Chapter 46: Is it touching that I finally reconciled with my Mom?

Little Charlotte could not have imagined that Mom Rhynes, whom she thought had left home a few days ago to accompany Dad Roland on a business trip, had actually been secretly watching her from a corner she couldn’t see.

A few days ago, Roland’s merchant guild received a big business deal to transport a very valuable item to the royal capital of the Kingdom of the Red Rose.

Upon receiving this business, Roland saw it as an opportunity and began preparations to also take some local goods to sell there.

Since the journey was long, Rhynes decided to accompany Roland to ensure their safety along the way.

Thus, before leaving, Rhynes summoned Mashiro and instructed her to supervise little Charlotte’s activities.

After settling everything, Rhynes and Roland left the mansion, intending to travel with the caravan to the royal capital, which was thousands of miles away.

However, the caravan hadn’t traveled far before the commissioning party sent an urgent message: their goods had a few flaws and would need a few days to repair.

Thus, while waiting for the goods to be repaired, the entire caravan temporarily stayed in a small town less than ten li from little Charlotte’s village.

Finding that she wouldn’t be able to leave right away, a good idea occurred to Rhynes. She might as well use this time when she was supposedly away to secretly observe her dearest daughter’s reaction.

And so, just as little Charlotte was about to be hit by Mashiro’s Crimson Judgment Bullet, Rhynes, like a hero making a grand entrance, suddenly appeared in front of little Charlotte, casually catching the Judgment Bullet.

Seeing Mom Rhynes suddenly appear, little Charlotte was shocked.

“Mom Rhynes! You’re back?”

“Charlotte, it’s been a few days. Did you miss Mom?” Rhynes looked back at little Charlotte with a smile.

“Of course I did! I was looking forward to Mom Rhynes returning every moment!”

Little Charlotte was about to hug her favorite Mom Rhynes, but then she suddenly remembered that it was her favorite Mom Rhynes who had erased her magic-related memories. As if there was a serious conflict in her fundamental logic, her movement to hug her instantly froze.

Rhynes, however, bent down and hugged the still-hesitating little Charlotte.

“That’s very good, very good. Mom missed Charlotte the most! But, Charlotte seems to have remembered something extra. That won’t do! I’ll have to give you a good cleaning!”

Hearing these words, which sounded like a demon whispering in her ear, little Charlotte was startled, her hair standing on end. She quickly struggled out of Rhynes’s embrace, retreated two steps, and stared at Rhynes with a look of disbelief.

“No! Absolutely not!”

Little Charlotte’s resistance surprised Rhynes, but she didn’t pay too much attention to it. She simply thought that once she erased the memories of Chloe, little Charlotte would return to being the lovable little darling who only clung to her.

Rhynes reached out her hand, intending to pull little Charlotte back.

“Charlotte, don’t be afraid. Mom wouldn’t hurt you! Mom just wants to help you erase those unpleasant memories…”

But little Charlotte abruptly slapped away Rhynes’s hand.

“Even if it’s my favorite Mom Rhynes, I won’t allow you to touch my most precious memories!”

“Eh?” Hearing little Charlotte’s answer, Rhynes was momentarily stunned.

Seeing the tears in little Charlotte’s eyes, Rhynes finally realized that little Charlotte was serious. To protect her most cherished memories, she had finally gathered the courage to rebel against the mother she loved the most.

Rhynes had always believed that erasing little Charlotte’s magic-related memories was the best protection for her, but this was merely self-gratification. Trying to keep little Charlotte, her chick, locked in her large hand forever was, in fact, cruel to little Charlotte.

Little Charlotte couldn’t live under her protection forever. To fulfill her dreams and wishes, she would one day fly out from under her protection into the vast sky.

Her action of erasing the memory was, without a doubt, suppressing her growth.

She had unilaterally kept her cutest daughter as a pet by her side.

Ignoring all of little Charlotte’s wishes and will—she was truly arrogant.

“So that’s how it is? I never expected you to have grown this much, Charlotte! It was Mom’s failure that I didn’t notice this!”

Rhynes forced a sad smile.

“Mom Rhynes?”

“Charlotte, you must really want to learn magic, but Mom unilaterally denied your wish to learn magic because of the unbearable pain it would cause you. I am truly sorry! Can you forgive Mom for this childish behavior?”

Hearing Mom Rhynes’s confession, little Charlotte paused. Then, as if she had come to terms with it, she walked up to Mom Rhynes and gently touched her face.

“I won’t blame Mom Rhynes. After all, your original intention was to protect me! But you can rest assured, Mom Rhynes. I can protect myself now.”

Rhynes was moved to tears.

Seeing this incredibly touching scene, Yukina in the other world also had tears welling up in her eyes.

However, Mashiro, who was standing not far away, was completely unmoved.

It seemed that the long period of learning magic had completely eroded her humanity.

Since Rhynes and little Charlotte had reconciled, there was probably nothing left for her to do.

“So, Mom Rhynes, are you still going to erase my memory?”

“No, I won’t! You can relax, Charlotte. Mom will never interfere with your decisions again. Not only that, Mom will also teach you magic so you can become the strongest and most powerful witch in this world!”

“Really? That’s wonderful!” Little Charlotte jumped for joy. “No, actually, you don’t need to teach me, Mom. Master Chloe has already taught me a lot of magic! You don’t need to trouble yourself anymore, Mom. Just release Master Chloe and let her continue teaching me magic!”

“Is that so? That’s amazing! You’re truly my daughter! Then, after two more years of training with Mom, you’ll become the strongest witch in this world.”

“No, Mom, didn’t you hear me? You don’t need to trouble yourself. Just release Master Chloe…” Little Charlotte repeated her request to her human-machine-like mother.

“No!” The human-machine-like mother smiled and refused.

“Eh?” Little Charlotte was stunned.

“That disloyal disciple—she was so greedy for my adorable daughter’s beauty that she abducted her for a whole year! How could I possibly release her to continue harming my daughter!”

Saying this, Rhynes gently pinched little Charlotte’s cheek, a slightly spoiled smile on her lips.

“Only if, Charlotte can defeat Mom with magic, Mom will listen to you, release that disloyal disciple, and let her continue teaching you magic!”

“Ehhhh?!?!?!?!?”