Dear Ex-Fiancé, I Hope You Regret Everything - Chapter 45

“This isn’t good Yuran, you lifted something heavy again, didn’t you? If you push yourself like this next time, the baby really will come out!”

“I thought this much would be fine.”

“Please, just rest for a while. …Windia-chan, you’re there, right? Make sure your mother doesn’t move around too much, okay?”

When I timidly opened the curtain, the woman named Sanba washing her hands in a bucket said this to me with a smile.

“Is… is it okay?”

“I can’t really say it’s okay. I want the baby to stay inside for at least another month. Will you help me?”

(Help… Has this person really become my mother…?)

“…Wouldn’t it be better if it came out quickly?”

“If it came out now, it would be far too early.”

I don’t understand. It seems like it would be easier to give birth if it were sooner.

Sanba looked at me with an expression close to a wry smile, staring straight into my eyes. It felt as if my true soul was being seen right through by someone else’s gaze, not my own, and I flinched.

“…You see, a baby learns a little bit about how to survive while it’s in the womb. It’s protected by its mother until the day it comes out. If it’s too early, it could even die. And besides, if it’s too early, it affects the mother’s body too. The mother might be in danger as well.”

Even when she says “mother,” I feel no emotion toward the pregnant woman before me. I only feel a little bit of pity for her. It can’t be helped; she’s not my real mother. But from now on, I might have to live thinking of this person as my mother, and all I can do is feel bewildered, wondering what I’ll do if it stays that way for my whole life.

My real mother’s face floated into my mind. I want to see her so badly it’s unbearable.

“Mother.”

I only moved my lips, not letting the sound out.

The person who claims to be my mother spoke coldly to me, who could only look down.

“That girl won’t do anything for you. Even today.”

“Hahaha! Yuran, you’re irritable, aren’t you!”

“That’s not it!”

“Now, now, don’t say that. This kid ran all the way here with a panicked look on her face, right? You should appreciate her.”

But my mother turned away.

Sanba, looking like there was nothing to be done, started preparing to leave, so I decided to see her out to the entrance.

“Windia-chan. You might think your mother has changed, but right now she’s just become quick to anger because she’s protecting the baby in her belly. Please forgive her.”

“But I don’t think there’s any excuse for the way she spoke.”

“My, you talk like a noble. You’re an interesting kid. Look, your father is out at sea and won’t be back for a while, right? You’re the only one she can rely on.”

Changed or not, I don’t know what she was like before.

I turned away with a ‘hmph,’ and then my head was patted pon pon.

Since only Mother and Father have ever done that, I was really surprised.

“Your mother won’t be able to move for a while, so you have to do your best, okay?”

“See you later,” she said, and then she left.

(I don’t want to go back.)

I have to open this door and tackle the mountain of housework that’s left.

I wipe my tears, straighten my back as much as I can, and open the front door.

The person who claims to be my mother was crying.

(I thought, ‘If you’re going to cry, then help me!’) but it seems that’s not how it works.

(Is this how hard a commoner’s child has it…? If a little brother or sister is born, I’ll probably have to work even more…)

I was horrified, but I have to finish what needs to be done now, and quickly. The sun has long since set.

I’m hungry, and the laundry is still soaking wet.

(Could it be… I have nothing to wear tomorrow!?)

What happens in that case? Surely, I wouldn’t have to wear the soaking wet clothes, would I?

Thinking such thoughts, I handed the mother the soup made from scrap vegetables and the hard bread I’d managed to throw together while working.

“It’s delicious, really delicious. Thank you. I’m sorry, I took it out on you. I’m sorry…”

Even though she was so angry just a moment ago, she suddenly started crying. I don’t understand it. But for some reason, I felt a little happy. A faint warmth spread in my chest.

I imitated what my mother did, soaking the hard bread in the soup before putting it in my mouth. Thinking back, this was my first meal today.

A colorless meal served on a chipped plate. I’ve never experienced having even two dishes before.

(So, this is the life of a commoner…)

I crawled into the coarse, scratchy bed. It had a musty smell.

You can’t understand this just by studying. How am I supposed to improve this? But if I want to improve it, I suppose I still have no choice but to learn.

‘Governing a country without any knowledge isn’t that easy.’

My father’s words made my chest feel tight. A draft from a gap in the wall coldly traced the path of my tears.

(I want to go back!!! Father!!! Mother!!!!)

At this mental scream, stronger than any I’d felt before, I cried without making a sound.

✳︎ ✳︎ ✳︎

“Lately, Windia’s behavior has been strange, hasn’t it?”

“So you think so too?”

“…On the day she sulked and said she didn’t want to study, that child said the same thing you did. ‘I heard a voice when I was born.'”

Lord Skyford looked at me with a surprised expression, but it quickly changed to an intense gaze.

We nodded to each other, almost simultaneously, and headed toward Windia’s bedroom.

Knock knock knock — three light raps echoed.

“Wiiin! Diaaa!”

“Moo! Who is it? At this hour of the night… Ah… F-Fa… Father, Mother. What brings you here?”

“May we come in? We’d like to talk.”

“Um… Y-Yes! Please?”

(Nobles can sit on the bed too?)

Since I’m always getting scolded for any little misstep, I waited until they both sat down before I also sat on the bed.

I nervously clenched my fists, and His Majesty spoke to me cheerfully. His beautifully sculpted face came closer, and my own face grew hot.

“It seems you haven’t noticed, but shouldn’t Windia be able to tell right away when her mother is coming?”

“Huh?”

“…Oh, dear. Lord Skyford, really. There’s no way she could know I was coming, right? Windia?”

“That’s right! I-I don’t know! How could I possibly know?”

The King and Queen exchanged looks.

Then, Her Majesty the Queen said while stroking my back,

“As I thought, you’re not Windia, are you?”

(Sh-She knows! I’ll be killed! I’ll be hanged!)

My blood pounded dokudoku as if raging through my body. My gaze wouldn’t settle. My palms were damp with sweat.

“…It’s alright, we won’t do anything. Just be honest with us, please. Windia is our precious daughter. You have your own real parents too, don’t you?”

“I-I am… Windia.”

After letting out a sigh, His Majesty the King said,

“That. Windia doesn’t say ‘I’ like ‘Atashi.'”

I instinctively covered my mouth.

The gazes of the two pierced through me.

But I realized they weren’t the eyes of someone trying to kill me, but rather the gaze of worried parents, and I lowered my hand.

“…You won’t kill me?”

“Of course, we won’t kill you. Even if it was only for a short time, we were parent and child, weren’t we?”

“Really?”

“Naturally. I have no intention of becoming such a tyrant. There must be some circumstances, right? Tell us.”

“…I don’t know. I just woke up in this body.”

Even though I told the truth, the two of them looked at me with scary faces.

“Y-You’re going to kill me after a—”

“We’re sorry!!”

“Huh?”

They bowed their heads. To a commoner like me.

It was the first time an adult had ever apologized to me; that alone was bewildering enough, but for it to be the King and Queen of this country…

I didn’t know what to do, and could only stammer, “W-Wa…”

After bowing their heads for a while, the two of them then hugged me tightly.

“It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault.”

“We’re sorry for involving you.”

“You miss your mother and father, don’t you?”

The mother who is about to have a baby has been really irritable lately, always angry.

My father is a fisherman, and once he goes out to sea, he doesn’t come back for half a year. But I know that’s a lie. I know he actually comes back much sooner sometimes, and that he secretly gives half his earnings to prostitutes. That’s why our house is poorer than anywhere else, and we can only eat scrap vegetables. Even when we sweat or get dirty, we mend the same clothes over and over and wear them every day.

I hated it, hated it so much it was unbearable… Before sleeping, I would fantasize about becoming a princess. Maybe I could dream about being a princess, I thought; if I did, then while I was asleep—which is half the day—I would be a princess. I’ve never had a dream like that, though.

But, still, even so…

“I-I want to see my mother! Mother!!”

I cried with an unbelievable voice, “Waaaaaah!”

I’m sure the real princess wouldn’t cry like this.

But the two of them kept stroking my head, just like a real father and mother would.

“When tomorrow comes, let’s look for a way to return you to your original self, alright?”

“Okay… sob”

“It’s late already today, so go to sleep.”

“U-um!… I have a request for the two of you. It’s, well, the bed is a bit too big and umm…”

As I fidgeted, Her Majesty the Queen slipped into the bed.

“Come now, over here.”

“Wa! Wa!”

I crawled on all fours into the fluffy bed and settled in next to Her Majesty the Queen.

“Ah! That’s not fair! Me too.”

(H-His Majesty the King is this kind of person? A bit unexpected.)

I was a little surprised, but I settled snugly between the two of them and slowly fell asleep.

✳︎ ✳︎ ✳︎

The chirping of small birds gently announced the morning to my ears.

“Uuun…”

I rubbed my eyes goshi goshi.

(I have to go fetch water again today.)

I thought that, but the bed, which felt more cramped than usual for some reason, was strangely and excessively fluffy.

I looked to my left and Mother was there; I looked to my right and Father was there, sleeping with me in the middle.

Timidly, I looked at my palms. They were smooth hands, without any calluses.

(I’m back to normal!!!)

“Windia, are you awake?”

“F-Father… Father!!”

“My, what’s the matter?”

“Mother too…!!!”

I cried for the first time with a loud voice, “Waaaaaah!”

Father and Mother looked at each other, smiled as if to say ‘what can we do,’ and hugged me.

“Shall we stay like this a little longer?”

I was about to say “Yes,” but then I remembered the person who was my mother.

So instead, I said quickly,

“No. I have to get up early and study, or I won’t become a proper queen. There are still so many things I have to solve, you know, Father!?”

The two of them looked at me blankly for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing loudly.

“Yeah, yeah, this is the real Windia.”

“That’s right, it really is.”

Since they were so convinced like that, I felt a little annoyed for some reason.

But I soon felt happy and shrugged my shoulders.

“Welcome back, Windia.”