Episode 155
Meanwhile, around that time.
Edenber was looking at his mother’s portrait placed in a corner of the warehouse.
It was several years ago, back when he had just ascended to the position of Duke.
To emphasize that he was no longer a child, he had taken it down from the wall, and it was a portrait he had never taken out since.
As a child, he would think of her whenever he missed her, but as he grew up, he had completely let go of the memory.
It was based on the thought that it was futile since he could not meet her anyway.
Then, a few days ago, the conversation with Asil brought his mother to mind for the first time in a long while, leading him to come and see it.
His mother in the portrait had soft brown hair that turned golden when caught in the light and brown eyes.
Though they were common colors, she was so striking that one could not easily forget her once seen.
Although Edenber had only seen her through the portrait, she remained so vivid in his mind that he could draw her even with his eyes closed.
He had seen something of a similar hue in reality.
Specifically, from the divine beast, Rune.
Rune’s brown fur would turn a deep gold whenever it caught the light or when she used her abilities.
Because of this, as a child, he had once thought, ‘If Rune humanized, wouldn’t she look like my mother?’
‘Perhaps because of that, I felt a great sense of intimacy with Rune when I was young.’
In his childhood, Edenber liked Rune very much.
She would follow him around, treating him affectionately like a friend at times, and reliably like a guardian at others.
‘Though everything changed after Rune went berserk.’
When it was announced that Rune had left the ducal house, Edenber had let go of Rune in his memories, just as he had let go of his mother.
That was why even after Rune returned, and unlike before, she ignored him and only followed Ikart, he was not deeply hurt.
Of course, it would be a lie to say he wasn’t disappointed. Still, at least she was present in this world, wasn’t she?
His mother was no longer in this world, so there was no way to ever see her again…….
Anyway, for this reason, Edenber did not hate Rune even when he heard the rumors that Ikart had neglected his sick mother to tend to Rune.
Because she had been in a state of suffering as well.
It was perfectly understandable that the family head would look after her.
However, he did feel some resentment toward Ikart.
Could he not have shared even a tiny bit of the attention he poured into the divine beast with his mother?
Could he not have at least shown his face?
Turning a blind eye to his mother, who had become frail from childbirth, remained a bitter pain for him.
He had heard from Elcai that there were circumstances, but understanding it with his head and accepting it with his heart were different things.
Because of his usually poor relationship with Ikart, it was not easy to positively accept any explanation related to him.
Edenber let out a sigh.
It was when he had left the warehouse and was walking through the cloister.
He saw Ikart and Rune getting off a carriage.
He didn’t know where they had been since early morning, but just as he was about to pass by without paying attention, he saw that Ikart’s eyes were slightly red.
‘Did he cry?’
Ikart and tears were a combination that did not suit him at all.
While he momentarily hesitated at that, his eyes met Rune’s.
He thought she would just greet him as usual and move on, but for some reason, Rune jumped up on the spot as if struck by lightning.
Then she ran toward him at light speed.
“Kyang!”
There wasn’t even time to be flustered by why she was acting this way. Rune hopped right into Edenber’s arms.
And then, she began to cry her eyes out in his embrace.
“Kyang! Kyaaa-aa-ang!”
“What’s wrong?”
Even in his bewilderment, Edenber patted Rune’s back.
At that, Rune cried even louder.
Becoming even more troubled, Edenber looked at Ikart to see what on earth was going on, only to flinch involuntarily.
Ikart was wearing a warm smile that he had never seen in his life.
That wasn’t the only strange thing.
When afternoon came, Asil came to the ducal house and subtly tossed out a question.
“Did you talk to Mothe—no, to Rune?”
“Talk about what?”
He replied that although he saw her crying and yelping, they hadn’t shared a conversation, and at that, Asil flinched.
“You didn’t talk?!”
“No, nothing. What kind of talk are you referring to?”
“Oh dear, why aren’t you doing it quickly! No, Rune will say it herself. I’m not going to say anything.”
After making him curious, Asil said she would keep her mouth shut until Rune spoke and hurried back to the Count’s estate.
Wondering what on earth was happening, Edenber went to find Rune.
Rune, who seemed to have finally stopped crying, burst into tears again the moment she saw Edenber.
“Kyang! Kyaaa-aa-ang!”
“……I’m sorry…….”
He didn’t know what he had done wrong, but Edenber apologized first without even getting a word in and then stepped outside.
It seemed Ikart knew why Rune was acting like this, but Edenber did not go to find him.
The smile he had seen earlier was so unfamiliar that he was confused if it was truly the person he knew.
So he was quietly working in the office when suddenly Elcai visited and asked a question out of the blue.
“Have you talked with Rune—no, with my daughter-in-law?!”
“Pardon?”
“……So you haven’t done it yet, ahem.”
Realizing he had made a mistake seeing
Edenber’s dumbfounded expression, Elcai cleared his throat and left.
Just why was everyone acting like this today? What exactly did Rune do for everyone to be like this?
Edenber just stared blankly at the closed door with eyes that could not make sense of it.
Thus a most peculiar day passed, and by the time it became deep into the night.
Edenber recalled the strange events of the day and was about to head to bed.
However, there was a sound of someone tapping on the window from outside.
Checking quickly, it was Rune who had climbed up the tree.
Her eyes were swollen tight from how much she had cried.
Edenber opened the window.
“Are you okay?”
“Kyang.” (Yes.)
Though she sniffled, her appearance was
much more composed than before as she at least managed an answer.
Rune, having entered the room, hopped down from the window frame.
And with a clear, steady voice, though slightly hoarse, she spoke.
“Kyang kyaa-ang.” (I have something to tell you.)
“What is it?”
Throughout the day, Edenber had done a lot of thinking.
If everyone was showing this kind of
reaction, it must be something very shocking; what could it be?
He materialized everything within the scope of his predictions in his mind.
Thus, he gained the confidence not to be surprised even if the worst-case scenario occurred—if Rune, whose oath was broken, declared she would leave the Monlepe ducal house and follow only Ikart.
However, Rune’s next action far exceeded his range of expectations.
“……!”
Suddenly, Rune’s entire body glowed, and she humanized.
But that appearance belonged to someone Edenber knew very well.
The person he saw in the portrait this morning.
The Duchess and his mother, who was known to have died after giving birth to him.
Rune, humanized as an adult woman, was on the verge of tears.
“Edenber.”
“……Who are you? Are you truly Rune?”
He reached his hand toward his waist warily. It was to draw his sword if necessary.
A single tear fell from Rune’s eye.
“It will be hard to believe, but I am…… your mother.”
Edenber, who had been fumbling at his waist, froze in place.
Rune, watching him while weeping, repeated the same words once more.
“Edenber, I am your mother.”
After a moment of time passed.
Edenber’s hand fell weakly to his side.
The morning after restoring Rune’s memories.
As soon as it became light, Asil rushed to the Monlepe ducal house.
She was curious if Rune had revealed the truth, and also curious about how Edenber, who had learned the truth, was doing.
‘Since he saw his mom for the first time in forever, he must have been incredibly happy, right?’
Rune, who had regained her memories, had been worried, wondering if Edenber would accept her existence.
But in Asil’s eyes, it was an unnecessary worry. There was no way Edenber would say he didn’t like his mother.
Still, just in case, she had come to see them as soon as the sun rose.
And for some reason, she was startled to find Rune in the garden, slumped dejectedly and curled up in a ball with her tail.
Asil scooped Rune up and shouted.
“What’s wrong, Mother! What happened!”
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