Hiccup..! Mamaaa..!!!
Mari…!
Like a cicada clinging to a tree, Mari sobbed as if sending the world away, burying herself in my embrace.
My clothes were slowly getting soaked with her tears.
Mari did something wrong…!! Hic… Don’t hurt..!
Mari… Mama’s okay, so let’s stop crying, okay?
Hic… I’ll give you good medicine… I won’t touch you when you’re sleeping…
E… huh?! W-what do you mean by that…?
Ah.
Realizing her slip of the tongue, Mari gasped with a shocked expression.
But she quickly went back to rubbing her face against my chest and cried again as if nothing had happened.
You mustn’t be hurt… Don’t leave Mari behind…
I wanted to dig a little deeper into what she said, but seeing her cry so hard made it impossible.
Finally, I took a deep breath and gently pinched Mari’s cheeks.
Ek?
Mari. Mama is really okay, so stop crying now.
But Mama’s bleeding from her mouth…
Ah.
Looking down, as she said, my mouth and clothes were all stained red with the blood I had thrown up.
But Alina told me that the poison she fed me didn’t contain any harmful ingredients at all.
In fact, it was a beneficial medicine that forced my body to expel impurities.
It’s really okay. I just took medicine that’s good for me.
I patted Mari’s head a few times, looking at her with concern, to reassure her.
…Really…?
Yep.
As Mari nervously poked and prodded my body, she seemed to confirm that I was unharmed, relieved.
…Mama.
Uh… huh?
You’re not going to leave Mari, are you…?
Mari looked up at me with an emotional gaze.
She seemed to be quite shocked by the sight of my bleeding.
Feeling touched by my caring daughter’s heart, I smiled at her and said.
Of course not.
Really?
She continued to seek confirmation from me.
Had I not given Mari enough trust all this time?
I knelt down to meet her eye level and embraced her.
I promise, Mari. Mama will always be by your side.
…Okay.
After patting her back and speaking to her, Mari finally accepted my feelings.
…Kek…
At that moment, I heard Bordin’s laughter from behind.
Startled, I turned around.
He, who should’ve been split in half and dead, was writhing on the floor, laughing.
How…
I muttered, grimacing as I stared at him.
Even if he were a saintess, the injury would have been fatal enough that he shouldn’t be alive.
No matter how much magic he accepted, his regeneration was abnormal.
It’s okay, Mama.
Mari extended her hand toward him with a cold gaze, and multiple magic circles appeared around his body in an instant.
But before Mari could activate the magic, Bordin spoke in a faint and shallow voice.
There’s no need for that. I’m going to die soon anyway.
…
Mari looked at him with a suspicious expression.
But as if to confirm it, Bordin stretched out his hand, and his arm dissolved into powder, scattering into the air.
My body has completely died. Though the magic is still activated, it will cease shortly.
When he finished speaking, he violently coughed up blood.
…
Mari’s eyes sparkled as she glanced at him once, then, as if confirming his words were true, she retracted the magic circles.
His lone figure lying on the ground, dying in solitude, looked pitiful, but I felt no guilt.
I won’t say I’m sorry. It’s all a mess you created.
…It’s fine. I just wanted to talk before I die.
…I’ll listen.
It felt like I could at least grant him his last wishes.
After all, I had owed him a debt or two during my stay at this mansion.
The imperial seal is hidden in a secret space in my office. Alina will know the location.
Looking at Alina after his words, she nodded at me.
…How did you obtain the imperial seal?
I’m sorry, Miss. I can’t tell you that.
The reply that returned was negative.
It was disappointing, but since I expected this answer, I felt no great sense of letdown.
There’s a gift for you where the imperial seal is.
…A gift?
It was originally evidence to be submitted to the palace… but it seems better for you to have it.
For some reason, an ominous feeling arose from his words.
What do you intend to give?
You said you believed Athena over a criminal like me.
…And?
When he raised his head, his face, now fully regenerated, calmly looked at me.
The gift contains the truth I mentioned. You shall see it with your own eyes.
…I thought I said it wouldn’t work.
What need be there to deceive you on my deathbed? I’m giving you a choice.
A choice?
Bordin’s body had completely regenerated.
But paradoxically, even though his body had been fully restored, he began to rot and dissolve into the air.
Yet Bordin continued undeterred, slowly continuing to speak.
You can choose to continue living without knowing anything. Or see the ugly truth hidden behind sweet lies. The choice is yours.
Athena would never do such a thing to me.
If you are that sure, then you can check without any worries.
…
You can do as you please. I have no intention of forcing you.
For some reason, I couldn’t refute his words.
During the brief moment I remained silent, inexorably, his body dissolved down to just his upper torso.
Bordin, with great effort, turned his body to face the ceiling and muttered.
In the end, my revenge has failed.
I replied to his empty words in a sorrowful voice.
Would your wife enjoy seeing you like this?
…Surely not.
Perhaps remembering her, a warm light briefly flickered in his eyes before vanishing.
But I couldn’t let go of revenge. I had nothing left but resentment.
I can’t say it’s Athena’s fault, but it’s not her mistake either.
…
Bordin, who had been staring blankly at the ceiling, quietly closed his eyes.
Then,
Crackle-
His face began to crumble slowly.
I apologize in so many ways, Miss.
Before long, his traces could no longer be found.
Thus, the story of Bordin came to an end, bittersweet and senseless.
*
Miss… I’ll go in alone.
It’s okay, Alina.
This was Bordin’s office.
After thinking for a long time, I decided to go in defiantly.
To confirm what he referred to as the so-called truth.
I believe that Athena would never harm me.
Even if she did, it would never be intentional.
That’s why I came.
To face boldly what he claimed was the truth until his dying moments.
But for some reason, Alina was still trying to persuade me not to enter.
Her suspicious demeanor began to evoke an ominous feeling within me.
…No, focus, Hera.
I recalled Athena.
The countless words of love she had given me.
The warm smile she always wore while looking at me.
As I recalled each of those memories with her, the rising unease vanished in an instant.
Guide me, Alina.
When I spoke to her with a determined expression, Alina tightly closed her eyes and pushed one of the books on the shelf inward.
Crunk-
Then, a large shelf flipped halfway around.
With the shelf rotated, a space to enter appeared.
Following Alina into the narrow yet spacious enough area, I could see it was definitely a room.
As I slowly scanned my surroundings, I found a variety of items: books related to magic, numerous kinds of poisons, and sharply honed daggers.
I found it.
Mari’s voice drew me to a desk where she had located something.
An intricate gold-covered item with crimson decorations on it.
The imperial seal.
Next to it was a humble object, quite the contrast to the radiant seal.
…A magic tool.
A tool that operates on the principle of mana.
Could the truth that Bordin spoke of be contained within this?
Thump- Thump-
Despite assuring myself over and over that it would be fine, as the situation drew closer, my heart began to flutter with trepidation, and I hesitated to operate the magic tool.
What if, just in case…
What if Bordin’s words were true?
No, Hera.
I shook my head vigorously.
I trust Athena.
With my resolve refortified in my heart, I activated the magic tool.
Vroom-
The magic tool began to vibrate noisily as I kept it in my hands.
Before long, a voice started to emerge from the magic tool.
– Master. A message has arrived from the Imperial Palace.
The voice belonged to Bordin, who no longer existed in this world.
– Oh? What’s it about?
And soon, a confident and intense voice emerged. It was someone I knew all too well.
It seemed like the conversation had been recorded a long time ago, as her voice sounded younger than it does now. Nevertheless, the owner of this voice was undoubtedly my beloved, Athena.
It seemed this magic tool was created for the purpose of recording conversations.
– It’s said that demons have been discovered within the Empire. They are asking you to take care of it, Master.
– Ugh… What a bother. Tell them I’m busy.
– But this is a request directly from His Majesty the Emperor.
– What can I do about it if that old man dislikes me?
– It could potentially endanger the people of the Empire.
– Bordin, do you think I care about that?
– Hehe. I misspoke. I apologize, Master.
– Besides, that old eccentric is in the Imperial Palace too. With him-
Thunk-
The conversation abruptly cut off.
But soon after, the next conversation began to flow from the magic tool.
– You sent demons, did you?
– Yeah. They were quite amusing, so I sent them back to pester me again next time.
– Haha. Resurrecting demons is a capital offense, Master.
– The Empire could never kill me, right?
Thunk-
The dialogue was cut off again.
Once more, the next conversation followed, uninterrupted.
-…
-…
After that.
-…
-…
Even after that.
Thunk-
Continuing conversations between Athena and Bordin emerged.
Athena gossiping about the Emperor.
Comments about human lives being taken lightly from Athena.
Many stories flowed out, and I kept my ears open, muttering softly.
Evidence to be sent to the palace…
Bordin had said this was evidence to be sent to the royal family.
Indeed, as he said, the stories emerging from the magic tool were the kind that would put Athena in quite a predicament if they were made public.
But paradoxically, although they weren’t good stories, I felt a sense of relief.
…Is it good news…?
Bordin seemed to expect I would be shocked if I learned Athena’s true nature.
Certainly, if I were an ordinary person praising Athena, I might be confused after hearing this dialogue.
But that wasn’t me.
I already knew what kind of person she was.
Arrogant and dictatorial. Someone who never shows affection to others and has a distrustful personality towards humans. That was Athena.
But at the same time, she had always given me undeserving love.
As she was someone who showed no concern for others, I inadvertently grew addicted to her affection.
…I told you, it’s pointless, Bordin.
He might have expected I wouldn’t know, but I already knew all of this.
There was no need to listen any further.
Just as I thought to stop the device at last, I heard the magic tool begin to emit the following conversation.
– You mean a slave?
– Yes. A slave who will follow me from now on.
…
– You seem quite interested.
– Hehe… That’s true. I’ve never wanted something this dearly before.
Ugh.
Her words made me feel flustered.
Had she really liked me this much since our first meeting? Her words were filled with a profound interest in me.
The warm feelings wrapped around my heart, as I felt Athena’s affection from the very beginning.
…Thank you, Athena.
Even a fool like me…
– So make sure to utterly break him. So that he has no choice but to rely on me.
…For continuing to love me.
……
…..
…
…
…
…
…
And then,
Huh…?
For just one second.
In that brief instant, I felt as if my brain had short-circuited.
With a ringing ding- sound, my head turned blank, and my body felt cold, as if my heart had stopped.
But it was just a fleeting moment.
I quickly managed to regain my senses.
…Must have misheard.
As my rationality returned, I forced a smile through trembling lips.
Surely, I must have misunderstood.
Athena couldn’t possibly have said such a thing.
There’s no way.
– You mean to say break him?
– Well, to be specific…
What I…
– To the point he can’t even believe in himself. Break his mind.
…I-I didn’t…
…As I felt myself falter, my words broke apart into nothingness.
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