Side Story – Farewell [8]
[77]
Time passed.
Ray was striving to rebuild the Core. Getting kicked in the behind by Johanna and being teased by the kids for being a lousy dad couldn’t last forever.
He had to quickly secure some kind of new Core to restore his tarnished paternal dignity.
However, Ray was still pondering what to use as the foundation for the newly constructed Core.
In reality, this wasn’t something that required such prolonged deliberation.
The Imperial Capital had an ample supply of top-tier mana refinement methods categorized for every type.
Thus, all he needed to do was choose one while prioritizing safety.
Yet, Ray remained indecisive, caught in an indescribable and vague sense of unease that was difficult to explain to others.
Even Ray himself struggled to pinpoint the exact nature of this unease.
“Sigh…”
Still unable to reach a conclusion, Ray left the Imperial Capital and began walking outside.
The warm sunlight dazzled his eyes.
Overcoming the brightness, Ray lifted his head to look up.
“…”
The sky was exceptionally clear.
The weather was mild, and the wind was calm.
It was a peaceful day, calming enough to ease one’s worries.
Clearing his mind momentarily and steadying his breathing, Ray found himself at the small flower garden located near the Imperial Capital, as he often did.
Though small, the garden was filled with all sorts of rare flowers.
“Mom.”
“My son is here?”
Bella, who had been admiring the garden, greeted Ray.
Around this time, Bella usually enjoyed a simple tea while observing the flowers.
And Ray almost always visited her during these moments.
Seated across from Bella at the small table set up in the garden, Ray calmly recounted the events of yesterday and today—whom he had spoken with, which tasks were ongoing, and what plans lay ahead.
As Ray unraveled these small stories one by one, Bella listened attentively, her usual warm smile never faltering.
“Anyway…”
After pausing briefly in his storytelling, Ray glanced at Bella with a slightly worried expression.
Although she had improved compared to before, Bella still appeared worryingly thin.
The long emotional suffering had drained her completely.
After Ray’s passing on the throne, Bella spent a long time blaming herself for pushing her son to the edge with her desires.
She vividly remembered Luna’s harsh words from over a decade ago—how Ray had paid the price for her excessive greed, how she had parasitically depended on Ray’s devotion, feeding off his life until there was nothing left.
Bella had etched those accusations deeply into her heart.
She neither forgot nor tried to forget that despair and guilt.
That unshakable despair and guilt had worn down both her body and spirit for a long time.
The reason Bella hadn’t taken her own life was because Lea wasn’t yet old enough to be independent.
But then, time passed, and a miracle happened.
Ray, whom she thought she would never be able to embrace again, regained his warmth.
After Ray’s resurrection, the deep wounds carved into Bella’s heart gradually began to heal, but her physically weakened body still struggled to recover.
Ray hoped Bella could regain her health as soon as possible.
Of course, given her age, it was unlikely she’d fully regain the vitality of her youth.
Nevertheless, she was not yet elderly, and with effort, recovery was certainly possible.
Ray intended to stay by Bella’s side until her mind and body found peace.
Just as in the past, Bella was still Ray’s priority, and this standard would never change in the future.
Bella also knew this well now—there was no longer any doubt about it.
“…”
While listening to Ray’s story, Bella gazed at the sky.
Though the sunlight stung her eyes a little, the blue sky brought her a sense of relief and liberation.
Soon, a lazy warmth enveloped Bella.
Without resisting, Bella leaned back in her chair.
“…?”
Ray continued recounting his recent experiences and telling jokes when suddenly, his expression stiffened.
Bella looked as relaxed as ever, but Ray immediately sensed a change in her heartbeat.
Her heartbeats were becoming increasingly irregular.
“…!”
For nearly ten years, Bella’s physical condition had deteriorated continuously, and the resulting stress and muscle contractions had placed immense strain on her heart.
Now, after enduring almost a decade of excessive burden, Bella’s heart was protesting, struggling to contract properly and beginning to spasm.
Realizing the urgency of the situation, Ray hastily stood up.
“Mom…!”
If left untreated, cardiac arrest could occur.
No, if ignored, cardiac arrest was certain.
It was a perilous emergency, but with immediate action, it was entirely manageable.
After reassuring Bella, Ray prepared to call for help.
If necessary, he would perform CPR himself.
However, as Ray stood to move, Bella tightly grasped his hand.
“Son…”
“Mom, just wait a moment!”
Striving to maintain his composure, Ray attempted to take the necessary actions.
But Bella slowly shook her head, refusing to let go of Ray’s hand.
“I’m fine…”
“Yes, Mom. Don’t worry. It’s nothing serious, just wait a bit.”
Thinking Bella hadn’t fully grasped the severity of the situation, Ray patted her reassuringly.
However, Bella refused to release his hand.
“What does Mom have left to worry about?”
Her son had grown up.
In truth, even before he grew up, he was someone who didn’t need worrying about.
Wasn’t he the one who grumbled jokingly that raising him was no fun because he was too talented?
Her daughter was doing well too.
The daughter had embraced her duties as a member of the royal family and was striving to carve out her future.
Many people were supporting her along the way.
Moreover, she had seen her granddaughters.
Though still young, they were beautiful and intelligent, growing up happily surrounded by love.
Therefore, Bella had nothing left to worry about.
Truly, there was absolutely nothing left to worry about.
Smiling brightly, Bella held Ray’s hand tightly and whispered,
“A lowly courtesan lived an undeservedly happy life…”
Losing her parents at a young age, she had nothing but her body to offer.
To sustain her life and protect her younger sibling, she became a prostitute.
It wasn’t the life she wanted, but she worked hard nonetheless.
Despite being scorned by society, Bella harbored hopes far beyond her station.
She wanted to create a family.
She desired a companion she could rely on.
With that companion, she wished to have children and shower them with the parental love she had never received, without regrets.
It was an impossible dream.
What might seem like a modest wish to some was an aspiration far beyond the reach of a street courtesan.
Yet, Bella managed to achieve all of it.
Bella created a family.
She raised her son and daughter with love.
Those children grew up, giving her beautiful granddaughters.
She accomplished everything.
It should have been a truly regret-free and incredibly happy life…
But Bella had one regret.
“Ray… my beloved son…”
Her son was extraordinarily gifted.
His brilliance was far beyond what Bella, who had sold her body in a remote village due to lack of education, could comprehend.
Born with talents that no small village could contain, Ray achieved greatness that defied common sense, astonishing the entire world.
Bella watched Ray grow.
As time passed, Bella increasingly relied on Ray, trusted him, and eventually, that trust turned into blind faith.
Criticizing Bella for harboring such blind faith would be cruel.
No matter how hard Bella tried, she could never fully understand the magnitude of Ray’s achievements or the sacrifices he had to make.
Ray, too, had always tried his best to hide his vulnerabilities from Bella.
Consequently, all Bella could hold onto was her blind faith in Ray.
But now, Bella understood one thing clearly.
Ray’s life had always revolved around Bella.
In the past, Bella hadn’t fully realized this fact.
She mistakenly believed that although Ray was filial, he was ultimately carving out his own path.
However, from start to finish, Ray had lived his life for Bella.
Bella only realized this truth after Ray fell into a long sleep.
Only after facing the frozen, lifeless form of Ray did Bella realize…
“This foolish mother… I’ve been your shackle all along…”
“Mom…!!”
Ray’s voice rose abruptly, but then softened as he tightly gripped Bella’s hand, whispering with a trembling voice,
“That’s… nonsense… If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything…”
Tears were already streaming down Ray’s face.
Understanding what Bella desired and intended to choose as her ending, Ray knelt down, dropping hot tears on her hand.
Ray pleaded through his choked voice,
“Because you were there… because you held my hand and called me ‘son’… I was able to stand…”
Ray cried like a child.
Bella gently stroked his head and smiled warmly.
“Our son… how old are you now? It’s time to leave Mom’s arms and become independent…”
“Mom…!”
Ray clenched his teeth.
He instinctively knew Bella wouldn’t change her mind.
No matter how much he begged and cried, Ray knew Bella would not alter her decision.
Bella looked at Ray with the same smile she wore on the day she placed her finger in the tiny hand of her newborn son.
Ray, who had always respected Bella’s will, couldn’t force her to reconsider this time either.
The steadfast and unwavering son, so deeply loved by Bella, was asked one final favor:
“Now… live your own life…”
“…”
“Mom has already received more than enough happiness from her son…”
“…”
“It’s time to stop… My son should break free from Mom and pursue his dreams…”
Pulling Ray into her embrace, Bella shed a single tear as she hugged him tightly.
“Thanks to our loving son, Mom has been incredibly happy.”
The sky was exceptionally clear.
The weather was mild, and the wind was calm.
And the warmth of her son was comforting.
Having fulfilled all her desires, Bella felt at peace, more than anyone in the world.
With a truly content smile, Bella drifted off to sleep, slowly drawing her last breath.
