“A-Already? It hasn’t even been 30 minutes since you arrived……”

“Yes… is there anything else you’d like to say……”

Serena asked, rolling her eyes.

The couple’s movements froze at her attitude, which suggested she would listen if they had anything to say.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to see us?”

“Yes, and we’ve met, haven’t we? I’m relieved to see you seem to be in good health. I’m doing well and healthy too.”

Feeling like something was lacking, Serena opened her mouth.

To Serena, who had no memory of having parents, the existence of parents was always unfamiliar.

It was the same when she was reincarnated here, and it remained the same.

To her, guardians were ‘beings that shouldn’t be bothered.’ Nothing more, nothing less.

“…Is there nothing else you’re curious about?”

“Hmm.”

Serena stared blankly at Charlotte Lavernia.

Her health condition did look poor, but it seemed treatable with medicine, and otherwise, she didn’t appear to be under stress.

Of course, there was nothing she was curious about. Asking someone who seemed to be doing well if they were doing well was a question close to a waste of time.

“No.”

So she answered plainly.

“……”

Charlotte Lavernia felt hurt.

In fact, more than feeling hurt, she felt upset.

She felt guilty towards Serena. Guilty for not giving enough love to the child.

There was no expectation on the face of the child who slightly turned her head.

There was only an expression much drier than what she had seen in her childhood.

When Charlotte Lavernia’s expression contorted as if she was about to cry, the Marquis of Lavernia also became anxious.

“Yes. You can speak honestly.”

“That’s how I became friends with Serena.”

It was then that the advice of the tadpole with only hind legs came to mind.

Of course, that tadpole had figured out how to handle her a bit more and had already grown front legs, becoming half a frog, but still.

“Serena.”

Anyway, the only thing the Marquis of Lavernia could cling to was the advice he had heard from that tadpole with hind legs.

“Yes, Marqu… I mean, Father.”

“……”

Irdin Lavernia was greatly hurt.

Because he clearly heard with his ears that the bleak title was about to come out again.

He ended up burying his face in his wife’s shoulder, feeling a bit sorrowful.

“……Irdin.”

Unlike the gentle pat, Marquis Lavernia startled at that chilly voice and raised his head again.

“Shouldn’t you finish the conversation?”

“Yes……”

Marquis Lavernia cowered at her sharp eyes.

From the beginning, he had never won against her.

“Serena.”

“Yes.”

“We missed you.”

Anyway, Lavernia spoke to Serena, recalling past memories, just as he had done with Charlotte.

“……Ah, yes.”

“So won’t you stay with us a bit longer? We’re curious about what you’ve been doing, and we want to tell you about us too. We could have a meal together…… Serena?”

The moment he reached out to hold her hand, Serena’s shoulders flinched.

Seeing her face turn bright red, Marquis Lavernia blinked for a moment.

“Ah, yes……”

Her eyes rolled down slightly.

Seeing her still answering diligently despite this, Irdin Lavernia unconsciously looked at his wife.

Charlotte Lavernia’s eyes widened.

Realizing skillfully that Serena was feeling very shy and uncomfortable, Charlotte, unlike the two tadpoles, immediately opened her arms.

Then she pulled the child standing awkwardly and hugged her tightly to her chest.

“My child.”

“……Yes.”

She answers diligently even while feeling uncomfortable.

“Serena, it seems we haven’t been able to say this all along……”

Charlotte Lavernia lightly kissed her daughter’s cheek.

“We love you more than anything in the world.”

“……Ah.”

Marquis Lavernia’s eyes widened.

Because Serena was at a loss, her face turning bright red, her lips quivering.

Seeing her frozen like that, Irdin Lavernia could only stop.

It was because the image of that child being composed all this time flashed through his mind.

It was because Serena had only nodded with an indifferent expression all this time.

It was because, all this time, the only emotions she showed were irritation and twisted greed.

Marquis Lavernia had never seen the child make such an expression.

He couldn’t have.

Because he had no memory of reaching out his arms to hug the child.

Because there was no need to reach out to a child who always did everything on her own.

To the Marquis of Lavernia, yes. That was so unfamiliar.

He thought she disliked being touched.

He thought she avoided conversations.

He thought she hated family and despised people.

Yes, that’s what he thought.

So he thought she wanted to leave. Because it seemed like she thought family was unnecessary even if she had one.

And to be honest, from Serena’s perspective, that was correct.

It’s right not to form good relationships with family members you have no particular connection with.

So it’s also correct that she thought they were unnecessary and pushed them away because they seemed tiring to have around.

Anyway, Marquis Lavernia just stared blankly at Serena.

Her hand, waving in the air, hesitates as it tries to wrap around the other’s back, then falls down.

Irdin Lavernia unconsciously reached out and held that hand.

Then he pulled Serena and his wife into his embrace.

“W-What……”

“…Although I didn’t express it, and it seems I was very lacking in expression, I love you. Serena.”

Only after saying those words out loud did Irdin Lavernia realize that he had never said such words to the child even once.

Serena, for her part, was flustered because she couldn’t understand what this situation was.

She was pulled into an embrace, and behind her, Marquis Lavernia was also hugging her.

The voice whispering ‘I love you’ was so unfamiliar that she ended up scrunching her face.

It felt like bugs were crawling all over her body. So she twisted her body slightly, but there was no sign of being able to escape.

It felt like something was gnawing at her heart. So she lowered her flushed face and clenched her fists tightly.

“I’m sorry, for not taking proper care of you… when you were young. You were… too mature… No, these are all excuses.”

Marquis Lavernia stopped mid-sentence and shook his head.

“I’m just sorry.”

Then he apologized plainly.

Without adding any excuses or flowery words.

‘So this is why he said to try speaking honestly.’

Only then could Lavernia understand the meaning of ‘honesty’ that Magnus von Kelahinum had talked about.

It wasn’t about reciting lines full of such flowery words.

It was about plainly saying what was inside.

‘If that’s the case, he should have just said it properly in simple terms.’

Of course, Magnus didn’t know this fact.

He just thought speaking elegantly would do.

Because at that time, Magnus was a tadpole with only hind legs.

And now, just before evolving into a frog, he would probably give different advice.

“When you suddenly sent documents saying you wanted to leave the family, we were very surprised and upset.”

“……Ah, yes……”

Serena answered hesitantly.

Is it because they’re worried Mother might get stressed? And that her illness might worsen because of it?

In the past, I would have insisted on not leaving no matter what happened.

‘Is it because it’s too obvious that I’ve changed?’

Serena took a deep breath and clenched her fist, then released it.

‘Or did I do something wrong and get caught?’

She couldn’t understand why they were suddenly acting like this. She had thought something was strange since the proposal.

Originally, Serena came here thinking that if his worries disappeared, they might just let her leave now.

“Do you hate us?”

“…No?”

“Then……”

“I don’t hate you, but I don’t… like you either.”

Serena said, glancing around cautiously.

The two were hurt again, but they didn’t show it.

They thought the child had been hurt for a longer time.

“Actually, I came to… treat Mother’s illness. To develop… a medicine.”

Serena cautiously opened her mouth.

“So… if Mother is cured……”

She carefully rolled her eyes.

Stay as far away from the original story as possible.

Eliminate any risk associated with the original story as much as possible.

Even if she had formed some kind of relationship with Magnus, this was Serena’s top priority.

The next was solving the source of evil and doing business to make money.

After that was done, she wanted to be free.

“…If that happens, will you accept those documents again?”