Side Story 13: Mother (9)
“Mother!”
Surprised, Abel caught Aisha collapsing first.
Hades, who was the reason why she fainted, couldn’t even dare to reach out his hand.
Instead, he said to Abel, “Carry your mother to her room and bring the doctor to check her state.”
“What about you, father?”
“I will be coming after I wrap things up around here.”
Looking at the aloof expression Hades had on, Abel let out a hollow laugh. Right, even when mother has collapsed, father always valued his duty as ‘Duke Louvremont’ first.
He didn’t change. He was always like this to begin with.
Abel picked up the collapsed Aisha with a knight he called and left Roxa’s study, Hades limply let out a sigh.
Roxa was baffled and asked what was the matter, but instead of replying Hades asked with a cold voice.
“Simon, was it?”
“Yes, yes, Your Grace…”
“Right. And why were you looking for me again?”
“Ah well, I…”
Simon seemed tense unlike how he was before.
Probably because he saw the use of the magical artifact with his own eyes just now.
Instead of Simon who was trying to cover things up, the woman spoke.
“I am not someone from Louvremont, I am from Grandel. I met that man who visited Grandel about a year and a half ago and had his child then.”
“Hey, hey!”
“Continue.”
“…I know that I was careless, but I must not have been thinking since I was young back then. I trusted him when he said he would come back with some money, since we would need money to get married.”
To say she was young then… this woman still looked quite young. Her face looked like she was even younger than Aisha.
On the contrary, Simon looked even older than Hades.
“There was no way to reach him even when I knew that I had a child. I knew nothing about him apart from that he was from Louvremont. After giving birth, I couldn’t help but come all the way here with nothing, but he said that he already has a woman he was betrothed to.”
“Right. It must be truly dreadful if this is true. Simon, was it?”
“Y-Your Grace, with all due respect, how would I know who that woman is, or where she came from? I’ve only met her during my travels briefly and to be honest I don’t even remember if we did it or not since I was so drunk. I’m being accused unjustly.” Simon suddenly grabbed onto Hades’ arm and appealed. “Your Grace, you must understand how I feel with this accusation, don’t you? A woman I’ve only seen the face of once suddenly comes and claims that the child is mine. What am I supposed to do? Should I be responsible for it going ‘oh, the kid is mine’? Huh?”
“Of course, you don’t have to. Thankfully my smart magician has created a fine magical artifact.”
“W-wait, Your Grace.”
Simon trembled before Hades shoving a magical artifact at him.
At once Hades’ eyes glared sharply.
“Don’t waste my time. I need to go see my wife at once after this.”
It looked as if he would burn off his head at once if he didn’t comply.
In the end, Simon put his trembling hand on the magical artifact, and the result came up.
As expected…
Looking at the magical artifact reacting with a blue glow, Hades spoke to the woman, unmoved.
“I understand the situation here. A man of my duchy has done something disgraceful. What are you intending to do with the child?”
“I will be raising her. I’m sorry to have caused a ruckus.”
“Yes, though I’m not sure it would be enough compensation for all the indignity you suffered coming to Louvremont with a newborn, I shall give you sufficient financial support until the child grows safe and sound. I will contact Viscount Grandel myself.”
“Huh? N-no, there’s no need for you to go that far…”
“Huh?!”
Unlike the woman who seemed to consider it as being too much, Simon’s eyes lit up.
Now that the situation had changed, Simon was sneaking looks here and there then he started to cry suddenly holding the swaddled child.
“Ha… so this-this is my kid.”
The woman, Hades and Roxa merely stared at him. Simon let out some dry coughs out of embarrassment and continued to sniffle.
“I-it brings me some peace of mind to be confirmed like this. The child must have blamed this insufficient father too. I will live my life with apologetic heart and support them…hm…”
There was a short silence followed by Hades talking to the woman as he looked at her.
“A man who had ignored the child once already and even attempted to frame the mother does not have a right to be a father. Though, the choice is up to you if you think the child would need a father, but…”
“Him? I’d hate it.” The woman was firm.
“Very well, good thinking.”
“Y-Your Grace? W-wait. Hang on…”
“Is anyone outside?”
“Yes, Your Grace!”
A knight came in at once and Hades pointed with his jaw at Simon with a look of disgust as if he had seen a bug.
“Drag him out.”
“Y-Your Grace! Wait up! Wait!”
“And wait for me to charge you with your crimes of dishonoring the duchy later.”
“Y-Your Grace!”
The ruckus was wrapped up fast.
Hades headed to Aisha’s room straight away. It seemed the doctor had already left. There was only Aisha fainted like she had passed away and Abel, sitting by her side.
Sensing Hades’ arrival. Abel spoke without even turning around. “You should have told us the truth, father. At least to mother.”
Abel felt betrayed. It turned out that Hades had ignored his child’s existence for 5 years while knowing, and had retrieved him out of necessity.
In truth, all that was fine too. If he was to think that was an inevitable decision he had to make as the head of a grand noble house.
But…
“The least… the least you should’ve done was to tell mother the truth. Mother truly trusted you, father. And She was someone who said she doesn’t even mind if I really was your bastard child.”
He felt for Aisha, who had fainted on the spot from shock.
Abel stood from where he was seated, fighting back his tears.
Looking back, Hades’ eyes looked indifferent. Looking at how consistent he was, Abel felt upset.
“I’m sorry, I don’t think I can stand seeing you right now.”
Abel stepped out of the room and a long sigh escaped Hades’ mouth, his eyes closed.
* * *
The next day, at the Farinelli mansion.
Malcolm and Serena dressed up nicely and stepped into the extravagant mansion.
The knights standing on either side bowed to them politely. Their treatment had changed like a turned table since yesterday.
“What an honor. I hear it’s hard to see magicians of the magical association even once in a lifetime. Yet we are invited to the foundation’s announcements.”
“It’s all thanks to me.”
“Of course, of course.”
The magical foundation held announcements irregularly and it was not a place anyone could just get invited to, yet Malcolm and Serena were invited today.
It was an order transmitted through a man sent by Hades personally. They were even adorned with expensive jewels and clothing too.
This was all the result of Serena making a ruckus at dinner yesterday.
Seated on the seat he was guided to, Malcolm tapped Serena on the shoulder with a look of accomplishment.
“To be honest, I thought you may be overdoing it yesterday, but… seeing how things all turned out, you did a bang up job. I heard that the duchess has fallen sick in bed.”
“Poor thing… the duke could be such a cruel man. Looks like he is intending on leaving the childe as his by blood, right? At this point I am curious what the childe’s transparent nexus really is.”
“Whatever it is, it’s our lifeline, that’s for certain.”
Snickering mischievously in a low voice, Malcolm looked around the mansion.
All the magicians under the magical association were gathered there. They were all treated like aristocrats regardless of their class due to how exceptional their abilities are.
Not just them, in the distance were Hades and Abel seated in the most flamboyant seats, and the Grand priest right next to them…
To top it all off, the red-haired knight chief who was well known as Duke Louvremont’s right hand man was there too.
All those members and close relations of Louvremont who were there with him during the ‘Calamity of the World’ had all gathered.
‘They could have given me a seat next to them up there, why am I stuck in the corner?’
Malcolm was complaining in his head when someone got up on the stand.
‘The White magician!’
An amazing man he merely heard rumors about!
“You know there’s only two of them, right? Earth elementalists who have awoken their final ability.”
“That’s him? The White magician?”
“Yes, he can create anything, I hear… Think about it. What could be a more powerful weapon than the power of creation? The duke must value him like precious gold. So I heard he barely comes out of the castle either. Get a good look at him when you have the chance.”
“I would get to see him till I get sick of it now that I’ll be staying in the castle,”
“Ugh, as you say, mistress.”
As they were well groomed for this event, their heads were up in the clouds as they continued their chitchat.
“Ahh, tis me, Roxa Tribolt, head o’ Louvremont magical association~! Is da amplification magic working alright? An recording orb fer ze 14th master piece of Roxa Tribolt is working too?”
Though he had a laughable tone and voice lacking formalities, the magicians of the association seemed to be used to it, listening with attention.
“First o’ all, I thank de growing students o’ our magical association fer attending da announcement while everyone is busy with their studies an’ researches. Ze reason why I have prepared an announcement in such a hurry like dis is…”
Roxa waved his hand and the knights standing by placed something on the stand.
It was quite a large colorless transparent crystal orb.
“…Because I’ve invented a new magical artifact dis time so I wanted ter announce dat. So wot would dis bonnie thing be, a hi~ghly intricate invention. As fer de principle o’ da creation, please refer to on da report I’ve given out.”
The report that was thought to be shared with the magicians of the association only was actually on the table Malcolm and Serena was on as well.
Serena was looking at the paper first and Malcolm glanced at it.
“T-this is…”
“What? What is it?”
Serena’s face was pale for some reason. Wondering why, Malcolm took away the paper from her hand and skimmed through it.
‘The magical artifact of …biological relations confirmation?’
Malcolm’s face lost its vitality as well.
“Dis Magical artifact, it has plenty o’ potential fer marketing targeted towards aristocrats o’ da empire who suffer from lovechild related issues~ Dat’s wot I think.”
Up till then Roxa didn’t even glance at Malcolm and Serena’s direction but suddenly turned to look at them with a grin.
“As fer who would be demonstrating fer dis magical artifact o’ biological relations confirmation would be miss Serena, who’s claiming ter be our childe’s birth mother. Applause~!”
Blam-!
Serena shot up from her seat at once and made a loud noise from slamming the table.
She slowly backed away with a pale face.
Clank-!
Malcolm was worse. He was standing up in a hurry as well, but he couldn’t balance himself and fell on the ground with the chair.
Everyone in the mansion’s gaze was fixed on the laughable sight of the two.
“W-w-what’s the meaning of…”
Serena turned her body in that instant. But somebody with a huge build was already blocking behind them so that they couldn’t run away.
Planting her face into the wide chest, Serena slowly raised her head.
It was that red haired chief of the knights, who was by Hades’ side until just now!
“Don’t resist. You’d only make things difficult.”
He grabbed onto Serena and Malcolm’s arms in each hand with a look of boredom. As he headed towards the stand ruthlessly, the two of them had no choice but to be dragged along.
“H-hey, wait.”
When the two of them were up on the stand, Abel was already there.
He was already prepared with his hand placed on the magical artifact.
“W-wait…. Your Grace!” Unlike Malcolm who was too scared to even say anything as he stood trembling, Serena bravely screamed at Hades. “Y-You must have forgotten that I know of the Childe’s secret!”
Hearing her words, Hades stepped up to the stand with an indifferent expression on his face. He did not hesitate to put his hand over Abel’s.
The magical artifact reacted with a blue glow at once.
“Ding dong~!” Roxa snickered. Though they did not know better, it seemed like it was confirmed that they are related biologically.
“…N-no way.” Serena’s eyes widened and shook relentlessly.
In the next moment, Azar grabbed Serena’s wrist and pulled it close to the magical artifact.
“N-no! Wait! Hold on!”
There was no point fighting when there was a clear difference of power. Reacting to Abel and Serena’s mana, the magical artifact lost its light at once and turned transparent.