Chapter 550 Ohiisama ②
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Ugh, gaaaaah! No, no, no, no, NO! I hate this, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!”
That was the surface story. As far as Kento—the proprietor of the magic-circuit shop Harvest—was concerned, the beautiful white-haired, dark-skinned woman was someone else entirely. Now that her subordinates had left, she was sprawled across her traditional floor bed in the middle of a spectacular tantrum.
”If you’re Serrawo, then take responsibility for your own damn lower body! Don’t you dare die! Stay alive for another thirty years, you hear me?!”
This was not filial concern. It was the anguished cry of a woman realizing that, if her father died now, an even bigger headache would land squarely on her shoulders. She had put on a brave face in front of her subordinates and insisted she was not grieving, but this was the far messier truth.
”Haaaah…”
After thoroughly exhausting herself, she let out a long, heavy sigh. Maybe she should spend the rest of the day hiding under the covers. Or perhaps using that Ddo-Buddy would not be such a bad idea. Yeah, that Clitoris Edition she’d barely managed to secure1…
Even so, she did not move. It was not a matter of lacking energy. There were still things she needed to do.
Dragging herself upright, she shrugged off her luxurious sleeping gown. Smooth dark skin met the cool air as she changed clothes—not for self-indulgence, but for a night excursion. Instead of her nightwear, she slipped into a kimono that allowed freedom of movement and draped a white cloak over herself, one large enough to conceal her head if necessary.
The nights of the Southern Continent—or at least those in the Aurumcame Governor State—were cold. The season had been particularly dry, making a cloak all but mandatory for anyone heading outside.
And she intended to do exactly that.
Once prepared, she left the room—not through the door, but through the window—then lowered a rope with practiced ease. Careful not to alert her subordinates, who were likely still discussing strategy after delivering their report, she descended with a lamp in one hand and the rope gripped in the other.
”Heave-ho…”
The moment her feet touched the manicured backyard, she broke into a run. Vaulting toward the fence, she scrambled over the stacked stone wall. It offered decent footholds, but at more than two meters tall, it was hardly easy to climb. Had Kento been present, he probably would have called it parkour.
Once outside the estate, she accelerated even further. The ease of her movements made it obvious that this was far from her first escape.
She raced through the harbor town’s narrow alleys without sparing a glance for her surroundings and eventually arrived at a tavern. Loud laughter and boisterous voices spilled out into the street. It was still too early for closing time, though perhaps she had rushed here specifically because she wanted to hear that lively noise.
Inside, burly sailors were singing, laughing, and clinking mugs together. Even amid the revelry, they immediately noticed the woman who had entered.
”Well now,” one man chuckled, “if it ain’t the Governor herself.”
”Gahaha!” another boomed. “Sneaked out again, have ya?”
”Shhh!” she hissed. “Don’t go shoutin’ ‘Governor’ all over the place!”
”Oh, my bad, my bad!”
Judging from the easy exchange, she was a familiar face here. Governor was the title of the official charged with running the harbor town in the Governor’s name—in other words, her day job.
Ordinarily, the men should have bowed their heads in her presence. Instead, years of sneaking away had turned her visits into a local routine. Nobody felt compelled to stand on ceremony, and she had no interest in throwing her authority around.
Brushing past them, she headed straight for the tavern owner, a stout middle-aged woman.
”Ma’am, the usual!”
”Yes, yes, hold your horses, dear.”
The owner already knew what that meant. With practiced motions, she dropped pre-wrapped dumplings into hot oil and fried them until golden brown. Kento would probably have described them as Western-style fried dumplings.
A little later, along with several side dishes, enough food to feed far more than a single woman was packed into a basket. After paying and offering her thanks, she left the tavern and set off through the night once more, slowing only enough to avoid ruining the meal.
Her destination lay in the poorest district of the harbor town. Public safety there was less than ideal, yet she walked the familiar route without the slightest concern.
Eventually, she arrived at a dilapidated shack built from chipped, crumbling bricks. It looked barely capable of keeping out the wind and sun, and as though a strong kick might bring the whole thing down.
”Hey, you brats!” she shouted as she barged inside. “Your big sister’s here!”
”Whoa!?”
”What, what is it!?”
The children, who had gone to bed early to save lamp oil, jolted awake in alarm. Most of the shack’s inhabitants were young children.
”W-what, it’s just big sis…”
”What do you mean, ‘what’?” she shot back. “I brought food. Is that how you greet me?”
”We’re grateful, but you scared us…”
The oldest child instinctively positioned themself in front of the younger ones, ready for trouble. The moment they realized who had arrived, however, children emerged from every corner of the shack.
”Food! It’s food!”
”Wow! Thanks, big sis!”
”That’s right. Eat up and be grateful!”
The children crowded around the basket, eagerly checking its contents. They were hungry. Saving lamp oil had only been part of the reason they went to sleep so early; the rest was an attempt to ignore the gnawing emptiness in their stomachs.
That was why she had stopped at the tavern.
Still-warm food disappeared into eager hands and mouths. Every child here was either an orphan or abandoned, surviving by huddling together beneath this fragile roof. At some point, the woman—the Governor—had begun looking after them.
Ideally, she wanted to help them openly through official policy and provide them with something better. Reality was not so simple. Favoring one group would invite complaints from other impoverished residents, and there would always be more children in need than she could possibly support.
In the end, she limited her aid to the children living here.
It was a small thing, perhaps, but one of the few places where she could set down the weight she carried as Governor.
Nor was she merely protecting them. Remembering the real reason she had snuck out tonight, she turned to one of the older children, who had been eating with noticeably more restraint than the rest.
”Where’s Ayamika?”
”…Don’t know,” the boy replied. “She told us to go to sleep, then went out somewhere.”
”I see. Then she’s at the usual spot. Don’t worry. It’ll be fine.”
”H-hey…” The boy hesitated. “When is big sis Nada coming back?”
”Don’t worry about that either.”
She gently ruffled his hair.
”It’ll take a little longer, but she’ll come back. Now eat well and get some sleep.”
”O-okay…”
Leaving the boy slightly reassured, she stepped back into the night. Ayamika was the girl who managed the shack, and tonight she needed to speak with her.
Crossing the poor district and heading toward the harbor, she eventually reached a quiet pier deep among the docks, far from where the larger ships were moored.
There, she found the person she had been looking for.
”Ayamika.”
”…Meryamisha-sama.”
The girl turned around.
”I thought you would be coming soon.”
”I told you, just ‘Mer’ is fine,” Meryamisha replied with a sigh. “And since you’re here… that means a letter from Nada arrived, right?”
”Yes. I have received it.”
It was a secret meeting held beneath the cover of night.
The orphans had once merely shared stories about their daily lives, but because they knew the town’s back alleys, hidden corners, and whispered rumors better than anyone, they had gradually become an invaluable source of information. As some grew older, Meryamisha even began entrusting them with real work.
Nada, now treated as an honored guest on the Northern Continent, had been one of those children. Exceptionally intelligent and capable, she had become Meryamisha’s right-hand woman—someone reliable enough to send across the sea alone.
”Then,” Meryamisha said, “tell me everything. Including that.”
—
Summary:
Meryamisha, after venting her frustrations about Serrawo in private, sneaks out of her governor’s estate to visit an impoverished district. She brings food to a group of orphans she has taken under her protection, providing a rare moment of sanctuary. After checking on their well-being, she meets with Ayamika, an orphan who acts as her operative, to receive secret information from her confidante, Nada. The status of their intelligence network remains the central, unresolved thread.
—
Trivia:
The governor’s title is used to govern the harbor town on behalf of a higher authority.
Meryamisha’s act of protection is limited to only the orphans in that specific shack to avoid broader social and political backlash.
The children sleep early to conserve lamp oil and as a coping mechanism for hunger.
Nada, Meryamisha’s right-hand woman, is currently acting as a high-ranking guest in the Northern Continent.
Meryamisha’s escape method, including the window and rope, is a well-practiced habit.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Harvest – Viscount Kento Harvest is a gaunt, pragmatic former adventurer and merchant who balances running a magic-circuit shop with his role as a mentor and policy advisor to the royal family. Clad in a tattered academic coat, he leverages knowledge from a past world and noble authority to navigate local politics. He is sexually proactive, maintaining complex relationships with numerous lovers and dependents.
• Kento – Lord Harvest, a reclusive Viscount resembling a dark-haired salaryman, runs the Harvest magic circuit and adult-toy store. Bound to the Queen, this observant, socially perceptive store owner uses strategic acumen to navigate political pressures. Though cautious, he shares a quiet intimacy with Amelia, uses informal greetings to ease guests, and is intimately familiar with the protagonist’s secret habits.
• Ayamika – A young girl who acts as the leader and manager of the orphaned children living in the poverty-stricken district.
• Nada – A tall, slender Southern Continent envoy with dark skin, glossy black hair, and sharp almond eyes, this capable young woman is Meryamisha’s trusted right-hand. Currently serving on the Northern Continent and known to Kento’s group, she balances a blank diplomatic facade with a naive curiosity, vulgar slang, a fondness for fist-bumping, and a sensual connection with the protagonist.
• Meryamisha – A beautiful woman with white hair and black skin who governs the harbor town as the Governor. She secretly acts as a protector for local orphaned children.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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