The girl who suddenly called Cain “Mother” was about sixteen years old, a beautiful young woman with a striking hair color and a unique aura.
Her long, white hair, which shimmered with a faint purple hue, had blue-tinted white highlights underneath, while the bangs over her forehead were a distinct purple, giving her a somewhat rebellious look.
Light makeup adorned her well-defined features. Lavender eye shadow and lipstick paired with her exquisite face gave her a fairly mature air, and her melancholic purple eyes were particularly unforgettable.
She wore a magnificent and noble white gown over her slender yet surprisingly well-endowed frame. Although her status appeared high, Cain felt she looked somewhat stiff and nervous.
He wasn’t sure if her visible melancholy stemmed from that.
However, now was not the time to admire the beauty’s looks. Cain needed to care more about why she called him, a man, “Mother.”
He forced an awkward but polite smile and spoke in a voice filled with confusion yet still perfectly courteous.
“Excuse me, beautiful young lady, do you need some help?”
In Cain’s view, she was either suffering from a hallucination or she had lost a bet with her friends. Otherwise, there was no reason for her to call a man “Mother.”
Even if she hadn’t realized her mistake, he had spoken up. His voice was clearly masculine; if she were sane, she should have realized something was wrong.
However, after Cain spoke, the girl did not look confused or enlightened.
Instead, she looked like a child who had been rejected by her mother, biting her lip with a sorrowful expression.
Her reaction made Cain feel a bit flustered.
‘What’s going on? Why does it feel like I’m bullying a quiet, delicate girl? I haven’t done anything out of line or rude, have I?!’
Fortunately, Cain wasn’t alone. Seeing his growing embarrassment, Altina spoke up in her rational, calm voice.
“…Princess Edwina, I know this is difficult to believe, but this gentleman is not Her Majesty. Please, look closer. This person is a man, isn’t he?”
The girl, who had been about to look away in sorrow, froze. She then cautiously peeked at Cain’s face.
In truth, she hadn’t looked closely at his face until now. At this moment, she saw it clearly.
It was indeed a man’s face, completely different from her real mother’s.
However, his masculine attire and his particular aura still made her subconsciously believe he was her mother.
Now that she recognized he wasn’t, she became even more perplexed.
Even her mother’s own sisters didn’t look this similar. Just who was this man’s mother?
If she was confused, Cain was even more so.
Why didn’t he remember a character with this personality in the original story? Even as a male character, she didn’t exist.
“…It is natural for you to be confused. Although this gentleman is not Her Majesty, he is Her Majesty from another world. Lord Cain, allow me to introduce her. This is your adopted daughter in this world, Princess Edwina.”
The one to answer their questions was, of course, the cold beauty Altina, her face solemn and her voice indifferent.
Standing between them, she politely introduced each to the other.
Now, the girl truly did look shocked that her questions had been answered. Even the melancholy in her beautiful purple eyes was thinned by this outrageous fact.
The problem was, now it was Cain’s turn to be bewildered.
As if he had heard something utterly bizarre, his eyes widened as he looked quickly at Altina’s frosty, pretty face.
Despite his stare, Altina merely parted her soft pink lips and spoke again in a calm voice that brooked no doubt.
“…Her Majesty adopted Princess Edwina about two years ago. She is currently active in social circles as our kingdom’s princess. While some opposed Her Majesty adopting a daughter and naming her a princess before being married, they were in the minority. Most people support Her Majesty’s decision. The Princess has countless suitors, much like you and that lord did before you ascended to the throne.”
Altina looked into Cain’s eyes, stating facts that far exceeded his expectations without changing her expression.
It wasn’t surprising for high-ranking princes and princesses to be popular. Even with a fiancée, the tragic prince from the original story still received advances from many women.
And a princess adopted by the Queen was still a princess; it wasn’t strange for her to have many suitors.
But the problem was that this character didn’t exist in the original story at all! Now a new character had suddenly appeared, and she was even the Queen’s adopted daughter? If this were his original world, would that mean Cain had an adopted son?
Just thinking about this ridiculous fact gave Cain a headache.
The only saving grace was that this was a parallel world; Cain wouldn’t actually have to deal with being a surprise parent.
“Forgive my rudeness earlier, Mother from another world. Please allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Edwina K. Letinos, the daughter you adopted in this world.”
After composing herself, the melancholic Princess Edwina, who did not doubt Altina’s explanation at all, bowed to Cain with a perfect curtsy.
Perhaps because she knew he wasn’t the actual person, the stiff feeling Edwina had given off earlier relaxed significantly.
To be honest, a moment ago she had looked like a nervous child in front of her mother. Now, she seemed more like an elegant and polite princess, her attitude and tone much more natural.
“Rise, Edwina K. Letinos. I am not your mother, so there is no need to be so formal. Instead, I hope for your guidance. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Cain K. Letinos, Prince of Leonas from another world. You may simply call me Cain.”
Seeing how polite the Princess was, Cain couldn’t lose his manners. He immediately adopted the attitude of a prince and introduced himself.
Cain believed he was putting on a polite smile that would make anyone feel at ease. Being well-mannered was a basic trait of the Tragic Prince’s character, and since he was naturally someone who liked to maintain a sense of distance, he didn’t even have to act. He just had to be mindful of his status, and it came naturally.
However, his politeness had no effect and failed to move the Princess’s heart.
“That won’t do! Even if you are from another world, Mother is still Mother. How could a daughter call her mother by name?”
When Edwina looked up, her face was full of refusal. Though she gave off a melancholic and quiet vibe, she was unexpectedly forceful at this moment, leaving Cain somewhat stunned.
“…No, but I’m a man?”
“Gender doesn’t matter! Mother is Mother!”
Frowning slightly, Edwina bit her lip again and glared fiercely at Cain. This time, it wasn’t out of sadness, but out of some unknown stubbornness.
Her sudden assertiveness left Cain with no choice but to be a “male mother.”
He really wanted to know now — was he truly that similar to the Queen of this world?
Were they so identical that both Altina and Edwina didn’t doubt him for a second?
Whatever the case, the possibility of him being an impostor pretending to be royalty should have been much higher than him being a Queen from another world, right?
“Ah, I—I am very sorry, Mother. My voice was a bit loud just now. I—anyway, I hope you can understand… Or rather, can I call you Mother no matter what?”
Realizing she had lost her composure, Edwina immediately returned to her quiet demeanor, looking up at Cain’s face with an uneasy gaze.
Framed by her mature, pale purple eye shadow, those deep purple eyes, currently trembling with the fear of rejection, looked even more heart-wrenching.
“…I understand. If the ‘me’ of this world allows it, then do as you wish, Edwina.”
Faced with such a plea from a beautiful princess, Cain couldn’t bring himself to refuse. In the end, he could only give a helpless smile.
He indicated that the matter would have to be discussed with her real mother later.
Having received Cain’s partial permission, a smile of relief appeared on Edwina’s pitiful face, and a faint blush even surfaced on her cheeks.
It was as if she felt she could already call Cain “Mother” whenever she wanted.
Cain was certainly interested in learning more about this sudden adopted daughter.
However, right now, he was even more curious about the “him” of this world — who exactly was this Queen Corellia?
Therefore, he planned to bid Edwina farewell for now and go meet the Queen first.
Unsurprisingly, upon hearing that Cain was going to see the Queen, Edwina immediately insisted on accompanying him.
Having no good reason to refuse her, Cain eventually agreed with Altina’s permission.
And so, accompanied by Altina and Edwina — two beauties with completely different auras — Cain visited the audience hall and the Queen’s private office before finally arriving at the palace gardens. There, in the courtyard, he finally saw the Queen, who was currently admiring the flowers.
Along the way, Altina and Edwina had been very active in telling Cain just how much he and the Queen looked alike.
In his mind, Cain had conjured an image of a white-haired mature woman who had a polite smile for everyone but maintained a social distance from all — seemingly kind but actually proud and aloof.
But when he actually saw Queen Corellia, even though he was mentally prepared, Cain couldn’t help but freeze.
“See? Mother really is Mother, isn’t she?”
“…They are identical.”
The comments coming from his left and right — one joyful and the other calm — made Cain question his very existence.
‘What? Where does that ice beauty, who practically has “aloof” and “cold” written across her face, look like me?’
‘…Is it just the race and age?’