Episode 87 – False Comfort
by Afuhfuihgs
*
Mela, with trembling hands, grabbed the doorknob and left Tess’s room.
Not only her hands, but her whole body was trembling slightly, and tears she had been holding back began to fall from her eyes.
Tess’s already weak condition had deteriorated rapidly since Jennifer’s arrest, and now she couldn’t even stand up straight.
The doctors who examined her condition shook their heads and told her to prepare herself.
Following Daniel and Rose, now Tess too.
This year, marking the 20th anniversary of the victory over the Demon King, the hero’s family, who should be celebrated more than anyone else, was being soaked in sorrow due to the repeated deaths of their children, in this monumental year that should be happier than ever.
Mela couldn’t walk more than a few steps before collapsing and sitting down on the spot.
She huddled in the mansion’s hallway, hugging her knees.
A voice, chillingly calm despite the surging emotions, flowed from Mela’s mouth.
“This is the end for us.”
Daniel and Rose’s deaths, Jennifer’s unspeakable evil deeds and death, Robin’s continued waywardness, and now Tess is dying.
Mela felt that their fate was coming to an end.
Glory, honor, happiness, all of it was collapsing in an instant, as if someone was taking it away.
The scene she had seen in Tess’s room just a moment ago was etched into Mela’s mind and wouldn’t disappear.
Tess, emaciated and gasping for breath.
Mela, recalling her own helpless self, who could only wipe her daughter’s body with a wet towel, groaned in agony as if her chest was burning.
Only her voice was calm.
The sounds that couldn’t become words allowed Mela to vomit her emotions out.
Mela’s groans soon turned into screams filled with gut-wrenching pain,
And the screams soon turned into uncontrollable sobs.
Unlike her farewell with Ed, which was so sudden that she hadn’t had time to prepare herself, this time she had been warned in advance before Tess left, but that didn’t make Mela feel any better.
Mela realized with her whole body that the pain of losing a loved one never gets easier, no matter how many times you experience it, and she collapsed on the floor of the hallway, burying her face and crying.
A rough, guttural cry that didn’t seem human echoed through the hallway.
“Madam, if you stay here like this, you’ll catch a cold.”
Several maids who heard Mela’s wails approached and placed their hands on her shoulders, speaking to her.
Even as the maids wiped Mela’s eyes with their sleeves, the uncontrollable tears continued to pour out.
“Please get up. I’ll help you.”
With the help of the maids, Mela slowly braced herself against the wall and stood up on her trembling legs.
Mela, with all the strength drained from her body, seemed to have difficulty even walking properly.
The maids soothed Mela and supported her, taking her to her room.
After the maids laid Mela on the bed, bowed their heads, and left the room, Mela buried her face in the pillow again.
Why are these things happening?
Why is this unfortunate event constantly rushing in?
Because she couldn’t even find a place to resent, Mela’s sadness and pain only grew.
It had been over a week since she had last visited the Salvia flower garden, which had been her refuge.
This was because she had resolved to stop turning a blind eye to reality and to look around her properly.
However, as soon as she made up her mind, the harshness of reality came crashing down on Mela like a razor blade and as heavily as the blade of a falling guillotine.
Mela couldn’t easily answer whether this was really a sudden occurrence, or whether there had been warning signs that she hadn’t seen.
My so kind and pitiful daughter.
The fear of losing Tess was tightening Mela’s mind every moment.
It was then.
Knock knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
Mela slowly raised her head with her face in a mess and looked at the door.
The person who knocked on the door opened it and came in without permission before Mela could even answer.
“I heard what happened. What’s wrong?”
It was Robin who came in.
It wasn’t yet time to leave work, but after the Jennifer incident, only thank-you gifts from the Imperial Palace came every day, and the soldiers were on strike, so it seemed that nothing was being done properly, and he had just left work on his own.
Mela didn’t want to show him her face, so she buried it in the pillow again.
Robin sighed through his nose, then closed the door and slowly approached, sitting on the edge of Mela’s bed.
“Is it because of Tess?”
“…”
“The doctor still has no solution?”
“…”
Mela didn’t answer any of Robin’s questions.
In fact, Mela found this whole situation absurd.
In recent days, Robin had returned to his former kind and warm self, as if he had erased from his memory the desire-filled actions he had been showing on his own.
Mela had been horrified by Robin’s evil side, but this sudden change in his attitude also seemed very strange.
She couldn’t understand why he, who had ridiculed Mela for not knowing anything and had calmly slept with the maid, and who had suddenly come to her with abusive language and violent behavior because she had reported Jennifer, was suddenly acting like this.
Robin continued to talk to Mela, who didn’t answer.
“Mela… I know how sad you are. I’ve lost Daniel and Rose too. It must be hard to bear.”
“…Eut,”
“But we haven’t lost Tess yet. Now is the time for us, her parents, to pull ourselves together.”
“!”
Mela slowly raised her head at those words.
It was so unexpected that he, who had left Dena to die, would say something so right.
Robin stroked Mela’s tear-stained face with his thumb and continued.
“Edward will be back soon.”
“Ed…ward…? Already…?”
Surprised by the news, Mela accepted Robin’s touch and replied.
Robin also gently stroked her cheeks and hair, saying.
“Yeah, he’s been recognized by the Pope and appointed as an Inquisitor. He’ll be arriving in Sioland in a few days.”
“I see… The Pope… I owe him so much…”
“Edward will be back in a few days. Let’s try to find a priest of divine power through him then. Edward was a good kid who cared a lot about Tess, so he’ll definitely help. So let’s pray that Tess can hold on until then.”
“… Okay, I understand.”
Robin’s words were so reasonable that Mela had no choice but to nod.
The news that Edward, whom she thought she wouldn’t see for a while, was returning was also very welcome, but the expectation that her son, who had been granted a position by the Pope in such a short time, might be able to find someone to help Tess also arose.
Mela was newly impressed with Robin.
Unlike herself, who had lost her mind and could only sit down and cry, Robin calmly assessed the situation and came up with the best possible answer in the current situation.
Of course, Robin’s proposal may not be the right answer, given that Tess may not last until then, and Edward may not be able to bring a priest with the divine power of healing.
However, Robin, who calmly stated a proposal that was at least understandable, certainly reminded her of him from the days when they were adventuring together.
Perhaps Robin was just under a lot of stress because of the grief of losing two children at once and the fact that Dena was Jennifer’s child born out of wedlock, and he hadn’t lost his heroic side yet, a faint hope even arose.
But Mela quickly turned her head away again.
After all, the wound she received that day was too big to forgive him yet.
Robin, who had already been ignored by Mela for several days, continued to speak.
“And… it hasn’t been officially announced yet, but there will be a small welcome party at the Imperial Palace in a few weeks. I’ve decided to attend that event too. Let’s go together then.”
“A party at the Imperial Palace… It’s not even a time when the rumors or influence caused by what Jennifer did have disappeared.”
“That’s why we need to attend even more openly. We need to prove that we have nothing to hide. Besides…”
“…?”
Robin paused for a moment, then continued with a faint smile.
“I can’t miss my son’s success.”
“…What’s that.”
Mela chuckled at those words.
Certainly, it was a success, as Edward, her beloved son, had returned with a position directly bestowed upon him by the Pope.
As a mother, she couldn’t pass by without seeing her child’s success.
Mela hoped that Edward would know a way to heal Tess’s condition.
At least so that she could enjoy the party at the Imperial Palace without any worries.
Mela glanced up at Robin’s face.
He said he was stressed because of the constant thank-you gifts, and it really seemed like he had gotten a lot more wrinkles in just a few days.
Even gray hair seemed to be peeking out from between Robin’s trademark high-saturation blonde hair.
Daniel and Rose’s deaths were certainly very sad for Mela, but Robin, as the father of those two, must have been even more so, if not less.
Even though he had shown a disappointing side, Mela wondered if she had been too harsh on Robin.
Mela herself knew better than anyone how much a person can break down when they are in extreme pain and sorrow.
Wasn’t it the same when she lost Ed in the past?
The death of her lover, Ed, had turned Mela into a madwoman and almost killed her, but Robin’s heart, who had lost him directly in front of his eyes, must have been torn to shreds as well.
Mela was ashamed of her lack of virtue as Robin’s wife.
At the same time, she envied Robin’s strong spirit, which stood up to any adversity.
Mela looked at Robin’s face and said.
“Robin… This year has been really tough… hasn’t it?”
“Yeah. It may be the Goddess’s will, but it’s too harsh.”
“How are you coping? With all of this.”
Robin’s expression darkened slightly.
He patted Mela’s hair and said.
“You saw it too. The sides of me that I didn’t want to show you. Alcohol, women. And violent behavior.”
“…”
“But I realized that none of that helps. And that if I don’t come to my senses, my precious family will have a hard time. It’s actually so obvious, but I couldn’t know it until I experienced it myself at this age. Maybe Jennifer too…”
Robin hesitated, as if he was choked up for a moment.
Mela stared at Robin’s face with sad eyes.
“Maybe if I had paid attention to Jennifer, she wouldn’t have done such terrible things… I can’t stand how pathetic I am.”
“Ah… Robin,”
“It’s my fault. All of it…”
Tears welled up in Robin’s eyes.
Mela got up and hugged Robin’s head.
“No. No, Robin. Who could have known what Jennifer would do? I didn’t know, and no one in this mansion knew.”
“…If I, if I had come to my senses…”
“How could a parent who lost their child be in their right mind? I’m the one who’s sorry. I guess I didn’t think about your position enough and pushed you too hard. I’m sorry, Robin. Really.”
Robin gently hugged Mela’s shoulders.
Mela also hugged Robin.
As if to prove their 17 years of marriage, the two bodies naturally clung together like puzzle pieces.
Robin raised his hand that was holding Mela’s shoulders, gently cupped Mela’s face, and kissed her, knocking her down onto the bed.
“Ah, Robin…”
“Mela. Now, the only family I have left is you, Edward, and Tess.”
“…That’s right… It used to be so crowded. Suddenly…”
“I won’t show you a disappointing side of me anymore. I won’t disappoint my remaining family.”
“Robin…”
“Mela, I love you.”
“…”
Mela looked at Robin’s face.
Robin’s serious face was looking down at her.
Mela felt Robin’s solid body wrap around her sorrowful heart, warming it.
Hero Party.
Even after giving up being a Saintess, that name was most of Mela’s life.
But Ed died, she lost her divine power, Lara disappeared, and Jennifer exploded with only the worst disgrace left behind.
All that was left for Mela was Robin.
Mela grabbed Robin’s clothes tightly and pulled him, as if clutching the last handful of sand.
“I love you. Mela.”
At that moment, Mela felt Robin’s hand enter her clothes.
Mela slowly closed her eyes and said.
“I, I love you too. Robin.”
Robin looked at Mela, who had her eyes tightly closed, and smiled quietly.
It wasn’t the comfortable smile he had shown just a moment ago, but a smile closer to a sneer, with one corner of his mouth pulled up.
.
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