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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Empathy.
Putting oneself in another’s shoes.
“They say raising children is pointless… well, not exactly pointless in my case. I wasn’t exactly showered with affection as the youngest. I was pretty much on my own. But still, imagine raising your only daughter, cherishing her… and then she brings home five men and says she’s marrying all of them…”
I nodded, momentarily putting myself in my mother’s position.
I’d expected shock, followed by vehement opposition, not a full-blown fainting spell.
But her reaction was understandable, considering the circumstances.
If I’d said I was marrying a widow or a divorcee, she wouldn’t have been this shocked.
She might have questioned my choice, asking why the Court Mage would settle for such a marriage, but it would have been within the realm of acceptable.
Even if I’d said I was becoming someone’s concubine, she would have tried to dissuade me, but she wouldn’t have fainted.
This was different. This was beyond the pale, utterly absurd.
Hence, her reaction.
Thanks to her fainting spell, I now found myself alone with her in her bedroom.
She lay in bed, a damp cloth on her forehead, her eyes fluttering open.
“A nightmare… a nightmare… Rudrick is getting married…”
“Mother, it’s not a nightmare.”
Silence.
My mother turned her head with difficulty and looked at me, a faint smile on her lips.
“So it wasn’t a dream…”
“As your son, I hate to tell you this, but what happened earlier… wasn’t a dream.”
“I know. That’s enough.”
The air was thick with tension.
I knew she wasn’t actually okay. Anyone with a shred of common sense would understand that.
I awkwardly scratched my head, and my mother spoke.
“What happened?”
A blunt question, skipping all the pleasantries.
“Well, it all started when…”
And so, I began to explain everything.
Of course, I omitted the part about the five women regressing and my past life. It was too unbelievable, and it would only complicate the explanation.
Instead, I focused on the events that led to this situation.
At first, I’d found their attention overwhelming, but after spending almost a year together, I’d gradually warmed up to them.
I’d initially joked that I was being treated like a character in a dating sim, but their persistent affection had worn me down.
It was inevitable, really. I hadn’t drawn a clear line from the beginning.
After listening to my lengthy explanation, my mother pressed her hand to her forehead.
“Is that all?”
“For now.”
“Sigh…”
She let out a deep sigh.
She’d had her suspicions, but the reality was far grander than she’d imagined.
According to my story, a dragon and a True Ancestor were currently waiting in her drawing-room, figures usually found only in legends. It was too much for her simple mind to process.
And the fact that these mythical beings were in love with her son… it was almost comical.
Unless this was some kind of Eastern Empress’ harem, filled with the most handsome men, this was an unusual situation, even with the genders reversed.
Even four concubines would be considered excessive, but I was about to marry five women.
Massaging her temples, my mother asked,
“You were going to marry them even if I objected, weren’t you? Actually, I doubt my objection would even matter at this point.”
“It just… happened. It wasn’t intentional.”
“Don’t give me that.”
My mother sighed again, realizing the situation was beyond her control.
This was strange.
A parent unable to interfere in their child’s marriage, especially their son’s marriage. Yet, here we were.
“I doubt my objection would change anything, but I need to speak with them.”
“They’re good girls. They’re very obedient.”
“You talk about your future wives like they’re pets. I’ve told you to be mindful of your words, especially with Her Highness present. It’s disrespectful.”
I sulked, realizing I’d only made things worse.
As I headed for the door, I turned back and asked,
“Should I call them in one by one?”
“Yes.”
My mother nodded, and I closed the door behind me, feeling a sense of relief. I’d expected this outcome. I knew she’d reluctantly agree, but the hardest part had been broaching the subject.
I’d overcome the biggest hurdle.
“I need to tell them to be nice to her.”
“This is why they say raising children is pointless.”
The matter was settled.
As a parent, it was natural to want to dissuade your child from marrying five people at once. But my mind was made up, and judging by the caliber of my future wives, she knew she couldn’t interfere.
But she couldn’t just do nothing.
This was her son’s wedding. Even if it was a foregone conclusion, she couldn’t simply agree without speaking to them.
Silence.
The result was this.
My mother and Elena were now face to face.
Normally, a minor noble like my mother would never have the opportunity to speak with a princess alone. But this was an exception. And Elena was the one who seemed nervous.
“My goodness.”
It was a shame.
If I’d chosen just one woman, she would have been overjoyed. She still couldn’t understand how this had happened.
Five women in love with her son, and he’d agreed to marry all of them.
What kind of logic was that?
“I knew you were unusual, but I never imagined this…”
“Pardon?”
“Just thinking aloud, Your Highness. No need to worry. And please, speak casually. You are the princess, after all.”
“If you insist.”
“Let’s get straight to the point. Why do you love my… inadequate son? Enough to agree to this… unconventional marriage?”
“Hmm…”
A blunt question, cutting to the chase.
Elena hesitated, then tilted her head.
“Do you need a reason for two people to love each other?”
“A good question. I understand. When you’re young, even a glance can ignite a passionate love.”
“And this isn’t some youthful infatuation, as you seem to think.”
My mother fell silent at Elena’s confident response.
Elena’s demeanor was unwavering. This wasn’t a whim.
My mother found her attitude puzzling, but Elena’s love for me had spanned nearly a decade, including the time before the regression.
And now, her unrequited love was about to bear fruit, albeit in this unusual form.
She’d never doubted her feelings, never felt her love waver, even though it had never been reciprocated.
With a sincere gaze, Elena murmured,
“You wouldn’t understand.”
My mother silently agreed.
Indeed, she didn’t understand.
Even with her maternal bias, she didn’t think I was worth this much, worth this absurd marriage. Objectively, that was true.
And Elena knew it.
But as she’d just said…
“There are some things you can’t explain with logic.”
There was no need for a reason to love someone.
It was strange for Elena, who’d lived a life of condemnation before the regression, to have such thoughts. Even she thought it sounded ridiculous, something people would scoff at.
“I love him enough to accept all of this. Isn’t that reason enough?”
There was a hint of self-deprecation, of resignation, in her voice.
And my mother realized something.
One thing was certain. Elena was suffering from an incurable disease.
Whether it was love sickness or something else entirely.
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