Just like that, the time reached 7:53 AM, and she soon noticed the handsome figure appearing outside the door. She believed that even if he was surprised, he must have seen her. Therefore, she was eager to raise her right hand to greet him. However, her arm didn’t go all the way up; it stopped mid-air.
This was because she noticed Caine’s gaze only stayed on her for the first few seconds before quickly moving to a position behind and to her side. This left her standing there, filled with confusion. But then she remembered that Corellia was supposed to arrive at the same time, and her confusion vanished. She followed Caine’s gaze and looked back, intending to raise the hand that was still hanging in mid-air once more. This time, it was to greet Corellia.
Speaking of which, she already knew Caine would arrive in the clothes she had chosen, but she really didn’t know what Corellia would wear. As it turned out, after looking, Edwina’s hand froze in the air again, only about ten centimeters higher than before.
‘Huh? Mo… Mother?’
Staring at the figure she almost didn’t recognize as her mother, Edwina’s beautiful face was a picture of bewilderment. One couldn’t blame her for the surprise; even if Altina were here, she would have frozen, and Vita would have been even worse. The reason, naturally, was Corellia’s current outfit—it completely defied anyone’s perception of her.
If Edwina, who usually went for a noble and elegant style, had chosen a rebellious and cool mature look for her outing, then Corellia, the cold and domineering older sister, had similarly chosen a contrasting outfit: a special style that combined cuteness with a sense of eeriness.
She wore a pink top with a bow and heavy lace ruffles at the chest, highlighting a bosom much fuller than her daughter’s. The black waist-cinching skirt also featured numerous bow elements. From under the short skirt, which revealed a perfectly plump portion of her thighs, two straps extended to hold up the lace edges on her straight legs—so-called lace-trimmed fishnet stockings with garters.
In contrast to the light and airy clothes, the platform high-heeled ankle boots on her feet emphasized a sense of weight. Although she wore a decoration around her neck like Edwina, it was a black ribbon with a lace border that exuded cuteness.
But none of this was the most absurd part. The most ridiculous thing was her current hairstyle. Corellia, who always let her long hair hang naturally behind her, had tied that beautiful hair into two long twin tails on either side. Yes, exactly like her other daughter, Vanessa.
The cold Queen Corellia had actually tied her hair into a “youth-faking” twin-tail style. Yet, it surprisingly suited her, without feeling out of place at all. Perhaps it was because she wasn’t actually old; since her daughter was adopted, she herself was only in her early twenties. The earrings on both sides were also different from her usual style—a complex design of hearts and rhombuses that looked quite striking.
The only thing that remained unchanged was perhaps her cold and sharp gaze. The ice-blue eyeshadow above her slender eyes was still there. However, a black mask below her eyes covered most of her face, though it only added to her sense of mystery. The Gothic-inspired outfit gave off a strong sense of abstinence, making her look like both a cute girl and a dangerous woman. To describe it simply: she was dressed exactly in the “landmine girl” style.
Yes, the cold beauty Corellia, who usually wore formal gowns and stood high above everyone, was now walking toward her daughter and Caine looking like a heavy-hearted landmine girl. It wasn’t even a matter of whether she could be recognized. If Corellia hadn’t chosen a black mask that covered half her face but instead a full mask, it would have been impossible to tell she was that Corellia. The contrast in style was even more extreme than the well-behaved Edwina wearing a rebellious mature outfit.
By the time she reached her daughter’s side, Caine had also approached. Caine’s expression was identical to Edwina’s—filled with disbelief. In addition, Caine felt a surge of annoyance. This landmine girl outfit, combined with her night attack, felt like she was taunting him. What annoyed him most was that it actually suited her. It gave her a feminine charm completely different from her usual self, which made Caine very uncomfortable.
“U-Um, is that… Mother?”
Even though Corellia was standing right in front of her, Edwina still looked at her mother in disbelief. It looked as if her mother were the same age as her, or perhaps even younger. With Edwina intentionally dressing to look mature and Corellia dressing to look young, the five- or six-year age gap between them had been erased. Corellia even gave off a feeling of being younger.
“Of course it’s me. Is there a problem?”
If she hadn’t believed it before, she had to believe it now. Corellia’s voice hadn’t changed at all; it was still just as majestic and cold.
“Ah, no. I’m very sorry, Mother.”
Edwina bowed and apologized almost instinctively. Seeing her, dressed like a rebellious gang leader, bowing to a landmine girl created a strange sense of mismatched identity. But in reality, there was nothing wrong with it.
Edwina’s outfit was already shocking enough, and now there was an even more shocking Corellia. Compared to this mother and daughter, Caine looked perfectly normal. He was just in regular, everyday casual wear: a jacket, a shirt, trousers, and boots.
“…Even if Edwina has no problem, I do. What is going on, Corellia? Why are you here in that outfit?”
The princess, suppressed by her mother’s aura, had yielded, but Caine wouldn’t accept all this without saying a word. He frowned quite clearly as he questioned Corellia. Today was supposed to be an outing for just him and Edwina.
“…Since it’s you asking, Caine, I’ll answer. Naturally, it’s because I’m going on the picnic too. What else could it be?”
Corellia, who had easily silenced her daughter, looked at Caine, who was less than three meters away. Despite her ridiculous outfit, her domineering temperament hadn’t changed in the slightest. She was completely unaffected by her clothes, feeling neither embarrassed nor uncomfortable. Her gaze was as steady as ever, filled with the authority of a queen. It was as if Caine had asked a very stupid question. If it hadn’t been Caine asking, she definitely wouldn’t have bothered to answer such a foolish inquiry.
“…Edwina, do you think this is okay?”
Caine didn’t respond directly to the self-centered Queen. Instead, he looked directly at Edwina. If Edwina said it wasn’t okay, Caine would certainly stand up and demand that Corellia not join the two of them. How could she neglect her daughter’s other “mother” and then force her way into their play session? Couldn’t she have discussed this with him beforehand? She shouldn’t think being the Queen allowed her to do whatever she wanted.
“Eh? What do you mean by okay?”
Edwina, asked for her thoughts, looked troubled, as if she didn’t know what Caine was talking about. She gave a few timid, polite smiles and offered a very weak response. Her lack of resistance said everything. Despite her surprise and shock, she didn’t actually oppose Corellia joining the picnic; in fact, she was likely welcoming of it. She had simply been startled by Corellia’s outfit.
“I understand. Let’s head out then.”
Thinking it through, it was obvious. How could Edwina, who lacked maternal love, refuse the company of her real mother? Since things had come to this, he, as the “cheap mother,” had nothing more to say. He would let it go for today and find another opportunity later to fulfill the promise of going out with just the two of them.
“…”
“Ah, yes, Mother.”
Only one voice responded to Caine. Corellia said nothing; she silently adjusted her new hairstyle and then simply followed her daughter behind Caine as he stepped forward. Since the carriage had been arranged long ago, it didn’t matter if Caine led the way. However, the relaxed atmosphere that should have been there was completely gone because of the presence of the Queen, who made it impossible to relax.
She didn’t speak much either, just silently walking beside Edwina behind Caine. Even after they boarded the carriage, she sat beside Edwina, facing Caine. She said nothing, just stared straight at Caine’s face without blinking. Her gaze was already oppressive enough, and combined with today’s heavy-gravity landmine girl outfit, it made Caine feel truly unsettled.
If her daughter weren’t here, Caine seriously doubted this cold, wicked woman would maintain her frigid attitude before pouncing on him and forcing herself upon him.
Edwina had expected that she and Caine would start chatting and laughing from the moment they got in the carriage. However, because her beloved mother was right there, Edwina became more aware than ever of her status as daughter and princess. She was exceptionally reserved and well-behaved. She couldn’t relax at all, let alone chat with Caine.
As for Caine? He also didn’t know how to handle this situation. The small space of the carriage was completely dominated by Corellia’s regal aura. Even though the temperature outside wasn’t low, the interior of the carriage felt chilly.
“Caine, you seem to have forgotten to say something.”
As the magitech carriage sped along the capital’s boulevard toward the outskirts, the silence between the three was finally broken. It happened just as Edwina felt the atmosphere was off and was gathering what little courage she had left to speak up and ease the tension.
Corellia spoke first. Today, she wore a black mask, so her ice-blue lips were not visible. But her voice easily pierced through the mask and reached the ears of Caine and Edwina.
“…What do you mean, Corellia?”
Caine, not understanding her intent, darkened his expression and asked what he had forgotten to say.
“As a gentleman, isn’t it the most basic courtesy to praise a lady who has dressed up meticulously?”
Corellia didn’t make Caine guess; she mercifully provided the answer. But her answer was even further beyond Caine’s expectations. Really? Not only did she abruptly join her daughter’s outing, but she was also actively demanding praise? Was that what this was?
‘Please, if you weren’t here, I would definitely be praising Edwina, okay? Don’t you think about whose fault this is!’
After venting his complaints internally, Caine didn’t lash out directly because the daughter was present. Instead, he spoke in a somewhat sharp, competitive tone.
“…That was indeed rude of me. This beautiful and generous lady, you are truly too stunning. You are as dreamlike as a forest fairy, leaving me momentarily speechless. Please forgive my rudeness.”
Caine did as she requested and praised the specially dressed Corellia. However, his tone was so exaggerated that it felt sarcastic. The smile on his face was clearly filled with the distance one shows to a stranger; it was obviously just a social courtesy.
“…As for this handsome and charming young lady here, if it’s convenient, would you be willing to come with me to a secret tryst in the suburbs?”
But when Caine finished praising Corellia and moved to praise Edwina, his smile became much more natural and warm, as did his voice. Although he used a slightly teasing tone, it was precisely that lightheartedness that showed their relationship was close. After all, only people who are close can joke around; a serious person wouldn’t just joke with a stranger.
“Ah… Yes, I’d be glad to.”
Edwina wasn’t so naive that she couldn’t see Caine was joking. Nevertheless, she still blushed because of Caine’s soft gaze and magnetic voice. She nodded bashfully like a high-born young lady and accepted Caine’s “tryst” invitation.
After receiving Edwina’s response, Caine looked back at Corellia. Though he didn’t say it explicitly, his intention was clear: differential treatment.
“…”
He was very friendly toward the daughter, Edwina, but only politely distant toward the mother, Corellia, who had joined unannounced. To this, Corellia still didn’t offer any response. She just calmly tucked a stray lock of hair that had slipped from her ear due to the carriage’s bumping back behind her ear and looked at the scenery outside the window. She seemed not to care at all, leaving Caine with a view of her charmingly cold profile.
With her acting like this, Caine naturally wouldn’t continue to provoke her. After all, Edwina was still there. He would wait until the outing ended and they returned tonight, then he would properly question Corellia about what she was thinking while they were alone.
The magitech carriage, powered by magical energy, traveled faster and more smoothly than a regular carriage, and it was more efficient. Thus, there were actually far more magitech carriages on the streets than ordinary ones. Because of the existence of magic in this world, magical devices replaced steam and electricity, developing a unique culture. This gave Caine a feeling that the world was both advanced and backward at the same time.
In any case, it didn’t take much time. They left the royal capital around 8:20 AM and stopped at a clearly marked location before 8:40 AM.
“Then, Your Majesty, I shall be here promptly at 5:00 PM to await your return. I wish the three of you a wonderful day.”
The person driving the magitech carriage was a young woman with short hair. she looked like a high-ranking professional soldier, at least a colonel. Caine didn’t dare ask her specific identity, fearing he would get a name similar to a muscular male side character from the army in the original story. After saluting Corellia and Edwina, the woman jumped elegantly onto the carriage and drove the two silver-white mechanical horses away. The horses didn’t need fodder but could still emit a neighing sound similar to biological ones.
“…Let us begin enjoying this day. There are ruins nearby that ordinary people are forbidden from entering. How about we go for a walk? Caine, Edwina, or would you prefer to go to the famous nearby lake to admire the surface scenery?”
After sending off her subordinate, Corellia naturally took charge and suggested a destination for the three of them.
To say Caine wasn’t interested would be a lie, and he couldn’t be so petty as to keep targeting Corellia. After mocking her in the carriage, he had regained his natural composure. He would temporarily forget the things Corellia had done and settle the score later when they were alone.
“How about we check the ruins first? We can go to the lake when we have lunch, Mother.”
“Of course that’s no problem. Wouldn’t you agree, Corellia?”
“Then let’s go. I shouldn’t need to remind you, but there are monsters in the suburbs. You two must be careful.”
The landmine-dressed Corellia said she didn’t need to give a reminder, but then she gave one anyway. Those words actually sounded like something a human would say. Caine was reasonably satisfied.
Incidentally, Caine was carrying the lunch for the three of them and wasn’t carrying any weapons. Edwina, on the other hand, had two magic swords hanging from the same side of her waist. Since magic swords didn’t allow for dual-casting magic just by holding two, she wasn’t planning on using physical dual-sword techniques; rather, the second one was likely a spare for him or Corellia. As for Corellia, she was carrying nothing at all. She truly looked as relaxed as if she were just here for a stroll. But her outfit was completely out of place with the surrounding scenery, making her exceptionally conspicuous.
Before the midday break arrived, Caine and his otherworldly self along with his adopted daughter—the pair who looked like sisters but were actually mother and daughter—simply enjoyed the scenery of the ancient ruins. Naturally, they encountered monster attacks, but all were casually repelled by the three of them.
Corellia would raise her hand and cast a powerful wind magic spell, tearing apart any monster that lunged at her in mid-air and blowing it away until it hit the ground like a wet rag, motionless.
Meanwhile, Caine did something he had always wanted to do but which, for some reason, no one ever did in the original story: he gathered magical power on his arm, extending it out to wield a magic blade based on his forearm, easily slicing monsters into several segments. He could have definitely sliced them into seventeen pieces or more, but since his daughter was present, Caine restrained himself to avoid disgusting or scaring her.
Edwina, who didn’t have much mana, found that using magic directly consumed too much, making a magic sword necessary. Although she was nervous at first during her first real combat application of her lessons, she performed excellently in front of her two “mothers.” She also received guidance from Caine and Corellia from different perspectives. This allowed her to gradually relax and begin enjoying today’s outing.
She temporarily forgot that her mother was dressed to look younger than her and seemed even more likely to attract men.
Just like that, time flew by, and the midday break soon arrived…