Chapter 104: Mothers are strong
{TL: By Creed}
"Emilia! Why have you come here? I said I would handle this brat!"
"I was worried about how things were progressing, so I came to check. And, as I expected, it seems necessary... so I'll join you from here on."
"No! It is unbecoming of the Ascart family to sit with such a nobody..."
"I will join, won't I?"
"No, but I said that's not..."
"I will join, won't I?"
"...U-uhm."
Edward-san was overwhelmed by Emilia-san's smiling pressure.
Could it be that he can't stand up to his wife? If that's the case, I feel a bit of kinship with him.
Though it's slightly different... I can't stand up to Sofia either.
"It's been a while, Stuart-kun. Do you remember me?"
"Ah, yes. It's been a while, Aunt Emilia... you are Aunt Emilia, right?"
"Yes, that's right. Have you forgotten my face? Well, it has been over ten years, so it's understandable."
"No, I remember. It's just... you look the same as back then, or rather, even more beautiful now, so I was a bit confused."
"Oh my. Oh my, oh my."
When I expressed my honest feelings, Emilia-san's smile deepened.
"For such a young man to say such delightful things to an old woman like me. Stuart-kun, you might become quite the heartbreaker."
"N-no, I didn't mean it like that..."
"Hehe, I'm just joking. Stuart-kun, you are devoted to our daughter... Sofia, aren't you?"
"Y-yes... that's right. I can't think of any other girl but Sofia."
"...Fate..."
Sofia, sitting next to me, looked at me dreamily,
"Grrr..."
While Edward-san glared at me with intense hostility.
Receiving a smile from the aunt and a glare from the uncle. It's quite a chaotic situation.
"Our daughter has come home after a long time. Not only did she bring Stuart-kun with her, but it seems there are also some interesting guests."
Emilia-san glanced at Licorice and Aisha.
"Normally, I would like to entertain you grandly... but unfortunately, my husband is in this state."
"Hmph. I can't give our daughter from the Ascart family to some nobody. It's only natural."
"Husband, you know well how close Sofia and Stuart-kun are, don't you? You could easily imagine this happening. So why oppose it?"
"That is..."
Edward-san hesitated for a moment,
"I can't entrust my daughter to such a weakling!"
He opened his eyes wide and glared at me again.
"To become Sofia's partner means being a candidate for my successor. I can't entrust that to a weak, foolish person!"
"...Father? Does that mean you think my Fate is weak? That he's foolish?"
First, Sofia got angry,
"Husband? No matter what, that's disrespectful to Stuart-kun, isn't it? Have you forgotten your noble dignity because you've been so focused on the sword lately?"
"Ugh... th-that is..."
Even Emilia-san glared at him. Having turned both his daughter and wife against him, Edward-san was flustered.
Still, he seemed unwilling to accept my relationship with Sofia and continued to argue.
"B-but I am the lord and the master of the Divine King Dragon Swordsmanship! If you want to date Sofia, you must be strong and wise!"
"Well, in that sense, I agree with you, husband."
"See, see!? That's why I must decide on a suitable partner for Sofia. This is the right thing to do!"
Edward-san said assertively.
Hmm? What is it? I felt a vague sense of discomfort.
Edward-san's attitude was somehow strange. At first, when we met face to face, he seemed very dignified...
But now, he somehow gave the impression of a child.
Why is that?
"I see... I understand. To be strong and wise, that's essential for Sofia's partner. I also agree with your opinion, husband."
"Emilia, you understand?"
"Such a thing, Mother!?"
Sofia pouted at her mother's statement, which seemed to support Edward-san. Rather than being angry at her mother, she seemed a bit sulky, as if questioning why her mother was taking Edward-san's side.
The two of them are very close.
It's a story from when she was little, but Sofia always clung to Emilia-san.
Emilia-san also adored Sofia to her heart's content.
That's probably why Sofia was surprised by her mother's seemingly opposing statement.
But there was more to the conversation.
"In that case, why don't we test Stuart-kun's abilities?"
"What?"
"Is he really lacking in strength? Does he really lack knowledge? First, we should ascertain these things."
"B-but there's no need to do such a thing with this brat..."
"Oh. Can you completely grasp someone's abilities just by looking at them once, husband? Or... are you going to foolishly turn him away at the door just because you don't like him, without even listening?"
"Ugh."
Edward-san seemed at a loss for words, as if she had struck a nerve.
In the end...
Emilia-san is fundamentally on Sofia's side. She continued pressing her point.
"I understand your position, husband, so I don't intend to unconditionally accept Stuart-kun either. However, I also don't intend to turn him away at the door. So, let's measure Stuart-kun's abilities."
"No, but that is..."
"If he fails, then that's the end of it. His relationship with Sofia will not be acknowledged. But if he passes, then we will properly recognize him."
"A brat like him..."
"If he proves he has strength and knowledge, there will be no problem, will there? Moreover, he and Sofia are mutually in love. What is there to complain about?"
"Ugh."
"You have no objections, right?"
"Th-that is..."
"No objections, right?"
"Ugh..."
"Husband?"
"...No objections."
Edward-san slumped in defeat, accepting Emilia-san's proposal.
Though I should be happy...
As a fellow man, I felt a bit of sympathy for Edward-san.
If the woman you love says something like that, you can't argue back.
No matter how you look at it, you'd be completely defeated in the argument...
Even if it's something you dislike, you have no choice but to agree.
Mothers are strong.
That thought suddenly came to mind.
"So,"
When she was talking to Edward-san, she had an overwhelming presence...
But she discarded that, and with a bright smile, she looked at me.
"I'm sorry for our selfish request, but Stuart-kun, could you take our test? If you pass, you will become Sofia's official fiancé."
"Yes, I understand. I will take the test and absolutely pass it!"
"Oh, an immediate response. How reliable."
Emilia-san smiled gently, seeming satisfied with my reply.
TL Note: No matter where mothers are strong,
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