*****

After confirming the delivery of the glass bottles and jars at the northern fortress without any issues, we headed to visit the graves, something I had been hoping to do for some time.

The Grand Ducal family of the Azenda Duchy apparently has deep ties to the Royal Family of the Monteorona Theocracy to the north. Perhaps because of that relationship, the cemetery was located in the northern part of the Duchy. Even after Servas became the lord, he made no changes to the arrangement, and everyone continues to sleep peacefully just as they did in the old days.

Within the plot for the Margrave's family lie my great-grandfather William, my great-grandmother Azelia, and my grandmother Lunaria. To Servas, they are his parents and his wife.

When they first moved here, there was apparently a discussion about whether William—Servas's father—should be buried in the family plot back in the main Gilmore territory. However, putting the feelings of the local people first, William had chosen to become a man of this land, opting to sleep alongside his people. In his place, to ensure his father wouldn't be lonely, the lock of hair Servas kept from him was interred here alongside my great-grandmother.

And so, the three of them rest here together.

Magnolia placed a single flower wreath gently before the grave, clasped her hands, and prayed silently.

(It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Magnolia... To be honest, I am someone who came from another world, so explaining exactly what kind of existence I am is a bit difficult. For now, physically speaking(?), I’m reasonably sure I am indeed your descendant...)

Magnolia softly opened her eyes and gazed at the names carved into the stone. Perhaps because so much time had passed, the edges of the engraved letters had worn smooth.

(There was a whole lot of trouble back at my parents' house, but I’m doing fairly well and having fun while being looked after by the Margrave’s family. I plan to spend my time here doing whatever I can to repay the people who have been so kind to me, so I hope you’ll watch over us...)

I wondered what kind of conversations they were having in there—the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, or even the father-in-law. Were they surprised by the existence of such a strange grandchild? Or were they simply laughing as they listened, as if it were nothing at all?

As I was lost in these thoughts, Claude looked at the wreath remaining in Magnolia’s hand and tilted his head.

「Are you not going to leave that one?」

「Thith ith for Big Brother Claude’th birth parentth. Thhall we go pay our rethpectth to your other Papa and Mama too?」

It was rare to see his eyes widen in such genuine surprise. I almost burst out laughing, but I managed to hold it back.

「No...」

He looked down at Magnolia with an indescribable expression.

「...Grandpa won't mind at all. You hardly ever get to come here, th-o wouldn't your parentth be thad if their thon jutht paththed them by?」

Servas had likely said the same to him many times before. Claude knew well enough that his adoptive father wasn't the kind of person to fret over such trivialities. If anything, Servas would surely find it endearing that his son could show such sincere affection for the deceased parents he didn't even remember.

...That being said, I could imagine Claude’s heart was full of complex emotions. Having been raised with so much love, he probably felt it was improper to act as though he were seeking out other parents.

「I have to report that I'm being looked after by your thon, but that I'm altho taking care of him. Pluth, I'm going to athk them to help fix how unthothi-able he ith.」

Claude furrowed his brows at Magnolia's words.

「...I am the one who is always taking care of *you*. And one does not grin like an idiot while scolding someone. If you didn't do things that required me to be angry, I wouldn't have to be so 'unsociable.'」

Magnolia and Servas both laughed, watching Claude act unusually like a man his own age.

Servas placed a hand on Claude’s shoulder with a firm *thump*. Magnolia grabbed his long leg and started pulling.

「Now! Give up and wet’th go!」

***

The grave was located among the plots of families who had served the Duchy for generations, near the Grand Ducal mausoleum further back. Though it was the grave of a noble family, it was modest. And while many of the surrounding graves felt heavy with history, this one looked relatively new.

Twenty years ago, Claude was the sole survivor of a Baron’s household that had been slaughtered when soldiers from a desert country raided them.

As I handed him the wreath, I was struck by a strange sensation. It was a feeling I had experienced several times before—a sense of "knowing."

—Knowing what?

(There it is again... What is this? There's this strange snag in my mind... What do 'I' know?)

I looked at Claude’s back as he spoke silently to the grave and asked the question.

(Who am 'I'? ...Who is 'Claude'?)

There was no one to answer Magnolia's question. This was another world.

The late autumn wind rustled the trees and swept through their hair. The season was soon to welcome the coming winter.

*****

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