Chapter Side Story 7.4: Side Story 7.4

Side Story 7 . 4: The Beginning of All Stories

THE BEGINNING OF ALL STORIES(4)

The child grew rapidly every day . He sat, crawled, walked and soon started running . He spoke and learned to write . Cael taught the child everything he knew without reserve . The bright child absorbed Cael’s teachings and grew up, going from a little boy to a young man .

Around the child’s 16th birthday, the people Evangeline’s husband’s family sent looking for her, had searched everywhere and even entered the devil’s forest . Her father-in-law, whom she thought to be dead, was alive . He retained his life but one of his arm and leg was cut off, so he was unable to move around properly . Her father-in-law was looking for the only remaining bloodline of his dead son .

People who entered the devil’s forest normally got obstructed by the barrier so they would be endlessly lost, collapse from exhaustion and starved to death . Cael usually didn’t care what happened to the people who entered the forest and left them to their devices but knowing they were looking for Evangeline, he opened the barrier . And he erased traces of himself in order not to appear before them .

“Ahh! Milady . So you were safe . The young master is so grown-up!”

The vassals who had gone to search for their madam and young master by their lord’s order, were thrilled to see Baden . Baden, who had just grown out his adolescence, looked so much like his late father and grandfather that there was no doubt to be made .

“You must have suffered so much . Come with us, Milady . You must be rewarded for your hard work and troubles in raising the young master . The young master will inherit everything from the lord in the future and he’ll become the master of the family . ”

Although she was thanking them for finding her, inwardly, Evangeline couldn’t be happy . Why did he let these people in? She momentarily resented him, then she heaped curses at herself .

‘Wow, you must be so thick-faced . You don’t even have any shame . You’ve lived in his care so long, how much longer are you going to trouble him?’

Cael didn’t even appear before Evangeline . After flipping through the mansion for a few days, looking for him, the tired Evangeline cried at the empty air .

“I’ll leave, Cael-nim . Just let me say goodbye for the last time . Please . ”

However, Cael never showed up at the end .

* * *

Cael watched from afar as the group of people left with Evangeline and Baden in their midst . He did not even let her say her last goodbye . But it wasn’t because he was worried that her heart would waver, but because he feared he would hold onto to her and not let go .

‘Our times are different, Evangeline . ’

He was living in a different flow of time . He would remain as he was even if hundreds of years pass but she would grow old and die someday .

The incoming future filled Cael with dread . He had no confidence in being able to watch her die . He chose to run away from his fear .

* * *

“Mother . ”

At that voice, Evangeline, who had been blankly staring out the window from her spot on the bed, turned her head . Seeing her son with his wife, she smiled faintly .

“When did you come in?”

“What were you thinking about that you didn’t even notice us come in?”

“When you get old, you tend to think a lot . I know you must be busy, there’s no need to go out of your way to greet me in the morning . ”

“No, mother . I should greet you even when you’re at home . And, I have good news today . ”

The mansion that his mother lived in as a child was put up for sale, so Baden had purchased it . His mother’s family had already collapsed and scattered without a trace, but he felt his mother missed her hometown sometimes . So he arranged it as a gift for his mother .

“That house…?”

His mother’s pale face brightened up for a change . Baden was happy to see that his thinking was on the right track .

“Yes . It’s very old, so it has to be renovated . Would you like to go see it after the renovations?”

“Sure, that would be nice . ”

After leaving his mother’s room, Baden sighed heavily and spoke to his wife .

“When my mother goes to her hometown, I would like for us to go along and be with her for the time being . ”

“Okay . I will arrange for that . ”

Baden could vaguely sense that his mother was not just missing her hometown .

‘Godfather . ’

His mother had continued to long for that person . He wasn’t aware as a child but when he thought about it now, his mother sometimes stared into the distance with sadness in her eyes . He felt like now, he knew who was beyond that gaze .

* * *

Cael was sitting in a daze . Normally, he looked like he wasn’t doing anything to an outside eye, but he would be creating and destroying a boundless world repeatedly in his mind . However, nowadays, he increasingly just sat absentmindedly, not thinking about anything . That is, ever since Evangeline and Baden left .

Suddenly, he flinched in surprise and sprang to his feet . The sensation of the intruder touching his barrier was familiar to him . He thoughtlessly ran outside .

“Godfather . ”

The young man had become a grown man . Having inherited Evangeline’s blood, Baden was also not affected by the barrier . Cael blankly gazed at Baden, and at the slender woman Baden was holding .

“We haven’t seen in a long time . You’re still as I remember . ”

“…Baden . ”

“I’m here to ask a favor for my mother . ”

Cael stared at Evangeline, the woman in Baden’s arms . Her appearance had changed due to age, but he recognized her in one glance .

“She’s in a deep sleep . I guess mother will probably be angry when she wakes up . After all, I didn’t ask her wishes and brought her here on my own . ”

“…Go back . ”

“My mother doesn’t have much time left . ”

Cael, who was turning around, froze on the spot .

“Mother was poisoned . I’ve looked into every means, but we’ve already gone through every step possible . The poison Mother took has unique ingredients, so when the poison attacks, she falls into a deep sleep . According to the doctor, she will eventually fall asleep one day and never wake up . ”

“…”

“The poison attacked a few days ago and mother woke up after two days . The doctor said the next poison attack would be the last . Godfather . My mother’s last moments…I hope you can be with her . ”

His godfather’s expression was indifferent, and he stood there, not saying anything, but Baden thought his godfather looked very heart-broken .

‘She’ll be angry, for sure . ’

Even the big buffed men in the family were desperate to rouse his thin mother’s spirits . She was a woman who was called ‘the Iron Lady’, and someone who raised the family with her own two hands . Once she learnt of this, his mother would probably slap the cheeks of her shameful son who made such a decision on his own .

‘That’s why, mother, I’m running away because I’m scared you’ll beat me up . ’

Baden wasn’t sure if his decision was really for his mother . His mother held a desperate longing for his godfather in her heart, but she gave up on meeting him a long time ago . After she was poisoned and knew the end was approaching, she seemed to have given up completely .

But despite that, he couldn’t help but do this . Even though he knew it was cruel to both his mother and his godfather, Baden made a selfish decision for his own sake . He felt like if he didn’t do this, he would beat his chest in regret when his mother passed away . So he secretly put sleeping pills in his mother’s tea . He got the doctor’s advice and adjusted the amount so that it wouldn’t harm his mother .

Baden put his mother in his godfather’s arms . It was closer to forcing her into his arms, but his godfather didn’t shake him off and merely took his mother into his embrace, like she was a treasure .

As this was probably the last time he would see the two of them like this in his life, Baden memorized the sight, then he turned around .