Emilia 2

Natsuki's household-

Emilia and Chocorina are sitting at the table watching their surroundings with curiosity, except Emilia was hiding her curiosity, unlike Chocorina who was amazed at what she's seeing.

Naoko's mind was too occupied to notice this reaction of theirs, as she wanted to ask them here and now, she didn't forget the hospitality and said. "Before we talk, what do you want to drink?"

Emilia calmed down a little from her words and politely replied. "Then, tea please."

Naoko nodded and looked at Chocorina and said. "What about you little princess..?"

Emilia noticed that there was a bit of warmth from her voice, but didn't say anything about it.

Chocorina raised her arm and exclaimed. "I want an appa juice!"

"Chocorina! Your manners!" Emilia scolded her for shouting.

"Ah, sorry! Hehe…" Chocorina didn't feel sorry at all.

Naoko smiled a little and said. "It's fine, no need to scold the child... but what's an appa?"

"You don't know granny? It's... it's...big round and red!" Chocorina tried explaining appa to her supposed grandmother.

"Ah..you mean apple juice? Sure, good thing I have those... anyway I'll be back."

(A/N: I know appa's and apple are different since it was mentioned that appa's are sweeter than any apple but here it's the same.)

After that Naoko went to the kitchen to prepare the tea and apple juice.

A few minutes later, Naoko arrived with a tray on hand, slowly she put the tray on the table and started distributing the teacup and a glass of apple juice.

Chocorina excitedly grabbed the glass and started drinking it slowly with a smile, while Emilia took the teacup elegantly like the queen she is.

Manners are important, but she failed to discipline her daughter so it's her fault.

"Thank you."

"No problem." 

After a sip, Emilia was a bit surprised by how good the tea was. "It's good.."

"That's a relief...I didn't have a guest for a long time so bear with that cheap convenient store tea." Naoko said.

"C-cheap?" Emilia was surprised, for this tea in her world was already luxury and it's not cheap at all and from the taste of this tea alone could be sold 1 holy coin per pound!

"Yes? Is there a problem?" Naoko asked with a worried expression.

"N-no, it's nothing." 

Emilia took another sip of the tea, then finally Naoko asked. "So...y-your my son's wife correct?"

Emilia puts the cup away and nodded. "Yes."

"So I didn't hear it wrong...t-then... that child is…." Naoko looked at Chocorina who was enjoying her apple juice.

"Mhm… her name is Chocorina Natsuki, she's your granddaughter," Emilia confirmed her suspicion from before, no one can blame her after all, your son went missing and a decade later you found out he has a wife and daughter!

Naoko looked at Chocorina one more time and thought. 'Is this why I feel she looks familiar? Because she's my granddaughter? This is hard to believe but..she has my and my son's eyes..'

"I-i see... it's really hard to believe…" Naoko still have a hard time believing, then she continued.

"Then can you tell me where my son is? Y-you should know where he is right now right? He'd been missing for 10 years... please tell me...I-i miss my baby boy...I want to see him!" Naoko once again cried.

Emilia bit her lips as she listened to her supposed-to-be mother-in-law, she felt really guilty right now, she knows the reason why he's been missing it's because he was in her world.

She hesitated to tell her for a moment and ultimately decided to tell her the truth. "I know where he is right now...but.."

Naoko's expression brightened and became hopeful. "But..?"

"I'm sorry, right now I have no way to go there," Emilia admitted.

Naoko's hopeful expression instantly became angry. "You…! Are you making a fool out of me?! You know where he is, but you can't be there?! You're not making any sense!" 

She slammed the table out of anger, because of her action Chocorina flinched and became afraid of Naoko as she went closer to her mother and hides behind her.

Realizing that she scared the child, she quickly apologized. "I-im sorry I didn't mean to…"

"No, I'm sorry it's my fault I wasn't clear and specific about it." Emilia sighs and continues while patting Chocorina's head.

"While I know where my husband is, yes? But the problem is right now I have no idea how to go back there." 

Naoko found this strange and replied. "Why is that? Are you perhaps lacking money? I can lend you some."

"Mother…. it's not about money…" Emilia smiled bitterly.

Hearing that Emilia called her 'Mother' surprisingly she liked the ring of it, though Emilia claimed to be her son's wife there was still a sliver of doubt in her heart she still didn't fully believe her.

"What is it then?"

Emilia finally decided to talk about 'why' it isn't possible for Naoko to meet Subaru, and it's going to be hard to believe she might even think she's crazy but she has to say it.

"I know this is hard for you to believe but I swear it's the truth, the reason why we can't see my hu- I mean Subaru is because he's not in this world but in another world."

Emilia said with the calmest tone she could muster.

"What?" Naoko looked at her as if she was crazy.

"It's hard to believe, yes I'm aware but mother there is one thing I could show you that I'm not a native from this world and it's magic, your world doesn't have any right? Thinking that magic is only some part of fantasy? Then let me show you." Emilia puts the cup away and stands up from the table.

"El Huma." It wasn't a problem for her to cast this spell, while the Od of this world isn't as dense as her world, at least she's capable of doing AI spells without a problem.

As she casts El Huma, several ice spears appear above her head and the temperature of the room slowly drops. 

Chocorina didn't find this surprising or strange, because she can cast it herself too quite easily. It was nothing to be surprised of since it's common at least in her books.

However, it wasn't the same for Naoko. Her expression was that of shock. Everything that she learned about 'magic is not real' we're ripped into pieces as she saw this, what she just saw broke her common sense, the law of physics!

Then Emilia canceled her magic, it was already enough for her mother-in-law to believe her based on her expression, but she still has to be sure.

"So, do you believe me now?"

It took a full minute for Naoko to reply. "Yeah, no I'm sorry I-i need time to...this is too much for me to process…!"

Emilia nods as she understood, it was probably too much for an ordinary lady like her mother-in-law, though her husband did say 'If you show magic to mom she would no doubt take time to process it,' which is proven to be true.

"Of course… take your time mother."

"Thank you." 

---

Several minutes later, 

"Okay, so magic is real? And my son is in another world?" Naoko asked.

"That's right," Emilia replied.

"I-i see...n-no wonder we couldn't find him...so he's not in this world to start with...so my baby is still alive...t-that's a relief…" Naoko's facial expression visibly loosens as if she became younger within that moment.

She was glad, really glad that her son was safe and alive (God lady if you only knew), that's all she has to know.

Naoko smiled genuinely for the first time in a decade, this information was a life-changing to her life, her gaze toward Emilia and Chocorina was filled with warmth and affection knowing that they are her son's family, especially Chocorina right now all she could think is spoiling her granddaughter but before that she said.

"So tell me dear... what was my son's life there?"

Hearing that Emilia smiled brightly and started telling her how she and Subaru met and their adventurer together.

The room was filled with affectionate laughter after that.

(End-)