Chapter 40: I’ve Became Your ‘Family’

“I’m a cool mage~! And a cool 9-year-old~! Cieli will become the best mage young lady~~~”

Today, too, the young lady is enjoying her day with a song and dance of unknown meaning.

“And I’ll marry Mana and live happily ever after!”

“You can’t marry me, you know?”

“Then we’ll just live happily together!”

“…Still, you should get married, Young Lady.”

“No! I only need Mana! I don’t like anyone else!”

She says that now, but when puberty hits, she’ll probably be consulting me about a boy she’s interested in.

Hmm, for that to happen, she needs to meet boys her age.

It’ll be November 1st tomorrow…

I think it would be good to go to the priest and ask if the young lady can come to the village to play.

“…Does Mana want me to marry someone else?”

“Of course? You can’t live alone forever, can you?”

“I’m not alone? I have Mana!”

“Of course, I’ll be with you. Hmm, but even if it’s not marriage, I think it would be good if you could talk to other people like May and do something together.”

“Really?”

“Yes, after all.”

“I see…”

The young lady is thinking something deeply.

Oh no, did I put too much pressure on her?

“But don’t think about it too quickly. You can take it slowly. I’m satisfied if you’re healthy and happy.”

“…Yes! I understand! I’ll be happy with Mana!”

Seeing the young lady singing nanana~ and running around the mansion again makes me smile.

…She’s really grown up well.

“Hmm, Young Lady Cieli is coming to the village?”

November 1st, while going to the village to buy supplies and receive my salary, I casually mention the young lady to the priest.

“Yes, I think it’s time for the young lady to experience social interaction with her peers.”

“I fully understand that feeling. But…”

“You know, Priest, that albinism isn’t a bad thing.”

“…I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. I also have to be mindful of the Pope. The villagers will also be filled with fear.”

“The Saintess said that everyone is equal…”

“Ahem… that’s what we say outwardly. Outwardly. I’m managing this territory as a proxy. I have to run the territory as safely as possible, so…”

The priest slides something towards me.

“What’s this?”

“I’m not stopping the count’s daughter from coming to play. I’m just stopping a person with albinism from coming. It’s an artifact that changes hair and eye color.”

“…Change eye and hair color.”

“Yes, if you do that, the young lady’s visit to the village is actually welcome. The village children will also be interested in a new peer.”

…If I do that, the young lady can come to the village.

Various thoughts go back and forth in my head.

But still.

“…I’ll decline this. Thank you for your consideration.”

“No, I’m sorry I couldn’t be more considerate.”

Lies are not okay.

Relationships built on lies are bound to break.

I greet the priest and leave the village.

It’s a shame…

As expected, the general perception of albinism is inevitable.

If that’s the case, it might not be bad to just interact with the fairies in the lake.

They’re also living beings, and they’re not immature, so they might get along well with the young lady.

“…But still, it’s better for the young lady’s experience to be with the same species of the same age…”

“Oh! It’s the maid sister!”

“Hello, sister!!”

Hmm?

It’s the village children.

It seems that the small connections I meet once a month were playing around here today.

“Hello, kids. What are you doing?”

“We’re all walking around and protecting the village!”

“I see…”

It’s nice to see children gathering together and playing.

I wish the young lady was included in that.

“Sister, do you have to go back to the forest soon?”

“Yes, I can’t help it. I want to play too, but the person I serve will be very lonely if I’m not there.”

“I know! They said there’s a white witch living in the forest!”

“Ahaha…”

“Isn’t it dangerous for you, sister?”

“Are you okay?”

“I have strawberries, do you want some?”

Oh dear…

It seems that I’m surrounded by children.

It’s nice that they’re happy to see a foreigner they meet once a month.

“Do you guys ever go out of the village to play?”

“Yes! We don’t go far, we play around here!”

“Sometimes we go into the forest!”

“I get scolded by my mom if I go into the forest!”

“But I just go in! I pick berries and pick up trees!”

…Maybe I can make the children and the young lady meet in the forest?

Even if it’s just for a short time, even for an hour, if she can have an encounter with her peers…

…I wonder if I have to get permission for this too.

“But my mom told me not to go too far.”

“I see. Have fun playing? I have to go now.”

“Hmph… why won’t you play with us, sister?”

“That’s right! Play with us too, sister!”

…Of course, I don’t dislike playing with cute children.

There are children who seem to be about 6 years old to children who seem to be about 14 years old.

…Yes, let’s try it.

“…Then, later, when I open a nice teahouse in the middle of the forest, will you come and play there?”

“Really?!”

“Yes, I can’t say when it will open.”

“Okay! I want to play with you, sister!”

I quickly calculate in my head.

“Okay, then I’ll tell you again later when I’m ready?”

“Yes!”

“Yay!”

“Secret base!”

“Secret base!”

I wave to the children and go back into the temple.

The priest is carefully wiping the statue of the goddess.

“Priest.”

“Hmm? You were still here. May the blessing of the goddess be with you. What is it?”

“…Is it okay if I build a building in the middle of the forest?”

“A building??”

“Yes, I want to invite the village children there.”

“Aha… I see. I see… that’s what you’re thinking…”

As expected, the priest is quick-witted.

“Hmm, actually, that’s not something I can stop. I’m in charge of this territory, but the owner of the land in this area is the Count. Like all the residents of the territory, it’s possible if you pay the land use tax and development tax.”

“…Then.”

“It’s common for children to go into the forest to play. Of course, it should be a safe distance.”

“..! Thank you!”

“Haha, what are you thanking me for? But what kind of building are you thinking of building?”

“It’s nothing special. I was thinking of building a teahouse that operates occasionally.”

“A teahouse? Ah, are you talking about a cafe?”

Oh..?

This priest is really sensitive to trends and news for someone in charge of this remote countryside.

Does he have connections in the empire?

“…You know about cafes?”

“Of course, isn’t it a teahouse that’s popular in the empire? I wanted to go there once. Do you need a carpenter? I’ll introduce you to the skilled people in the village.”

…I can build it myself, but it’s better to make some connections.

“Yes, please, Priest.”

“I understand. Then…”

“By any chance, the price…”

“10 silver per person per day for construction work, material costs are separate, 8 hours of work per day, how does that sound?”

10 silver per person…

…It’s a small cafe, so it won’t take that long, right?

“Yes, please.”

“I understand. Then, if you tell me a suitable site, we’ll start working.”

“Yes, I’ll see you again tomorrow.”

Okay.

When the teahouse is built. No, I should go with the young lady when it’s being built.

Make it as cute as possible..!

On the way home, I found a suitably sized vacant lot about 2km away from the village.

..This will do.

“Young Lady! I’m back!”

“Mana~!!”

As soon as she sees me, she hugs me!

“I waited!”

“Hehe, I’m sorry. I was a little late because I had to take care of several things.”

“Work? What kind of work?”

“Hmm… wouldn’t you like to go somewhere with me tomorrow?”

“Huh? Where?”

“I was thinking of opening a teahouse in the forest near the village!”

“Teahouse???”

“Yes!”

The young lady looks at me with a face that says, ‘What’s that?’

“Haha, you can look forward to it! You’ll really like it? Ah, but in return, review etiquette with me today! You might meet other people tomorrow, you know?”

“Other people…?”

The young lady flinches at the words ‘other people’.

…She must be scared, right?

But I can’t keep her in my arms forever.

For the young lady’s future..!

“Think about it, Young Lady? When the teahouse is finished, you can see me working there looking cool!”

“…And?”

“And… children your age or some villagers might come to enjoy tea and snacks, you know?”

“…And?”

“You can get along with people your age!”

“…I only need Mana.”

“Th, instead, it won’t be open every day. Once a month..? Once a week..? It’ll only be open like that, so you don’t have to worry.”

“…Hmph.”

Ah… she’s sulking.

“…Th, instead, I’ll give you one wish, Young Lady. How about it?”

“…Hmph.”

“Two?”

“…”

The young lady glances at me.

“…Hmph.”

“Th, three…?”

“…Okay! I’ll fall for Mana’s scheme!”

“Thank you..!”

Ah, the young lady already has four wishes… I don’t know when or how she’ll use them..!

But still, I’m more than happy that the young lady said she would interact with other people!

“Mana seems to be having fun!”

Of course I’m happy, because things are going so well for the young lady!

“I’m so happy! I’m so grateful! Thank you, Young Lady!”

“If Mana likes it, I like it too!”

“Ugh… Young Lady!”

How can our young lady be so kind!

Whack!

I hug the young lady and hug her tightly.

“Hahaha! Mana! It tickles!”

“I love you, Young Lady!”

“I love you too~”

Okay, if it goes like this, the young lady can gradually gain experience in interacting with others!

I wish the young lady’s world would become a little wider, even if she’s only at home all day because of albinism.

I’ll take care of all the painful things. Don’t worry, Young Lady?

“Then grant me my wish now!”

“Yes!”

“Kiss me!”

“Kiss you?”

“Yes! Not a goodnight kiss or a good morning kiss! Another kiss!”

Um……

There’s no such thing.

While I’m buffering in my brain, thinking about what kind of kiss to give, the young lady smiles.

– Smooch..!

“Eh..?”

“Hehe… I’m 9 years old, so I can give kisses too now! I’ll kiss you once every day from now on!”

“Th, that..!”

“…Don’t you like it? It’s a wish…”

“It, it’s not that I don’t like it..! It’s just that, it’s not, um, right for a superior to kiss an inferior..!”

“But parents kiss their children, right?”

“Th, that’s.. because they’re family…”

“…Grant me one more wish.”

“Wh..at is it?”

“Become my family!”

…F, family?

“It can be a secret from others, but can’t you be my family?”

“Family is… something bestowed by heaven, it’s not something you choose..?”

“I don’t know, I don’t know! Do it! It’s a wish!”

Th, that kind of outrageous wish…

“Ugh..! I won’t eat until Mana becomes my family!”

“Ah, alright…! Let’s be family? Okay? Family! You and I are family from now on!”

“…Really?”

“Yes..!”

“Yahoo!!!!!”

The young lady hugs me tightly.

“Hehe… thank you, Mana! Thank you for granting my unreasonable request!”

“…Because it’s a wish.”

“Mana is a wonderful maid! You keep your promises well!”

Ahahaha…

…Th, but I shaved off two wishes, so maybe it’s a good thing…