Until just now, I had suspected that Setsu and the Hoshimiya sisters were not related by blood.
However, it seems that was a misunderstanding.
"If you don't believe me, why don't you take a look at the family register?"
That's all I have to say. I'm not lying.
"No, I believe you... I'm sorry for doubting you so strangely."
"Exactly. I would never ask someone I'd just met if they were related to my daughter."
"I-I don't have anything to say in response."
Thinking about it calmly, I realized that it was quite rude.
There's no doubt that I was in the wrong. I apologized profusely, but... Setsu-san sighed again, as if exasperated.
"Hmm... I was the one who led you to say it, so why are you apologizing?"
"Well, that was a bad thing to do."
"I was hoping for a rebuttal. I was hoping for something like, 'It's because you encouraged me to say whatever you want!'"
"Really? Um, I'll try my best."
"...You don't have to. You can't do it."
It seemed like Setsu had completely given up on me.
I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm disappointed, but I can't help but feel that it's a disappointment.
It's true that I'm not particularly good, so I'll try not to let my reputation drop any further. I wanted to at least be someone who would be allowed to associate with the sisters.
"Anyway, Hime is my daughter... well, even for my daughter, she's a bit special."
That statement probably doesn't just mean appearances.
I felt that Setsuki recognized Hime as "special," including her personality.
"Hime is truly a genius."
She is an exceptionally talented girl who has earned a university degree from abroad at the age of eight.
To me, she gives off a strong impression of being a cute girl, but her abilities are certainly outstanding.
"I don't like it when people generalize her with the word 'genius'. Hime doesn't fit that description... You know she has an excellent memory, right?"
Of course. I had heard about instantaneous memory, or the ability to remember everything you see or hear once, so I nodded firmly.
"If you can remember anything, in what fields do you think you can use that knowledge?"
"...Studying, you say?"
"Please narrow your answer down a bit. What field of study are you referring to?"
"A field? Umm, a field...math or something? You mean you can memorize a lot of formulas and stuff?"
"Completely different. Ufufu, your wit is also average."
Damn. I tried my best to answer, but it seems it was wrong.
I wanted to clear my name, but it seemed I couldn't. Setsu-san wasn't even surprised anymore. She smiled brightly and looked at me with kind eyes.
"Language. Hime is good at learning languages... She's good at memorizing words and grammar, and because she's still young, her listening skills are excellent. That's why she can use multiple languages fluently."
...I see. Hime used to read English books at school too.
"He was already fluent in Japanese before he was even one year old. At first, he spoke in a tone that was just like mine... I think he was probably using me as a model for how he spoke. It was really amazing. After that, he watched how many different people were conversing, and his tone of voice developed into the polite one that he has now. He was only three years old at the time."
So at the age of three, Hime was already speaking in the same tone as she does now.
...Even at eight years old it would be strange, so this is still surprising at three.
"But at the time, I didn't know anything about his memory ability. I just knew he was 'speaking unusually quickly'... and I decided to send him to nursery school like any other toddler. That was a big mistake."
Before I knew it, the conversation had turned to "Hime."
Perhaps Saitsuki-san knew I wanted to know more about Hime, and without saying a word, he told me about her past.
I'm very grateful for that.
I want to know more about her. I could listen to her talk about Hime forever.
I was also very interested in what her past was like.
Come to think of it, she had previously mentioned that Hime also attended nursery school.
Certainly, what I said at the time was...
"--As a result, I ended up making that child aware of his abnormality. I still regret that."
That's right. Hime said she didn't have any good memories of nursery school.
At the age of three, Hime had a fully developed sense of self, spoke in a mature manner, and had a calm demeanor...Hime herself said that the nursery teachers were creeped out by her.
It seems that Satsuki is also regretting the nursery school.