Living as the Villainess Stepmother

Chapter 149 - For Mother (1)

The sound of heavy rain filled the atmosphere as dark clouds lingered in the afternoon sky. Hirs's face mimicked the mood of the clouds while standing away from the training grounds.

"Come on! Stop raining... !" He complained to no avail.

Despite how long he waited, the rain never stopped. Hir's face couldn't hold it anymore and his annoyed expression was as clear as an open book. All the other knights went out to train whether it was raining or not, but he was excluded because of his age. They didn't want the young master to catch a cold.

"You think it's unfair?" His trainer asked behind him.

"Yes..."

"Why?" Hizette, who was in charge of Hir's personal training coach, also had an empty schedule for the day due to the rain. He leaned against the wall at an angle where his face was slightly covered by shadow.

Hir tilted his head slightly and hesitated for a moment. "Of course, it's un- unfair. Because... because... because I'm old enough... !"

"Ha..." The laugh was so dry yet it spoke words. How could a child who couldn't even reach his waist say he was old enough?

"Where did you learn to say that?" Asked Hizette, thinking that he probably picked up a few lines from the chit-chat of the knights.

"No, This is what my mother told me!" The little boy seemed to have regained his confidence at the mention of his mom.

"Madam Lila?"

"Yes. She told me that I'm old enough to do whatever I want." His lips, which were usually firm, appeared unstable, and his eyes closed for a moment, showing a completely different side of himself.

"When will the rain stop?" Hir, who was stuck with his instructor inside the mansion, slowly turned towards him and found him watching keenly. This came to no surprise as Hir had his arms and head stuck out the window to check how strong the rain was.

"Don't do that, it's dangerous," said Hizette as he promptly pulled him away from the window and shut it tight.

"What's so dangerous... Hizette will save me anyways. If I fall, Hizette would follow after me flying."

"I don't have such an ability." He stated bluntly before noticing the growing smirk on Hir's face.

He thought that his timid personality, who used to be embarrassed by just a peep, had become bright enough to play pranks on others.

"Hizette, can you make the rain stop?"

"Unfortunately no, I also don't have that ability."

Hir looked like he took insult from that statement. "With magic! I read in a fairytale that magicians can make rainfall and stop."

"I think you read too many books these days," he said, leaning back on the wall.

Hir, showing his gloom, sat down on the small sofa with his buttocks flattened. The softness embraced him warmly.

"Hizette is no fun."

"I know that."

"I hope the rain stops so I can practice...."

Hizette shook his head in agreement, opening one eye to find the boy drooping like spinach on the couch. He looked at the muddy ground outside the window and concluded that training wouldn't be possible even when the rain stopped.

It wouldn't matter for the muscular knights, but Hir could get stuck in wet soil or slip and fall. It would be good to prevent these from happening in advance. He wouldn't know how to report these incidents to his master if they ever did happen. A memory of Lacias acting as an overreacting parent flashed through Hizette's mind, he started strangely relating to him as opposed to how he felt before.

"Hew...."

Hearing a sigh that didn't sound like it came from a child, Hizette raised his eyebrows.

"I miss my mother...."

"You can go see Madam Lila now if you want." Explained Hizette. "She also stayed inside thanks to the rain."

"I know. But...." He had a complex yet subtle look in his eyes. Hizette noted the fact that his eyes resembled Lacias's. "I don't think I should go to see her....."

Hizette raised his head curiously. "What do you mean?"

He lifted his legs, which had been swinging under the sofa, Then wrapped his arms around his knees and buried his face between them.

Hizette just silently stared as Hir fumbled into a new position, he was waiting for him to explain what he just said, but the child stayed in his new fortress that were his knees in an act of retaliation, however, what Hir didn't account for was how patient Hizette was.

After giving up the act, Hir finally broke. "I don't know why, but my mother doesn't seem happy when she sees me anymore...."

After a while of waiting for the answer, Hizette picked up his head again. How couldn't Madam Lila like to see Hir? He thought. That would never happen.

"That cannot be the case. It must be some sort of misunderstanding." Reassured Hizette.

"Is that... so?" Hir's eyes lifted slightly. "It was my misunderstanding, right?!" He asked, wanting further reassurance.

Hizette knew from his voice raising uncontrollably that Hir wanted to hear. 'There's no way that Madam Lila would ever think that.'

"Right, absolutely!" Hir continued rambling regardless. "Why would my mother be...?" He seemed to have lifted his spirits already.

"Was there an incident that made you feel that way?" Asked Hizette curiously

"N- no not really."