Before her regression, Leticia loathed almost everyone she met in the Principality.
It seemed natural to her at the time.
Everyone despised her, yet due to Dietrian’s orders, they could not show their true feelings, which was evident to her.
Thus, despite her hatred for everyone, there was one exception.
Queen Mother Mano.
Mano, too, was not entirely welcoming towards Leticia.
Her mind was not in the right state, so she did not recognize who Leticia was at their first meeting. However, upon learning that Leticia was the daughter of the saint, Mano became terrified of Leticia and cried bitterly.
Yet, Leticia could not bring herself to hate Mano.
During her stay in the Principality, she happened to see portraits of the royal family, including one where Mano and Julios were sitting side by side.
In the portrait, Julios had the same sparkling blue eyes and refreshing smile that she remembered.
Next to him, Mano was elegantly holding her chestnut-colored hair up, wearing a silver tiara.
She looked so beautiful and young, it was hard to believe she had a grown son.
Her gentle eyes were filled with pride and love for her son.
Mano, who had cried like a child, said Leticia was scary just a few days ago,
This would never have happened if Julios had been alive.
Naturally, guilt washed over her, thinking she might have caused the downfall of such a radiant person.
Therefore, Leticia simply could not hate Mano like she did the others; it was only uncomfortable, like a thorn under her nail.
Despite intending to avoid her, for some reason, she kept finding herself wandering near Mano’s inner palace.
At the time, she did not understand why, but looking back, it seemed she was shocked by Mano’s maternal love.
It was the first time she realized that a mother could love her child so deeply.
[Julios, my child. This cookie is your favorite. I saved it just for you. Come, try it.]
[Queen Mother, or rather, Mother. The cookie is indeed different. It’s really delicious.]
Mano often confused other people with Julios, especially seeing him as he was when he was younger.
Thus, Leticia lingered near Mano but could never bring herself to approach her.
She feared that if Mano mistook her for Julios, she might break down and cry right there.
Then, a minor incident occurred.
It was on a winter day when heavy snow was falling.
By chance, Leticia found Mano wandering barefoot in the palace backyard, wearing only a thin lace nightgown. Mano’s hands and feet were blue with cold.
[Madam Mano!]
Leticia was so startled that she forgot she was avoiding Mano and stepped forward.
Mano looked at her blankly, as if she was dreaming.
[Madam Mano, you mustn’t stay here… You need to go back.]
Instead of heeding Leticia’s words, Mano sat down in the snow, then smiled brightly and reached out her hand towards her.
[Julios, you’ve finally returned.]
[…!]
[Indeed, I knew you would come. Everyone said you were dead, but…]
The moment Mano’s cold hand touched her cheek, Leticia felt her heart drop.
[You told me before you left, that you would definitely return. So, to let you go… I believed that.]
Mano looked incredibly happy as she spoke.
Leticia could no longer stop Mano. Instead, she took off her coat and scarf and wrapped them around Mano.
All that was left for herself was a single layer dress, but she did not mind.
[It’s… very cold. Please, wear this.]
Then, she warmed up Mano’s frozen hands. In a hurry, she put her own fur shoes on Mano’s feet. Mano looked puzzled.
[Huh?]
[Just a moment, please. If we leave it like this, you’ll get frostbite.]
While Mano’s hands and feet were thawing, Leticia’s body froze in the cold. White snow piled up softly on her slender shoulders and back.
Yet, Leticia did not feel the cold. Seeing Mano smiling brightly, she barely held back her tears.
At the same time, she thought back to seven years ago, when there was still hope in her heart.
When Mano was as vibrant as she was in the portrait.
[Madam Mano! Where are you! Please, answer me!]
[She’s not in Lord Julios’ tomb either!]
[Let’s go to the backyard! We haven’t checked there yet!]
Voices searching for Mano could be heard from not too far away. Leticia quickly put down Mano’s hands, which she had been warming, and said,
[Madam Mano, I’m sorry. People will come soon… It might be very cold, but please bear with it until then.]
Leticia picked up the clothes that had been covering Mano and hid behind a nearby bush.
Shortly after, people swarmed in.
[We’ve found Madam Mano!]
[My goodness, sitting here without a coat, and barefoot at that!]
[It seems she hasn’t been out long. Her body is still warm.]
[Thank God!]
The people lifted Mano and took her inside the building.
Leticia didn’t emerge from behind the bush until long after the sound of people had faded. Her hands and feet were numb with cold.
Avoiding people’s eyes, she returned to her room and dove under the blanket. Yet, she still shivered from the cold.
After that day, Leticia was sick for a long time.
* * *
“Baby!”
Mano reached out to Leticia with a bright smile.
“Baby, come here quickly. We’re going on an outing.”
Mano, speaking thus, was smiling brightly just like that day. Leticia blinked in confusion.
‘Why is Madam Mano here?’
The fact that Mano had knocked on her window, looking at Leticia with such a bright smile, was all something that had never happened in the past.
‘Wait, did she just call me ‘baby’?’
It was then that Leticia finally understood Mano’s actions.
‘She’s mistaking me for Lord Julios.’
Remembering the old days, she felt a slight sting at the tip of her nose. Leticia quickly leaned out of the window and said,
“Madam Mano, just wait a moment. I’ll come down quickly!”
As she was saying this, she suddenly remembered what Julia had said earlier.
[Madam Mano, having evaded the guards’ eyes, secretly hid in the carriage…]
At that time, just the shock of Mano appearing in Heden was enough to keep her from thinking deeply, but upon reflection, it was no ordinary matter.
‘Could it be, she came here this time, evading the guards’ eyes as well?’
Leticia urgently checked Mano’s attire, her eyes widening in surprise. Astonishingly, Mano was barefoot again this time.
‘My goodness, she snuck out again!’
Leticia decided she must inform Dietrian of this fact immediately.
‘I must tell him to double the guards at least.’
Thinking this as she was about to close the window, Mano urgently called out to her.
“Baby! Don’t go!”
“Excuse me?”
“You can’t be seen by others. The outing is going to be just the two of us. Hurry, come down, quickly.”
Mano was hopping anxiously, her face almost on the verge of tears.
“Don’t worry, Madam Mano. We will go on an outing. Just wait a bit, and I’ll come down quickly.”
“You can’t come down the stairs. Come down through the window, quickly.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Hurry and jump down, quickly.”
Leticia, bewildered, looked down at the ground.
‘This is the second floor?’
It wasn’t very high, but jumping down without any safety measures would surely result in injury to the legs.
‘I should be fine, though…’
Leticia could use the power of the wind.
If she told the wind to catch her body, she could land safely.
The problem was, Mano had no way of knowing that.
‘Could it be, she doesn’t realize that jumping from the second floor is dangerous?’
Leticia suddenly felt afraid.
Others might be fine, but if Mano herself thought this way and jumped from the second floor, it would be a real disaster.
‘I’ll have to mention the window to Dietrian as well.’
She thought that either placing a knight at every window or forbidding Mano’s access to the second floor would be necessary.
“Baby! Hurry, we have no time!”
At that moment, Mano called her anxiously. Finally, Leticia made up her mind.
“Alright, Madam Mano. I’ll jump.”
Mano looked very unstable at the moment.
If she said she would go down the stairs and left the room, Mano might disappear in the meantime.
Leticia quickly pulled over a chair.
She climbed up to the window sill. After taking a deep breath, she leaped.
The wind blew. As she descended, it felt as if she was touching down on a soft cushion.
Shortly after, her feet lightly touched down on the grass.
Mano embraced her with a wide smile.
“Baby!”
“Madam Mano.”
Leticia also gently embraced Mano in return. From Mano, a sweet, powdery scent that babies wear wafted.
It was exactly like the scent of Mano from her memories, prompting Leticia to ask impulsively.
“Have you been well all this time?”
“Of course. I had to eat a lot and sleep well to meet baby!”
“You did well.”
Leticia smiled softly. Of course, Mano probably didn’t remember the past. But it was nice to be able to hear her response like this.
“It’s true. Your wrist has gotten thicker than before. Before, there was so much space around the joint, but not anymore.”
“Yes, yes! Baby has also gotten healthier.”
“Indeed. His Highness took great care of me on the way here…”
Leticia halted mid-sentence.
Right now, Mano was mistaking her for Julios.
So she quickly changed her response.
“Yes. I also ate well and slept well because I had to meet Madam Mano again. I promised I would come back, remember?”
Saying this, tears welled up in her eyes. Leticia quickly blinked away the tears and smiled brightly.
“Madam Mano, shall we go on our outing now? But if you go barefoot, you might hurt yourself. Could you sit for a moment? I’ll quickly bring you new shoes.”
“No. Baby. Don’t go.”
“Then…”
Leticia pondered for a moment at Mano’s whining. She quickly smiled and said,
“How about you wear my shoes?”
“But what about baby?”
“I’m wearing thick socks, so I’m fine. I also wanted to try walking barefoot. Let’s buy pretty shoes at the market.”
Saying this, Leticia seated Mano on a nearby rock.
She checked Mano’s feet for any wounds, then carefully dusted off the dirt and grass.
As she was about to put her own shoes on Mano, she looked down at her and smiled faintly.
“You’re still the same, baby.”
“Excuse me?”
“I think I’d prefer mother.”
Mano blurted out suddenly.
“Of course, other people might think it’s silly… but still, call me mother just for the duration of our outing, okay?”
Leticia’s eyes widened.
She knew Mano was mistaking her for his son and her for someone else. Yet, at that moment, she was momentarily at a loss for words.
Mother.
Leticia had never once used that word in her entire life.
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