney as though she were an idiot and opened her mouth.
“You have plenty of chest and absolutely no maternal instinct. You cannot read the room either. I understand perfectly well why you’re unpopular.”
“W-what did you say?!”