Mushoku Tensei: Sword, Magic Hats, and the Romance System [162]

Allen’s expression shifted from stunned to bewildered.

But it didn't last long.

He quickly suppressed it, turning calm instead.

Meeting Hilda's gaze, he spoke:

“Then, we'll trouble you, Madam.”

Hilda returned his gaze with serene composure.

“It's no trouble at all.”

But the laughter hidden deep in her eyes couldn’t be concealed.

Sylphy caught this moment clearly. It was the first time in half a year she'd seen Hilda smile with this kind of “feeling.”

The only other time she'd sensed something similar was when Hilda stared distantly out the window at the trees.

But in those moments, Hilda never smiled.

So why smile now?

Because Hilda was looking at a “shadow.”

Standing right in front of her—brown, gently curled hair, deep gray eyes, bearing the name “Allen.”

Too vivid, too real.

A faint and ethereal dream, suddenly took a tangible shape.

Even if it was an “illusion.”

A fragile “dream,” easily shattered.

A handful of sand, slipping through fingers.

Yet still—

She rejoiced.

Sylphy was happy too.

She was happy for Hilda.

Because she clearly knew this wasn’t an “illusion.”

She knew very well the intense feelings Hilda directed now weren’t aimed at some false shadow, some counterfeit passing casually through the Boreas household.

They were truly focused upon her child.

It was real.

Even if Hilda herself didn't know, it was real.

A smile spread gently across Sylphy’s lips.

For Hilda, and for Allen.

Her brief nervousness from earlier had now eased completely.

By this time, Eris had already recovered from her initial surprise. She pushed aside her chair in a swift motion and rushed two steps into Hilda’s embrace.

“Mother-sama! Are you really teaching us etiquette today yourself?!”

“That’s right. Is Eris unhappy to see me?”

“Of course I’m happy!”

Reflected in Sylphy’s reddish-brown eyes was the sight of Hilda gently stroking Eris’s head, her gaze resting on Allen.

In that instant—

Sylphy truly felt that this gentle woman, who shouldn't spend every day sadly gazing at the trees, was now genuinely happy, sharing a moment with both her daughter and her son.

That's wonderful.

Her own actions had borne fruit.

Then, Allen—was he also…

Instinctively, Sylphy’s eyes flicked over to gauge Allen’s reaction.

And the scene she saw—

Allen had lowered his head, quietly flipping through the pages of the book without looking at Hilda again.

Yet his eyes—

Were staring sideways directly at her.

!!

Sylphy’s smile froze awkwardly on her face.

Ex–exposed!! Allen is super sharp; he's definitely realized that I'm the one who brought Madam here!

Sylphy’s body, which had just relaxed, immediately stiffened again. She stood rigidly in place like a brick.

Then, very stiffly, she turned her neck back, preparing to pick up her book and pretend nothing had happened.

But just at that moment—

At the edge of her vision, atop the desk,

A hand reached over.

Allen’s hand.

Eh?

Sylphy blinked, about to turn and see what Allen was doing.

In the next instant, his fingers moved.

His wrist flipped, thumb pressing firmly against his middle finger—

Released, flicking through empty air.

Pop!

“Aii!”

Everyone in class simultaneously turned their heads toward Sylphy, who suddenly jerked her head back as though struck by air and cried out in surprise.

The white strands of her bangs fluttered briefly from her forehead before slowly settling back down.

As if she had merely tilted her head upwards.

“Sylphy? Are you alright?”

“N-no problem!”

Sylphy quickly waved her hand while clutching her forehead with the other.

“I was just... my neck felt a bit uncomfortable.”

Her eyes quietly shifted.

Peeking toward Allen.

He was gently shaking his head, continuing to flip through his book.

The action had been too obvious. Allen instantly connected it with yesterday’s tea-time chat and Rudy chasing Edna out at night, immediately identifying them as the culprits.

But their intentions were good.

It was just that an information gap had led to some misunderstanding.

Therefore, Allen only felt mildly helpless but not annoyed at all.

Ghislaine’s voice drifted over.

“Rudy? What are you doing?”

“Ah? N-nothing, nothing at all?”

Across from Allen, Rudy held up his book, lifting it high enough to completely cover his face.

He successfully evaded Allen’s “loving headshot.”

One could only say—

Such a loss.

Watching Rudy’s behavior, Sylphy puffed out her cheeks a bit, but beneath her arm and palm, she secretly smiled.

It felt like Allen hadn’t made this kind of slightly affectionate gesture in a very long time, perhaps not once in these past six months…

The small bit of fighting spirit flicked from his fingers had felt like a tangible gust of wind.

The sensation against her forehead was just like someone gently nudging her head.

It didn’t hurt at all.

“Oh? Is that how Edna explained it to you last night?”

Hilda listened to Edna’s previous explanation about the family crest, then shook her head with a smile.

“Edna’s explanation isn't wrong, but there’s also a practical historical reason why the family crest doesn't appear on our clothing.”

“A historical reason?”

Hilda looked toward Rudy, who'd asked the question.

“The Boreas family has always produced warriors, never bureaucrats. During the Human-Demon War, our crest was carved directly into our armor—not embroidered onto cloth.”

“In the peaceful years following the war, the previous lords removed that bloodstained armor symbolic of their glory, yet they never thought about replacing those carvings with embroidered crests on clothes. Even without the visible crest, Boreas’s honor shines through history.”

“Compared to superficial symbols like crests, our ancestors were always more concerned with the lands they governed and the people who lived there.”

“Even after many years passed, while other noble houses began to embrace bureaucratic roles, grasping for power in the Royal Capital, the warrior Boreas family continued to uphold respect for territory and tradition.”

Hilda smiled gently.

“In Father-sama’s eyes, the Fittoa Region itself is the ‘crest.’ That's why he enjoys standing atop the tower, gazing out across the land—across the ‘honor’ of the Boreas family.”

“That’s why you rarely see a proper crest in our home.”

“So that’s how it is.”

Sylphy, Ghislaine, and the others nodded in understanding.

Hilda’s gaze shifted toward Allen, who was resting his chin on his hand, staring thoughtfully at the “Heart of Iron” crest printed on the book.

“However… There actually is a crest here at home. It's just easily overlooked.”

Allen lifted his head toward Hilda. Eris shouted eagerly from beside him:

“Where?! How come I've never seen it!”

Hilda placed her etiquette book down on the table and swept her gaze across everyone’s curious faces.

“Come with me.”

They followed Hilda out of the classroom, down the corridor, and exited the mansion.

Crossing the broad courtyard, they arrived at a dome-shaped structure on the eastern side of the manor complex, constructed entirely of brick and stone, towering impressively high.

Unnoticed until now, the beast-eared maids had quietly gathered around them, smoothly pushing open the heavy doors.

---

This is a fan translation of 无职转生：剑，魔法帽与恋爱系统 by 意外火灾 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!