Side Story 14: Mother (10)
Before planning the announcement, Abel actually did hear from Hades that Serena was a fake. But at this point, when his distrust of Hades had peaked, he still had his suspicion left.
So seeing the reactionless magical artifact, Abel couldn’t help but be baffled.
It wasn’t just Abel.
Even all those who had already suspected that the magical artifact wouldn’t be reacting were all shocked to see the truth with their own eyes.
‘What in the world were they thinking of, trying to pull off a scam on Hades Louvremont?’
Everyone was thinking of the same thing at that moment, baffled. Except for one person, who had given Serena’s audacity a little push on the back, aka Michael.
The sight of the grand priest who was busy secretly laughing with his mouth hidden at the back, was unfortunately not noticed by anyone.
“What is that?”
“Huh…”
“She said she really was the Childe’s birth mother.”
“We don’t know for sure. The headmaster must have created the magical artifact because he was suspicious.”
The magicians of the association started to murmur.
“Get them on their knees.” Hades said and Azar grabbed Malcolm and Serena by the back of their collar at once and put them on their knees.
As it turned out, this event was not just an announcement but an execution in the first place.
“S-Serena! Y-y-you mad? D-d-did you lie to me?” Malcolm suddenly opened his bloodshot eyes wide and shouted.
Hades smirked. He seemed to be thinking of a way to get out alive in the middle of all this.
“I-I-I’ve brought you to Louvremont based on your words alone!”
“What? Are you crazy?”
“Y-Your Grace! Please listen to what I have to say! I am innocent! If I’m to be blamed, the only blame was taking pity on Serena!”
“Really? So your trust was betrayed, so to say?”
“Yes! How could I ever think to report lies to Your Grace?”
“Your Grace!”
At that moment, Michael stepped up from behind with a sorry look on his face.
“The junior count must be innocent. I believe in him. It’s just as the junior count said. Who would dare to plan on reporting your lies?”
“Y-you trust me, right, Grand priest? You do, right?”
Some color returned to Malcolm’s face.
Indeed, he was the Grand priest who educates philanthropy of loving his comrades and even foes.
And he never thought that the Grand priest’s foolishness would work as his lifeline…
‘Whew, that’s a relief!’
Even Duke Louvremont wouldn’t be able to ignore the grand priest’s words. Hades winced at Michael who sprang up all of a sudden to make things a lot messier.
“You stay out of this, Grand priest. This is an issue for Louvremont to handle.”
“Your Grace, please. I do feel sorry about the case of Miss Serena, but please calm your anger. Unnecessary sacrifice is sin. I believe at least the junior count is innocent.”
Hades stepped closely to Michael with dangerous looking eyes. He lowered his voice and threatened him.
“Hey, what game are you playing right now…?”
But Michael took no heed and bent his waist towards Malcolm on his knees and made eye contact.
“I trust in you, Junior count.”
“Yes! Yes! I am innocent!”
“Right. Please, tell the truth once again, right on this spot.”
Ahh…
Those angelic eyes!
“Yes! I…”
Overwhelmed with emotions, Malcolm’s eyes were flowing with tears.
“I…”
Everyone’s eyes were gathered on Malcolm.
“I had ulterior motives from the start. I have investigated the childhood of Childe Louvremont and planned on creating a fake birth mother and strategically created rumors starting a few years ago. I have held Serena’s sister hostage in order to scout Serena. In truth, everything is all according to my plan.”
A moment of silence.
Then…
“Hieee…”
“No way.”
Surprised voices broke out from the magicians of the association. Michael stumbled with his mouth open in shock at Malcolm’s confession. It was like seeing the pitiful demise of an angel pierced by a spear as he attempted to deliver a devil.
Even Roxa, who never worried for others, shook his head.
“Ye-ye alright?”
Even Azar who was confident that he knew everything there was to Michael, stared at him with pity in his eyes.
Only Hades alone, glared at Michael with a look of suspicion.
“I see that seeing the Grand priest’s face must have made you blurt out the truth. I suppose you still have one last bit of conscience left.”
Malcolm seemed out of his wits after making the confession. It seemed he was not even aware of what he just did.
“Yes, I have been purposefully gentle for recent few years, for the sake of my ‘holy maiden’ wife, haven’t I?”
“Y-Your Grace… P-please spare my life at least…”
“I was threatened!”
“If I act even slightly softer, bugs like these pop up not knowing their places. So tiresome.”
“What should I do?” Azar asked and Hades spoke after considering for a moment.
“I would have to think further about how to punish them. So that anyone attempting to do something similar…”
Standing before Hades gritting his teeth, Malcolm and Serena couldn’t even beg more for mercy. Their mouths frozen from fear.
“…wouldn’t even dare.”
Hades turned to show his back on the two con artists.
“Lock them up for now.”
* * *
It was dawn when I came to.
Hades, who was by my side all this time, spoke of some baffling things instead of making excuses.
-It does seem true that Abel is my son by blood. But I don’t know that woman at all. Trust me. I will handle this tomorrow.
If Abel was his son by blood, then he was. What could he mean by ‘it does seem true?’
He said that he would reveal the truth using the magical artifact but that didn’t cheer me up at all.
So what if Serena was Abel’s birth mother or not? What mattered was that Hades had made Abel with another woman not me.
The moment the magical association announcement he planned was over, Abel came running to me.
“Mother! Erm…”
“How was it?”
“It was all lies.”
At first Abel was talking looking glad, but he became upset looking at my face deprived of vitality.
“But that… is not what matters. Are you alright?”
“Yes, mommy’s fine.”
Abel hugged my waist as I sat in bed. He teared up.
“You must be angry at father…”
“No, I am not.”
“I’ve thought it over. I can understand even if you cannot forgive father, mother. But, but…”
“…”
“I know that I am really being bad and selfish, but I-I can’t throw away my greed to be happy with both of you, mother and father.”
“Yes, me too.”
“I-It’s too much to ask for if I ask you to forgive father, right? I would be… doing something cruel to you, right?”
This was like…
Seeing a son pleading with his mom to forgive his dad who had an affair because he didn’t want to lose his family.
It looked like Abel was in pain himself for saying such a thing. I shook my head forcefully and patted his shoulder.
We held each other and cried for a long while.
It was by the time our panicking emotions settled, when Hades arrived.
Why did he even bring the source of all this chaos with him?
Holding that dreadful magical artifact in his hand. Hades sat before me and Abel on his knees.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m better.”
“The junior count and that woman…”
“I heard. From Abel.”
“I see.”
“Why did you come? I don’t want to see your face for the time being.”
When I brought out my negative emotion once, the emotions I thought I had cooled down shot up shockingly.
“You could be so cruel, you know that?”
“…”
“Remember the day we’ve done it for the first time?”
“What, what?”
“I asked you why you are so good at it, and how many times you’ve done it before me.”
“Wait.”
Hades pulled Abel’s body below the bed and covered his ears with two hands.
“What did you say back then…?”
“Aisha.”
“You said you don’t have enough fingers and toes to count all the women chasing after you, but you didn’t even hold their hands because you were uninterested.”
“…”
“Come to think of it, you were twenty-seven back then. Hah, I was a fool to believe you. Would someone like you really not have even held hands with a woman up to that age?”
“Aisha, wait…”
“We hear you, father.”
Abel pulled down Hades’ hands and he sat unable to do this or that. In the end he hung his head low with a sigh.
“It would’ve been fine even if you told me the truth back then… I must have looked like a woman who can’t even understand you for such a thing…”
“It’s not like that.”
This…was a sense of betrayal of some kind. A sense of betrayal I felt towards Hades who ‘lied’ to me.
I wouldn’t have even felt this broken if he just told the truth from the start.
Seeing the other side of a man I thought would only tell me the truth, I would be suspicious of his words all my life from now on.
Feeling slightly sad at that, I teared up, The tip of my nose was itchy. It seemed that my nose was running as well as my eyes. I must look ugly.
“Uhu… I would have really understood if you told the truth back then. I am not that nearsighted. I’ve lived in the 21st century… in the other world…”
Not even knowing what I am talking about at this point, my pronunciation was muffled with tears.
“Alright. I am sorry.”
He was halfheartedly soothing me as he placed Roxa’s magical artifact on the bed. I couldn’t even bear the sight of it.
“Ugh, get that thing away from me! I don’t want to see it!”
I would have lived without knowing the truth all my life if it wasn’t for this thing!
Though I was mad, Hades seemed like he was out of his mind… looking unphased, he grabbed my hand out of nowhere and placed it on the crystal ball on the magical artifact.
“Ugh, what are you doing?!”
“What are you doing, father?”
As if he was playing a prank, he even dragged Abel’s hand over as well.
Abel glared at Hades with as much look of discomfort as me.
“Abel is indeed my son by blood. And I have indeed told you nothing but the truth. I’m sorry, but I have no memory.”
“What? No Memory? What kind of nonsense is that?”
Not just anyone else but Hades was saying such a thing that only typical scamps would say.
I was crying in shock, then I suddenly sensed my hand on the magical artifact getting hot.
My gaze was fogged from crying. I could see Hades and Abel’s faces.
They truly resembled each other.
Well, obviously. Because he’s his son by blood.
The father and son who shared genes were identical even to their expression.
Whether it was their eyes opened wide.
Or their agape jaws.
‘What is it?’
Their gaze was aimed at the magical artifact that was reacting to Abel and my mana.
It was glowing blue.
Blink, blink-
I closed and opened my eyes a few times, wiping out the welled up tears and clearing the sight.
Even as I saw it once more, the magical artifact was glowing blue.
The three of us raised our heads, our gaze tangled with one another’s.
“…What?”