*Slap*
"Y–you bastard." The words, laced with anger, hung in the air.
The burning pain of the slap lingered on my cheek, but my attention shifted from the stinging sensation to the weight of her words.
'What did I do?' The question lingered in my mind as I gazed at my mother while gently rubbing my cheek as she slowly rose in a sitting position with the support of Sarah.
"I am fine!" she declared, gently pushing Sarah away. With some more clarity in her eyes, she turned her attention toward me. Her eye's locked onto mine with a mix of anger and hurt.
"Come here!", she commanded, and I took slow steps toward her, and just as I was within her reach, she wasted no time as she wrapped her hands around my face and tightly hugged me while my face was buried in her bosom.
My face found a haven in the warmth of her bosom. I surrendered to the embrace, feeling the rise and fall of her chest as she gently yet fiercely embraced me.
She rested her chin atop my head, the warmth of her embrace enveloping me. Occasionally, she would gently shift, pressing tender kisses on my hair.
"How much have you grown up, my son", she mumbled, her voice trembling as she patted my back. "How much have I really missed".
"Hic..hic.."
Her embrace tightened as if she were trying to hold onto the moment I let her hug me until I heard her quite sobs, which she was desperately trying to control.
"Mom", I mumbled as I tried to free myself, but she didn't let me; instead, she tightened the grip on my face, buring it even deeper.
"Hic...I...missed..you...hic..so...much...", Her broken voice, with hiccups and sobs between her sentences, and it was enough to make even my heart ache with pain.
"I... love... you.."she confessed between sobs, her words carrying the weight of a mother's longing. "I never....stopped....loving you."
"I know, mom", I replied, but my voice came out as a muffle as my face was too deep into her bossom.
"No, no, you idiot son", she said while taking my face out of her bossom. She made me look into her deep blue eyes as she continued, "You have no idea how much I love you; I will do anything to make sure you are safe."
Then she kissed my forehead for a long five seconds before placing my head back into her bossom.
"I will always love you", she said, her body trembling and holding me tightly within my grip. "then, now, forever".
*Click*
I looked with the corner of my eyes as I heard the sound of the door opening, only to watch as Sarah moved out of the room.
'When she arrived there', I thought, looking at her, who, for some reason, was looking at both of us with envy in her eyes.
'Show me her status, Edda', I thought as I commanded Edda, not to brag, but my senses are enough to detect if someone is moving in the room, but she just moved without even my noticing.
=======================
Name: Sarah Frialna Thorja
Affiliation: ???
Mage Path: locked
Knight Path: Origin Level 9
Strength: 860/900
Agility: 890/900
Defense: 850/900
Endurance: 880/900]
Danger Level: stronger than you.
======================
'What the fuck!', I exclaimed in my mind as I looked at her status while she closed the door. Why is a maid this strong? But more than that, what made me even more perplexed was her name and how there wasn't anything other than a question mark in her affiliation block.
'They both are from the same family', I thought as I moved my gaze back to my mother. I seriously need to know more about both of them.
I know very little about both Sarah and my mom, except that my mother was from an ancient family. I know nothing else about her; she never told me anything about her family, and no one else bothered to tell me more.
'I should directly ask her later', I thought, making a mental note about this as I let go of my body, closed my eyes, and felt the warmth of my mother. Trying to get a peaceful sleep after so long.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Third-person POV: general]
*Click*
The door to Stephanie's room swung open, and Sarah stepped inside the room. Her eyes quickly caught sight of the scene before her—Eden's face nestled in his mother's lap as Stephanie gently ran her fingers through his hair.
"Took you long enough to come back, crybaby," Sarah remarked with a stoic face, closing the distance between them.
"You didn't change a bit, did you?" Stephanie replied, her focus still on Eden's peaceful slumber.
"So did you," Sarah responded, her gaze lingering on Eden's sleeping face as she controlled her urge to touch it.
"Duke Morton has arrived," Sarah informed after a brief pause, already making her way towards the door.
"Guide me to where he is," Stephanie said, smoothly lifting Eden's head away from her lap and placing it back on the bed.
"Are you sure you can walk fine?" Sarah inquired, approaching Stephanie with a hint of concern.
"I am not that weak," Stephanie retorted, dismissing any doubts with a casual wave of her hand.
"You know, you could say that you missed me; don't be shy," Sarah teased, a mischievous glint in her eyes as they moved through the corridor.
However, her face remained a stoic mask, revealing none of her true feelings.
"The last person I missed was you; heck, I even want to kill you," Stephanie grumbled, following a step behind Sarah.
"Figured that much," Sarah replied, stealing a quick glance back at Stephanie, who responded with a furrowed brow.
*Click*
They both soon reached Aldric's office and, without being polite, opened the door.
"Hum?" Aldric, engrossed in his work, lifted his head. His eyes widened as they landed on Stephanie. Slowly rising from his chair, he approached her, and Stephanie did the same.
But just as Stephanie reached him, he quickly moved out of the way, giving her room to walk while Sarah closed the door behind them, standing in front of it.
"How have you been, Aldric", Stephanie said as she took a seat in the main chair of the office.
"Fine", he replied, his gaze roaming around the room as he tried his best not to look at her.
"Have you forgotten? What are you, Aldric?", Stephanie asked indifferently.
Aldric, caught off guard by the question, stayed silent for a while before he replied "A slave".
"Than behave like one", she said, her gaze locked on him. She didn't use any Aura or Mana but her gaze was enough to make Aldric sweat.
"I have been fine, my lady,", Aldric replied swiftly, getting on one of his knees with his head down.
"He didn't do anything funny when I was in a coma, did he?", Stephanie asked as she looked at Sarah.
"No, I made sure no one could,", Sarah replied as she leaned against the wall.
"Hmm, how many years have passed since I fell asleep", Stephanie asked, looking at different documents that were placed on the desk.
"Nine years, my lady,", Aldric replied without lifting his head.
"That long", she mumbled as she placed her hand over different documents and asked again, "who were the ones who visited me while I was in the coma".
"Everyone you knew in the kingdom at least visited you once, while Saintess Olivia was the most frequent". Aldric replied, his gaze still on the ground.
"Did my father also come?", she asked.
"Yes", Aldric replied.
"He should have arrived to make sure the curse was perfectly placed, right", Stephanie asked indifferently, looking at Aldric.
"....yes" with a brief pause, he replied.
"Hmm, where are the twins", she asked, leaning on the chair.
"Towards the academy", he replied.
"And their mother, Sabah, was it? How is she?", she asked, and her words made Aldric flinch.
"She is doing fine, my lady", Aldric replied, hiding his true emotions.
"Did you tell the twins about their real mother?", Stephanie asked, not bothering to ask what he was hiding.
"Only Marine knows about it", Aldric replied without hiding anything.
"Hmm, before I fell into a coma, I gave you a task, remember", she asked as she placed her hands over the desk, tapping her fingers.
"My lady, why would you ask such a thing–", For the first time, Aldric lifted his head. His eyes were filled with anger as he looked at her, but his words were quickly cut down.
"I asked, did you do it or not", Stephanie said indifferently, looking at him.
"Yes", With a deep breath, he suppressed his anger, biting his lower lips. He replied "I made sure Eden was isolated and alone all the time for the last six years until he ran away".
"Good", Stephanie said indifferently as she moved toward the door. "Your job is done, Aldric; you are free now".
Without even looking at him, she moved out of the room while Sarah followed behind.