Chapter 140 – Quality Time

“Alright. It’s time.”

One day, Viscountess Vanessa was looking at her adopted children’s dress fitting time in their residence, before announcing.

“???” The three daughters who were just done having their final measurements being taken, all looked cluelessly at her.

“If we want to have the best results, the three of you need to do styling soon,” Vanessa explained as she led her daughters towards their living room.

“Styling? You mean, hair styling?” Ann asked.

“Well, your dresses and accessories are being worked on. So all that’s left is hair,” Vanessa explained.

“Oh, and treatment for me?” Ann asked curiously.

“Naturally,” Her adoptive mother quickly answered.

The four of them entered a living room, where Viscount Jonas was waiting with cups of tea ready for them.

“Daddy!!” Fina leaped with joy at the sight of Viscount Jonas. Viscount Jonas had pampered them a lot, especially the youngest, Fina. It was no wonder that Fina quickly became daddy’s little girl.

They quickly sat down and began talking about the eldest daughter’s upcoming big day. 

That’s right, Ann and Allen’s marriage day was approaching. 

Truthfully speaking, there should be lengthy procedures, but they managed to shorten it.

The proper procedure would be to have a proper engagement party at least a month after Ann’s adoption was announced. Then, their marriage would happen at least three months after their engagement party.

However, due to the fact that they were once married, it didn’t seem proper to delay the matter for too long. 

Moreover, Ann wanted her new adoptive family to be safe from any risk of the impending rebellion led by her body’s father, so she agreed with this speedy process.

As such, their marriage was set just one month after Ann’s adoption went through.

In short, there were currently 2 more weeks until Ann’s marriage day.

Ann couldn’t wait until that day. 

After all, she had rarely seen Allen ever since she was adopted. 

Oh, actually, she had only seen Allen once, to coordinate their marriage. 

In other words, there was no quality time with her husband-to-be.

Ann was conflicted.

She understood that they were too busy to do that right now, and after their marriage, there’d be plenty of time to do that. Now, she could focus on bonding with her new adoptive family. After her marriage, she would have less time with her adoptive family, and more time with Allen.

If possible, she wanted to have all the time to spend with her loved ones. But that’d be too greedy and unrealistic…

So, she decided to stop mulling over what she couldn’t change, and to live in the moment.

She was quite excited to do all the treatments that most brides had before their marriage. 

Back in the modern world, she had a few friends who had married. Most of them would talk about how costly the treatment they took for bridal preparation. Skin treatment, hair styling and treatment, nail treatment, and so on. All to look good for one day. 

“But it’s just once in a lifetime, when else will you get the chance to enjoy pampering yourself with that excuse? Hahaha!” 

“Right! We can find more money, but we can never repeat this moment. My family usually complains whenever I want to get treatment, but since I’ll be a bride soon, they never once complained!” Her bride-to-be friend said with glowing skin.

And now, she became a rich noble daughter in this world!

Of course, she’d look forward to the once-in-a-lifetime all-out pampering treatment she’d get!

…Actually, with her status, she could pamper herself every day, but Ann thought it’d be squandering money… So, she needed a special occasion or excuse just to pamper herself. 

“I usually do my hairstyling in the viscounty, so I may not be up to date with the current trend and popular hairstylists. Let me find some references,” Viscountess Vanessa said.

“Uhm… M-M-M-mo–”

“…If you can’t call me ‘Mother’ without stuttering less than three times, it’s better not to.”

“Y-yes! Vanessa-san! Actually, I have a favorite hairdresser ever since I came to this world…”

“Oh? Then, we can call them here.”

“Uh, the thing is… They aren’t hairdressers that cater to nobles, who are used to go to a noble’s house and–”

“Well, we can still call them. I don’t see a problem with that,” Viscountess Vanessa said.

“Uh… Alright. I want a change of air. I want to do the spa and treatment in a salon. It just feels different from home service to me,” Ann said.

“And?” Viscountess Vanessa asked.

“…You read through me. Okay, I want to go downtown together with Faye and Fina. They can take a look around as well. Since they’d be going to the viscounty soon…”

“…” Viscountess Vanessa seemed to be considering Ann’s preposition.

“And, actually… I met Faye during my downtown outing. And we went to the salon too. I figured Faye can say a few words to them,” Ann explained again.

“But will it be alright?” Faye was worried.

“We’re going to take a walk? Seeing the town?” Fina asked with her sparkling eyes.

“What are you worried about, Faye?” Ann was surprised that Faye was the one worried. After all, Faye should be familiar with the area the most…

“What if people recognize me as the orphaned beggar from before?” Faye asked.

“Nonsense! Nobody will recognize you! You’ve become this cute!” Ann quickly reassured Faye.

“Ah, but perhaps the people from the salon we’re going to would recognize you. They’re the ones who styled you, after all,” Ann added.

“That’s right… I don’t mind if it’s them,” Faye added.

“The hairdresser that took care of Faye?” Viscountess Vanessa asked.

“Yeah,” Ann nodded before she began narrating, “When I picked Faye up from the streets, her hair was so messy, so I took her to a salon to get her a spa and a new haircut. Ah, right! I didn’t know how money worked in this world, so I just took out the smallest money I had. The salon told me it was too much for the service I required, so I told them to keep it as my savings there. It became a game of top-upping and using my savings there. And it’s been quite a while since I haven’t been there to use my savings!”

Ann remembered it clearly. The last time she went there with Faye and Allen, they paid with big money again, and the surplus was added to her savings to the salon. 

I was so excited that I became a rich person and could use my money to get regular spa treatment, yet how could I have forgotten?! I intended to go there monthly to get my regular spa, but look how long it has been?! 

My monthly spa day is ruined!!

Ann completely forgot that she could have a maid do the spa treatment for her at home… 

“Ah… Barbara salon… right?” Faye asked.

“You remember even though it was a long time ago? You’re so smart, Faye!” Ann quickly nuzzled her cheek with Faye’s.

“Ann-neesama! It’s not that long!” Faye was quite fed up now since it’s becoming a pattern that Ann would try to find any small excuses to nuzzle her like this.

“Eh? Is it? Ah… Well, it felt like a long time…,” Ann felt like she was the one with bird memories…

“And of course I remember them, even after our first meeting, I always remember them. They were kind to me, despite my appearance and… how I must have smelled back then…,” Faye said, embarrassed. 

“…,” Viscountess Vanessa seemed to be deep in thought as she heard the adopted siblings’ conversation.

“Dear,” Viscount Jonas grabbed his wife’s hand, and the two seemed to have conversed through their eyes.

After a moment, Viscountess Vanessa heaved a sigh and said, “Then, go there for a treatment. You can also go to eat in restaurants there, buy clothes or just buy anything that you want there. I will give the three of you pocket money.”

P-pocket money?!

Ann’s eyes sparkled.

She had never gotten pocket money anymore ever since she graduated from high school… 

The allowance she got as Allen’s wife back then was a different thing… 

This one would be… pocket money from a parent?

For some reason, her heart felt warm.

“Yay, thank you, Mommyyyy!!” Fina understood the meaning behind ‘just buy anything you want there’, as she leaped with joy and pecked a kiss to the viscountess’ cheek.

The viscountess was taken aback by Fina’s sudden kiss, as she turned her face away quickly. But then she said with a voice that was less stern than usual, “Fina! Don’t act too unreserved like that.”

Despite her stern words and scolding, her red ears showed that she was happy.

Fufu, what a tsundere.

Ann quickly hid her face with her tea cup, sipping her tea again, trying not to burst into laughter right there.

“Is it really alright, M-Mother?” Faye stuttered a bit, yet she managed to call the viscountess ‘Mother’. 

She had called her biological mother ‘Mama’ before, so having an entirely different method to address her adoptive mother helped.

Good job, Faye!

Ann was so proud of little Faye, who managed to display both good etiquette and still managed to give an ‘attack to the heart’ by addressing Vanessa as ‘Mother’.

“I said go, so you should do,” Viscountess Vanessa looked at Faye and said. 

With that, Faye had no room to object, so she only meekly said, “Yes, Mother.”

Then, Ann finally remembered.

“Eh, Viscount—-I mean, M-M-M-M-Mo-Moth–”

“I told you…you can just address me with my name if it makes things easier…,” Viscountess Vanessa said with a long sigh.

“S-sorry, I am still not used to it yet…” Ann felt like crying.

This was her second failure of the day!

She felt like her confidence plummeted to the ground.

Little Fina could do it seamlessly. 

Little Faye managed to do it, though she stuttered a bit.

Yet here she is, the eldest, the one who should be the role model for the little ones… However, in all her tries so far, she stammered too much. It was so unsightly that the viscountess’ face turned odd, and the viscount was trying so hard to hide his laughter.

Ann gave up trying more for today, as she quickly asked,“Aren’t you coming as well, Vanessa-san? I can understand Jonas-san being busy with work and stuff, but–”

“I am also busy with work and stuff,” Viscountess Vanessa said without even lifting her face from her teacup.

“!!” T__T 

Ann seriously felt like crying. That wasn’t what she was implying! 

She was implying how the father would be working, but the mother and her daughters would be out shopping… She wasn’t implying that the viscountess had nothing to do, okay?

Viscount Jonas could no longer hold his laughter back.

“Dear, don’t tease her too much,” Viscount Jonas said amidst his laughter.

T-teasing? She’s teasing me?! Why don’t I feel like being teased, though? Ann couldn’t believe it.

Seeing Viscountess Vanessa’s reaction, it seemed like what Jonas-san said was true… that Vanessa-san was only teasing her!

I-if this makes you happy, my adoptive mother, then sure, but… Please show me some signs that you’re just teasing me, or my heart won’t take it!

Viscountess Vanessa indeed loved teasing Ann, but the problem was that she could tease Ann without a slight change in her stern face…

“We still have several matters to take care of. The three of you may go together to enjoy what downtown has to offer. Just think of this outing as a chance to have some quality time and to bond as sisters,” Viscount Jonas explained.

“Sister outing?! That sounds good!” Ann remembered how she used to go on sister outings with her little sister in the modern world, and her expression had a mixture of nostalgia and sadness in it.

Thus, the three sisters excitedly decided on a date for their outing.

***

On the day of the outing…

The family had breakfast together and would depart at the same time, though Vanessa and Jonas would be heading somewhere else. 

Just when they were about to part ways…

“Ann, take this,” Viscountess Vanessa said as she gave an envelope to Ann.

“This is…?” Ann was puzzled. It couldn’t be their pocket money, as they had been given pocket money earlier. 

“This is an errand for you. Deliver this letter to the written recipient,” Vanessa said.

Oooh, a side quest? Viscountess Vanessa’s mysterious way of saying this intrigued Ann’s mind, thinking that it was some sort of a side mission in a game.

Ann quickly flipped the envelope to see the recipient. Her eyes widened as she turned to look at Vanessa in surprise.

“Vanessa-san, this is…!”