Reincarnated as a failed hero?! Watch me Defy Fate!

"Wow, Natsuki-san… your wife is incredibly beautiful."

My mother praised Envi's looks, which instantly made her beam with pride.

"Just look at her long, flowing black hair and those uniquely colored eyes… and that elegant black dress she's wearing suits her perfectly. Naoko, you really are stunning."

Hearing that made Envi blush a little, though he quickly recovered, letting out a light laugh. "Hehe, it's a pleasure to meet you, Ayase-san. I've heard so much about you from Natsuki. You truly are a remarkable woman for enduring such difficult circumstances."

I was honestly surprised he could say something so… normal for once.

My mother smiled warmly at the compliment.

"Well then, Ayase-san, would you like to know some interesting facts about Natsuki? Hahaha, I promise you'll love them!"

I could already feel my blood pressure rising. I wanted to shut him up immediately, but Mother seemed genuinely excited to hear more.

"Haha, you're such a lively person, Naoko-san."

Seeing her in such a good mood, I couldn't bring myself to interfere. As long as Envi didn't go too far, I decided to let it slide.

Unfortunately, he immediately went too far.

"In fact," Envi announced with a mischievous glint in her eye, "Natsuki here is actually a king in another country, and he has a harem! And by harem, I mean wives from all over the world! He's the Harem King!"

My mother froze. "What?! Harem King? Multiple wives??"

I could feel her stare drilling into me. Before she could ask anything else, I cut in quickly.

Clamping a hand over Envi's mouth, I pinched his back sharply. He yelped in pain, but I ignored it. "That's not true, Ayase-san! Naoko, this stupid woman is just talking nonsense. Honestly, when she's tired, she is being so stupid and tends to start making things up, hahahaha!"

Runa jumped in to back me up. "That's right, Auntie! Dad isn't like that at all."

Mother looked between us, then finally let out a laugh. She said we seemed like a close family, but after that, her expression softened into something more wistful.

I knew she was probably thinking about her own broken family—her unfaithful husband who remarried, and her son who had died. She must have longed for a warm, happy family atmosphere like this.

I decided to change the subject. "Come, Ayase-san, have a seat. Order whatever you like."

She hesitated for a moment, but eventually accepted. In the end, she only ordered pudding and iced green tea. I encouraged her to get more, but she insisted that was enough—she had to take care of her health, after all.

I smiled, understanding her reasoning.

After that, she listened to Envi's "stories." I gave Envi a cold glare every time he started straying toward strange topics, and he quickly adjusted. Surprisingly, he actually told a few decent jokes, his comedic timing wasn't bad at all. Maybe he and Marius could start a comedy duo someday.

Runa, meanwhile, stayed close to my mother. And my mother, despite being called "Auntie," treated her as if she were her own granddaughter.

Seeing my mother smiling and laughing so freely… it was the kind of happiness I could never put into words.

She had carried pain, debt, and the crushing weight of a shattered family for so long because of my father's actions. Yet now, she looked truly happy.

In that moment, I silently gave thanks.

I'm so grateful… Goddess of Benevolence, thank you for giving me this second chance.

A notification appeared in front of me:

[Goddess of Benevolence smiles upon you.][Goddess of Benevolence blesses this moment.]

Seeing that made my heart swell even more, and without realizing it, tears began to form in my eyes.

"Natsuki-san? Are you… crying?" my mother asked in surprise.

I quickly grabbed a tissue and dabbed my eyes. "Oh, this? Haha, it's nothing… I just got a little dust in my eye."

Runa and Envi stayed quiet, but I could tell they understood what I was feeling.

I changed the topic, asking about my older sister Nana and older brother Naki.

…

We ended up talking for nearly thirty minutes straight. I'd never had such a long conversation with my mother before. It made me realize that, at heart, she was someone who loved to talk and share stories, but her unfortunate circumstances had made her more withdrawn over the years.

Seeing her chat so openly again made me smile.

And then something unexpected happened.

A man and woman entered the café, speaking with the staff. They were treated with extra care, as if they were conducting some sort of survey.

Suddenly, my mother called out, "Nana! Kai!"

Only then did I realize who they were—my sister Nana and her husband, Kai. Their faces lit up the moment they spotted us, and they hurried over.

"Mother! Uncle Natsuki! What are you both doing here?" Nana asked.

"Uh… Uncle Natsuki, who are they?" Kai asked curiously.

"I'm Naoko! The most beautiful woman in—"

Before Envi could finish introducing himself, I clamped his mouth shut. I knew exactly where this was going, and I wasn't about to let him cause trouble again.

I introduced Runa as my daughter, and she politely greeted Nana and Kai-senpai.

"Aaaaah, she's so cuuute!" Nana exclaimed, scooping Runa up into her arms and hugging her tightly as if she were holding a giant teddy bear.

Nana had always loved cute things, and Runa was the very definition of cute.

After that, I introduced Envi. "And this woman is… well, how should I put it… she's my partner." I searched for the right word carefully, avoiding calling him my girlfriend or wife.

After all, he really was my partner! He was my stupid system partner who guided me through Aetheria.

Nana and Kai-senpai were visibly surprised at the introduction.

"I had a feeling Uncle Natsuki was cool and probably had a beautiful wife. And now you even have such an adorable daughter like Runa. You're so lucky, Uncle!" Nana said, her eyes sparkling.

"That's right, Natsuki-san! Honestly, I wouldn't even be surprised if you had multiple wives, hahaha," Kai-senpai added jokingly. But when Nana turned to look at him with a straight, unamused face, his laugh turned awkward and stiff.

Before I could react, Envi slipped out of my grasp and cheerfully said, "You're absolutely right, Kai-san! Natsuki does have many wives, but he treats all of them fairly, hahaha! That's why I'm still with him!"

That damn system wasn't just trying to brand me as a harem lover in Aetheria! but now he was doing it here on Earth too?!

My mother, Nana, and Kai all froze in shock at her words. Without a moment's hesitation, I delivered a swift chop to the back of Envi's neck, making him slump forward, unconscious.

"I'm terribly sorry about Naoko. She hasn't taken her medication yet, so she's been talking nonsense," I explained, painting him as someone with a medical condition.

All three of them sighed in relief, apparently having been convinced that I didn't have a harem after all. I wasn't about to let that misunderstanding spread any further.

…

A little while later, I decided to go all in and ordered every item on the menu so we could all enjoy them together.

They asked how I happened to be here with my mother, and I told them it was just a coincidence.

My mother explained that she had been at the Tokyo Bank across the street earlier. Nana looked puzzled.

Mother then revealed that she had gone there to request an extension on her debt repayment.

Nana's eyes widened. "Mother, you don't have to worry about that. Let me take care of it," she said firmly.

"Mom… I've told you before, you don't have to handle that debt. I'm your eldest daughter—I'll be the one to pay it off," Nana said, gently placing a hand on Mother's shoulder.

But my mother simply smiled and shook her head.

"There's no need to worry anymore, Nana. Natsuki-san has already paid it all off."

"EHHH?!" Nana and Kai stared at me in shock.

I just smiled. "It's true. Everything's been cleared. You don't have to worry anymore."

Their expressions remained stunned for a while, but Nana eventually hugged our mother and said, "Thank goodness, Mom… truly, I'm so relieved."

Mother returned the hug warmly.

Once again, a heartfelt moment unfolded before my eyes.

We continued eating, and I had also ordered a few extra desserts to bring to my brother Naki when we returned to the apartment later.

After the meal, Nana and Kai asked for our thoughts on the café's food. My mother, Runa, Envi, and I all agreed that the food and drinks were excellent—but oddly enough, the place was almost empty.

Nana and Kai exchanged a glance before nodding to each other.

"The truth is, this is a place we've often eaten at together. The food and drinks here are amazing, but the café has been losing customers and is close to shutting down. That's why Kai and I are thinking about taking it over," Nana explained confidently.

"That's right, Mother. Nana and I plan to turn this café into our own business. We've already saved enough money to purchase it, but…" Kai trailed off, looking slightly uneasy.

He continued, "After doing a full survey, we found that the place needs some renovations and upgrades to attract more customers. So, we're planning to save a bit more before making the move."

Hearing this, my mother looked both happy and worried at the same time.

She spoke up, "Nana, Kai… let me help. I still have some savings, and maybe it's time we use the money Nao left behind." Her voice trembled slightly as she said my old name.

Nana's expression grew sad. "If possible, I don't want to use his money, Mom. Even though I'm sure he'd allow it, I just… can't. Please keep it safe."

In that moment, I understood why they hadn't touched the money I had left them when I was alive. It moved me deeply—they had been holding onto it all this time out of respect for me.

Without a second thought, I said, "No need to hesitate, Nana, Kai. I already promised to be your investor, and I'll do it right now. How about I start by investing one hundred million yen into your business?"

I smiled with confidence as I said it.

"WHAT?! ARE YOU SERIOUS, UNCLE?!"

Nana and Kai were both shocked, their voices almost in unison.

"I'm very serious…"

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