Reincarnated as a Villainous Aristocrat in an Otome Game, So I Bought the Main Heroine with Money - Chapter 07: Embracing a Mother's Love

Chapter 07: Embracing a Mother’s Love

Several weeks had passed since the mother and daughter began their new life at the estate.

The once-quiet mansion now buzzed with energy. The previously silent hallways were filled with the sound of Liese’s efforts as she followed Faina’s guidance, and Maria’s gentle laughter echoed warmly.

One afternoon, as I was reviewing the ledgers in my study, a knock came at the door.

“Come in.”

I looked up to see Maria standing at the entrance. She hesitated slightly before stepping into the room, her expression a mix of uncertainty and determination.

“Lord Cerios, may I have a moment of your time?”

I set down my pen and leaned back in my chair.

“I don’t mind. What is it?”

Maria stood silently for a moment, as if gathering her thoughts. Then, with a determined look, she spoke.

“I was talking with some of the others, and there’s something that’s been on my mind… Lord Cerios, do you not have parents?”

Her question took me by surprise. It seemed she had heard about my parents’ deaths from the other staff. Perhaps, given the struggles she and her family had faced, she hadn’t even been aware of the lord’s passing until now.

Her expression was serious, and I could tell she wasn’t asking out of mere curiosity.

“That’s right… They passed away when I was young. I don’t have many memories of them.”

In truth, as Cerios, I held no memories of his mother.

“I see… I’m sorry. That was a rude question.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s all in the past now.”

I said the words, but deep down, I realized the topic stirred a faint ache in my heart. It wasn’t just Cerios’s pain—it was a burden I, too, carried within me.

“Even so… Living without your parents must have been difficult, wasn’t it?”

Maria’s voice held a gentle warmth, like that of a mother concerned for her child. Caught off guard by her tone, I hesitated for a moment before answering honestly.

“Well, I got used to it. Arnaud took good care of me.”

“I see. But… Lord Cerios, don’t you ever feel like leaning on someone for support?”

Her question left me momentarily speechless. Leaning on someone… The very idea felt foreign to me.

“Me? Lean on someone?”

“Yes. You’ve always been so capable, supporting the estate so admirably, but it seems to me that you’re pushing yourself too hard.”

“Me, pushing myself?”

“Yes!”

Maria’s eyes, just like Liese’s, were astonishingly earnest and unwavering.

“What does it matter if I’m pushing myself?”

I knew I was putting on a brave front. But so what? In both my past life and as Cerios, I had no parents to rely on.

Leaning on someone was never an option for me.

“May I?”

“What?”

Maria quietly moved to stand beside my chair.

“I’m a mother who raised Liese. If you’d like, would you allow yourself to lean on me?”

Before I could respond, she gently wrapped my head in her embrace. The softness, the gentle warmth, and the sweet scent enveloped me completely.

For a moment, I couldn’t comprehend what was happening. Then, as the realization hit me, embarrassment surged, and my face grew hot.

“W-What are you doing!”

“I’m sorry. This is the only way I know how to let someone lean on me. I thought perhaps feeling another’s warmth might bring you comfort. Lord Cerios, if you ever feel lonely or want to lean on someone, please allow me to hold you like this.”

Her words made me pause.

I had never considered leaning on someone before. Yet, as I felt Maria’s kindness, a small emptiness within my chest seemed to fill, just a little.

“Do as you like.”

“Thank you!”

Maria’s face lit up with a gentle smile.

For a while, she held me in her warm embrace. When she finally let go, I felt a small pang of loneliness.

“My apologies. Please feel free to call on me anytime.”

Her words brought a faint smile to my face.

“Alright, I’ll take you up on that.”

Hearing that, she gave a satisfied smile before leaving the room. Watching her retreating figure, I let out a quiet sigh. Leaning on someone was something I’d never considered before.

But today’s events left a warm memory etched in my heart.

Maria, who treated me with a mother’s kindness… Yet, strangely, I couldn’t help but see her as more than a mother—perhaps as an older sister or even as a woman.

Only now did I truly understand how significant her presence was to me.

Liese, when she grows up, will be known as one of the kingdom’s most beautiful women. With a mother like Maria, it was no surprise. Maria’s mature charm and maternal warmth enveloped me completely.

It was a kind of warmth I’d never felt before, leaving me unsure of how to respond.

“Sigh… Maybe reincarnation hasn’t made me as grown-up as I thought. Perhaps Cerios’s childish heart is influencing me more than I realized.”

I looked at my reflection in the window, and for some reason, warm tears fell from my eyes.

Perhaps I was thinking of my parents. Or maybe it was Cerios’s heart quietly crying.

“She doesn’t even look like a mother to me.”

But my heart felt warmer than it had in a long time.

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[Afterword]

Hello, this is the author, Iko.

That’s all for today.

Thank you for your support (๑>◡<๑)!