I Favor the Villainess Epilogue

I Favor the Villainess

“Rei-okaasamaa!”
“Serious serious, it is serious!”

While I was on a terrace, rereading the diary so far, I heard voices of my daughters.
Soon it will be evening.

“Mei and Alea, what is it?”
“You see, Claire-okaasama”
“Again committed a blunder in the kitchen”

Goodness, again.
No, I think it’s wonderful she has the desire improve herself.

“I understand. Thanks for telling me”
“What will happen?”
“I do not want Claire-okaasama to be scolded”

Thinking what sort of mother makes her daughters who are only five worry, I lifted Alea, who had an anxious face.
Looking into her round dark eyes I said.

“It’s okay, I won’t scold her”
“Yaay”
“It’s unfair it’s only Alea! Mei too, Mei too!”
“Yes yes”

I also lifted Mei high up and entered the house with them.

“Claire-sama?”
“… Rei”

As I entered the kitchen, Claire-sama was wiping the floor with a dispirited face.
On top of the stove was a saucepan and egg liquid, right beside it was milk and fresh cream, there was also sugar and liquor.

“I tried making crème brûlée. Then, the saucepan exploded”
“As usual, a failure due to an enigmatic reason. Pleases show your hands”

When I said that, Claire-sama obediently showed her hands.
Before they were noble’s hands foreign to work, but they’re a little rough now.
As usual the majority of housework is my job, but Claire-sama also helps.
Even so, thanks to not missing bathing aftercare, her hands are far more beautiful than mine.

“You haven’t burned yourself. I’m glad”
“There is nothing to be glad about. I still cannot make even one satisfactory dish?”

For Claire-sama who can do anything flawlessly, not being able to cook well seems terribly perplexing.
She challenges herself like this frequently, but there still haven’t been any success.

“It’s good for Claire-sama to have at least one weakness. On the day your cooking was perfected, I’d lose my position”
“It is not only cooking. Sewing is a struggle too. I did not imagine embroidery to be so difficult”
“Ahaha…”

Although she says things like that, her desired level in the latter is absolutely strange.
Claire-sama’s embroidery that decorates the living room is on the level where Dor-sama and Rod-sama, who occasionally drop by, ask which workshop made it.
I definitely want Claire-sama to remain poor at cooking forever.

“Hey hey, Rei-okaasama?”
“What is it, Mei?”
“Why does Rei-okaasama call Claire-okaasama Claire-sama?”

Now that she mentions.
I could not escape my past habits so somehow the title of honor stuck.

“See. After all it is unnatural. We became equal partners, so I would not mind if you could address me without an honorific?”

And so on Claire-sama continued, but this is simply something I’m accustomed to.
Somehow, dropping it, is umm… embarrassing.

“Yay, Rei-okaasama’s face flushed, Alea”
“It is true. It is red like an apple, Mei”
“Both of you, stop teasing”

When I said that, Mei and Alea teased even more.
They’re good kids, but who did they take the mischievousness after.

After the revolution, Claire-sama and I moved to the outskirts of the Royal Capital and started a new life there.
Although I proposed and it was accepted, legally same sex marriage isn’t recognized in this country.
Now under Arla’s new administration a new constitution is being made.
Claire-sama and I are sometimes called as experts to codification meetings, but compared to sovereignty of the people or pacifism, same-sex marriage doesn’t receive much agreement.
I don’t understand.

Although there was some confusion at the time of transition from monarchical system to sovereignty of the people, the invasion of the Naa Empire that had been a worry was prevented.
Salas and his faction being captured, moreover Manaria-sama leading reinforcements from Sousa were decisive.

Of course, not everything went favorably.
The scars from the Sassal Volcano eruption are vast, the forecast is there will still be some time before the crop harvests recover.
Even so, with the food support from Appalachia and Sousa who we had prior friendly relations with, it seems we will be able to get through this winter somehow.

Claire-sama and I stayed at the academy.
Not as students, but as teachers.
Even without her status as a noble, magic users like Claire-sama can’t be found easily.
In the era after this, ability will mean everything.
For the sake of nurturing excellent magicians, it seems the academy desperately wanted a talented person like Claire-sama.

“What is the matter, Rei-okaasama?”
“Is there something on Alea’s face?”
“No, it’s nothing”

Mei and Alea are disaster orphans.
Originally, children are taken in by monasteries, but monasteries everywhere were full of disaster orphans and were looking for caretakers.
Both Claire-sama and I were donating to monasteries through the Church, and drawn by fate we adopted Mei and Alea.
Both are cheerful girls who became attached to us.
For us who cannot make a child, they’re as lovely as our real children… To say such a line, Claire-sama and I are still too young.
Regarding the details of how we came to adopt them, I may talk about them someday.

I’ll touch a little on the circumstances of the people Claire-sama and I were involved with.

Rod-sama left the Royal Family and became the supreme commander of the new government army.
Because the person himself has the temperament of a prodigy, the military personnel that’s being taught by or receive instructions from him seems to be struggling.
However, because his charisma and competency are the real deal, the army will soon be unveiling a new large-scale magical technique.
Rod-sama said, “I won’t lose to Manaria anymore”.

His Majesty Sein became a symbolic existence as the King of the Bauer Kingdom.
Despite his always sour look, strangely he’s adored by the people, right now he’s in the midst of deciding on his consort.
It seems that Sein-sama himself has a person in his heart, and that it’s a love that won’t come true, it’s said his humor grows ill as soon as the matter of his consort is brought up.
As the king who loves culture, he polished his harp skills more and more, tickets to concerts that let one hear his harp are difficult to obtain, with orders for them flooding from inside and outside the country.

Yuu-sama has been released from the house arrest and now devotes her efforts to reconstructing the kingdom.
It goes without saying in private she’s devoted to Misha.
They’re both intimate, in the Church lily flowers are in full bloom.
Some newcomers to the Church seem to have impure purpose, the top brass seems to be racking their brains over it.

Lene is displaying her shrewdness as the young proprietress of Frater.
Together with Lambert-sama, who’s excellent at actual work they seem to be set on overthrowing Blume.
She’s mastered all recipes they received from me, and now she’s thinking up completely new recipes.
As she boasted to me full of confidence about finding a new fruit called watermelon, I taught her its sweetness can be improved by sprinkling salt on it, to which she bit a handkerchief in vexation.

Manaria-sama became the Queen Regnant of Sousa.
She did, but she declared she has no intention of marrying a man, Sousa is already troubled about her successor.
Well, we’re talking about that person, so she’ll find and bring somebody capable.
What’s more, as Sousa’s influential figures tried to have Manaria-sama get married, she quietly noted Sein-sama’s name came up.

Although Lily-sama wasn’t charged with anything due to her special circumstances, she disappeared from Bauer.
Lily-sama must’ve been unable to forgive herself more than anyone else.
I don’t know when she’ll be able to forgive herself.
But, I believe she’ll certainly come back.
Surely while saying something like is the spot of mistress still open.

Dor-sama lost his status as a noble and became a commoner, but with his valuable political skills he became an unofficial political advisor to the new government.
Due to the revolution, the new government can’t make his existence public, but they seem to rely on Dor-sama a great deal.
Dor-sama, who stopped wearing a villain’s mask, is a good father and father-in-law to us.
He’s completely charmed by Mei and Alea, to them he looks like a good-natured grandad.

Execution was considered for Salas, but due to his useful large diplomatic knowledge, a plea bargain resulted in his indefinite imprisonment.
Nowadays, just like a psychiatrist criminal from a certain movie, as a knowledgeable person he seems to be advising the new government from his confine in a dungeon.
Of course, since his personality is warped like Dr. Le*ter’s, a female official who’s won Salas’s favor seems to be visiting him and extracting his knowledge.
Naturally, I have mixed feelings about his treatment, having expected severe punishment.

“Hey, Rei-okaasama”
“What is it, Mei?”
“Ted is saying strange things”
“Nn? What did he say?”

According to Mei, Ted is a boy who lives in the neighborhood.
He’s the center of children from this area, he’s the so called leader of the pack.

“He said it’s strange for there to be two mothers. That normally a father is indispensable”
“Aa…. Err…”

I was at a loss for the answer.
I wonder if it’s right to teach a child of this age about sexual minorities.
While I was indecisive, Claire-sama matched her gaze with Mei’s and spoke.

“Fufu, there is nothing weird about it. Do not worry, Mei”
“Is that so?”
“But, it is as Ted says, with the exception of our home, everybody has fathers?”

Alea refused to back down.
Compared to Mei, Alea is faster to mature emotionally.
She’s around the age of questioning various things.

“It is not important whether it is father or mother, is it? Whether you can be together with the person you love. That is most important, is it not? Or would Alea want another man, more than me or Rei?”
“No! Claire-okaasama and Rei-okaasama are good!”
“Mei too, Mei too!”

Saying so, Mei and Alea jumped at Claire-sama begging for a hug.

“Fufu, you’re such spoiled kids”

Seeing Claire-sama smile happily, I also felt happiness.

“Look, Rei will make dinner in a little more. Play outside until then”
“Yees!”
“We are off!”

Mei and Alea ran outside like a wind.

“Really. Children are lively”
“Why are you speaking like an old person. Even we are actually not old enough to have children, are we?”
“Is Claire-sama opposed to taking care of them?”
“Don’t say stupid things. I could not imagine my life without them anymore”

Both Claire-sama and I love Mei and Alea from the bottom of our hearts.
Us four living together is already natural.

“Claire-sama, do you regret that you aren’t a noble?”

Suddenly I asked such a thing.
Before, Claire-sama said she couldn’t bear living as a commoner.

“Regrets or whatever, there was no choice. Such are the trends of the times”

As she spoke a mature line, Claire-sama had a distant look.
She once tried sacrificing herself out of the obligation as a noble, but now she’s at my side like this.
I wonder if I would be conceited to think she chose living with me over her way of life as a noble.

“For better or worse, people are creatures than can adapt to things”

I got used to everything, said Claire-sama.

“I see. Then, I also should get used to it sooner or later… Right, Claire?”
“Yeah, truly… Eh?”

Perhaps thinking she’s misheard, Claire-sama directed her gaze at me.

“Just now, that was?”
“It was nothing”
“Once again! Say it once again! This time I shall burn it into my memory!”
“It’s fine! Soon when I get used to it, I’ll say it again!”
“I cannot wait!”
“Waah. Claire-sama is dominating me! It’s a reward!”
“Do not start saying strange things! What if Mei and Alea remember them!”

Claire-sama and I had a lively exchange.

“Hey, Claire-sama?”
“What is it”
“I am happy”
“… So am I”

When I embraced her tightly, Claire-sama returned a gentle hug.

“I love you, Claire-sama”

Hearing my whisper, Claire-sama made a surprised face for an instant.
I expected something like hmph, of course, but.

“Yeah, so do I, Rei, my beloved”

As she said that, Claire-sama’s smile was sweeter than crème brûlée.
From the bottom of my heart I felt that I won’t win against this person for my whole life.

 

Until now, and from now on.
The times flow, people’s hearts change.
Nobody knows the future.
But――.
My love for Claire-sama will surely not change for eternity.

From now on, forever – I favor the villainessClaire-sama.

 

Fin.

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Author’s Note

There’s also Inori-sensei’s translation in the comments.

I truly thank you for reading until the end.
It is the end, so I will write a slightly longish afterword.
If you don’t mind, please stay with me.

It’s little over a year since I began writing it.
Thanks to every reader I somehow managed to write it until the end.
I’d like to give my sincere gratitude to everyone who read this work.

When I began writing this work, I think yuri still didn’t have the recent momentum.
Bookmarks and comprehensive evaluations were not as good as my maiden work, but I was casually writing with the feeling “My preferences are fully open, so this is fine”.
It was fun writing Rei who was acting recklessly, as the author while writing in high spirits I had thoughts like “What a strange child”.
Now yuri genre has achieved great momentum, this work also became carried by it into publication. (It’s on sale today!!)
Who could expect such a fate.
At least I couldn’t imagine it.
As a fan, I can’t help but wish yuri genre spread even more.

I believe every reader understands, but this work was written with yuri as a big theme.
I think there are various definitions of yuri.
Yuri in this work is purely based on my personal experiences, but it is not my intention in the least to say an exaggerated thing like this is exactly what yuri is.
But, can’t such yuri also exist?
I’d be happy if every reader found it even a little interesting.

In writing this work, aside from yuri, my personal challenge was providing foreshadowing and using it.
Whether I succeeded or not I entrust the judgement to every reader, but personally I am satisfied.
If you could read this work from the beginning once again, I think there are places where you can smile thinking “Ah, this is connected with that”.
If you have time to spare, please by all means come and see Rei and Claire once again.

Here is one wish.
Every time until now the postscript was,

“Thank you for reading.
I am waiting for your ratings, comments, impressions.”

I have written those two sentences, but I’d like to ask for them by all means.
I think there are people who don’t know what they should write, but you don’t have to think too hard.
With just a few words saying it was interesting, or even boring, I will be happy to the point of tears (the latter is fairly depressing, so if could say it in a round-about way!).

Those who have trouble writing impressions, I’d be happy if you could leave the rating at the end.
Rating is at the bottom of the last update (that is to say this one).
If possible, on PC above and on smartphones below ratings, there’s Twitter mark, I’d be happy if you could spread tweet impressions.
Moreover, if you have spare energy, you should by all means tackle reviews.
There’s no greater joy than being able to receive everybody’s voices no matter what form.
Since it’ll be the driving force for the next work, I humbly thank you.

With this, I set this work as completed for now.
I may write some stories set in the future, but the date is still undecided.
I also have hopes for the continuation, but that completely depends on the sales of the book, if you could cooperate I’d like you to purchase it.
It may sound like “After all it’s business, huh”, but with the income that doesn’t reach third of Japanese average, Inori. lives in poverty (true story), so please let me eat delicious meal once in a while. （←）

Finally, although I’m repeating myself, thank you for reading until the end.
I pray that I will be blessed to see you again, I will replace the concluding address then.
Well then, I will excuse myself.

 

2019/2/26 Inori. Respectfully yours

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Translator’s note

Just few words from yours truly.

Everybody, thank you for reading. And especially for all the comments and likes.

When I picked up I Favor the Villainess blind, charmed by only the first few chapters, I wouldn’t even imagine how much I’d end up loving it. The ending especially filled me with inexpressible satisfaction, all the anxiety and anticipation until now ended so well worth it.

Please consider doing what Inori. wrote above. While it may be hard to write on narou, if you have Twitter, tweets in English will certainly be appreciated!

And above all, if you enjoyed I Favor the Villainess, absolutely please consider supporting it and buying the book. If you need help with it, please contact me, either through the contact form, or on my Discord server.

And finally, this is not the end, be sure to check the extras!

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