The imperial garden was fragrant with flowers.
The sky was blue and clear, and the sll of lilacs was in the air. In spite of the approaching fall, the weather was as good as it had been in the sumr. And in the midst of all this beauty and charm was a young woman hiding.
Well, how was she «hiding»? I tried to carve out at least one free minute.
I turned twenty-seven this year. Quite a significant date. In the original story, I was supposed to die at that age. But now… My reincarnation as the dethroned queen ended with hiding from my own children in the garden.
Quite an amusing fate.
I sighed and was able to sit quietly for the first ti all day. A cup of green tea in my hands, while I admired the clear sky in the gazebo. I wish this bliss would last as long as possible.
At least, I hoped it would. Because after a few minutes…
— Mom!
The screams ca from across the garden. I nearly choked on my tea.
The maid watering the flowers saw at that mont, and was surprised. It's not every day you see a queen hiding from soone among the bushes.
— Your Majesty…!
— Shh!» I put my finger to my lips angrily, and told her to be quiet. It didn't help much, though. Those little demons had found .
I'd barely had ti to set the cup down on the table-when one of them grabbed one of my hands and the other grabbed the other. I felt like I was a toy they weren't sharing.
— Mom, you promised you'd play with today! — the girl scread.
— No, with ! — Her brother declared, «It was your turn yesterday!
I let out a long sigh. And so every day…
— Why don't you play with each other? — I suggested a diplomatic solution, — You know, my mom can get tired too…
— NO! — the children shouted in unison. Well, at least they were on the sa page about sothing.
Frankly, I regretted that I gave up babysitting six months ago and decided to raise the children myself. My naive hope that it would be easier. But no… I now understand why all the royal nannies were so quick to run away from them.
Rachel and Richard were five years old-but they'd changed more than twenty nannies in that ti. The poor won quit after only a couple of days. And the most resistant of them lasted a week… All of them said that our children were devils.
Even though I tried my best to teach them virtue and the golden rule: «treat others as you would have them treat you», it did not work at all. After all, you can't squeeze genes with your fingers. Ever since they were born, my brother and sister have not taken anyone but family mbers for human beings.
They used the poor babysitters as living toys. The last one was even tied up to be used as a doll. When I found the bound woman in their nursery, I was horrified. They weren't interested in «ordinary» toys…
— No! I've had enough! — The nurse scread when I took the gag out of her mouth, «I won't put up with this for any money!
And so said everyone. In the end, the enviable position of royal nanny was left with no candidates at all. That's when I decided to take matters into my own hands.
Six months later, though, I'd forgotten the last ti I'd had any sleep. I guess all I had to do was wait for them to grow up. Every ti it was my turn to decide who would play with , there was a fight… Because they didn't want to play together, like a typical brother and sister.
Sotis I couldn't believe that I really gave birth to both of them. Rachel and Richard were twins and looked like two peas in a pod. They both had aristocratic features, black hair, and the only similarity from was their amber eyes. But character… Character was radically different.
Richard was a cold child who spent all his free ti in books. Rachel, on the other hand… She was lucky if she didn't get into trouble for at least one day. She was the most hyperactive child I'd ever t in my life. Who did she turn out to be?
— Mom!» Richard clutched at my sleeve, «You promised we were going to study physcological chemistry together today!
«Physicolloid chemistry…?» Huh… What a tempting offer. Richard is really developed beyond his years and this is the first ti I've heard such a word. I wonder why I feel stupider than my five-year-old son.
— No!» objected my daughter, «Mother said that next ti we'll go shooting sables in the woods together!
Well, that's an even better idea…
— Don't you have any more childish hobbies? — I asked hopefully.
— «Childish»? Mom, what do you take us for? We're not idiots to play in so doll house!
I sighed heavily. I guess the nannies were right about sothing. Our kids really were a little different than usual… And just when I thought my brother and sister were really going to «split» apart, a voice ca from nearby:
— Stop bothering your mother.
At that mont, everyone present abruptly turned around. Rachel was walking toward us. She was holding our third and youngest daughter. Yoko had just turned four years old. The only bright little angel in the whole family!
— Mommy! — The girl held out her little hand to , and I involuntarily cringed.
It just so happened that Yoko was the favorite princess of the royal family. She was adored by everyone from her older brother and sister — to Rachel, who would do her every whim. That's what luck really ant. I nad her myself by the ancient na of the Ileas clan, which ans «blessed by the ancestors.»
The girl had erald hair and scarlet eyes. She had a pretty face with chubby cheeks that you just wanted to squeeze. Yoko looked the most like of all the children. And this ti I couldn't resist pinching her.
— My joy!
anwhile, when Rachel showed up here, the obscurantism that was going on ca to an abrupt halt. Rachel and Richard stood at attention. She didn't coddle them, unlike her younger sister.
— You're adults, aren't you,» the woman said.
There was an unspoken rule between Rachel and the older kids that I didn't know about. Despite her age, she treated them as equals. They respected her and never crossed her.
— Mom, we just…
— Go and play on your own,» Rachel declared, «Your mother needs to rest, too.
The children frowned, but did not argue because they knew how frightening their mother was when she was angry. They obediently packed up and took their little sister with them. Rachel and I were alone. I sighed and leaned back in my chair.
— You're just in ti…
Rachel smiled and sat down next to . After we beca parents — we didn't have much ti to spend alone together. Even in our bedroom, all three of us would rush in like a hurricane every night. Not much of a date or anything like that…
— Aren't you tired? — she inquired.
— Hmmm…
Honestly, I didn't imdiately understand how it all turned out. My original dreams of a carefree future had turned into family life. In which I was now bound hand and foot. What feats for a mother of three now? If the most important one is getting up in the morning.
A few years ago, Razor went on a trip around the world with his adopted son--and occasionally sent letters. Maxie beca chancellor at the Knights' Academy and didn't find much ti to visit either. Eventually we all grew up.
I was even a little jealous of them. My best friends led freer lives than I did. Still… I didn't regret a thing. And how could I?
I shook my head at my wife's question.
— Why would I? — I smiled. «We have three wonderful angels. Is there anything better than that?
Rachel let out a chuckle.
— You an demons?
— No,» I grinned, «there's only one demon. And it's you.
She didn't hesitate to answer.
— Then you're my goddess.
I moved onto Rachel's lap, and she put her arms around my waist. We kissed. Nothing else mattered. As long as Rachel and our whole family were together-I couldn't have wished for more. I grinned when, after a long embrace, our foreheads touched.
— Together forever,» I said our catchphrase.
I regretted nothing for changing my choice. This ti the deposed queen's reign would definitely be a happy one.
Afterword from the author
Dear readers, this is the end of the series «I seduced the hero's mother». It has been a pleasure to walk with you through this journey. At the bottom you can also find the official illustrations for the novella, drawn by the artists. Please look in the comnts. I really appreciate your support and appreciate every reader! See you in my next books, your redit.
╔༻ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ༺╗
Volu 1 cover
Volu 2 cover
Volu 3 cover
Volu 4 cover
Camille and Rachel
Leriane and Rachel's Wedding
Children of the main characters
╚༻━━━━━━━━━━━ ༺╝
Reviews
All reviews (0)