The Young Son (5)

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November 23, 2022

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Theo was led away by old nanny Jean and washed his hands. Athena sat down and gently wiped the invisible sweat on her face. Then she thought of things about her past.

"Mom, my hands are clean now!" Little Theo eagerly sat next to Athena, and his eyes gleamed in amazement as he stared at his mother and the dishes in front of him.

When he called her "mother," his mother disliked it before.

He couldn't help but approach his mother instantly because Athena had just become unexpectedly too lovely.

Will his mother reprimand him once more?

When Athena heard little Theo's delicate cry and noticed the caution in his eyes, she softly grinned and whispered, "Then come and eat with mom."

Little Theo smiled shyly, but his eyes never left his mom.

He has never felt this happy before. The warmth of being close to his mother and holding her hands sparked fulfillment within his heart. The kind of emotional connection that he's greedy to keep and treasure.

"This is fried chicken. In the apocalyptic era, people kill mutated animals, which is many times larger than the ordinary animals of modern time. The chicken I'm feeding you belongs to the apocalyptic era, but you must promise mom that you won't tell a single soul about the existence of these foods."

"Hmm," little Theo nodded as he ate some fried chicken.

"This animal might have mutated into a different kind of species in the interstellar world, and no one must have seen records of it before the apocalyptic time occurred. If bad people know that mom has this inheritance, our family will perish with the secrets of modern and apocalyptic times. You wouldn't let something happen to our family, right?"

"Dad will protect us, mom!"

Athena could feel the reliance and admiration of the child toward his father, but she could also sense his alienation. Athena thought, "maybe the child's admiration came from his father's meritorious job!".

"You also need to eat some green vegetables."

Little Theo continued to eat the food Athena provided him while burying his head in the bowl and displaying plump, hamster-like cheeks.

If not for the perfectly unaltered name, everyone would have thought they were looking at a different person when they saw Athena holding a spoon and a bowl of soup eating next to the young master. She appeared serene and gentle with a calming demeanor.

The feeling among them was that despite the young master's upbringing with a silver spoon, the master was too busy, and the lady turned a blind eye to him.

This kid is pretty pitiful.

But it now appears like a true five-year-old child.

The young master should have looked this happy and innocent if only his parents were there to take care of him.

Athena ordered old nanny Jean to take away the food after estimating the child's appetite and observing that he was full after finishing a bowl.

Athena regularly experienced hunger and digestive issues in her previous life as she was hurrying to confront the undead and the mutants. Because of this, she settled down when the kingdom was restored and started walking after meals.

However, she keenly observed the vicinity of where she now resides right when she transmigrated here. Compared to the kingdom's botanical garden in her previous life, the villa's garden is too small for her taste, yet a stroll is just about feasible.

"Let's go for a stroll, come back to take a bath, and then go to bed, okay? Walking is important for your health after meals."

"It's great, mom!"

Theo's wide eyes are filled with adoration as he looks at Athena now that she is free to speak freely. Theo felt Athena's closeness.

Theo got dressed before being taken to the yard by Athena, who then put on her cloak. This villa's front yard is roughly the size of a baseball field. Although there are no insects inside the flowers, the well-kept flowerbed still emits the scent of flowers.

Athena strolled alongside little Theo as the breeze kissed her skin. Little Theo occasionally glanced up at Athena. As soon as Athena sensed Theo's vulnerability, she softened and carried him to the yard's artificial pond while holding him in her arms.

"Mommy, I wish we could see the stars at night!"

Little Theo leaned on his mother's arms, smelling the unique motherly fragrance of Athena. He felt delighted today and wished he'll wake up the same way.

"Well, I can take you to a place where there are stars at night. But do you recognize the shape of the stars and why they gather to form different patterns?"

"Are there many shapes of them, mom?"

"There are many of them, little Theo, especially in the modern era."

Athena brought Theo to her spaceworld while avoiding the monitoring bots within the villa. Theo was shocked to get to a place where a large white mansion stood. The stars were everywhere, and the wind felt so real.

"Mommy, there are so many stars here!"

"Well, there are many. Do you know what star it is?"

Following Athena's fingers, little Theo saw an exceptionally bright star shining in the sky.

"I don't know, mother, the teacher never taught it."

"Well, that star is the morning star."

"Does that star only shine in the morning, mom?"

"Not really, but the Northern Star is the brightest star that brings hope for the people in the apocalyptic time."

It was tough for little Theo to understand why stars have meanings, and he gazed at Athena in uncertainty.

Athena chuckled and explained the origin of the Northern star to Theo. She also told little stories about it in the apocalyptic era. And how it became the symbol of hope for people to strive to live.

The stars in the sky flashed dazzlingly.

The passage of time stopped for a moment as Theo gazed at Athena in awe.

His mother was so good she understood everything.

"It's too late, and you must take a bath later. Let's go back," she said.

Theo is unwilling to return, but he knows that angering his mom is not the best option.