Chapter 25: Mother’s “Interrogation”
In the darkness, rustling sounds filled the air—the delightful symphony of getting dressed, followed by the familiar chorus of morning routines. Not long after, as I lay on the bed with a furrowed brow, rubbing my forehead and lost in thought, my mother had already nestled beside me.
She covered us both with a cozy blanket and extended her delicate arms to pull me close.
“Wow, you really reek of alcohol…”
The mumbled words wafted toward my face along with her warm breath. Although it seemed she was scolding me, I could tell her own breath wasn’t any better!
“Can’t sleep?” She asked knowingly, pressing her forehead against mine, “Or are you feeling a bit off?”
“Uh-huh…”
I squeezed my eyes shut and let out a sticky hum through my nose.
“Letting you drink so much…”
Mom nudged my forehead gently and pressed her fingers against my temples, rubbing softly. “Well then, let’s chat a bit. Once we calm down, you’ll be able to sleep…”
“Okay…”
But what was I supposed to say?
“Mom, just now outside… I was talking with Viki for quite a while?” My brain debated whether to ask, but the words slipped out anyway.
“Oh, you heard?”
Mom paused slightly, then quickly added, “Did we disturb you?”
I shook my head gently.
“Then—”
She hesitated for a moment, then asked cautiously, “What did you hear us talking about?”
“Um…”
I instinctively nodded, but then sensed her body grow tense, her right arm tightening around my back for a brief second. Even in the darkness, I noticed her sudden shift in mood, and after a moment’s thought, I shook my head again, “I was all fuzzy; plus, there was a door in between, so I didn’t hear much…”
“Oh.”
Mom relaxed.
“Were you talking about me?” I pressed on.
Mom didn’t answer.
After a moment of silence, she brought up another topic, “Pepé, do you remember the last time we slept like this together? When was it?”
Last time?
I thought for a bit. “Three years ago? The night before I went to the Royal Academy… Mom, you gave me the Heart of Winter necklace…”
That necklace had ended up in my black leather suitcase, alongside the Pope Knight badge, the bracelet Pasifal had gifted me, Grandma Claire’s handwritten manuscript, and the matching pebble bracelet Viki and I bought at a stall in the Royal City… all tucked safely away with Angel.
I still hadn’t figured out how to get it back.
Just as I was about to come clean to Mom, she suddenly said, “By the way, I’ve already brought back your suitcase.”
…Huh?
I blinked.
“I went to the Holy City two years ago to… haha, attend your funeral. After that, the Pope handed over the suitcase, along with all its contents, as your heirloom…”
Oh…
I see.
“Take a look at this!”
Mom’s tone took on a playful ring as she extended her left hand towards her pristine neck. Only then did I notice that even in the pitch blackness, something sparkled faintly in the moonlight, hanging around her neck…
She turned it around, shaking it in front of my face—it was an ice-blue crystal necklace, adorned with a moon-shaped gem.
The Heart of Winter!
“Is this… mine?” I instinctively reached out to take it.
The necklace still bore a bit of warmth from her body—it felt nice and cozy.
“Of course it is!”
Mom chuckled, “I’ve been wearing it since I got back from the Holy City… Here, now I’ll give it back to you.”
She carefully placed the necklace around my neck, fumbling with the clasp for what seemed like ages in the darkness. “Without your permission, I peeked at what was in that suitcase… oh, nothing but little girl treasures. You really are just a vain little girl, no matter how grown up you get…”
Once the clasp finally clicked into place, Mom gently stroked my head. “I only took this necklace out. Everything else is buried on… the Snow Mountain in Winter City with the suitcase.”
As she spoke, her eyes bore into mine, a flash of sorrow flickering within them.
Just a mere flicker, she concealed that emotion rather well. With the poor lighting, I couldn’t see it clearly.
“You won’t blame your mother for going through your things, will you?” After a moment, she murmured.
“Of course not…”
“That funeral ceremony was grand, oh so grand… nobles and royals from the Western Continent, anyone with a shred of dignity, came. The Pope himself presided over the ceremony, and Saint Margaret, along with several senior Pope Knights, carried your coffin to the Temple Church… it was a sea of people the whole way…”
“They shouted your name, calling you “Hero,” and that scene, even your mother, had never witnessed anything like it before.”
“……”
“Every time I think back, I still feel like it was a dream. I never imagined my daughter would achieve such incredible accomplishments… the youngest Pope Knight in history…”
Mom sounded as if she was smiling.
It felt like she was proud of me for a moment there.
“Pepé, how do they manage to be so shamelessly hypocritical without a second thought…”
“Mom…”
That wasn’t a question I knew how to answer.
“Tell me about your adventures in the Eastern Continent, okay?” Mom suddenly suggested.
At that moment, my mind was still reeling from her earlier words, picturing her first encounter with Viki at that so-called funeral ceremony. I imagined their expressions, envisioned murmurs they might have shared…
Out of nowhere, she asked about the Eastern Continent, and my dazed brain suddenly struggled to catch up. “Haven’t I already told you everything about the Eastern Continent…?”
Ah.
It hit me after I spoke what she really wanted to know.
“You and The Gate of Truth…”
“What really happened with those heretics… you said you gained more powerful abilities; what kind of powers are we talking about, and how did you even get them?”
Mom cupped my face with her hands, her dreamy gaze fixed on mine.
“Tell me everything, okay?”
“Uh…”
I met her gaze.
Mom…
Suddenly, I felt an inexplicable unease wash over me.
“What’s wrong?”
After a few seconds of silence, seeing my hesitation, Mom pulled me closer, burying my face against her chest, “Is there… something you can’t talk about?”
“Well, not really…”
The familiar scent enveloped me, I took a deep breath and finally regained my composure. “It’s just… I don’t think there’s much to say… anyway, it’s all just fighting and bl**d… dead bodies and whatnot. I’m afraid if I go into too much detail, it might scare you, so—”
“I won’t be scared.”
My hesitations were quite evidently suspicious, so before I could finish, Mom cut me off.
She yawned widely, her words suddenly carried a firmness, “I’m your mother! If you don’t tell me, who else are you going to tell? Don’t keep everything bottled up inside; just spill it. It’ll be fine, right?”
She seemed dead set on hearing my “story.”
