Even if Nico Robin was still too young to realize how awkward their exchange had been, Charlotte Mousse certainly could. He decisively changed the subject and began talking with the little girl about the aunt she hated most.
A child staying with her uncle's family and being mistreated by her aunt was a plot that appeared in countless classic literary works, fully demonstrating how widespread such situations were in reality.
Yet few people ever considered why the villain was always the aunt.
In fact, once one broke it down, the reasoning was very simple:
First, an aunt and her niece were not related by blood, so they lacked that natural bond of closeness.
Second, uncles generally did not do housework, so the extra burden of raising a niece all fell on the aunt. If one considered only interests and losses, she was the main victim.
Third, the relationship between sisters-in-law was itself a minor problem. More were on bad terms than close; if they did not even treat the child's mother well, could anyone expect them to treat the child well?
Hearing this, Nico Robin felt much of the knot in her heart gradually loosen. Though she could not possibly stop hating her aunt because of this, knowing why the woman had mistreated her at least allowed her to calm herself.
But as she continued listening, the little girl's face suddenly turned red, and she shot Mousse an annoyed glare.
"On top of that, you're smart and pretty, making your cousin look both dumber and uglier by comparison. Your aunt loves her own child, so naturally she hates you even more."
Although Mousse was right, Nico Robin still felt embarrassed at being praised so openly. Her cheeks flushed faintly.
What the little girl did not know was that Mousse only