“Good night daddy.”
“Good night Ririi.”
I tuck Ririi in her bed, and go back to the sofa, where Sieglinde is waiting. She’s already had quite a bit to drink, so there’s a smell of alcohol in the living room.
She’s been drinking since before Ririi took her bath, so it’s been over an hour. Is she going to be all right at work tomorrow?
“What’s the hold-up, Weiss!?”
“You’re drinking too much you idiot.”
I magnificently brush Sieglinde aside while she points at me with her face bright red, and sit down next to her. I put a glass on the table, and Sieglinde pours alcohol into it with shaky hands.
She fills it to the brim, and hands it to me with a serious expression on her face.
“You drink too, Weiss.”
“What’s with you…?”
She really can’t handle her booze… She’d be the first one to crash if she went to Loretto’s bar.
I think about that while bringing the glass to my mouth, and a harsh alcoholic stink fills it.
“Hm… Not so good.”
You can’t ask much from cheap stuff that’s a thousand zeni a bottle, but I can’t help but be disappointed after tasting the Floyd family’s drink.
“Mu… Are you saying my drink’s bad!?”
“Settle down you drunkard. You’ll wake up Ririi.”
Sieglinde bares her teeth and lashes out at me, so I hold her back with one hand and finish the glass with the other. It still stinks.
“Ahh… But it really did turn into a problem, uh…”
Sieglinde puts her glass on the table, and drops her shoulders. She’s really moody.
“Are you talking about Miss Esmeralda?”
“Yes… Medici’s daughter is in that class too. I hope she doesn’t say anything…”
It was the same with the angel bear robe, but even the ministry of magic has trouble with the selfish Florencia family. Sieglinde’s face tells the whole story.
And that girl… Lain, I think. She seems pretty strong-minded, and she’s sitting next to Ririi too… I hope they don’t butt heads…
“…I gotta stop. I’m here drinking with you and everything, so let’s stop talking about work.”
Sieglinde shakes her head, and slaps her cheeks to recompose herself. I don’t mind listening to her grumble, but if she herself says so, I have no reason to complain either.
“Then I want to ask you something. It’s about Ririi’s education.”
It’s not really something to talk about while drunk, but not something to go out of our way to take time to talk about either. It’s about as good a time as ever.
“Ririi’s?”
The look on Sieglinde’s face changes. The whole reason why she’s here is to study a high elf, so it makes sense that talking about Ririi would make her perk up.
“Yes. I want an honest opinion… Am I too tough on her?”
“…Ah?”
“Well, I’m talking about the way I’m raising her. Should I be a little softer?”
Sieglinde squints and looks at my face closely. What? She’s looking at me like I’m an idiot.
“Weiss… Are you trying to make me laugh?”
“What do you mean? This is a serious problem I have.”
She looks at my confused face, and I don’t know where she’s getting at, but she brings the glass back to her mouth with an exasperated expression on her face.
“If I had to say… I’d say you’re definitely too soft.”
“What…?”
I’m too soft…?
“What do you mean? I think I’m pretty strict.”
I limit the amount of snacks she can eat, and make her take care of Beary. How much more strict could I get?
I tell her that, and Sieglinde snorts at my response.
“That’s all obvious stuff. She’s the one who wanted to keep that angel bear, right?”
“Beary, not angel bear.”
Careful with that. Ririi gets mad if you don’t call it Beary.
“When I was her age, I was studying and training every day.”
“You’re a special case. I don’t remember ever really studying.”
“You’re a special case.”
Says Sieglinde before emptying her glass. I feel some resentment coming from her for losing to me when it came to grades, but I’ll take it. She would’ve definitely been the top student if I wasn’t around.
“Anyway, your education makes me worried about Ririi. I’ll manage her studies and stuff like that, including homework.”
“Oh, acting like a real mother, aren’t we?”
Although Ririi’s back to calling her Miss Sieglinde, so she doesn’t see her as her mother quite yet. That said, it might be a good idea for Sieglinde to look after Ririi’s studies.
“R-really…? Maybe I’m starting to feel like one.”
Says Sieglinde, as she nods with a satisfied look on her face. Then she fills her glass again, and drinks it all in one go. She sure is drinking a lot. Is she going to be all right…?
She ends up finishing a new bottle, and crashing on the sofa. I try to call out to her, but it’s to no avail.
“Hn… Weiss…”
“…Should I take her home?”
She could stay here, but it’s not that late yet. I’m sure she’ll rest better on a high class bed of the Floyd mansion than on my sofa. Apparently she’s been tired lately too.
I carry her on my back as I go through the door, and the night breeze sobers me up. Walking at night is pretty nice.
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