Chapter 29

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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: The Story of My Mother
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* * *

Chessier only opened his eyes after Lilis, lying beside him, had fallen into a deep sleep, purring softly.

He hadn’t been asleep at all.

There was no way he could sleep peacefully in a bed that wasn’t his own.

‘She really is a strange kid.’

Chessier watched Lilis’s sleeping face, her breaths soft and even, then carefully turned to face her.

‘So strange.’

What on earth had happened in just one day?

Their first meeting, in an alleyway of the capital.

The way Lilis had worried about him—Chessier had thought it was the hypocrisy of nobles.

And today, their second meeting.

He had been surprised for a moment to see Lilis at the marquisate.

He figured she’d saved him, a commoner with no connections, on a whim—a fleeting fancy nobles sometimes took in commoners.

‘Yeah, that’s right.’

He’d seen plenty of commoners who caught a noble’s eye, only to be tossed aside like a toy once the novelty wore off.

Still, it was a relief that for the time being, he wouldn't starve and would have a place to sleep…

If he didn't want to die at his own father's hands or perish somewhere unknown, he’d have to make good use of the young noble lady’s temporary interest…

That's what he had thought.

“I'll be your family, I promise.”

‘Why would she say something like that?’

Chessier scowled, looking at Lilis's sleeping face.

‘Strange.’

He might call himself her toy, but he wasn't so stupid that he couldn’t see she was genuinely trying to take care of him.

He had spent his whole life reading people to survive.

It felt like a burden, which was why he kept being so blunt.

“I don't trust you.”

He whispered, vowing to himself.

He was already exhausted and didn't want to trust anyone anymore.

His mother would hit him every day, blaming him for ruining her life, only to apologize the next. Like a fool, he always believed her…

His father never hugged him, but he never hit him either, and Chessier had dared to hope that maybe, just maybe, he was considered a son.

The price of that trust was harsh.

He was abandoned by his mother and nearly killed by his father.

If his own blood family could betray his trust, how could a stranger…?

“If you're just going to throw me away, don't be nice to me.”

“……”

Lilis, sound asleep, just breathed softly and smiled as if having a pleasant dream.

‘I don't want to get hurt anymore.’

He felt like an idiot, getting drunk on her kindness after just one day.

Chessier pushed away the blanket Lilis had draped over him.

* * *

‘My goodness, they should be sharing… Why is my princess the only one under the covers?’

Enoch, arriving at Lilis's room, couldn't help but smile at the two children sleeping on the bed.

By Chessier’s head—who lay fast asleep after giving the blanket to Lilis—were ten drawings of jellyfish.

‘The kid's got some talent.’

The drawings, which looked as if they might come to life and move at any moment, were almost bewildering.

Lilis's, on the other hand…

‘Is this supposed to be a jellyfish?’

A jellyfish with a strong personality, perhaps.

Silver and gray were haphazardly mixed, and two blue dots were placed like eyes.

‘Isn't this me, not a jellyfish?’

Indeed. Enoch's eye was sharp.

As Enoch covered both children with the blanket, he noticed his daughter's crooked handwriting.

[Dad ♡]

A laugh escaped him.

Enoch kissed his purring daughter's cheek and whispered.

“Sweet dreams, my princess.”

* * *

The next day.

Scratch, scratch.

I worked hard on my problems, occasionally glancing out the study room window.

Chessier was sitting idly in the sun-drenched garden.

‘He must be bored. It would be nice if he played with my brothers while I have my lessons.’

Since Leon stormed out yesterday, the twins hadn't shown their faces at all.

“Sigh.”

“Yaaaawn.”

Just then, a yawn came from beside me.

I turned to see Oscar leaning way back in his chair, his nose scrunched up in a bored expression.

“This is boring.”

“Then you shouldn't have come…”

“I promised to give you a special lesson once a week. Can't go back on my word.”

Today was the day for my scheduled math tutoring with Oscar, the Master of the Magic Tower.

We were working on quadratic equations, but since I didn't have any particular questions, Oscar seemed bored.

I pointed to a problem as if doing him a favor.

“I don't get this one. Can you help me?”

“Liar. You know it perfectly well.”

Oscar scoffed and swept the worksheet aside.

“This is pointless. You're bored too, trying to solve problems you already know, aren't you?”

“I don't know *all* of them…”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say.”

Oscar leaned forward on his arms and looked at me. A long, golden earring glinted amidst his flowing white hair.

“You'll be going to the Training Center soon, right? It's mandatory at nine… but you can enter from age seven. When's your birthday?”

“May 19th.”

“Less than a month away. You'll get to see your mom there, won't you?”

“Huh?”

I was startled by his sudden remark.

“My mom?”

“What, your dad didn't tell you?”

Oscar's eyes narrowed as if he'd found something amusing, and he grinned.

“Are babies born from just one person? You didn't know you had a mother?”

“N-no, it's not that…”

To be precise, I hadn't really thought about it. Dad never brought up my mother first, either.

When we lived in Xenon, I asked, “Why don't I have a mom?” and Mr. James Brown said—

“She, she left home when you were just a baby…”

—and that was all he mumbled.

‘Right. I must have a mother. She probably lives in the capital.’

In the original story, it only mentioned that he had lost his daughter.

There wasn't a single line about Enoch Rubinstein's wife.

‘Wow, until a moment ago, I really hadn't given it any thought…’

The moment I heard about my mother's existence from Oscar, my heart, surprisingly, started to pound.

“M-Master of the Magic Tower, do you know my mom?”

“Of course I do. She's famous.”

“What is she like?”

“You want to know? Judging by your reaction, this is the first you're hearing about her. Your dad, the people in this house… Don't you think there's a reason they never told you?”

I swallowed hard.

“I-I-I'm curious. Please tell me.”

“Then I suppose I should. Marchioness Selena Ludendorff. She was a renowned mage, but she retired five years ago and is now a researcher at the Ability User Training Center.”

Marchioness?

When I tilted my head, Oscar chuckled and added.

“After your dad disappeared, she remarried Marquis Ludendorff without a second thought. They have a son, too.”

“Oh, I-I see…”

“Why? Shocked? Seems like she doesn't care whether you're dead or alive, right? Seeing as how she immediately remarried another man, had a child, and is living well.”

Seeing Oscar's spiteful expression, which seemed to hope I was shocked rather than worry I might be, I shook my head.

“Nope. I'm not shocked.”

“Oh, reeeally?”

“Yeah. Mom has her own life, you know. She's young and talented, so she should live doing what she wants.”

“Well, that's true. She was young, a talented mage, and from a good family. That's why she married your dad, who was at the top of his game back then. Not that there was any love in those noble marriage dealings…”

Oscar muttered, leaning back in his chair, then added.

“Still, don't you think it's too much? Forgetting her husband is one thing, but you're her own child, the one she went through labor for.”

“But Dad ran away with me right after I was born. She wouldn't have known where I was, so what could she do?”

“Pfft. So naive.”

Oscar pulled his chair closer and tapped the tip of my nose.

“Your mother is a Dos, too. A young ability user who isn't even thirty yet. So how could she have already retired and be living comfortably as a researcher at the Training Center?”

“……”

“The one who told the Emperor where you and your father were hiding… that was her.”

“…What?”

“In exchange, she was allowed to retire. And she got a promise from the Emperor that her son wouldn't be conscripted as a child soldier. Do you know what that means?”

“……”

“She sold you, her daughter. For her son.”

Thump.

In that moment, hearing Oscar's words, I felt my heart drop.