Ch.162Heart-Pounding Mother-Son Reunion

Lacy’s words carried a strange certainty, almost like a prophecy.

Even to me, who knew she had no prophetic abilities, it felt like what she said would definitely come true.

“Prince Matthias is in danger?”

Is the 4th prince actually a villain hiding his true identity or something like that?

It does sound plausible, considering how the two churches have become politicized and half-corrupted since he went to study in the Holy State…

I don’t know the details, so I can’t be sure.

Neither Leonore nor Matthias had been mentioned much since Ernst ascended to the throne.

At least Leonore had detailed character information, but for Matthias, there was just one line: “He left to study in the Holy State to become a priest.”

Lacy nodded gravely, her expression still stern.

“Yes. If what you say is true, then being both a witch’s child and a priest of the Holy State…”

=====[Matthias Wittelsbach]=====

“It’s been five years since I returned to the capital… This place hasn’t changed much.”

Inside the Church of Saulite’s carriage crossing the capital’s main road,

Matthias shared his brief impression while looking around.

It was a somewhat inappropriate comment considering the hardship the capital had endured months ago…

But in a way, it was natural for Matthias to feel that nothing had changed.

More than half a year had passed since the great fire, and the capital’s appearance had been perfectly restored.

Of course, how the citizens’ mindsets had changed couldn’t be determined just by looking at the surface.

“You seem troubled, Father Matthias.”

Hughes, the paladin assigned to escort the carriage, responded while looking at Matthias.

The boy, with his delicate features giving him a fragile impression—one might even mistake him for a girl at first glance—had a gloomy expression on his face.

“Do I? I certainly have mixed feelings. I don’t know whether to be happy about seeing my family after five years, or to grieve over my father’s death…”

Matthias let his words trail off. He truly felt conflicted, just as he had said.

His parents hadn’t welcomed his decision to go to the Holy State.

Neither his father, who had suddenly passed away, nor his mother, who would now be in the inner palace.

‘Only Brother Ernst and Sister Leonore supported me…’

His dream of becoming a priest to help the people—only those two had encouraged him.

He had been determined to prove himself to his parents by achieving his dream…

But who would have thought he’d receive news of his father’s death right after accomplishing it?

“Follow where your heart leads you, Father. That would be Saulite’s guidance.”

Hughes scratched his beard as he comforted Matthias.

Though it was an awkward attempt at consolation, the sentiment seemed to reach Matthias, who smiled faintly.

“I hope so… Thank you, Paladin Hughes. I feel a little lighter now.”

“It’s an honor.”

Hughes bowed his head slightly and made the sign of the Church of Saulite.

Not the cross of Elpinel, but the symbol of Saulite—two semicircles.

Matthias responded with the same gesture and ended the conversation there.

It was almost time to arrive.

In the distance, the imperial palace gleamed in the moonlight, its radiance unchanged from before.

—-

“Welcome, Matthias. My dear son, it’s been so long. Didn’t you miss your mother at all?”

Despite Matthias’s nervousness, Isabella welcomed him with surprising warmth after five years apart.

Unknown to him, she had even tidied up her chambers—which had been decadently chaotic when Ernst visited—to receive him.

Empress Isabella greeted Matthias wearing a neat black dress.

There was no mind-altering drug-laced smoke, no naked attendants.

It was a pretense that would have earned sneers from Ernst or Leonore…

But Matthias, who had been away from the palace since childhood, felt no dissonance.

He was simply amazed that his mother hadn’t changed at all despite the years that had passed.

“I apologize. I was so focused on being ordained as a priest… I’ve come too late.”

“It’s fine as long as you’ve come now. Raise your head. I want to see your face.”

Matthias raised his head and met his mother’s eyes.

Her bewitching gaze met his clear eyes that resembled dahlia petals.

Surprisingly, Isabella smiled affectionately.

Those who knew her well would have been suspicious, but to Matthias, it appeared to be a loving expression.

“Yes… you’ve grown up wonderfully, Matthias. You became a priest of the Church of Saulite, didn’t you? I was worried, but now I’m proud of you. Come here. Let me embrace you after all this time.”

“Ah… Yes, Mother.”

Matthias approached Isabella, somewhat bewildered.

Embracing a beautiful woman would normally be something a priest should avoid, but when that person was his mother, it was entirely different.

It was merely an expression of affection between mother and son.

Being over fifteen years old now, he felt some embarrassment and resistance to being held in his mother’s arms.

However, his guilt for not visiting his mother for five years and his joy that she had finally acknowledged his dream were greater, so Matthias willingly embraced Isabella without refusal.

“Yes, Matthias. My proud son… you’ve grown up so well.”

“Mother…”

His mother’s embrace after five years felt warm.

Matthias unknowingly smiled like a child.

Overwhelmed with emotion, feeling that his years of effort had finally been rewarded.

“You’ve grown… so well.”

Isabella smiled too. Her lips stretched to her ears.

Finally, her second harvest had arrived.

“Farewell.”

Isabella’s right hand pierced through Matthias’s chest.

“Wh…? Mo-ther? Uh…?”

Unable to believe what was happening, Matthias stared blankly at his chest, too shocked to feel pain.

His mother’s arm, tearing through his priest’s robe, was becoming stained red with his blood.

The symbol of Saulite broke and fell to the floor with a sharp metallic sound.

At that moment, an unimaginable pain surged from his chest.

Like molten lava poured into his heart, a searing pain that made his limbs tremble.

“Ugh, aah-mmph…!”

Isabella’s left hand covered his mouth as he tried to scream.

“Shh… It’s late at night. You must be quiet, Matthias.”

His mother was grinning from ear to ear.

Her purple eyes, glowing with ecstasy, shone brightly, and black dark mana leaked from her mouth, which revealed her fangs.

‘A wi-tch…!’

Knowledge he had learned in the Holy State flashed through Matthias’s mind.

A realization that came too late.

Feelings of betrayal and despair washed over him like dark clouds.

“To help your mother so diligently, I’m happy, Matthias. Be proud. You not only achieved your dream but also fulfilled mine.”

Just as Matthias gritted his teeth and tried to summon holy power, Isabella roughly pulled out her right hand.

“…! ……!!”

His scream was stifled. Red paint soaked the wall.

In Isabella’s right hand, dripping with blood, was her son’s heart.

Matthias convulsed, his eyes rolling back.

A fatal wound before he could use the holy power he had desperately gathered.

He had lost both the means to counterattack and the means to survive.

Looking at his own heart pulsating and spurting blood, Matthias felt his consciousness scattering.

“You may not go to Saulite’s side… but you won’t be lonely. Josef is waiting for you.”

The final words of his mother—no, the witch—didn’t reach Matthias’s ears.

The young priest fell forward lifelessly.

Embracing her son’s corpse and stroking the back of his head, Isabella quietly sang a lullaby.

Just like in the old days.

On the pool of blood Matthias had shed, only the broken holy symbol floated pitifully.

=======[Haschal]=======

“—which means he’s nothing more than prey.”

Lacy’s words contained concerns opposite to what I had expected.

Not that Matthias was dangerous, but that Matthias himself was in danger.

“…Prey?”

“Yes. A priest filled with holy power. Moreover, his own relative and a direct imperial bloodline… he would be an immensely valuable sacrifice to offer to an evil god.”

“You’re saying the Empress will kill Matthias…? But that would be political suicide!”

Nominally at least, Matthias serves as a bridge connecting the Holy State and the Imperial House.

If such a prince suddenly died after meeting the Empress, wouldn’t it just weaken the church’s support?

It wouldn’t be easy to handle it as a disappearance like with Josef.

People might accept “Yes, he’s missing. How tragic” once, but not twice.

“It’s meaningless to judge a witch’s actions by human standards. Their highest priority is following the evil god’s commands. That is, if Empress Isabella truly is a witch.”

“So, should we somehow prevent Matthias from meeting Isabella?”

“…I’m not sure if it’s possible. Without evidence, I can’t think of a way to stop a boy who’s lost his father from visiting his mother. Still, we have to try.”

Indeed, without mentioning the witch part, there’s no way to convince him.

We can’t ask a saint candidate to lie to detain someone, nor can we forcibly hold a person who is both an imperial prince and a priest of the Holy State.

Still, if we leave him be, he’ll certainly lose his life, so we have to do something.

“…Though it might already be too late.”

Lacy turned her head to look toward the imperial palace.