[Episode 140] - Mother Is 10 Years Old
Before returning to the detached palace, Vivian, whose body had shrunk because of the curse, underwent a simple examination with Veronica to check her condition.
Through various tests, they confirmed that there were no abnormalities ‘for now’: whether her suddenly diminished body was functioning normally, and whether the shrinking had caused any changes to her personality.
After the brief examination, Vivian received the news that there were still no abnormalities and changed into the cute children’s clothes Brownie had prepared for her.
A snow-white blouse with frills on the sleeves and a navy dress skirt. On top of that, the enormous navy ribbon attached to the skirt swayed gently whenever she moved.
Vivian examined her reflection in the mirror, then let her shoulders droop with a sigh that escaped her involuntarily and lowered her head. Her pouting lips were an added touch.
“Haah... I can’t believe I ended up becoming seven years old...”
“More precisely, you’re ten. Though you do look younger than ten.”
“Really?”
Sitting in a chair, Veronica let out a small laugh as she looked Vivian over. Vivian, too, gazed at her younger face in the mirror once more. For a ten-year-old, this face did seem a little too young.
Her plump cheeks, her wavy blond hair cascading down to her back, and her bright green eyes. At a glance, she was simply an ordinarily cute child, but even as a child, that ‘Vivian’ had always been different.
Perhaps because she was a child, her features were less severe than when she was an adult, but Vivian’s trademark sharp catlike eyes and fierce gaze remained unchanged. Adults might not have minded them, but children her age would certainly have found them frightening.
As Vivian stretched and squeezed her plumped-up cheeks while admiring herself, Veronica, wearing a bitter expression behind her, reached out and stroked Vivian’s head.
Feeling as though she were being treated like a child, Vivian sharpened her already fierce gaze even further and turned to glare at Veronica. She was about to tell her not to treat her like a child, but...
“...I’m causing you trouble again.”
At Veronica’s truly apologetic expression, Vivian said nothing and merely shook her head. It wasn’t as though this situation was Veronica’s fault.
Veronica had said she never imagined something like this could happen, and in the first place, Vivian herself was the one who had carelessly approached the fairy’s egg.
“It’s not your fault. The problem was that I approached the egg on my own. I should have acted more cautiously.”
“...”
Seeing Veronica’s brows still furrowed, Vivian sighed helplessly and rose onto her tiptoes. Stretching her hand as high as she could above her head, she stroked Veronica’s hair as she sat in the chair.
“Don’t make that face. I’ve never once thought of you as a nuisance. So... since I’m trying to pat you, shouldn’t you have the sense to lower your head a little?!”
Vivian let out a deep sigh, saying that even patting someone’s head was difficult in this body, then puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. No matter how one looked at it, it was such a cute and lovable sight—a child throwing a tantrum—that Veronica let out a small laugh.
“Really... Even when you say things like a mother while looking like that...”
With a bitter smile, Veronica slipped her hands beneath Vivian’s arms as she stood on tiptoe before her and lifted her up. Easily hoisted into the air, Vivian had no choice but to plop down onto Veronica’s lap.
“I told you not to treat me like a child—”
“Thank you for saying that, Vivian.”
At Veronica’s gesture of wrapping her arms around Vivian from behind, as though embracing her where she sat on her lap, Vivian wore a sullen expression for a moment. It was troublesome—if Veronica kept acting like this, Vivian couldn’t bring herself to get angry.
As they remained like that, Veronica began pressing her nose against the crown of Vivian’s head and inhaling her scent, making Vivian shudder. With Veronica rubbing her cheek against her hair and hugging her tightly, Vivian felt as though she had become a doll.
Letting out a small sigh, Vivian tapped Veronica’s arms around her waist and changed the subject. Come to think of it, Veronica had said there was something she wanted to ask about the fairy’s egg.
“Come to think of it, what was it you wanted to ask me? You said you needed my opinion about the fairy’s egg, didn’t you?”
“Ah... that?”
Veronica buried her nose in the nape of Vivian’s neck, deeply inhaling the natural scent rising from her delicate skin, then answered with a gentle smile.
“...It’s nothing. I don’t think there’s any need to ask you now.”
“What? What do you mean by—”
“It’s fine, so just let me hold you like this for a little while. You really are a bit different from a dwarf... Is it because you’re you?”
Veronica giggled and hugged Vivian, seated on her lap, even more tightly. Yes, there was no need to ask anymore.
Because she didn’t want to trouble her any further.
In truth, there had been something she wanted to ask for. Something difficult to say, but which she still wished to request. However, now that Vivian had become like this, Veronica didn’t want to trouble her again.
‘Vivian, the truth is... While investigating the fairy’s egg, I found ‘another way’ to heal my body. It’s a little difficult, but with someone’s help, I’m sure I can fix this body.’
She simply wished to receive that help from Vivian, rather than from someone else, if possible. If she could, she wanted to ask Vivian. But...
‘I don’t want to trouble Vivian any more than this.’
Veronica smiled bitterly, burying her face in the nape of Vivian’s neck as she swallowed back her emotions. Along with Vivian’s scent, she buried deep within her heart the greed that seemed to boil over and the ‘forbidden knowledge’ she had uncovered.
So that she would never bring forth these sinister thoughts again.
In a deep, dark place.
*
“Mother, I’ve been thinking... Wouldn’t it be all right if you stayed with me in the main palace, at least until your body returns to normal...?”
Not long after they arrived at the detached palace. Just as Vivian had changed into her nightclothes and was preparing to go to bed, Titania pleaded with her in an imploring voice.
“No matter how I think about it, I can’t leave you here alone when you’ve become younger... Besides, if you come to the main palace, you’ll be able to move around freely. No one there will recognize you as you are now. So, um...”
“......All right. Let’s do that.”
“Wh-what... Really? You really mean it?”
As though surprised by how quickly Vivian had agreed, Titania stammered before breaking into a radiant smile. Vivian let out a quiet laugh as she watched her. Goodness, was she really that happy?
Vivian blinked and fell into thought. To be honest, she wasn’t sure she could continue staying here, and as Titania had said, no one would recognize her in this form. If she claimed to be Vivian’s niece, it should be fine.
Once Vivian gave her permission, Titania smiled shyly and said that she would come to escort her the next morning. Vivian blinked to show that she understood, then yawned so widely it felt as though the corners of her mouth would split and smacked her lips.
“Mother. Are you already sleepy? It’s only nine o’clock...”
“Could it be because my body has become younger...? I’m so sleepy...”
Her eyelids growing heavy, Vivian could no longer even blink properly. Unable to resist the drowsiness washing over her, she fell into a deep sleep just like that.
Titania let out a quiet giggle at the sight of her mother falling asleep in an instant, her breathing soft and gentle. Perhaps it really was because she had become younger; she seemed unable to hold back her sleepiness.
Would it be all right, just this once, while she was asleep? Titania quietly climbed onto the bed and lay down beside Vivian. Her mother sleeping with her hands neatly folded over her stomach looked incredibly lovable.
Titania gazed down at her sleeping mother and smiled, slowly curling up the corners of her lips as though she were happy. Her heart swelled so much that she wondered whether it was truly all right to be this happy.
In truth, Titania thought it was fortunate that Vivian had become younger. Now that she had become like this, she wouldn’t be able to run away anywhere anymore. Whenever something troubled her, she would rely on Titania, her daughter.
Now that she was young, at least for this moment, she would always remain by Titania’s side. The mere thought made Titania incredibly happy. She was overjoyed that they would no longer have to be apart.
‘We’ll sleep in the same room and the same bed, just like before. It’s the exact opposite of how things were back then... But nothing will really change.’
If she allowed herself to indulge in her honest desires, she sometimes found herself wishing that the curse placed on her mother would never be lifted.
She thought it might be all right to wait like this until her mother became an adult again with the passage of time.
Her mother was ten years old now, which meant exactly ten years remained until she reached twenty—the same age Titania was now.
For ten years, until her mother grew again and became an adult once more, Titania wanted to support her mother from her side.
‘Just as Mother raised me. I’ll raise Mother, too. For ten years. No—for the rest of my life, by her side.’
Titania smiled bitterly and gently smoothed back her sleeping mother’s bangs. It was only that, if she followed her heart, she wished things could be that way; it wasn’t that she truly wanted her mother’s curse to remain unbroken. Of course, she also wished for her mother to be freed from the curse and return to normal. It was simply that...
‘If the way to break the curse were a kiss from me... it would surely be the greatest happiness imaginable.’
If she were her mother’s destined partner, she could convey this aching affection just as it was. Titania let out a small sigh and gazed intently at her mother’s slightly parted lips.
“...You said we’d do it later.”
For now, she had no intention of forcing it or even allowing herself to think that way.
She didn’t want to hurt her mother.
She didn’t want to make another mistake by letting her emotions get ahead of her.
Titania rose from the bed and looked down at Vivian. Satisfied simply by the thought that she would be able to live with her mother again starting tomorrow, Titania curved her eyes into a pleasant smile.
She pulled the blanket up to her mother’s shoulders, then smiled sweetly and bid farewell to her sleeping mother, whose face looked so lovely.
“...Good night, Mother.”