Chapter 233

Chapter 233

“Knock knock.” Lila didn’t bother to knock on the door. As soon as she barged in, a voice welcomed her.

“M-M-Moooom!” Hir, his eyes already red and tearful, rushed towards Lila and hugged her.

“M-Mom?”

“Yes…Mom. Mom! Hir’s Mom!”

The new title left her feeling flustered, but it was so sweet to hear.

I thought he’d be angry and hate me, but my Hir seems…so glad to see me. Lila slowly brushed his back. He was so thin she could feel his spine against her palm.

“Why are you so thin…?”

“Y-you weren’t here! You weren’t here, so n-nothing tasted good!” Hir’s voice was wet and trembled as he spoke. “Everything tasted horrible!”

“I see,” Lila said. “I’m sorry. I’ll make you some more. I’ll make sure nothing like this happens again.”

“Y-you didn’t abandon Hir, did you? right?”

“Of course not. Don’t think like that. I’ll be at your side forever.”

“I…I hate you.” He suddenly pulled away, his lips quivering.

“You hate Mom?”

“Yes. Yes! I hate you so much! Even in my dreams, I hate you!”

Lila couldn’t help feeling thankful that he’d said this. In the past, he would’ve lied about his feelings, worried that he might be abandoned. He would’ve behaved like a good child and ignored how he truly felt.

Hir seemed to be holding back tears, his knuckles pressed against his eyes.

“But…” he continued.

Lila felt a twinge of sadness at the sight of him fighting back tears. Was her heart turning black? She pressed down on her chest, trying to hold back her own pain.

“But I still missed you so much!” Hir bawled.

***

Hir continued to hiccup even after he stopped crying. No doubt because he’d cried so much. He rubbed his swollen eyes.

“Don’t do that.” Lila gently covered his hand. The more he rubbed his eyes, the redder they got. The sight of them left Lila feeling even worse.

At her kindness, Hir teared up again, barely able to speak.

“I…I’m sorry,” he said. “For acting like a child and crying…I know I shouldn’t.”

“What do you mean? You can do whatever you want in front of me. It’s okay.”

“I was too surprised. I had a nightmare, and suddenly, y-you were in front of me. So I thought it was still a dream.”

“You can be as childish as you want,” Lila told him. “I’ll take it.”

“Really?”

She could see the unspoken question in his blue eyes: would she stay even if he was childish? Or would she leave? Those eyes glinted with distrust.

I need to show him to get rid of this distrust.

There was no rush. Today wasn’t the only day. There was a lifetime waiting ahead—she could wait as patiently as she wanted.

“Where did you go?” Hir wanted to know. “No one would tell me where you went, and the atmosphere was so grim I thought you’d abandoned me.”

He wasn’t wrong. Lila had left Hir behind. The way she saw it, she hadn’t abandoned him. Lila had thought it was for Hir. But, considering he’d been left behind, it wasn’t strange that he saw it this way.

There was no reason to tell him the truth.

There was a white lie for Hir and herself. A kind lie for everyone’s sake.

“I…went on a trip,” she told him.

Hir blinked. “A…trip?”

Lila knew it would make anyone who heard it question it—her reason had many paradoxes. If Hir was a bit more mature, he wouldn’t believe her.

If she’d gone on a trip, it wouldn’t explain the grim atmosphere that had descended on the Wipere castle. Hir had noticed that.

He frowned. “Then…why did no one tell me where you went? And why…why did you leave for so long?”

“It was because I just left, that’s why. I didn’t let anyone know, so no one knew.”

He stared unblinkingly at her.

“I was too tired until now,” she tried. “Not physically, but emotionally. I wanted to rest a little. Can you understand Mom?”

“Who…?” Hir pouted, like he was still wondering if she could at least tell him.

It was very questionable.

Lila sighed a little and went to him, then hugged his little shoulders. He’s too thin. Like in the past, when I first met him. She felt heartbroken. She wasn’t keeping her promise to keep him safe.

“I was bored of going on a journey alone,” she said. “I missed our chats and dessert time. Next time, I’ll go with Hir, for sure.”

“Next time…with me, for sure?”

“Mhm. Always with Hir. I’ll tell Hir first.”

“R-really?”

“Of course. Do you think I’d lie to you?”

“Hehe…”

“I’ll leave Lacias behind, but not you. Ah—this is a secret, so don’t tell your father, okay?”

“Mhm! A secret!”

His face finally glowed with a smile.

“Promise!”

“Mhm,” he said. “Promise.”

They pinky-promised, and Hir finally looked satisfied. He began jumping up and down and soon bumped into her.

“Mother!”

“Mhm? What, my pretty boy?”

“M…M….”

Hir buried his face in her middle, the tips of his ears red like he was embarrassed.

“I…love you, Mom.”

He was mumbling, but Lila could hear it clearly. She could hardly believe what she’d just heard.

“I love you, too, Hir,” she replied. “A lot.”

From now on…with all my heart…

How can something more important than my life exist? And how is that something in my arms?

A loving person that she could take on everything for instead. The happiness that could be shared with that being.

She began tearing up.

***

“Try this, Mom! It’s so good!”

“Lila, try this. It’s quite good.”

Lila could see the sparks in their eyes as they competed. And she could feel a spark herself, sitting between them.

She lowered her fork. There were two kinds of food on her plate right now. One was a meat dish cooked with sugar and soy sauce, and the other was clear fish from soup. Since she liked them both, it was hard to pick one.

But Lacias and Hir were staring at her to see which one she would try first.

The pressure…

Whichever she picked wouldn’t be a good choice. Smiling awkwardly, Lila quickly scanned the table.

“I…I will eat this spicy scallop. I’d like to try that the most.”

“Here it is,” Lacias said.

“Ah!” Since his arm was too short, Hir couldn’t reach it in time. He puffed his cheeks.

Lacias, even during all this, smiled at Lila in a manner that suggested he was asking for a compliment.

He’s still a child. What’s the point of beating Hir?

Lila shook her head, eating the scallop. The main chef in the Wipere castle was the best cook for her taste.

“Eat a lot,” Lacias told her. “I’m going to fatten you up.”

“He’s right!” Hir chimed in. “Mom, eat a lot—”

“I don’t think that’s what you should be saying.” Lacias pushed a dish towards Hir. “You need to eat too.”

Lacias spoke coldly, but even then…

Lila’s lips parted with a gasp.

How touching!

Was Lacias finally being a father figure? Her heart gave a flutter. He was quite kind, unlike his words.

“I was overlooking taking care of you until now,” he said. “So from now on, take lessons and eat a lot more. Mother also promised she won’t worry us like that again.”

“Okay, F-Father!”

It seemed he was okay with Lacias saying this for her. Hir still looked quite surprised, but he was blushing. He looked at Lila, scratching his ear.

Lila smiled warmly at the duo.

They’re all grown up now.

Lila found it quite funny that she was feeling this way towards a grown man. Would it feel like this to raise two sons?

This is so heartwarming. It’s nice to see and touch—

“Now, this! Try this, mother!”

“No—Lila try this instead. Since you had something spicy, you need to eat this next.”

The moment had been touchy until they began competing again. Lila sighed and shook her head, a bright smile on her face. She really couldn’t do anything about them.