Kays Translations

Chapter 15: Lilina's Mother

“This didn’t happen in the original story.” 

I muttered to myself as I watched Lilina clean up the kitchen utensils after making cookies.

In the anime, the protagonist Kane was supposed to meet Lilina’s mother much later, when he delivered the elixir. There was no event where he stayed at Lilina’s house, and certainly no depiction of the villain, Lloyd, getting along with Lilina. In fact, Lilina was supposed to hate Lloyd.

“Did you say something, Lloyd-sama?” 

Lilina asked, approaching me with small steps after finishing her cleaning.

It seemed she heard my muttering. There was no wariness in her expression, only the kind of look she reserved for the protagonist, Kane. It wasn’t a look that should be directed at a villain like Lloyd.

Watching her tilt her head in curiosity, I smiled slightly. I wondered what people who knew this anime would think if they saw us now.

With that thought, I glanced toward the back room. 

“I should probably introduce myself.”

“Lloyd-sama?”

“It would be rude to stay without greeting the head of the house.”

Besides being polite, it would be unsettling for her mother to find a strange man in the house. If we ran into each other at night, she might mistake me for a burglar. And Lloyd does have a villainous face.

“You don’t have to worry about that, but... okay. I’ll go check on her.” 

Lilina said after a moment of thought, nodding before heading to the back room.

As I pondered whether it would be rude to wake her if she was sleeping, Lilina soon poked her head out. 

“Lloyd-sama, you can come in.”

“Got it.”

As Lilina gestured for me to enter, I walked into the room and saw a beastwoman lying on the bed. She had the same silver ears as Lilina, though they drooped weakly. Despite knowing her face from the anime, seeing her up close, she looked incredibly young—not someone you’d think was a mother.

I stared for a moment, then approached the bed and bowed lightly. 

“Nice to meet you. I’m Lloyd. Your daughter has kindly allowed me to stay here for a few days. I hope it’s not too much trouble.”

When I looked up, Lilina’s mother was staring at my face intently. The serious gaze made me uncertain of what to do. Did I have something on my face?

Wait, I remember Lilina looking at me like this before.

“… I’m surprised. Is this really the same Lloyd?” 

Lilina’s mother murmured.

Surprised?

Oh, right. Lloyd isn’t known for polite greetings.

“Yeah, I’m surprised too.” 

Lilina said with a small laugh when I glanced at her. Her smile seemed to carry some deeper meaning, making me tilt my head in confusion. Suddenly, Lilina’s mother bowed deeply to me.

“I’ve heard from my daughter. Thank you so much for helping her.”

“No, I’m just glad she’s okay.”

“…?”

When I responded blandly, Lilina’s mother looked at me in confusion. The silence stretched, making me uncomfortable. I cleared my throat and continued speaking.

“Also, in a few days, I’d like to borrow your daughter. She wants to get an elixir, and I’ll go with her to ensure it’s safe.”

“You’re going with her, Lloyd-san?”

“Yes, it would be too dangerous for her to go alone.”

Since she had heard from Lilina, she probably knew about the troubles Lilina had faced. Hearing my explanation, Lilina’s mother looked at me apologetically.

“Why are you doing so much for us?”

“Just repaying a debt. A girl like Lilina once cheered me up, so this is my way of paying it forward. It’s really just for my own satisfaction.”

“That you would do so much for such a reason…”

Lilina’s mother blinked in surprise at my words. From her perspective, my explanation might not seem like enough of a reason to help her daughter so much.

But that's the truth, so there's nothing I can do about it.

As I chuckled softly, Lilina's mother shifted her gaze to Lilina, who was standing beside me.

"You've met a wonderful person, Lilina." 

She said with a very gentle smile.

"M-Mother!" 

Lilina responded, her cheeks faintly reddening with embarrassment. Watching her, I couldn't help but laugh quietly.

A wonderful person, huh? I never expected to hear anyone describe Lloyd like that.

"Lloyd-san, please take care of my daughter."

"Of course, I will." 

I replied, nodding as Lilina's mother bowed deeply to me one last time.

The heartfelt sincerity in her words was probably because she was so worried about Lilina.

I need to stay strong for Lilina's mother's sake too.

With that firm resolve, I decided to spend the next few days at Lilina's house.

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