Compensation θ ~ I might be late for reincarnation, but since I was born as the talented eldest son of a prestigious noble, I might be on the winning side.

Charlotte Apis Spinning Kilyam.

Through my previous life and this life, I have never seen such a beautiful person.

If she had been there at the time of my birth, I might have mistaken her for the reincarnation goddess in one of those novel.

Such grace. Exceptional beauty.

Golden hair overflowing with light, skin shining like porcelain, and eyes reflecting the clear blue of the sky, creating a captivating image.

I heard she is still in her mid-twenties.

It’s hard to believe she has given birth to three children, with her slender and tightly cinched waist. Her assertive feminine figure, pushing up her clothes, contrasts with the delicate lines of her neck and shoulders, creating an oddly charming gap.

Adorned in luxurious, extravagant attire, and with what is likely a trendy hairstyle, her hair tied up high is flawlessly refined.

In her fragrant beauty, everyone must be drawn in and enchanted.

—Until poison spills from her mouth.

The mother I meet for the first time is different from what I had imagined; she acts like a young spoiled girl. However, her appearance is that of an adult woman, or at least slightly younger than that.

In other words, what I mean is, I thought of her as girlish not in terms of physical appearance but in terms of her mental age.

“Are you Lyon? You’re surprisingly small. I can’t believe you’re older than Ronnie. I heard you grew up well, but was it a just a hearsay? —or perhaps, an obvious lie? And you look pitifully frail. Is this really the child I gave birth to?”

She said, fanning herself elegantly while delivering these words harsh upon our first meeting.

What is this? Is this some form of dominance assertion?

Even though it’s a mother’s greeting to her young son, her word’s covered in thorns.

Is this a way to beat down the other person, establish dominance, and then press down on them?

The words were so harsh, and I couldn’t understand the intent behind them, and my eyes inadvertently narrowed.

If this is unintentional, then the way she greets a son that she has not seen in seven years is rather inconsiderate. Though she’s a noblewoman, it seems she lacks in thoughtfulness and somewhat frivolous.

Even if it’s just an empty words, I expected to hear something like, ‘You’ve grown up. Although we were apart, I always kept you in my thoughts.’

Small and frail, I get it. Objectively, it’s undeniable, but if you have common sense, you wouldn’t say it directly to someone’s face, right? Or is this kind of attitude the norm in high society?

By the way, Ronnie, who was brought into the conversation, is supposed to be the name of my younger brother.

“Nice to meet you. I’m glad to see you.”

To my greeting, her beautiful face, serene like a goddess, visibly distorted into displeasure.

Why is that?

Ah, could it be that “Nice to meet you” was a poor choice of words? I said it unconsciously, so my true feelings may have leaked out.

But isn’t it understandable? After all, I have no memory of seeing this woman. Presumably, I was separated from her soon after birth. I can vividly picture the brilliant baton relay from midwife to the nannies.

The three nannies are no joke. The number wasn’t increased due to my frailty; they were prepared even before my birth.

It seems that the lady intended to separate Kilyam’s children from a mother of foreign origin. I’m guessing that’s the case.

Her statement, “I don’t need such a child,” resulted in the expected outcome because of the preparations made in advance.

Whether my silence bothered her excessively or not, her gaze became even more severe. That’s not a good look to give to a child.

“You, with your eyes all googly, look so strange. I wonder who you take after? Not Elliott, of course, and certainly not me with my noble blood. You don’t resemble me at all.”

Hmm. Does she want to exchange sarcastic remarks?

I didn’t mean to retort with “Nice to meet you.” But it seems she didn’t take it that way. What is she doing against a child?

It must have bothered her a lot. Between the crude content, it’s like a reflex. Correction from earlier, perhaps she’s not a girl but a demon woman.

Eyelashes casting a melancholic shadow. Below them, deep blue eyes don’t have the need for a forced smile, and the gaze doesn’t fully conceal the irritation and apprehensiveness.

What should I do? I don’t like her already.

“At the very least it’s good that I don’t resemble my mother. However, I’m often told that my black hair takes after my father.”

Oh, I’m straightforward, so what I thought just slipped out of my mouth.

The family’s evaluation of my mother is that she’s an extravagant woman who gave birth and abandoned childcare, rarely showing her face in the territory, and living a frivolous life in the capital.

When I first heard it, it left quite a bitter impression. I thought they might be exaggerating, but at this rate, it might be an understatement.

“You’re not a cute child. Spirit mark? Covenant? Do you think you’ve become great with that? I heard you’re selfishly monopolizing that covenant. Why don’t you share a bit with your siblings, be it a spirit or a covenant?”

Huh? What is this woman talking about? Is she intentionally picking a fight? She’s spouting nonsense.

“A covenant is not something you can casually pick like a snack. It’s a precious contract with a spirit. You can’t cut it into your preferred size, and certainly, giving it to someone else is impossible.”

“Oh, your heart is so narrow. Acting all high and mighty, you seem to have quite the misunderstanding. Even if you puff up in this countryside, you won’t be noticed in the capital. Do you think you can become a splendid head of the family with such an attitude?”

“Well, whether I’m worthy or not is judged by the results, and I believe it’s not something you can become just by wanting to.”

“What a child! Rebellious, cheeky, and malicious. Surely, your education is lacking. That’s the problem with being raised on the border. Everything is rustic and backward.”

Education? This person has no right to talk about that. I won’t acknowledge it.

“I appreciate being born. However, blaming others for things you didn’t care about at all is an immature attitude, I think.”

“Oh my, what’s with this child? Why are you talking back to me? I don’t know you! I don’t want to deal with you. You don’t act like a child at all. There’s not a trace of obedience!”

That’s because the other person is you.

“That’s strange. I’m often criticized for being too honest… or perhaps, was I too honest? Since this is the countryside, maybe the definition of words is different from the capital?”

Oh no, this is bad. Our compatibility is terrible. I’m saying things I didn’t even intend to. Where did the me who avoids trouble go?

“Are you still talking? Is that the attitude you have towards your mother? I didn’t really want to come to such a place in the first place. I’m going back!”

Fine, suit yourself.

Like a storm, my mother left the room.

When I heard about her visit, as her son, I thought about protecting her in an unfamiliar environment.

Until this morning, at least.

But that plan shattered immediately upon our first meeting.

What a pathetic form of childish quarreling.

To insult a seven-year-old with sarcasm was completely unexpected.

I really can’t stand that kind of person.

From the beginning, she was full of the desire to dominate, pointing out other person’s weaknesses. Ignoring everything her own flaws, she spoke aggressively without regards to other. It’s a typical attitude of someone who believes they have the privilege to do so.

And yet, she probably says, “I don’t have a terrible personality, so I’m easy to understand,” without feeling remorse.

Oh no, no. It feels like I drank something foul.

“Did she really leave? Why did she come in the first place anyway?”

“Oh, she said so. But she probably will stay for the night. Otherwise, it would be embarrassing. I met the lady for the first time in a while, but she seems unchanged. Therefore, Lord Lyon doesn’t need to worry.”

“Well, I might have gone too far. I kind of regret it. I got a bit emotional.”

“As a noble, it would be good if you could learn the appropriate manners in due course.”

Even though my mother should have received noble education, how can she still act like that? It’s strange how she manages in the aristocratic society, which is said to be a cutthroat world.

Certainly, the lady of the territory is strict. Even an amateur like me can see that. I expected her to quietly accept everything, but instead, she almost instantly returned to the capital without even doing anything.

To whom does one show sincere loyalty when the lord of the territory shows no interest to his own territory?

I wanted to meet my siblings in the capital, but thinking they might be living with that woman… I don’t know. Maybe it’s okay not to force myself to meet them.

I’m tired. Mentally tired. This is the first time I’ve been this irritated since my reincarnation. It’s not just the cold shoulder; it feels like something precious has crumbled away.

— Ah, I see.

From the information I’ve gathered so far, I knew rationally there was no expectation.

As Sakura Rio, a Japanese high school student, I had given up on the relationship with my current family due to the stark differences from my past family. After all, they were complete strangers to Rio.

But for Lyon…

As Lyon, who was born in this world and is still only seven, I hadn’t given up yet.

In this body, there are two selves: one with memories from the past life and another influenced by those memories. Even if the former has resigned, the latter protests that it’s not satisfying. I haven’t possessed or taken over another personality; this body and consciousness are entirely mine.

It’s just the memories of the past.

The happy memories carried over during reincarnation still smolder like embers, and I felt like I had been especially valuing the existence of my mother.

No matter how much I messed up, she would scold me fiercely at the time, but she would never abandon me. If I worked hard, she would praise me, and if something sad happened, she would comfort me.

An absolute existence that would never betray me. I hadn’t completely discarded the illusion and expectation of that.

And I put this expectations, to someone who not only abandon me, but also to someone who I’ve never seen the face before.

Because I had been indoctrinated to believe that’s what a family is. I thought that the uncut ties naturally sprouted feelings that couldn’t be cut off. I didn’t know anything else.

I could understand why the people from the branch family called her ‘that woman.’ They even said, ‘that bitch’. They also described her as ‘crude’.

Well, of course, it would be difficult to get along. They would never be able to come to terms with someone who denigrates what they have cherished and built up.

Whose sweat provided the funds for buying those luxurious dresses?

The unity of the Kilyam family is deeply rooted in the history of the Glass region.

Several generations have passed since the family joined the kingdom, but the history of the pioneer era and the era of independence is still passed down, and that spirit has not been lost.

For them, she becomes an outsider. Clearly out of place.

It’s an unbelievable story, but I heard my parent marriage was out of love.

What was it about her, that attracted my father?

Her appearance? Maybe. Currently, I can’t find any other reason.

My mother from my past life. I’m sorry for saying my friend’s mother was young and beautiful when I was in elementary school. I remember when I told you in junior high that if you were busy, you didn’t have to come to the class observation, and you tried to diet by eating only broccoli. But now, please eat nori-salt potato chips or daifuku as much as you want if it’s makes you happy. If the zipper on your clothes doesn’t go up, don’t be sad.

The qualities of a mother have nothing to do with appearance. It’s already too late, but you made me realize that. That’s enough.