Chapter 26: Idle Talk – Matilda’s Emptiness

Matilda was born as the first child of a merchant in the Silverheart Domain.

Her father conducted small-scale trading based in the domain, while her mother was an ordinary woman from the countryside with a longing for the city.

However, it seemed that her mother’s disdain for rural life went beyond the norm.

As part of the trading activities, her father occasionally visited the city, and her mother, who could sense the urban atmosphere, probably married him for that reason.

Driven by a strong upward ambition, her mother imbued Matilda with the gunner magic core, a custom of the western region, which is the birthplace of the current monarch. Despite the convention of the northern region having a cavalry-type style, with the rider mage core being usually housed in the left hand.

Her mother said to Matilda, “Never choose a man from the northern region. If you marry, it should be a man from the west. That’s why I enabled you to harbor the gunner magic core.”

For a while, they lived within the domain, but when Matilda turned eight years old, they moved to the capital city, Barondia, at her mother’s strong request.

Her mother’s mood visibly improved, and after arriving in the capital city, Matilda’s younger sister and brother were born in succession, despite the age gap.

However, life was not easy.

Her father, who had to change their livelihood foundation and start over, ended up working from morning till night.

As a result, Matilda, who was in her playful age, was assigned to assist her mother and take care of her younger siblings.

Even so, she never uttered a single complaint.

She was never good at expressing emotions in the first place.

Her mother said to Matilda, “A woman needs to be more charming. Men like that kind of woman. Also, don’t keep your thoughts to yourself. A woman who can’t be understood is not popular.”

After her youngest brother was born, it became noticeable that her mother would spend days without returning home.

Consequently, all the childcare and housework fell upon Matilda’s shoulders.

Contrary to Matilda, who was occupied with household chores and childcare, her mother’s appearance became increasingly flashy, and her outings became more frequent.

Her mother said to Matilda, “Dress more stylishly. You have the plain face of your father, so you won’t be able to catch a good man.”

However, Matilda couldn’t help but wonder where she could get the money to buy such clothes.

In proportion to the frequency of her outings, her mother began to shout at Matilda, her younger siblings, and the number of times she scolded them increased.

Furthermore, her mother became emotionally unstable. If she raised her hand, she would immediately apologize while crying.

Although she originally had a spirited personality, it seemed as if she had completely changed.

Wanting to know the reason behind her mother’s transformation and wishing for things to return to how they were before, Matilda went around asking various people about the reasons why people change.

It was also during this time that she heard that magical artifacts can change people.

However, they were originally living in poverty.

Her mother didn’t have access to magical artifacts that only nobles could possess, so Matilda remained unaware of the reason behind her mother’s drastic change.

Still, Matilda didn’t express her anxieties.

She believed that someday things would go back to how they used to be.

However, that young girl’s wish was shattered easily.

When the smell of tobacco began to frequent from the mouth of my non-smoking mother, she finally stopped coming home. She left behind my father and me, and she left the house.

Matilda regretted it.

Why didn’t she communicate her anxieties to her mother?

“I feel lonely,” “I want to be spoiled,” “Look at me more,” “Don’t abandon me.”

Since then, Matilda resolved to voice her anxieties.

Together with her despondent father, she returned to the Silverheart Territory and started working as a maid at the age of 13 to support the household.

Her experience in household chores and her magical abilities turned out to be fortunate.

The household chores experience and magic core given by her mother unexpectedly proved useful in unexpected places.

Commoners should not become maids or the like.

They are always bullied by those from noble backgrounds and treated poorly by their masters.

Having heard such rumors constantly in the capital, Matilda timidly entered the gates of the Dragon family.

However, the couple from the Dragon family welcomed Matilda kindly. It would not be an exaggeration to say they treated her like family.

Matilda, who was still a young girl, couldn’t help but see traces of her hardworking father and vanished mother in them.

—I hope the two of them find happiness.

During that time, the couple had a child.

Not Lucius, but their first child.

That child died during the “Rite of Magic Bestowal.”

Their despair was unbearable to witness.

—What can I do?

She began to think only about not causing sadness to the two people who had taken care of her.

And then, the next child was conceived in Emily’s womb.

The newborn baby was named Lucius.

Since losing their first child, the heavy atmosphere that had hung over the mansion seemed to dissipate with Lucius’s cries.

However, Matilda continued to carry an unshakeable anxiety.

On the day of the “Rite of Magic Bestowal.”

The anxiety became a reality.

When they tried to bestow magical power, Lucius’s heart stopped.

The couple and Matilda were left in a daze.

They never thought they would lose two children in succession, but the worst-case scenario had occurred.

At that moment, the magic artifact they had borrowed from Lord Strauss as a protective charm suddenly shattered.

As the magic artifact turned to dust, Lucius revived.

Amidst Emily’s crying, the ceremony continued and ended safely.

—Thank goodness. The two of them are smiling.

Their relief was short-lived, as Lucius’s behavior became strange.

The child who had been crying so much suddenly started looking around with a puzzled expression.

—It’s like he’s a different person.

Matilda’s mind conjured up the face of her mother, who had abandoned her.

Magic artifacts can change people.

She couldn’t forget the rumors she had once heard.

As Lucius grew older, it became more evident.

From around the age of three, Lucius displayed behaviors that made people think he was more of an adult than a child.

Every time she saw him like that, she continued to carry an unshakable anxiety.

—Someday, will Lord Lucius abandon the master, his wife, and me and disappear somewhere?

With that thought in mind, every move and action of Lucius becomes a concern, causing Matilda to unintentionally keep a close watch.

However, contrary to Matilda’s anxieties, Lucius grows taller and more admirable as time passes. Especially after being attacked by goblins on the way back from an appraisal ritual, his progress was remarkable.

One day, Lucius was in a state of panic since early morning.

“Lord Lucius, where are you going so early in the morning?”

“Olivia went to the forest alone! I have to bring her back quickly!”

While Matilda was in a state of confusion, heading towards Emily’s sleeping quarters inside the mansion, Lucius left the house alone.

—I have a bad feeling about this.

Unable to stay put, Matilda quickly relayed the situation to a drowsy-eyed Emily and immediately followed after Lucius.

—Please don’t disappear.

Suppressing her fear, she stepped into the forest.

She felt the presence of monsters all around.

Yet she continued deeper into the forest, driven by her fear that Lucius might vanish.

She called out her fairy repeatedly, making it search for Lucius.

Fairies were naturally skilled in perception magic, but they were the lowest rank. Their range of perception was short, and they couldn’t detect higher-level monsters.

Amidst her fear, she finally found Lucius together with Olivia.

—I have to bring him back quickly.

Contrary to her sense of urgency, they seemed to be unable to reach the village or the mansion no matter how much they walked.

—No matter what happens, it must be only Lord Lucius.

But eventually, they were attacked by an immensely powerful monster they had never seen before.

Peruda, Griffon, and a dragon that she thought only existed in fairy tales.

She thought it was hopeless.

And she regretted that she couldn’t repay her debts.

“I’m sorry… I couldn’t bring you back.”

When she resigned herself to death, that’s when Lucius intervened.

“Why won’t you run away? Why won’t you return to your parents?” Matilda felt a sensation close to anger.

A duel ensued between Lucius and the dragon.

Despite being struck and swept away by its tail, and even being subjected to its fiery breath, Lucius stood strong.

He had not given up.

The sight of that small baby she had changed diapers for so many times fighting against a dragon was an unbelievable spectacle.

Each of his actions was completely different from the mother who had abandoned her.

—Ah, Lord Lucius would never abandon everyone.

That thought genuinely reassured her.

To Matilda, it was more important than him having four magic cores or commanding a dragon.

Lucius would never abandon his family and disappear.

She no longer needed to keep watch; everything would surely be fine.

While feeling relieved, she also felt an indescribable sense of emptiness.

It was a sensation as if a hole had opened up in her chest.

—

On a cheerful day.

“Madam, the meal is ready.”

“Oh, Matilda, thank you. I wish I could help with cooking too,” Emily replied while rubbing her growing belly.

“No, I can handle it on my own. Please take care of yourself for now.”

“Let’s cook together again sometime.”

“…I’ll be fine on my own. I’m used to doing household chores.”

“Matilda, do you no longer want to eat the food I make? It’s lonely,” Emily said with a smile.

“…I would like to have it again.”

“Hehe, I knew it.”

Emily’s smile made Matilda feel anxious once again.

She worried that this smile might disappear as well.

“…Will the next child grow up healthy?”

Her anxiety slipped out of her mouth once more.

She suddenly realized what she said and instinctively covered her mouth.

“Try touching my belly.”

Emily said as she embraced Matilda.

Matilda gently placed her hand on Emily’s belly.

“You can feel it moving, right? This child will be fine too. They will grow up safely.”

She felt the warmth of the baby’s movement in her hand.

“I want them to grow up healthy. I may not understand a mother’s feelings, but that’s truly what I wish for.”

Her words were sincere and genuine.

While still holding Matilda in her arms, Emily gently stroked her head.

“Matilda, you’ll find a good person soon too.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Yes, without a doubt. Because you are such a kind child. You’ve always been concerned about Lucius, and I thank you for that. He will surely be fine now.”

“…Yeah.”

Matilda shed tears in Emily’s embrace.

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