Chapter 142: Blood is thicker than Water

“It’s been a while, Mother.”

A girl who bore Tina’s appearance gazed at Artasha as she spoke.

Or rather, was it truly accurate to say she only looked like Tina?

Perhaps the girl standing before her was, in fact, the real Tina Blanc.

“Tina… Don’t joke around.”

Artasha’s fingertips trembled. Her heart pounded erratically.

“Are you calling for me? Or…”

The girl’s voice was laced with scorn and bitterness.

“Are you calling for the child you chose over me, the one you abandoned me for?”

A sharp voice, dripping with hatred and mockery. It was eerily similar to the voice of the daughter Artasha had lost.

“Who are you?”

Artasha took a firm step back.

“You don’t believe me, do you?”

The girl looked at Artasha with sorrowful eyes and took a deep breath.

“A purple-petaled iris.”

“What…?”

“The first flower I ever gave you, Mother. Do you remember?”

Artasha’s eyes wavered violently.

“A magical teddy bear that moved according to its owner’s words. You gave it to me when I was five.”

“You… you…”

“Lemon sherbet.”

The single phrase sank sharply into Artasha’s ears.

“My favorite dessert. And… the last one you shared with Father before he passed away.”

“You… Are you really… that child?”

“You don’t even call me by my name anymore. I suppose you’ve already given it away to that imposter.”

Artasha’s trembling fingers lost all strength.

The girl before her was not the Tina she knew.

“You let Father die, and now you’ve abandoned me too?”

“Ah… My child… I…”

“Call me Tina.”

Yes. If what this girl said was true, then her name was undoubtedly Tina.

And yet… why?

No matter how much Artasha tried to speak, she couldn’t bring herself to call this girl ‘Tina.’

To her, Tina was no longer a child who looked at her with cold, scornful eyes. Tina was the child who had once gazed at her with warmth, with love.

“Mother.”

The girl called out to Artasha once more.

Artasha exhaled shakily, clutching at her chest.

The word ‘Mother‘ had always brought her joy—no matter when, no matter how many times.

So why now?

Why did it feel like she was suffocating?

After taking several deep breaths, she forced herself to look at the girl before her.

“Were… Were you safe?”

“Yes. But not because of you.”

“Then where have you been all this time—!”

“I’m in hell right now.”

“…?”

The girl took a step closer.

A deep resentment and murderous intent swirled in her eyes.

“Do you even know? That the imposter you chose over me sent me to hell? That she stole my body?”

“W-what are you talking about…?”

“Help me, Mother. I’m… I’m suffering so much right now.”

A small tear formed in the girl’s blue eyes.

Before that single drop could fall, Artasha’s heart began pounding fiercely once more.

“That person stole my body. And… the hell that they were supposed to go to—I ended up there in their place.”

The girl grasped Artasha’s hand. However, no sensation was transmitted through her fingertips.

“I can only be by your side like this, as a soul. Please… help me, Mother.”

A string of incomprehensible words poured out. Accepting them all at once made her head feel like it was about to explode.

But one thing was clear.

“You want me to help you return to your body?”

“Yes.”

The girl nodded desperately.

Artasha tightly shut her eyes, trying to calm her wildly beating heart as she struggled to organize her infinitely complex thoughts.

And when she opened them again, her face was much calmer than before.

“What must I do?”

At Artasha’s response, the girl smiled in relief.

“Thank you. Thank you so much, Mother. Maybe now… I can start to trust you again.”

The girl smiled shyly and burrowed into Artasha’s arms.

However, being without a physical form, the only thing Artasha felt was empty air.

“We have to drive out the fake’s soul. There is only one way.”

“Tell me.”

“Would you be willing to lend me your body for just a moment?”

“My body…?”

When Artasha questioned her, the girl silently nodded.

“My soul has no physical form, so I have no power. But if I could borrow your body for a short time, I could expel the imposter who has taken mine.”

“And then?”

“Once the fake is gone, I can return to my body. Then everything will go back to how it was.”

“Is there no way I can do it myself?”

“You could, Mother. But the fake will try to deceive you with shameless lies. Just like they’ve done until now. It would be better if I do it myself.”

“…Lies?”

“Did that person confess that they sent me to hell and stole my body?”

She had never heard such a thing.

The only explanation she had received was that the person had simply woken up one day in Tina Branc’s body and didn’t know where the original owner had gone.

“It was all lies. That fake did it. They sent me to hell and pretended not to know anything.”

“No, that’s not true.”

Artasha recalled Lillian’s words.

“That child is innocent. It was the demon inside them that orchestrated everything.”

“No!”

The girl’s scream shook the air.

“That fake summoned the demon and made the contract themselves!”

“You’ve all been deceived! Mother, the saintess—everyone has fallen for her mask!”

The girl’s voice grew louder and more desperate, sending a ripple through the very air around them.

“That fake wanted real parents, so they made a contract with a demon!”

Her voice trembled with fury.

“They offered up their soul in exchange for being born as a child who would be loved for a lifetime. And their target… was me.”

Artasha’s eyes wavered slightly.

“Mother… don’t you feel sorry for me, who was thrown into hell without even knowing why…?”

The girl’s tearful voice burrowed deep into Artasha’s heart.

She tried to say something, but her throat felt locked, as if she had forgotten how to speak.

With tears in her eyes, the girl whispered once more, her voice filled with desperation.

“Please, help me, Mother.”

She pleaded.

She insisted that the soul inside Tina Branc’s body must be expelled. That doing so would return everything to how it was meant to be.

“I thought about it a lot while I was in hell.”

“I think I was too immature towards my mother. I poured out my grief and resentment over losing my father onto her, even though she was completely blameless.

In truth, the one who truly cared for me was my mother.”

Artasha gazed at her in silence.

“I want to make up for my mistakes. I want to live with my mother again, just like before.”

Artasha clenched his fist quietly. He couldn’t tell how much of this was genuine and how much was a lie.

But in the end, is blood truly thicker than water? With eyes gleaming with determination, Artasha made his decision.

“…I missed you too.”

Slowly, Artasha reached out and took the girl’s hand. His hand no longer trembled.

“What do you need me to do?”

Did Artasha realize it?

The eerie, twisted grin hidden behind that pure, innocent smile.

“The collar.”

The girl gently wiped away the tears pooling in her eyes and looked up at Artasha.

“First… we need to remove the collar around her neck.”

***

Creak—

Biting down hard on my thumb, I endured my anxiety. I had bitten too hard, and blood seeped out, but I had no time to feel pain.

“We’re almost there. Hold on tight.”

Miranda’s calm voice came from behind me. I gripped the reins even tighter, following her words.

Right now, I was riding a horse with Miranda, racing towards the mansion.

The black mist that had bound my feet was gradually losing its power as time passed.

And finally, when I was able to leave my room again, I went straight to find Miranda.

“I should have realized it sooner. I’m sorry.”

I wanted to tell her it wasn’t her fault, but I didn’t have the mental capacity to do so.

The silhouette of the Blancd mansion slowly emerged in the distance.

As soon as we arrived, I rushed inside.

The knights blocked my path, but upon recognizing my face, they hesitated in shock and quickly stepped aside.

I ran across the mansion’s halls, up the long staircase, and straight toward my mother’s bedroom.

“Huff…! Huff…!“

My heart pounded as if it would burst at any moment, but I couldn’t stop.

Please, please… be safe, Mother.

Clutching onto that single desperate wish, I ran forward with all my might.

At last, I reached my mother’s room.

Throwing the door open, I saw the silhouette of a woman illuminated by the soft glow of candlelight.

“Mo—Mother!!”

At my urgent cry, she slowly turned her head.

Her blue eyes met mine.

Ah… thank goodness.

I wasn’t too late.

I was so relieved that I had made it before anything could happen to her.

“Mother…!”

Swallowing back the tears welling in my eyes, I rushed toward her.

I was about to embrace her, just like always—

But then, her fingertips lightly pushed against my forehead.

Stunned by the unexpected action, I blinked in confusion.

“M-Mother…?”

The eerie stillness in her gaze made my heart pound violently.

She watched me in silence for a long time before finally reaching out her hand.

Slowly, toward my neck.