I don't know Mrs. Lilica well, but when I first met Lia, Mrs. Lilica gave me the impression that she truly loved Lia.
Perhaps because I've become accustomed to a child's perspective after being reincarnated, I seem to be gradually able to discern other people's emotions from their eyes.
This isn't some remarkable skill; rather, it's because the people in this family are so emotional that capturing subtle changes in their expressions becomes quite easy.
"Robert, you did very well today too. Mom is so proud of you."
Just like the woman named Lucia in front of me, who is also my mother. Her gaze is on me, but she isn't really looking at me; I think her thoughts have already drifted to the distant future.
And her smile now isn't because of me; she's just trying to play the role of a mother. To outsiders, we must look like a harmonious mother and son. Only I know that she only loves my worth, not me as a person.
But it doesn't matter. I'm not at the age where I crave recognition anymore, and what kind of person my mother is in this world won't affect me.
"The other three children are no match for you. They are truly my children. From now on, the position of Marquis Anglus will definitely belong to you. I am in a very good mood today. You can ask me for any reward you want."
My mother was just like that; she could say such careless things to her children even though Lilica had just passed away yesterday.
"I want to... go see my sister Lia."
The mother's smile froze, but quickly returned.
"Robert is such a caring older brother. I understand. Let's go see Lia together."
Huh? Is she coming too? What is she thinking? Or is she trying to stop me and Lia from getting too close?
Never mind, it's more important to check on how Lia is doing right now.
To be honest, I didn't expect Lia to have experienced something like this when she was a child. In the novel, she didn't mention her mother and father at all. I simply assumed that her personality was caused by her family environment. The darkness of the Anglus family was much more serious than I imagined.
But what should I do after I see her? Comfort her? Who? Me? How?
Whether in modern times or now, I have never experienced the pain of losing my mother. And to be honest, even if Lucia, the mother who is holding my hand now, were to pass away one day, I probably wouldn't feel that much heartache.
I once saw a comment online that said: if you haven't experienced the same pain, any words of comfort seem pale and powerless. Superficial encouragement like "cheer up," "life is long," and "there are many people who love you" has no effect on the person being comforted. Even so, I can't accept doing nothing. It's less about comforting others and more about self-gratification. Is that what I want to do?
However, we met Lia in person before we even reached her room.
As always, Lia was carrying a pink bunny doll. When she saw us in the hallway, she jogged over.
"Have you ever seen my mother?"
She didn't feel sad, just anxious and uneasy about not being able to find my mother.
Oh, I see.
No one has told her that her mother has passed away.
Were they afraid she couldn't handle the blow? Or did they think she couldn't yet grasp the concept of losing her mother, so they intentionally kept it from her? In any case, if the Marquis Bahod, as her father, didn't tell her, then it shouldn't come from our mouths either.
"I'm sorry, little Lia, we don't know where your mother is..."
The mother's tone was much gentler than before, and her feelings for Lia had clearly changed.
"It's probably because she has some urgent business and can't come back for the time being. Adults always have urgent matters that they have to deal with. You have to understand your mother."
"My lord...is it urgent?"
"That's right, so you have to be a good boy and wait patiently for your mother to come back..."
The mother knelt down and put her hands on Lia's shoulders. It was the first time I had ever seen her be so kind and gentle to other children.
"How about... you just treat me as your second mother?"
Ah?
What is this woman saying?
I looked at my mother in surprise. Did she really mean what she said?
Perhaps sensing something in her mother's eyes, Lia widened her eyes, shrank back, and then ran away without looking back, as if fleeing from something.
"Oh dear, they've gone. Your own mother is definitely the best, isn't she, Robert?"
What do you want me to answer?
I was still hesitating about what to say to Lia, but in the end, I didn't even get a chance to say a word. Oh well, at least I know what's going on with her now.
"Alright, now that we've met Sister Lia, let's go."
"No, I want to take another look."
That's what I said, but I'm still a little worried about Lia and want to go after her to check on her.
She probably asks everyone she meets if they've seen her mother.
"...Okay, remember not to be late for class."
My mother didn't say much, and then my son and I went our separate ways.
...