Chapter: 966
At a distance, something akin to Shincheol was unfolding.
Meanwhile, something was happening at the park as well. A woman turned around, having been grabbed by the arm.
We locked eyes.
Both the woman and I shared a moment of silence at the unexpected turn of events.
I felt the cold sensation on my hand and the gaze directed toward me.
Just looking at it made me unconsciously swallow my saliva.
I had diligently pondered over what to say.
Yet, upon facing her directly, my mouth wouldn’t budge.
“Mother.”
My expectation was confirmed.
I recognized her the moment I laid eyes on her. She was certainly my mother.
How could I ever forget?
Even after decades, I had not forgotten her.
I thought I had buried those memories, but now they seemed clearer than ever.
Silence persisted.
The hand I held remained still, yet at that moment, I needed to spit out some words.
What should I say?
My mind went blank.
All my thoughts fizzled out like a spark that was extinguished.
“Uh, excuse me.”
“…!”
I heard a voice. It was my mother’s voice.
Her eyes, visible under the sky, curved subtly with kindness.
“What’s the matter?”
“…”
As she pointed at her wrist, I instinctively let go of the hand I was holding.
Thump-thump! My heart raced.
It was much more intense than before a battle.
What should I say?
Should I discuss my longings? Or should I voice words filled with resentment?
Or perhaps…
No matter how hard I racked my brain, nothing came to mind.
Yet, I had to say something, so I barely managed to speak while looking at my mother.
“Um… this…”
I pulled something out from my bosom.
It was a handkerchief.
“You dropped this.”
“Oh.”
My mother smiled as she received the handkerchief.
“When did I drop it?”
When I first saw her earlier, I caught sight of her dropping it as she walked by.
I picked it up immediately. My plan was to use this to channel a conversation.
That was my intention, but when I tried to engage in conversation…
“Thank you! I didn’t know I dropped it.”
The moment my mother accepted the handkerchief, she smiled and expressed her gratitude, showing no particularly noticeable reaction.
Seeing that made me bite my lip gently.
Was Shin Noya right?
“Does she really not recognize me?”
Even though we were looking into each other’s eyes, my mother didn’t seem to be able to identify me.
The mixture of emotions stirred in me, scratching at my insides.
What if…
“Is it because there’s a spell on my body?”
The sorcery that had been cast on me.
It not only affected my appearance but also my very essence.
Perhaps that’s why she doesn’t recognize me.
Would things change if I dispelled it?
Those thoughts spiraled through my head.
“Endure.”
I clenched my fists tightly, forcing myself to hold back.
It was a massive gamble. Didn’t Noya mention something similar?
Right now, my mother not only didn’t know me, but she was also in a perilous situation if she uncovered the truth.
“I recall being told that dragons were targeted for extermination.”
The very existence of a dragon should be avoided.
If she were to discover me, she might just kill me on the spot.
In that context…
“I’m here like a madman.”
I was gazing at my mother even while knowing all this.
Despite knowing everything.
This was an act driven by emotion, undeniably foolish.
Additionally, it was also about confirming my suspicions.
I looked at my mother with trembling eyes.
The way her eyes looked at me, with a smile.
Her distinct hair visible against the sky and the eyes trained on me.
I found myself swallowing dryly without realizing it.
“…What.”
How could her smiling eyes feel so cold? At a glance, they appeared exceedingly warm and friendly.
Yet, I shivered at the chill I felt within.
There was no warmth.
There were no emotions reflected in those eyes staring at me.
As I grasped that reality, I bit my lip hard.
I became convinced.
It seemed likely.
“… Noya’s words hold merit.”
My mother truly didn’t seem to recognize me.
I had wished it wouldn’t be true. It seemed that it was.
That meant.
“Does this imply that all my fears were valid?”
If my mother learned about me, it truly could provoke a dangerous situation.
I shifted my gaze.
I looked at someone else standing behind my mother.
I already knew who it was.
“Yarang.”
One of the generals known as Yarang, and the daughter of the current Man-gye.
In essence, she was someone who could be referred to as my mother’s daughter.
Moreover.
“… The Divine Sword, Wi Seol-ah.”
She was who I believed to be the Divine Sword. Narrowing my eyes, I looked at her.
It now made sense why my mother didn’t recognize me.
It’s fortunate that it seems she’s oblivious to my draconic essence, perhaps due to the sorcery.
However.
“Why you?”
Yarang would know of me.
It wasn’t just some random thing; we had met face-to-face. Cheonma had said she’d kept an eye on me all this time.
Seeing her just stand there invited many thoughts.
The most significant being.
“What if…”
Are you remaining silent even though you know?
They say she’s the eyes and ears of the world, yet…
Aren’t you holding back from speaking to your mother right now?
If that’s the case…
“Why?”
Why would you do that?
If you truly are the Divine Sword, wouldn’t you have stood up for me?
Is this merely a prediction based on the circumstances?
Or is it simply my earnest hope that it would be so?
Amidst an unthinkable situation, with my thoughts tangled and chaotic.
“Uh, excuse me.”
“…!”
My mother’s words snapped me back to reality.
“What’s left for us?”
“…No, it’s not… just.”
I redirected my gaze from Yarang back to my mother.
“I saw you walking around the park, and I wondered what brought you out.”
“Oh, I see.”
My mother chuckled again in response to my words.
That smile felt particularly painful.
“It’s been a while since I went out with my daughter.”
“…I’m… out with you.”
“Yes. The weather is nice today, isn’t it?”
“…Yes.”
Indeed, the weather was splendid.
Not a single cloud marred the beautiful sky.
However.
“Thus, it’s been a long while since I went on an outing with my daughter.”
Following that continuous flow of sentences, I couldn’t muster a word.
An outing with her daughter.
As she exclaimed this and grasped Yarang’s hand, images of walking with my younger sister from the past overlapped in my mind.
That’s why.
“Thanks for picking up the handkerchief. I hope you enjoy your day as well.”
However, the reason I couldn’t have the courage to stop my mother from turning away was that…
I was fearful of my mother, who shot me a cold glance.
I couldn’t even manage to ask, “Don’t you recognize me?”
Thus, I simply watched as my mother drifted away.
And…
As my mother walked away, I felt Yarang’s gaze bore into me.
The woman stepped out of the park and back into the crowd.
I walked for a moment, trying hard to ignore the sounds persistently ringing in my ears.
Strolling silently for a while longer, I stepped beneath the shadow of a building.
This wasn’t due to the heat, but rather to avoid the sunlight.
At the same time, I wanted to take a moment to collect my breath.
“Hmm.”
She let out a quiet breath.
Taking a moment to breathe quietly.
“Daughter.”
She called for Yarang.
Yarang responded to her mother’s call.
“That child I mentioned earlier.”
“…”
“Doesn’t it seem familiar?”
At the woman’s question, Yarang quietly stared at her.
It was to observe her expression, but due to the cloth covering the woman’s face, her features were obscured.
Her voice sounded as languid and gentle as usual.
Yet, Yarang sensed a strange quality within it.
She was born of the woman, so she could distinguish these subtle differences.
Was it merely curiosity?
Or was it something else?
As Yarang contemplated this, she was looking at her mother.
“That’s odd, isn’t it? I feel like I’ve seen them somewhere, yet it doesn’t feel right.”
She tilted her head, pondering.
“Hmm. Should I remove the cloth?”
If she took off what she wore, she would discern everything instantly.
Yet, the woman chose not to reveal herself unnecessarily.
She had chosen to hold off for something she intended to do after a long time.
But.
“Hmm.”
The unease lingered.
After such a long time in this flesh, and mostly covered in fabric, she hadn’t even noticed the handkerchief falling.
Nor did she realize when someone had picked it up.
It was indeed a feeling she hadn’t experienced in a while.
The comfort derived from vulnerability was savored by her.
As she felt that, thoughts of the one who had handed her the handkerchief surfaced.
“Hmm.”
The face remained a bit hazy, even though she had seen it firsthand.
It seemed she had delayed her physical awareness.
“That’s strange.”
Yet, there was an insurmountable sense of disbelief.
What kind of expression had that child possessed?
What voice had they used while they spoke with her?
Even that was a blur, yet the woman sensed something strange in that fleeting moment.
And thus, she inquired.
“Did you know that child?”
It was too strange to claim complete ignorance when such emotions arose.
There was an inexplicable sense of nostalgia in the voice that questioned.
And the response she received carried an inexplicable hint of disappointment.
That was.
The woman was unduly preoccupied with such a realization.
So, she inquired of Yarang.
“Do you know her? I’m asking you about it.”
“…”
Yarang slightly shook her head in denial.
At this, the woman slowly gazed into her with her violet eyes.
“Oh, really?”
“…”
“I see.”
After that, she did not pursue the matter any further.
She didn’t suspect that it might be a lie.
Yarang couldn’t lie to herself.
However.
“Hmm.”
A peculiar sensation of oddness veiled them both.
Why? If curiosity bubbled up, shouldn’t one inquire about it?
The woman didn’t even bother attempting to uncover it with Yarang.
This wasn’t something that would have happened before.
If curious, she’d usually uncover the truth readily.
There wouldn’t be a single thing in this realm that the woman wouldn’t know.
“Hmm.”
The woman did not delve into the questions nagging her mind.
Or rather—
It felt as though something was obstructing her from doing so.
And yet.
“… What could it have been?”
Her curiosity continued to swell.
In that moment, a voice addressing her echoed in her mind.
The woman had no choice but to briefly halt her steps.
*
After sending my mother away,
I had to stand still for a moment, hesitant to move.
Not fully grasping the situation and with my head in a whirl, I couldn’t budge.
Thus, all I could do was painstakingly sort through my thoughts.
“First of all…”
Why did my mother appear here?
That was my first query, yet I presently had no means of discerning it.
If she was the true master of this world from the onset.
It wouldn’t be strange for her to appear anywhere.
“Still, I need to know how often she appears.”
This was certainly better than remaining oblivious.
I wanted a definitive answer on that front.
Additionally.
“I genuinely feel like she doesn’t remember me.”
Looking into my mother’s eyes left no room for doubt.
Her gaze, previously so cold towards me, contrasted starkly with how she used to look at me.
So, it was now time to let go.
I relinquished the futile hope I had been clutching.
My mother truly did not remember me.
Moreover.
“Yarang knows me yet pretends not to.”
Yarang, whom I viewed as akin to the Divine Sword.
Even while witnessing my mother, she never broached the subject of me.
Did she not know that I was tolerant?
I had no certainty on that.
What bore significance was.
“If Yarang… is indeed the Divine Sword,”
I wasn’t entirely sure if she was a Divine Sword or not.
Nevertheless, if she truly was.
Would she be aware of my existence?
Would she, like my mother, not remember? Or would she actually know?
I longed to grasp that truth.
“… The impression I have right now.”
A hunch told me it was unlikely they were entirely clueless.
Along with anticipation.
It was equally a longing.
If my mother was unaware.
I cherished the hope that perhaps this time, she’d be different.
“Damn it.”
I hadn’t expected to bump into my mother, leaving my mind in shambles.
So, amidst an already complicated scenario.
“… What situation is this?”
My head ached even more because of the circumstances unfolding before me.
Could it be that—
“Oh, you’ve come.”
My attention snapped to the brightly grinning figure of Shin Noya.
The real concern was what he had in hand.
Someone bound tightly with ropes.
“Ugh! Ugh…!!”
General of the Man-gye. Yu-Sa greeted me in an undeniably distasteful condition.
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