I Became the Black Swan Mother of the White Swan Princess

T-teeacher.

Suddenly turned into a proper educator out of the blue, I reached my two hands out to her as if clinging to her, but Lady Melleo was relentless.

[It is true that I have acted more or less cold to Reina, your adopted daughter, but I did so intentionally because Miss Reina is excessively timid and has many fears.]

Oh.

[If she is hurt by my mere words, then how will she survive in this perilous wilderness that is the lake? More so because she is not the blood-related daughter of you, the Duchess, so she will end up hearing many things as well.]

Tee-ee-aa-ch-ee-rr.

Hiccup.

Pulling out a handkerchief and covering my mouth, sobs different from yesterdays burst out of my mouth.

She watched me with a seemingly displeased look, then turned away as if there was nothing that could be done.

[Anyhow, I will pretend I have not seen this. Duchess as well, please go back now.]

S-still, couldnt you eat this all together as a snack? I prepared it specially. Theres enough for all the children to eat, too.

[..]

Fortunately, this time she didnt say it was good or bad. From my experiences with this type of person recently, that much could be seen as half an acceptance already.

Then I will be going with a heart of self-reflection. Im sorry for insulting Lady Melleos excellent educational philosophy.

[I will accept the apology for now.]

Her sharp tone had also subsided a bit.

Before she could change her mind and tell me to take it with me, I hurriedly picked Selene up and went down the valley. My chest rose and fell breathlessly.

Haa, haa, then she shouldve told me beforehand that she was doing that. How am I supposed to know what she was thinking? Am I her student?

[Thats true. And it wasnt like she was going to refuse it in the end.]

Selene was even more enraged than I was. But that anger was not only directed to Lady Melleo.

[How could you give away all the grilled fillets too?]

..

[Madam can really be horrible. How could you hide something like that and pretend otherwise! If it was just the carps, then I wouldnt be this hurt. But fish from the sea, I really wanted to try at least once.]

Im sorry, Selene.

[..]

But I also havent tried it.

[Madam.]

I also grilled it tightly in case I lost a piece of the fish, and I resisted and resisted and didnt eat it to the end, you know.

To buy that from the seagull, I had torn off a decorative gem from my dress. I wouldnt ever wear that anyways.

But even so, I didnt feel the slightest regret.

..I also know I look like a fool. And that I shouldnt be doing this. But I just wanted to ask her to take good care of our Haniel that.

[Heeuung, Madaaam.]

The two of us hugged one another again and squeezed out our tears. The other parents that had walked their children to school gave us strange looks, but my heart felt more refreshed.

But you saw, right? Lady Melleo didnt do that with bad intentions.

[Then do you think Lady Melleo did well, Madam? I honestly dont really. She may have done so, but what fault does the princess have?]

Of course she didnt do anything wrong. Theres no need to say that.

No matter how good the intentions were, if the means were wrong, then it wasnt right. That was something I could still say confidently, and I probably wouldnt agree with her in the future either.

But.. I just thought that from today on, she at least wouldnt hate our Haniel anymore.

[]

Now that I have that relief, I just thought that whats good is good for the rest.

With an embarrassed smile, I folded my sleeve.

Selenes eyes turned a shade more sympathetic. There was no way I could fail to get pity, which Id even gotten from a tyrant, from a bird.

[Sigh. How did you live without the princess until now, Madam?]

I know, right?

As I intentionally glossed over that with a smile and an idle remark, Selene also gave up on me. But there was no way that she would give up on everything.

[Fine. Lets say this is how the matter of the grilled fillet, I mean, the princess ended. Now you have to go to the Emperor. What would he do if you didnt bring the princess?]

..Selene, I already told you I have a plan.

The clear drawback of planning in advance was that it never went according to plan. To accommodate for that, my plan was now back to being no plans.

[Again? What plan do you have this time?]

Didnt you see Lady Melleo? Regardless of whether her way is wrong or not, she is an etiquette-centric noble to her very bones.

[And?]

And our Haniel is a child that has decided she would never see her oldest brother forever and ever.

[..So what do those two points have to do with anything?]

As Selenes expression slowly but definitely showed how she was losing trust in me, I pulled her face close.

The pros of not planning.

Just when you think that youre definitely doomed, a rope of help is let down from unexpected places.

Of course they have something to do with it. It has to.