Julietta's Request
Once everyone was seated, dinner was brought in.
""Wowーーーー!! Looks delicious!!""
Brother Gene and Vee exclaimed in unison.
"Did Joan make this?"
Grandfather was surprised.
"Yes, I hope it suits your taste..."
"Wait, Joan made this? She's cute and can cook? How about you marryーーー"
Before Aran could jokingly finish his sentence,
"""No way!!!"""
Father, Brother Noel, and Brother Gene shouted.
"......"
Sigh~ even Father, why are you getting so serious?
It's obviously a joke, right?
"...... For now, let's eat."
Grandmother said with an exasperated expression and began to eat.
Dinner was such a hit that additional fried chicken had to be made.
ーーーAfter-dinner tea.
"So this is what the so-called cocktail tastes like. Delicious."
"It's really easy to drink; I feel like I might drink too much."
Both Grandfather and Grandmother seemed to enjoy the cocktails.
"This canapé with rum brapes and cream cheese? It's delicious."
"These jagato chips are great too, with the peppery kick."
Aunt and Uncle became fans of the snacks.
"Hey, JoーIt's my first time trying jagato chips; are they really made from jagato?"
Brother Noel asked.
"Yes, it's just thinly sliced jagato that's fried."
"I heard Joan was Null attribute, so I thought she was just a plain girl with no special talents. Butーーー"
"Hey, Vee. Are you picking a fight?"
Brother Gene stood up angrily.
"N-no, Gene Bro. I-I only ever heard about the attribute part... I didn’t know about the past life memories or the skills. Until I got here, I really had some awful thoughts... But after meeting her, she's cute, the food is delicious... I'm really sorry, Joan."
"Joan, I'm sorry. Vee and I both knew about you from Mother, but this guy only listened halfway... He made you feel bad... Sorry, Gene too."
Vee apologized, and Aran added an explanation.
"It's fine. I forgive both Vee and Aran. If the only thing you heard was that someone was Null attribute, you’d think that way. But, how would you feel if you were Null attribute and others thought that about you? Wouldn't you hate it? From now on, please try to see things from the other person's perspective."
""Yes.""
"Hahaha, Little Joan is more thoughtful than you two."
Grandmother, that’s because I’m probably older than you.
Even now, I feel like I’m scolding my own grandchildren.
"Oh, speaking of Null attribute, as I mentioned to my elder brother before, sometimes people with average abilities across all attributes exist. But all depends on the person. Little Joan, would you like to study magic with me?"
"Study? If I study, will I be able to use magic?"
"Hmm, studying is to find out if you can use magic. Maybe you'll be able to use all attributes, or maybe you won’t be able to use anything. And even if you can’t use anything now, you might be able to in the future... Do you understand what I mean?"
"Yes, Aunt, you mean you want to research whether Null attributes could develop later. Is that correct?"
""""""!!!""""""
"As expected of someone with past life memories. Yes, I want to research you."
I’m not a lab mouse, though.
But if this research could bring hope to others with Null attributes, it might be worth it.
"Hey, Julietta! You don’t have to say it like that, do you?"
Grandfather scolded Aunt Julietta.
"It’s fine, Grandfather. Thank you. Aunt? Would my participation in your research have a positive impact on others with Null attributes? I know my case is irregular since I have past life memories."
"Of course. It might stop people with Null attributes from being recklessly mistreated. Although it depends on the person, so I can’t guarantee it for everyone."
"Understood. Then, I’ll do it. But can we start after I enter the academy?"
"Of course, that’s fine. But why after entering the academy?"
"I want to become stronger before then, both mentally and physically. There’s a chance I might really be a true Null. That’s why I want to be able to at least protect myself before entering the academy."
""""""""""......""""""""""
"Little Joan... Alright. Then I’ll wait until you’re enrolled in the academy."
"Thank you, Aunt."
"But can I ask one thing? This is a favor."
"A favor?"
"Can you call me Mother Julie instead?"
""""""""""Huh!?""""""""""
"Because ‘Aunt’ sounds old, doesn’t it? And I always wanted a daughter~"
"Julietta, give it a rest already."
Father shot a cold glare at Aunt Julietta.
"Fine, as long as it’s not ‘Aunt’."
What am I supposed to say? Someone tell me.
Why is everyone avoiding my gaze?
"Um... Big Sister Julie?"
"Oh my~ Little Joan! I’m so happy!! I like that even more than Mother~ Let’s get along well, okay?"
""Julietta.""
Both Grandfather and Father looked exasperated.
"Then, how about you call me Big Brother Gil?"
Uncle tried to take advantage of the situation.
""Father, even you?""
Aran and Vee were dumbfounded.
Somehow, everyone came to accept both the Null attribute and my past life memories. That’s a relief.
Now, I wonder how much I can train in the five years before enrolling in the academy.
What do you think about this chapter?
