Reincarnated as an Instructor in an Adult Game

Chapter 20: ☆For My Daughter...

After talking with Erika for a bit, a maid guided us from the entrance to the reception room.

We sat on sofas around a single table: the three adventurers, me and Neemi, and Erika.

Behind Erika stood the butler with his nearly expressionless face.

Once Erika’s complexion had improved somewhat, she began to explain.

Erika’s mother, Elicia, was the Count’s second wife.

Elicia’s health had been poor ever since Erika was ten years old, and she spent most of her time in bed.

The Count had apparently taken her to see a doctor once a year.

Even so, her condition never improved.

And just earlier today, he had finally abandoned both Elicia and Erika and left.

Elicia had been awake today, so she had been speaking with the Count.

Erika’s face twisted in anguish as she forced the words out.

"To call Mother... my sick mother... a whore...!"

I glanced sideways at Neemi after hearing Erika’s words.

Neemi was also making a pained face as she listened. The three adventurers had the same expression.

They had probably realized it too — the Count had never actually taken her to a doctor.

...No wonder the family was falling into ruin.

No, actually...

"Shall I crush them...?"

The three adventurers caught my mutter.

Neemi, who was looking at Erika, didn’t notice.

I asked Erika with a serious expression.

"Erika, do you need the Deus family name?"

"If it means I can protect Mother and the maids, then no, I don’t need it!"

"Understood... Alright, let’s move."

"...Eh?"

Erika, who had looked like everything was over, stared at me in blank amazement.

I smiled at her reaction, stood up, and turned to the butler.

"Butler... who do you serve — the Deus family, or Erika?"

"...My family has served the Deus house for generations."

"Were you the one preparing the medicine?"

"...Yes, it was me."

"Did you give it to her yesterday or today?"

"I did not."

"...I see. Take care."

The butler bowed deeply at my words.

While smiling wryly at him, I told the still-confused Erika to have the maids pack their belongings.

Then I asked to meet Elicia. Though hesitant, she nodded and led the way.

As we left the reception room, someone grabbed my arm.

I turned to see Neemi with a pleading expression, clearly wanting to say something.

I smiled and told her it would be alright, then followed Erika.

On the way to Elicia’s room, Erika asked me without looking in my direction. Her voice was weak, nothing like her usual self.

"The butler... put something in the medicine?"

"...Probably a mild sleeping drug."

"...Why?"

"Because he serves the Deus family... I understand how he feels, but I’d rather die than do the same thing."

"...I see."

Erika fell silent after that whisper. I gently took her hand and turned her toward me.

...She’s on the verge of tears. What a stubborn girl.

I knelt on one knee to meet her eyes as much as possible and spoke with a gentle, reassuring smile.

"Listen, Erika. It starts from here. You’ve made the preparations, haven’t you? I’m here too, so relax."

"...Is this also preferential treatment?"

"More than preferential treatment — I’m treating you like family."

"Aren’t instructors not supposed to seduce their students?"

"...Look, you’re smiling now."

"...Geez!"

When I stood up, she lightly tapped my arm with an amused smile. freewёbnoνel.com

After some conversation to lift her mood, we stopped in front of a door.

Erika knocked twice. A woman’s voice answered from inside, and Erika went in first.

A short while later, Erika came out and said her mother wanted to speak with me alone.

I entered the room and closed the door. On the luxurious bed sat a woman who resembled Erika.

She had smooth, golden hair long enough to reach the bed as she sat. Her face looked gentle.

She wore a white negligee and carried an air of elegance.

Her figure was slender like Erika’s, yet her breasts were slightly larger than Erika’s melons.

She had a different kind of charm — a glossy, mature allure.

When Elicia saw me, she smiled. I gave a light bow and spoke.

"We’re moving right now, starting today. It may be hard on your body, but I’ll support you."

"...You’ve noticed, haven’t you?"

"...What are you doing?"

Elicia stood up from the bed and slipped the straps of her negligee off her shoulders.

The negligee fell to the floor, revealing her beautiful, proud naked body.

She was probably about the same height as Erika.

Her skin was pure white and had a luster one wouldn’t expect from someone who had given birth.

...But her expression — it overlapped with Neemi’s from that day.

I approached Elicia, picked up the fallen negligee, and gently put it back on her shoulders.

Even so, I looked at her still-smiling face with a serious expression and said:

"From now on, you don’t have to do this kind of thing ever again."

"..."

"I’ve noticed, and I can guess. I’ve stopped a woman who once had the same expression as you."

"...I am that child’s mother."

"Yes."

At my words, she looked down and whispered weakly.

When she raised her face again, it was filled with anxiety.

...Damn it. It overlaps too much with Neemi’s expression.

Until now, Elicia had been sacrificing her own body to secure Erika’s safety.

The atmosphere around her felt like it might shatter at any moment. I gently embraced her.

It was improper, but she had the same scent as Erika.

She clutched the front of my shirt tightly with both hands as she spoke.

"I... for my daughter..."

"...Yes."

"For Erika’s sake, nothing was painful."

"...Leave the rest to me."

"If Erika can be happy, I’ll go anywhere."

"Elicia-san, you will be happy too... I swear it on the name Raid."

When I pulled away after saying that, she finally gave a genuine smile from the heart.

Her eyes were teary, but that was fine. As long as she was smiling, it was fine.

I opened the door and called Erika, who was waiting outside.

She had probably heard our voices and understood.

She slipped past me, tears streaming down her face as she clung to her mother.

...Now then, what should I do?

Let’s start by attacking from the outer moat.

I’ll wring some nice presents out of the bastards who’ve been sucking up the sweet nectar.

I left the room with a wicked smile on my face.