76

"Ugh…! Mom…!!!"

"Mari…!"

Like a cicada clinging to a tree, Mari clung to me and cried as though she were sending me off to the world's end.

Her tears were gradually soaking through my clothes.

"I'm sorry, Mari…!! Ugh… don't hurt…!!"

"Mari… it's okay, Mom's fine… let's stop crying, okay?"

"Sniff… I'll give you the best medicine… I won't touch you when you're sleeping…"

"W-what…? W-what do you mean by that…?"

"Ah."

Realizing her slip of the tongue, Mari gasped with a look of regret on her face.

But she quickly returned to her previous state, rubbing her face against my chest as she continued to cry.

"It's not okay… don't leave me, Mari…"

I wanted to try to get a little more out of what Mari had said, but seeing her cry uncontrollably, I couldn't bring myself to do it.

I sighed deeply and gently pinched her cheeks.

"Eh?"

"Mari. I'm really okay, so stop crying now."

"But there's blood on your lips…"

"…"

When I looked down, just as she had said, my mouth and clothes were all stained red with blood I had vomited.

But Alina had told me that the poison she had given me didn't contain anything harmful to my body.

Rather, she said it was a beneficial medicine that would help me expel impurities from my system.

"I'm really fine. It's because I took some medicine that's good for me."

I gently patted Mari's head a few times to calm her, then reassured her with a smile.

"…Really…?"

"Yeah."

Mari touched me all over, as though checking for herself, and after confirming that I was unharmed, she smiled in relief.

"…Mom."

"Hmm…?"

"You won't leave me, right…?"

Mari looked up at me with a concerned, emotional gaze.

It seemed the sight of me bleeding had left quite an impact on her.

I felt moved by the kindness of my daughter, who was so worried about me. I smiled and said to her,

"Of course not."

"Really?"

She kept asking for reassurance.

Had I not given Mari enough trust in the past?

I knelt down to her level, embraced her, and said,

"I promise, Mari. I'll always be here with you."

As I patted her back, Mari seemed to accept my words.

"…Heh…"

At that moment, I heard a laugh from behind.

Startled, I turned around.

Despite having been split in two and likely dead, he was squirming on the floor, laughing.

"How…?"

I muttered, frowning as I stared at him.

Even if he had been a saint, the wound should have been fatal, so how was he still alive?

No matter how much he had accepted the demon, his regeneration was abnormally strong.

"It's okay, Mom."

With a cold expression, Mari stretched out her hand towards him, and instantly, numerous magic circles appeared around his body.

However, before Mari could activate her magic, Bordin let out a faint and shallow voice.

"You don't have to do that. I'll be dead soon anyway."

Mari looked at him with a doubtful expression.

But as if to confirm, Bordin extended his hand upward, and his arm began to corrode, turning into powder that scattered into the air.

"My body is already dead. Although Mari's ability is activating, it will stop soon."

As he finished speaking, he coughed up a large amount of blood.

Mari, her eyes shining, checked his condition once and, as though confirming his words were true, withdrew the magic circle.

His solitary death on the floor looked pitiful, but she didn't feel guilty.

"I won't apologize. It's all something you brought upon yourself."

"…It's fine. I just wanted to talk before I die."

"…I'll listen."

A last will… it seemed acceptable to listen to at least that.

After all, during her time in the mansion, there were a few occasions where she owed him something.

"I've hidden the seal of the Imperial family in a secret room in my office. Alina knows where it is."

At his words, Mari looked at Alina, who nodded at her.

"…How did you obtain the seal of the Imperial family?"

"I'm sorry, miss. I can't tell you that."

The response was a firm refusal.

It was disappointing, but it wasn't surprising, so Mari didn't feel much disappointment.

"There's a gift for you where the seal is kept."

"…A gift?"

"It was originally evidence to be submitted to the Imperial Palace, but… I think it would be better if you had it, miss."

For some reason, an ominous feeling rose within her.

"What are you trying to give me?"

"You said you trust Athena more than a criminal like me."

"…And?"

As he lifted his head, his face, fully restored, calmly gazed at her.

"The gift contains the truth I spoke of. You should see it with your own eyes."

'…I told you it wouldn't work.'

"With death approaching, there's no need to deceive you. I'm offering you a chance to choose."

"A chance?"

Bordin's body, now fully restored, was once again regenerating.

However, paradoxically, his body began to corrode and vanish into the air after completing its regeneration.

But Bordin didn't care at all and continued speaking slowly.

"You can choose whether to continue living in ignorance, or to see the ugly truth hidden behind the sweet lies. The choice is yours, miss."

"Athena wouldn't do such a thing to me."

"If you're so sure, then you can confirm it without any worries."

"You may do as you wish. I have no intention of forcing you."

For some reason, she couldn't refute his words.

During the brief silence that followed, his body gradually disappeared, leaving only his upper torso.

Bordin, with difficulty, flipped himself over to face the ceiling and muttered.

"In the end, revenge has failed."

I answered him in a melancholic tone.

"Do you think your wife would be happy seeing you like this?"

"That couldn't be possible."

As if recalling her, a warm energy briefly lingered in his gaze before fading away.

"But I couldn't let go of my vengeance. There was nothing left for me but resentment."

"I can't say Athena was right, but it wasn't her fault."

At my words, Bordin, who had been blankly staring at the ceiling, quietly closed his eyes.

And then…

Crack

His face slowly began to crumble.

"I am terribly sorry, miss."

Before long, his presence was no longer discernible.

Thus, the story of Bordin came to a bitterly empty conclusion.

***

"Miss… I'll go in alone."

"It's okay, Alina."

This was Bordin's office.

After much hesitation, I finally decided to go in out of sheer will.

To verify what he had called the 'truth.'

I believe in it. Athena could never have hurt me.

Even if she did, it would have never been intentional.

That's why I came.

To face the so-called truth that Bordin spoke of until the moment he died.

But for some reason, Alina kept trying to convince me not to enter.

Her suspicious behavior gradually brought forth an ominous feeling.

'…No, stay calm, Hera.'

I thought of Athena.

The countless words of love she had given me.

The warm smile she always wore when looking at me.

As I recalled one memory after another of her, the unease that had slowly been rising within me vanished in an instant.

"Lead the way, Alina."

With a determined look, I spoke to her.

Alina squeezed her eyes shut for a moment before pushing a book on the shelf inward.

Rumble—

The large shelf turned halfway, revealing a hidden space inside.

Following Alina, I stepped into the narrow space, which, although small, was large enough to be considered a room.

I slowly looked around.

Books related to magic, various types of poison, sharply sharpened daggers… there were many different items.

"I found it."

At Alina's words, I approached her and saw the item she had found on a desk.

It was gold engraved with elegant script and covered with a red ornament.

It was the royal seal.

Next to it, in contrast to the brilliant seal, was a simple object.

"…A magical tool."

A tool that operates based on mana.

Could the truth Bordin spoke of be contained in this?

Thump— Thump—

Though I had reassured myself countless times, when the situation stood before me, my heart began to tremble, and I hesitated to activate the magical tool.

What if…

What if Bordin's words were true?

No, Hera.

I shook my head vigorously.

I trust Athena.

Once again, I strengthened my resolve in my heart and activated the magical tool.

Vrrrr—

The magical tool began to hum loudly.

As I continued to hold it in my hand, it wasn't long before a voice started to emanate from it.

-My lord. A letter has arrived from the imperial palace.

The owner of the voice was Bordin, who no longer existed in this world.

-Really? What happened?

And then, immediately after, the bold and intense voice that followed was from someone I knew all too well.

It seemed like this conversation had been recorded quite a long time ago. The voice sounded younger than it does now, but still, the owner of this voice was undoubtedly the woman I loved—Athena.

It seemed that this magic tool had been created for the purpose of recording conversations.

-The demon race was discovered within the empire. They asked that you take care of it, my lord.

-Hmph… How troublesome. Tell them I'm busy.

-But His Majesty the Emperor personally requested this, my lord.

-That old man knows I dislike him. What can I do about it?

-If we're not careful, the people of the empire could be in danger.

-Bordin, do you think I care about that?

-Haha, my apologies, my lord. I misspoke.

-And there's that cranky old man in the imperial palace as well. What about him—

Click

The conversation was abruptly cut off.

Ha…

Soon, the next conversation began to play from the magic tool.

-So you sent the demon race?

-Yeah. He was pretty interesting, so I sent him off, telling him to come back next time.

-Haha, saving demons is a death sentence, my lord.

-The empire can't kill me, can they?

Click

The conversation was cut off again.

And once again, without fail, the next conversation began.

…

Even after that.

….

And even after that.

Click

Conversations continued to flow from Athena and Bordin.

Athena speaking ill of the Emperor.

Athena's casual remarks about human life being so trivial.

Numerous conversations flowed out, and I continued listening, muttering quietly to myself.

"Evidence to send to the royal family…"

Bordin had called it evidence to send to the royal family.

As he said, the stories that came out of the magic tool were definitely the kind of content that would put Athena in a difficult position if they were made public.

But paradoxically, even though the stories weren't good ones, my heart felt a sense of relief.

"....I guess it's a relief…"

Bordin must have thought I would be shocked if I learned Athena's true nature.

Certainly, if I were an ordinary person who revered Athena, hearing these conversations would have left me deeply confused.

But not me.

I already knew what kind of person she was.

Arrogant and authoritarian. Someone who never gave affection to others, and who had a distrustful nature towards humans. That was Athena.

But at the same time, she always gave me an overwhelming amount of love.

Since she didn't care about others, I unknowingly became slowly addicted to her love.

'…I told you it was useless, Bordin.'

She probably expected I wouldn't know, but this was something I had already figured out.

…I didn't need to hear more.

Just as I had finally found relief in my heart, trying to stop the operation of the magical device.

-Are you talking about the slave?

-Yes. You'll be my slave from now on.

Before I knew it, the magical device was talking about me.

-It seems you're quite interested.

-Heh… that's right. I've never wanted something so much before.

"Ugh."

Athena's words made me feel embarrassed.

Had she really liked me from the moment we first met? Her words were full of attention towards me.

The warmth of Athena's love, which had been directed at me from the start, wrapped around my heart.

…..Thank you, Athena.

Even someone as foolish as me.

-So, thoroughly break her. Make her dependent on me.

For continuing to love me.

"Uh…?"

One second.

It was a very brief moment.

But it felt like my brain had short-circuited.

With a ringing sound in my ears.

My mind went blank, and my body felt cold, as if my heart had stopped.

But that was just an instant.

I was able to regain my senses immediately.

'…I must have misheard.'

Once my rationality returned, I forced a smile with trembling lips.

Yeah. I must have misheard.

Athena couldn't have said such a thing.

For sure.

-You mean you want me to break him?

-Hmm. To be more specific.

I want you to.

-Break her mind to the point where even she can't believe it.

…Wrong…