ALL NOVEL Chapter 117
“…Mom.”
“Why are you calling me?”
“…Are you still mad?”
“What do you mean? I’ve never been angry even once.”
Lie…
Of course, I didn’t say it out loud.
“Come to think of it, it’s been a while since we’ve had moments like this. Isn’t it?”
“Yeah…”
Mom’s gentle hand ran through my hair.
“When you were little, you were always restless and couldn’t sit still. Now you’ve grown up so much, sleeping alone and bathing alone. Is it because you take after me?”
…That’s right.
I’m currently… sitting on Mom’s lap.
And it’s not even in the reception room.
I’m in my own room.
…The process was nothing special.
Mom took out a pure white mask and immediately got up, lifting me like a handbag.
She then said that the conversation didn’t seem suitable for the reception room and strolled into my room.
So on the way to the dormitory, cradled in Mom’s arms… I encountered a lot of students.
The door? I don’t know how she opened it.
Mom just turned the doorknob and the door opened.
As if there was no locking mechanism at all, it opened smoothly.
When we got inside, I saw that blood was dripping from the lock.
The method of locking it was similar too.
When she closed the door and turned the knob, it locked.
The door seemed a bit warped.
After seeing that… I sealed my lips tight.
After that was it two hours? Or three?
Anyway, I got yelled at for a long time.
To be honest, the tone wasn’t scolding.
Gentle, soft, just like usual.
But that made it scarier.
If she had just shouted… it might have been better.
…But maybe when I think about it, that’s not it.
“Were you very surprised?”
“If I say I wasn’t surprised… that would be a lie.”
“Like Ellie was surprised, Mom was extremely surprised too.”
“I’m… sorry.”
“No need. I’m sorry too for hiding it.”
Mom, who had been stroking my head, hugged me tightly.
“Honestly, I debated for a long time whether I should reveal it or not. But… I felt like it was better to tell Ellie. It must have been too sudden for you?”
“…Um, a bit too much? I really almost lost my mind when you took out the mask.”
I’m not exaggerating; I truly understood what it felt like to lose my mind.
The leather gloves. The brooch symbolizing Muyeong.
The pure white mask. Mom’s smile.
When I saw all of it… I felt dizzy.
The things I had done, said, and expressed in front of Muyeong… curse words… everything… rushed back like a flashback…
“Seeing how well-behaved our Ellie was when with Mom and Dad was quite amusing. I was actually thinking of teasing you a bit more… But I held back, worried Ellie might get angry at me.”
“…Please don’t play such scary tricks.”
As I trembled, Mom chuckled.
“Honestly, I was very jealous too. While I’m Mom, Turius is Dad. At that moment, if there had been no other friends around Ellie, I might have taken off the mask.”
“…S-sorry…”
“Uh-huh. No, I’m the one who’s more sorry. I just tested Ellie. Despite that, I’m glad Ellie doesn’t hate me.”
“Ugh…”
Again.
My heart felt like it was melting, my entire body felt like it was ticklish, and my lips curled up… a strange sensation.
Whenever I’m cradled in Mom’s arms and listening to her gentle voice, I always feel this way.
I, whose lips had been flapping, shook my head vigorously and changed the topic.
“…Um, how on earth do you manage to hide your true identity so well? The body shape, the atmosphere…”
“Heartbeat, bone structure, muscle shape, flow of mana, smell, gaze. All of it, Mom and Muyeong are completely different, right?”
“…Yeah. Right now, Mom is just a regular… mom. But Muyeong, just looking at her, she seems like a martial artist…”
“If you’re curious, I can tell you right now, but I want to share it when you grow a bit more, Ellie.”
“Uh-huh… Okay. Please tell me when you want to.”
“Thank you.”
Mom’s ticklish breath brushed against my crown.
Silence settled in the room. It was quite a long silence, but… it wasn’t uncomfortable. Rather, it felt comforting.
“You know, Ellie is much stronger than I expected.”
At that moment, Mom’s hand slowly glided down my left arm.
“Right? Even though I look this soft, I am somewhat—”
“Don’t push your body so hard; you shouldn’t use it like that.”
Chills ran all over my body.
“…Huh? Wait?!”
Mom’s hands slid under my armpits. At the same time—whoosh—she lifted me and spun me around, setting me down.
In an instant, I found myself facing her.
“Did you think I wouldn’t know?”
“Uh, uh-oh…”
“Your left hand.”
Mom’s delicate hand snatched my left wrist. I didn’t even have a second to react. Her movements were unusual. Was it gold-fingered? Doing that to grab her daughter’s wrist?
“Let’s see, five fingers. Among them… that would be the thumb.”
Mom started to gently poke each of my fingers, and when she got to the thumb, she tightly grasped it and looked at me. The scent of blood filled the air.
“This is too dangerous.”
Her voice had turned heavy. The gentle eye smile vanished, replaced by her cold, red gaze fixed on me.
“…H-how did you know…?”
Up until now, I had never been discovered.
Neither the Demon Race, World Tree, nor the Spirits.
Not even the long-gone elves and dwarves.
Nobody had been able to identify what was tied to my finger.
Well, there were two who did.
The emperor from 400 years ago, Malpramis Herman.
And—
The Demon King.
Aside from those two, no one else had realized.
But how…?
Did she see when my finger was caught in the Labyrinth? No, even if she did…
Back then, I even wrote the note, claiming I felt healthier…
-It seems like Lady Eliaernes’ soul is weaker than usual?
Adelia noticed that I was weakened.
She recognized the form of my soul and was sure of it.
If so, could Mom have guessed based on the form of my soul…?
“Mom also… the form of my soul—”
“That’s not what’s important.”
Mom interlocked her fingers gently with my left hand and pressed her forehead against mine.
“Promise me, okay?”
“…U-uh…”
“If the other four… well, if you have to, I can’t stop that. But the thumb is absolutely a no-go. Never.”
“B-but…”
“Please, Ellie.”
Mom’s voice trembled.
Her voice, which had always been gentle and steady, shook so much I could feel it.
“This is… too, too dangerous. It’s something our daughter can’t handle. Truthfully, I want to yank that finger off right now. But I know that if I forcibly do it in its current state, it’ll become even more dangerous. So, promise me.”
Mom’s red eyes glistened with tears.
“My beloved daughter. No matter what happens, Ellie mustn’t die before me.”
“…Okay.”
Holding my hand, staring into my eyes, sharing heartbeats, and feeling each other’s breath, Mom then smiled softly.
“Thank you.”
That smile seemed to say she knew I was lying.
And also…
She was grateful for agreeing to understand.
“…Mom is… strange.”
“Oh? Strange, you say?”
“How can you… understand me so well?”
Mom’s expression of panic evaporated, replaced by a bright smile, as if she was happy.
“Because I’m your mom. I’m Ellie’s mom. A mother can always know what her child is thinking.”
“…Dad can’t.”
“Ellie came out of my belly. We were together for almost a year, so naturally, I can understand. Plus… heh, Ellie’s dad is a bit clueless.”
“Heh, yeah. Dad is quite clueless.”
“Just look at how he gives you birthday presents.”
“Still, the… doll Dad made by hand… I really like it. I keep it by my pillow when I sleep.”
I pointed to the Ellie doll that I kept by my pillow. Mom chuckled as she saw it.
“Oh dear, all its limbs are torn apart.”
“…Yeah. I fixed it again.”
The sight of the doll, resembling me, with its limbs torn off, wasn’t pleasant to see.
“Then, I’ll have to secretly hint to you. This year’s birthday present should be a doll made with more care.”
I… didn’t respond and merely gave a bittersweet smile.
Mom had a sweet smile, unlike mine.
As we enjoyed a moment of laughter, Mom stopped and gently stroked my nape.
“Is there nothing else you’re hiding now?”
What was that? Was she threatening me to pull my neck if I was hiding something else?
I dismissed that thought.
Since I was little, I had loved when Mom stroked my nape. Why? I don’t know. I just liked it. Whether it was Ronan who liked it or Eliaernes, I could not tell.
“If you have any tough things going on, you can always come and consult with mom or dad.”
I closed my eyes for a moment and enjoyed Mom’s touch.
A heartbeat, a scent, felt comforting.
While thoughts bubbled in my head.
Should I say it? Should I tell her that I was Ronan Luzarack in my previous life? What kind of reaction would she show if I revealed that?
I opened my eyes.
Mom had returned to her usual expression.
I don’t know. I still can’t read Mom’s true feelings.
As for Dad, my uncle, Silina, Fabiana, the Emperor, Yurasia, Silina, Pina.
I had been accustomed to reading the feelings of everyone I knew. It had become second nature, ingrained within me like calluses.
But I couldn’t read Mom’s inner thoughts.
As Mom said, I spent almost a year in her womb, but why is it that I alone can’t understand Mom?
In a way, I… am older than Mom. Older than Julie Eustetia, yet why?
Well.
“…Mom.”
“Yeah.”
“Um…”
Avoiding Mom’s gaze, I spoke slowly, stammering. I tried tossing my tongue to get the words out.
What had been flowing smoothly when speaking to Pina now felt stuck like a clogged drain.
“…Actually, I—”
At that moment, Mom’s slender finger blocked my lips.
“Ugh?”
“My daughter.”
“Ugh…?”
“Eliaernes Eustetia. My lovely daughter.”
I didn’t understand what those words meant.
I didn’t grasp it.
“You are Ellie.”
Mom beamed with the brightest smile.
“And I’m your mom.”
Against the backdrop of the sunset, Mom, smiling, looked happier than anyone else in the world at that moment.
“So it’s okay.”
“…What do you mean—”
“Our Ellie hasn’t changed at all. Mom knows that. All along, you’ve been the same. So it’s okay. Don’t worry. Neither Mom nor Dad will deny you. Never.”
Mom’s finger, which had been over my lips, lightly pressed my nose.
“Even if the whole world turns against you, Mom and Dad will always be on your side, so don’t be scared.”
Since when? When I first regained my memories?
As time passed? During combat? In the Labyrinth?
Did she know who I am and who I was in the past? Was it a guess? I don’t know. I can’t tell.
My vision blurred.
My nose stuffed up, and my throat felt heavy.
“Everywhere, every day, I love you more than the day before. My daughter.”
From the sunset, my stuffy nose, my childhood, the fatigue, damn menstruation, hormones, emotions, illusions, cherry blossoms.
I didn’t know anything. My mind went blank.
My heart felt as if it was driving me mad with ticklishness.
My emotions surged ahead of my reasoning, two steps forward.
“…Me too.”
For the first time.
I realized that I didn’t dislike that feeling.
*
As my emotions settled, the moment I noticed Mom’s clothes were thoroughly soaked… I seriously contemplated suicide.
Calling her Mom and Dad was, in many ways, dangerous. Really.
“Have you cried a lot?”
“I didn’t… hic, I didn’t cry at all…”
Mom chuckled while still stroking my nape.
“I’ve missed my chance to speak, but I have something to tell you as well, Ellie.”
“Cough… what is it?”
“I’m sorry to say this, but I think I’ll have to leave for a while.”
I looked up at her sudden ridiculous statement.
There was the strong scent of blood. Blood smell like never before. It rose intensely.
“Where to?”
“To Gebihenum.”
“The Demon Realm? Is it something concerning Muyeong?”
“Hmm, to put it bluntly, this is a personal matter for me. But since I’m Muyeong, yes. You could say it’s a matter of Muyeong. Anyway, Muyeong belongs to me.”
“Well, that’s true. But what’s the reason for your visit?”
A strange aura flared up in her red eyes.
“I’m going to teach a lesson to the bad people who laid a finger on my daughter.”