Chapter 13

𝕾𝖔𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖔 𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖓 𝖙𝖔: 𝕹𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗 𝕲𝖗𝖔𝖜 𝖀𝖕 𝖇𝖞 𝕿𝖆𝖞𝖔𝖗 𝕾𝖜𝖎𝖋𝖙

***

My steps came to a halt, as if the world had slowed down, and my mother's words had become hazy. Everything in my field of vision becomes obscured, as if the entire world were submerged in this tepid water; the only exception is the young boy seated on the bed and gazing out the window.

No one else in this empire could have had his silver-purple hair; the crimson hue, which I wished I could never see again, became as brilliant as a raging flame in the midst of a sunny day.

Caliere reminded me, whenever I beheld him, of the way in which he would smirk at his foes whenever his insane knight carried out his commands.

A perpetual mist of gleaming dust particles engulfed the room, causing a sensation of warmth on my skin and dealing a severe strike to a young boy who had aimlessly wandered the street, uncertain of his future. Not until I was granted the chance to claim him prior to Caliere's action.

"...and since he was unaware of his identity, he only possessed an emblem," she continued. As I turned my attention away from him, I caught a glimpse of my mother's remarks.

As I turned my attention to her, she was in the process of describing the small boy. The fact that they had already interrogated him prior to my investigation was inconsequential; however, my father's earlier behavior, which included grabbing Henry by the arms for the sole purpose of conversing, was unexpected and should remain a confidential matter.

Unbeknownst to me, my mother had already begun to chuckle when I couldn't help but narrow my eyes.

"You could loosen up a bit, Vestia besides, if Henry went back to his household, you wouldn't be lonely again, because you just found another friend, right?" The tone of my mother's voice resembled tepid water with a hint of velvety honey or tea.

Although I yearned to be enveloped in that delectable warmth, I remained cognizant of the fact that this was unattainable until I resolved the events of the past.

I grinned at my mother despite being unsure of the expression on my face that I had been sustaining earlier. I then attempted to caress her hand by holding it. I remained there for an extended duration before noticing my reflection in her soul.

"I think that Henry will always have a special place in my heart Mother, but there will always be a lot of places in my heart for new friends to come," Even at the time I uttered those words, I had no idea Mother would embrace me as if I had caused her to weep.

"My cherished child is maturing daily as if she is already attempting to become an adult. I am simultaneously awestruck and filled with pride," Mother paused as she gently stroked my hair.

She then severed our embrace and returned her gaze to me with a smile that appeared to have never escaped her lips. This time, I could see the growing melancholy in her irises, which caused me to feel uneasy even before she spoke.

"My little one would eventually gain the ability to spread her wings and escape the cage. Not only would she be able to travel the globe and discover new things, but she would also be the happiest mother imaginable, despite the fact that I will eventually have to tear her away," As soon as I noticed her voice beginning to waver at the conclusion of each word, I could not help but shake my head.

I maintained my hand contact with her until one of my fingers tenderly caressed her cheeks. Although I am certain I would never abandon my plans, her words moved me to tears nonetheless.

The emotions that descended my mother's face demonstrated how much she cherished me and desired nothing but the best for me, regardless of who I would become as an adult. It's just something that was inevitably going to occur regardless of the circumstances, but I would reassure her of one thing.

"No matter how I develop in the future, how I learn to fly independently and take in the fresh air provided by the outside world, you and father will always be my parents. Nothing could ever change that I would remain your daughter." Following these words, I could hear my mother sobbing uncontrollably in the room.

I ought to have offered an apology to the young boy; however, it appeared that he was merely observing my mother's reaction to our emotional exchange; I was unable to discern any movement in his irises.

It is as if he has never before witnessed two individuals sobbing, holding hands, and exchanging heartfelt words.

As soon as Mother regained her composure, she smiled and chuckled at me before directing me to the location of the young lad.

"I'm sorry that you have to witness our emotional connection," my mother said as her voice recovered from her sobs. Despite this, she smiled at the young boy who appeared to be there solely to observe us.

He remained mute whenever I attempted to observe him, as if he used silence as a means of comprehending things he was unable to. His fair, white complexion and the perilous crimson hue of his eyes would have been off-putting to others, but to my mother and me, they were like a ruby, a precious gem.

The young boy would respond to mother's continued conversation with a nod and a brief opening and closing of the mouth as if the contents of his sentence had been sucked from his throat.

"I suppose it would be a good idea to leave you two here since I've already introduced you to my daughter," she said as she smiled and escorted me closer to the young lad. She did not neglect to give us a wink before departing the room.

I exhaled. My mother was undeniably an active individual; as a result, she never declined invitations to social gatherings.

I revoked those thoughts from my mind and returned my attention to the young lad. At this moment, his attention has shifted from the closed door to mine. He maintained his gaze fixed on me as if I were to initiate the conversation.

Both of my brows furrowed and I drew closer to him. Upon doing so, I observed a noticeable alteration in his demeanor, as if he had been taken aback by the widening of his mouth and eyes.

Despite this, he continued to respond with another action, despite the fact that he was currently trembling and covering his face with his hands.

His words, "P-Please spare me," reverberated in my ears. This was without a doubt the first time I had ever heard his voice before. Although the tone was majestic, gentle, and kind, the manner in which he whispered those qualities as if imploring for his life caused me to widen my eyes.

"Just what had happened to you to react this way?" I was so preoccupied with my thoughts that I failed to recognize my own reaction until it was too late; upon my return, he was still trembling as if he had contracted winter on both shoulders.

I have no idea how to comfort a young child, and I have never attempted to do so in the past. However, I should attempt to determine what I can do to prevent this child from trembling.

With the intention of appearing unprepared, I grasp his hands with the utmost delicacy. Upon my action, he simply regarded me with open eyes. As the coldness emanated from both of them, I massaged them and exhaled my warmest breath.

His hands attempted to escape my grasp, but I simply regarded him and heaved a moan.

"You're not shivering due to the weather, but you do have a fear of me, correct? You should feel comfortable at that point, as I will not intentionally cause any damage to you or your hands. I am warming them up," I explained.

I could see the widening of his pupils, but he ultimately nodded. He appeared distinct from the previous image I had formed of him. When Caliere ordered him to go insane and murder the people, I imagined him to be a heartless monster.

A vile marionette.

And yet, here I am, treating a young child, a lost lamb that I have witnessed being pummelled by a noblewoman while standing on the street.

I felt an unidentified warmth upon catching sight of him; I was not even timid.

Upon successfully re-warming his palms, I noticed him gazing out the window. Although the sun's rays descend at our location, there is a longing etched into his countenance whenever I glance at him.

However, it was an unidentified yearning.

"Did you perhaps, lose all your memories?" I attempted to inquire by taking a step backward, thereby allowing sufficient space for us to converse. I locate a chair adjacent to him and seize it.

I was successful in capturing his attention, but he continued to fidget with his hands. Despite the fact that his eyes were lackluster even when exposed to the sun, they sparkled like the brightest ruby I had ever seen.

I awaited his response for a few seconds before his sole reaction was silence.

I exhaled.

"Then if you don't know your answers, would it be possible for us to be friends?" Still, I inquired.

I had anticipated that he would never speak again, but he managed to articulate one.

"F-Friends?"

Suddenly, my pupils enlarged. That is to say, he is unaware of the concept of friendship. I momentarily closed my eyes and took several deep breaths before closing the distance between us.

I intertwined his pinky finger with my own while holding it.

"Friends are at least two individuals who have mutually agreed to assist one another; one will never abandon the other and will always have their back. Moreover, a companion would consistently provide warmth, just as your hands became intertwined; by doing so, we have already established an enduring commitment; do you swear?"

"Swear?"

"Yes, like an oath, a promise"

"I promise," he said, and I noticed his smile for the very first time; it was an unanticipated facial expression from an individual of his silence.

"If you don't remember who you were, then could I give you a name?"

***

Author-nim note: edited ^-^ Please forgive my grammar; English is not my first language. ^-^