(Chastity Reversed) The Legitimate Wife War: How I, a Harem-Hater, Ended Up Creating an Ultra-Eccentric Harem with a Villainess, a Sadistic Beauty Teacher, a Scheming Classmate... etc. - Chapter 143.1 - Tachibana Mizuri's Resolve

“Mizuri?”

“Mother….”

Tachibana-san had said she would talk with her mother.

But that was supposed to be tomorrow, definitely not right now today.

She couldn’t possibly be prepared, trembling in small increments behind Aoyama-san.

Thinking I should contact Shiraishi-san to do something, I checked my phone and saw I had notifications.

A little while ago, there was an email saying Karen-san was heading this way, and apparently she’s coming now.

I messed up—I had it on mute and didn’t notice.

In this situation, it was a mistake to have Ayaka-san, who’s a teacher, go back to the car to get towels out of consideration for Mizuri-san’s feelings.

Shiraishi-san also followed obediently after hearing the reason, but it was a mistake.

I had her go back to the car to make it easier to talk… but even though she’s coming, it takes more than 10 minutes from the car to here.

To ask Karen-san about the abuse, it makes a difference whether adults are present or not, but I have to do it.

Seeing trembling Tachibana-san, both Aoyama-san and I simultaneously step forward to protect her.

“Mizuri… what are you doing?”

Karen-san is smiling, but her eyes aren’t.

Maybe because her eyes are on Mizuri-san, it’s like she can’t see our existence at all. No, maybe she’s really not conscious of us.

So—

“—It’s been a while, Karen-san.”

To make her conscious of us, I forcefully step in between and call out to block Karen-san’s line of sight.

“…Good evening, Takeda-kun.”

Karen-san first narrows her eyes unpleasantly, then recognizes me and puts on a smile again.

Karen-san isn’t wearing the kimono she wore before today, and her hair is down.

Maybe she came in quite a hurry—she’s dressed somewhat casually, wearing jeans on the bottom and a long-sleeved black shirt on top, with a large black bag over her shoulder.

“…Is the person next to Takeda-kun… a friend?”

“…I’m Aoyama Setsuna, Mizuri-san’s friend.”

“Aoyama-san… thank you for always being there for our Mizuri.”

“Likewise.”

Aoyama-san also bows slightly.

To be frank, it’s creepy.

I don’t understand why Karen-san knows about this place, and I don’t understand why she’s having a conversation with us while smiling.

That’s exactly why I need to be cooler.

Stay calm, be composed.

Conversely, isn’t this a good opportunity?

“So Mizuri? How long are you planning to stay behind your friends?”

Karen-san naturally directs the conversation to Tachibana-san behind us while maintaining her smile.

“…!”

Being addressed, Tachibana-san clearly flinches.

“Oh, what a helpless child… this girl really.”

Karen-san puts her hand to her cheek as if troubled.

“Looking closely, you’re wet, aren’t you? You’ll catch a cold. Really, should I go then?”

What she’s saying isn’t strange, and if it were a normal parent, it would just look like approaching out of worry, but knowing about the abuse, the perspective changes drastically.

Not because she’s worried, but to discipline, to apply pressure.

Karen-san walks toward us while putting her hand in her bag.

Receiving Karen-san’s pressure, we gradually back away by that much.

“…Why are you running away?”

Karen-san tilts her head with an expression like she doesn’t understand.

But she doesn’t stop walking.

So.

“Karen-san, this is perfect timing.”

I leave Tachibana-san to Aoyama-san and step one more step forward to stop her advance.

With the best fake smile I can manage.

“…What might that be?”

Karen-san shows a suspicious expression.

“I just had something I wanted to ask Karen-san about.”

“Something to ask? From Takeda-kun to me… what might it be? I’m a little scared.”

Karen-san’s face remains smiling as before.

The distance between me and Karen-san isn’t much anymore.

“I didn’t notice from far away, but Takeda-kun, you’re injured on your head, aren’t you? What happened? What occurred? Are you okay?… Mizuri! You’re also a fiancée, so you shouldn’t make an injured person overexert themselves.”

She was applying pressure while pretending to worry about me. Mizuri-san is also trembling in response.

This is probably how she suppresses her normally. Whether consciously or unconsciously, I don’t know.

“Pay attention to such things, okay? Didn’t I teach you to provide caring support to gentlemen?”

I somehow feel, ah, this is difficult to deal with.

“Karen-san, you don’t need to say so much. This is just from falling, so it’s nothing serious—I was just clumsy. Mizuri-san did nothing wrong. She was worried about me, and I told her not to worry more than necessary.”

“Kyo-kun…”

“Is that so? That’s fine then… I’m also an old-fashioned woman, so understanding that men are precious, I think we need to provide maximum support. I can’t help thinking we need to show respect. You know how they say a wife should walk three steps behind her husband? So I think Mizuri should do that much too, to be loved by her fiancé. Don’t you think so?”

What era is she talking about? I think. That kind of thinking was called outdated even in my previous life. Isn’t her mindset stuck in the Showa era?

It’s troubling to be asked for agreement from me who lived in the Heisei era.

Still, to be loved… huh.

Karen-san doesn’t notice my inner exasperation and shakes her head saying “really, what a troublesome child.”

She apparently doesn’t think she said anything strange at all.

“Please don’t worry. Even without going that far, I already like Mizuri-san plenty. Rather, if she went that far, I’d feel reserved.”

“…Oh? Oh my, oh my, is that so?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Oh, I’m a bit relieved that my daughter seems to be doing well.”

A sigh of relief escapes, and Karen-san shows a somewhat softer smile than before.

That confuses me.

Doesn’t she love her?

It was the same earlier.

It didn’t feel like her concern for her daughter was fake either. Earlier too, she noticed that Tachibana-san was wet. Even though she wasn’t visibly wet and had started to dry a little.

She also looks at her with worry from time to time.

“…So maybe the relationship has progressed quite a bit?”

Just when I thought that, Karen-san narrows her eyes with a probing expression.

Relationship, huh.

The meaning of “relationship” here is… that kind of thing.

“…That’s hardly something to discuss with the mother.”

While maintaining my smile, I act reserved and don’t give a clear answer.

Normally this is where you’d stop. You’d realize and stop. But—

“—It’s fine, isn’t it? Just between us.”

Just between us, but your daughter is right in front of us?

She acts like she’s not even in her field of vision. As if asking this is important, no, it probably is important to this person.

For a happy ending.

For some reason I don’t understand.

“However…”

“It’s fine, it’s important. I’m worried about my daughter. There are so many other brides already, aren’t there? So I’m worried whether my daughter is properly loved. So please.”

Karen-san spins words as if impatient.

As if she’s being forced to ask. Not “as if”—she is.