Our Make-Believe Ends Here - Chapter 1 - Volume I.

Volumes I & II are available uncensored on ko-fi!

“The carriage! The young master’s carriage is in sight!”

A loud cheer poured through the open window. Luirene’s hand, which had been turning a page, stopped. The sentences she’d been reading with careful rhythm faded, replaced by the flicker of a striking silver mane in her mind.

“Who…”

The former Marchioness, who had been bedridden with illness, must have heard the commotion outside too. She asked in a withering, fading voice, barely managing to lift her hunched back. Luirene, helping support her, brought a glass of water to the wrinkled lips.

“It seems the young master has returned.”

“Who…?”

“Young Master Glair.”

The carriage wheels rumbled. The garden of the Glair Marquisate had a slightly raised ledge to mark the boundary between the main garden and the inner one. That ledge could be crossed without permission only by one bearing the name ‘Glair.’ Just like the light, clean sound now reaching them.

“I see. Hita… Hita is…”

For a moment, the former Marchioness’s eyes had seemed to regain their light, but they quickly dimmed. Luirene laid her back down, a practiced motion, then took a seat on the auxiliary chair. As she reopened her book, the Marchioness’s high, clear voice rang out.

“Hita. Come here, my boy! My proud and wonderful son!”

The Marquis of Glair’s booming laughter followed. He was probably standing before his parents now, exchanging a warm embrace with his mother. Even from a distance, even as an indistinct presence, she could picture it clearly. After all, he was a presence too noble and precious here.

Luirene opened her book as if she heard nothing. She continued reading from where she’d left off, scraping a fingernail along the book’s edge. Her fingertips tingled. The commotion outside quieted. The young master must have dismissed those who had come to greet him and entered the hall.

It was his return after four years. Even for most noble children, graduating safely from the ‘Arnoba Tenbra Academy,’ famous for its stringent admission, was no easy feat. The news of Hitaon Glair’s return brought joy to the family like a burst of celebratory fireworks.

Now, the path was clear. The prestigious background of the Glair Marquisate and the diploma from the esteemed academy would surely mold Hitaon Glair into the most outstanding heir in the empire.

She wondered where the masterpiece’s first destination would be. Just as she turned the page, the door opened.

“……!”

“…….”

Startled eyes met calm ones.

Hitaon Glair. It was the young master. Her one and only young master, who had returned to the mansion after four long years. The striking silver hair, the refined beauty, the excellent physique—everything was exactly as she remembered.

“What are you doing sitting there idly? Hurry up and greet him properly.”

The Marchioness elegantly scolded her for just sitting still. The young master’s gaze toward her was as cool as his mother’s. Seeing those eyes made the scar on her calf, hidden beneath her skirt, sting. Realizing her mistake, Luirene gathered her book and stood. She moved to the wall, and Hitaon Glair’s gaze drifted away.

“Mother! Look who’s come. It’s Hita. Our precious Hita has finally returned to the mansion.”

“Hita, Hita… has… come?”

Hitaon, having taken the chair Luirene had vacated, rested his cheek on his grandmother’s outstretched hand.

“It’s me, Grandmother.”

“You’ve… returned…?”

“Yes. I just arrived in the country.”

“Hita hasn’t eaten yet. I said he should eat first since it’s his first time back, and then greet everyone slowly, but he insisted it was only proper to see you first. He kept pushing, so I had no choice. This boy is just so dutiful.”

“There is an order to things. Upon returning to the mansion, it was only natural to come see Grandmother first.”

“Hita… is here! Hita, my grandson, my grandchild…”

Luirene watched the family reunion, four years in the making, from a single step away. The chair that always felt large when she sat in it looked pitifully small under the young master’s frame.

‘His back seems broader.’

Aware of her own thought, Luirene rubbed her cheek, embarrassed. Though it was a small movement, it reminded the Marchioness of Luirene’s forgotten presence. A look told her to leave.