Chapter 8

The recital was over, and I returned to the room.

It was the guest room of the lakeside villa lent to us by the royal family. The room, filled with the finest furnishings, was dyed a golden color as if honey had been poured into it, bathed in the setting sun that streamed through the windows.

In that room, I sat on a sofa, with a low table between us. Opposite me sat my father and mother, and next to me sat my brother. Furthermore, Claudia stood by the side. For some reason, I felt as if I were being surrounded.

"Well, Sofia, do you understand what we want to say?"

My father, with his green hair and eyes, a very handsome man in his thirties, said this with a serious face. He, who usually never lost his gentle smile, was now looking at me with a serious expression.

"Um... Is it, 'The magic at the recital was very beautiful'?"

"The magic at the recital was indeed beautiful."

"Yes, really. I thought it was worthy of my daughter."

"Everyone was taken aback by the feat of creating a real rainbow."

Following my father, my mother and brother agreed with smiles. But in the next moment, as if they had agreed on it, they narrowed their eyes and said in strong voices, "But that's not what we're talking about now."

I resigned myself and apologized, "I'm sorry for causing you worry."

Father let out a small sigh.

"Let me say this first. You did the right thing as a noble's daughter. As the head of the House of Vistaria, I am very proud. But even so..."

Father lowered his eyes. He was the head of the house and a father. His face was a mix of worry, sadness, and pride as he gazed at the sunset outside the window.

"...I'm glad you're safe."

His heartfelt words were filled with strong relief.

I suddenly felt like crying and said, "I'm sorry for causing you worry." Large tears fell from my eyes, which were lowered, and wet the low table dyed by the sunset.

My brother, who was sitting next to me, pulled me into his embrace and kissed my head.

"You don't need to apologize. We're not angry. Just remember that if you do something reckless, we'll worry, and if something happens, we'll be sad."

"...Yes. I'll do better next time."

When I said that, a puzzled voice, "Huh?" was heard. Then, my mother said, "Sofia, what do you mean by 'do better'?"

"Eh? Well... The cut resistance of the robe was as expected, but I didn't realize that being stabbed would be so painful, which I think was the reason for my failure."

"That sounds like you were expecting to be stabbed..."

"It was an outdoor recital where commoners also participated. This year, the royal family was also present, so I thought there might be some kind of attack."

When I raised my face and confessed, my mother and the others looked as if they had something to say.

"I also considered the possibility... What do you think?"

My mother asked my father for his opinion.

"Sofia had a stronger sense of crisis than we did. In that sense, her judgment was correct... But what is this feeling of unease?"

When they mentioned the feeling of unease, I didn't understand why my parents were puzzled. I tilted my head in confusion, and my brother said, "Next time, rely on me."

"...Brother?"

"Your mistake was trying to handle the danger yourself. If something like this happens again, rely on me. You've always done that, haven't you?"

I realized this.

Until now, I had taken it for granted that people would be lenient with me. If I had known about the attack before regaining my memories from my previous life, I would have immediately turned to my family for help.

But I didn't do that this time. Because my previous self didn't know how to rely on others. This difference must have seemed strange to my family.

My mother tilted her head and said, "Now that you mention it, that's true. Did you have some kind of change of heart?"

If I didn't explain, I might be suspected. I had to make it fit.

"...I had a dream. A dream where I took everyone's kindness for granted, got carried away, and became selfish, and in the end, everyone hated me."

I mixed a small lie into the truth, hiding the information about my memories from my previous life. I watched to see if it would work, and my brother smiled.

"As I said before, that's impossible."

"Why?"

I looked at my brother, thinking about how the original Sofia was abandoned.

"It's because you are the one who is worried about such things. You are careful not to get carried away. It's impossible for you to get carried away and be abandoned."

I widened my eyes slightly.

If my brother had said, "I will never abandon you no matter what," I might have thought he was lying, knowing the original story. But my brother said it was okay because of my change. To me, that felt very special.

"...Thank you, Brother. And thank you, Father and Mother. If something like this happens again, I will consult with everyone."

When I said this, they all smiled in relief.

I could see tears welling up in my mother's eyes. There, I saw the family bond that my previous self had desperately wanted. I savored that happiness and thanked the someone who had reincarnated me.

I don't want to lose this happiness. So, I will do everything I can to make sure the scenario of the otome game leads to a happy ending. I renewed my resolve with this thought.

Thus, the family meeting ended, and the family dinner began.

The topic of the recital came up again, and my magic was also discussed. I explained the principle behind the rainbow, but it wasn't well understood.

But I was satisfied when they praised it as fantastical.

As I savored the happiness and enjoyed the family gathering, a letter arrived. It was from the king, expressing his gratitude for saving his son.