Episode 118 – Bang! Bang!
by Afuhfuihgs
*
Gaetan, the butler of the Boldiras mansion, cautiously approached Edward, who was walking down the hallway, and spoke to him.
“Excuse me… Edward-nim.”
“Gaetan, what is it?”
“Well, I heard that the Count-nim will be returning to the mansion soon.”
“Ah, that’s great.”
There wasn’t a single person in the Boldiras mansion who didn’t know that Edward was showing a hostile attitude towards his father, Robin, by now.
Even when Tess tried to stop him, Edward adamantly shook his head and refused.
He could understand a thousand times over why he wouldn’t look kindly upon Dena, who carried the secret of Jennifer’s affair, but leaving a girl who had grown up like family for seven years to die was too heartless.
Moreover, for Edward, a priest who engraved in his body the teachings that he should always strive for good and cultivate himself, Robin’s actions were a disgusting evil just to witness.
No matter how much his mother, Mella, embraced, forgave, and loved Robin, that was just her choice; Edward never changed his mind about Robin.
And he didn’t even try to hide that attitude.
For Edward to say “that’s great” upon hearing the news of Robin’s return was such an unexpected reaction that Gaetan was startled and asked again.
“What do you mean… Ah, yes. Of course, it’s a good thing, but do you really think so…?”
“Yes, Tess and I are about to head out.”
At Edward’s answer, Gaetan nodded, thinking, “Well, that’s more like it.”
“Ah…”
“The Count-nim probably doesn’t want to see my face either, so it’s a win-win. I should hurry and get ready to go out.”
Edward tried to hurry his steps, but at that moment, Gaetan called out to him.
Edward slightly twitched his eyebrows and looked at Gaetan.
Edward, who didn’t want to be rude to the old butler he had known since childhood, desperately hoped that he wouldn’t spout some bullshit about reconciling with Robin.
Gaetan twitched his neatly curled mustache a few times and then carefully opened his mouth as if he were ashamed.
“Excuse me, Edward-nim.”
“…Ha, go ahead. What is it?”
“Well, I’m sorry, but could you possibly tell the Countess-buin this news?”
“To mother?”
Gaetan nodded and continued with a worried voice.
“The Countess-buin has been very disturbed these past few days. Perhaps if she hears that the Count-nim is returning, she might feel a little better.”
“Disturbed, huh… Ha, that’s quite the gentle expression.”
Edward said with a hollow laugh.
As he said, Mella’s recent appearance was too much to be defined by the mild word “disturbed.”
Of course, Edward fully understood Gaetan’s desire not to disgrace the mistress of the family he served, but to Edward, who had seen Mella’s truly bleak appearance, engulfed in chaos and despair and driven mad, Gaetan’s attitude seemed like an attempt to hush up and downplay the situation.
That attitude reminded him of Robin, who had tried to let Dena die to hide the fact that undead had appeared in the mansion, so Edward frowned as if displeased and snapped.
“Why are you asking me? Do it yourself.”
At Edward’s cold attitude, Gaetan sweated and replied.
“Well… the truth is, no servant, male or female, can get close to the Countess-buin’s room… If they even sense a presence near the door…”
“…Okay, you don’t have to say any more.”
Edward sighed.
The sight of Mella standing with her body covered in dirt and her hands and feet covered in blood yesterday morning was a terribly bizarre and terrifying sight even for Edward, who had directly witnessed Jennifer’s horrific crime scene.
For the servants of the mansion, the difference between Mella, who had always shown the most gentle and soft impression and kind attitude among Robin’s three wives, was so clear and distinct that her madness must have felt even more vivid.
It was only natural that everyone was worried about Mella and afraid of her at the same time.
Besides, what could they do when she screamed like crazy and had a fit even if someone mustered the courage to approach her?
“Edward-nim is her son, after all, so it might be a little better.”
“Why don’t you just wait until father… no, Count Boldiras arrives?”
“Please don’t do that…”
“Ha… Okay, I understand.”
Edward pressed his temples with his index fingers and sighed.
It seemed that the only person who could help Mella now was her husband, Robin, no matter how much Edward hated him.
“Really, there’s been no end to bad things this year.”
Edward had thought that the unfortunate events that started with the deaths of Daniel and Rose were now over.
After going through several difficult times, now that Jennifer had been arrested, Dena was being protected, he had been appointed as an Inquisitor, and even Tess was recovering, he thought that only good things would happen from now on, but that was just wishful thinking.
Baron Salvie’s anger, Robin’s arrest, Mella’s madness.
As if collecting overdue debts, misfortunes came one after another, and a gloomy atmosphere gradually engulfed the mansion.
Of course, he was worried about Mella, but even more than that, Edward didn’t want to run into Robin, so he thought of Tess, who was getting ready to go out, and hurried to Mella’s room to deliver the news.
*
“Huh, eugh, hheuk, hueok, heok”
Mella’s mind, which had begun to crumble at the fact that she was carrying Robin’s third child, completely broke down the moment she realized she had lost Ed’s coin forever.
Even though it was natural that she wouldn’t feel anything since it was still early in the pregnancy, Mella was clearly feeling something unpleasant growing inside her womb, sucking on her flesh and blood.
It must have been close to a phantom pain, but for Mella, who was so out of her mind that she wouldn’t even care if all her fingernails fell out, there was no pain that felt more vivid than this.
Mella’s hair, who was lying in bed and breathing roughly, was turning white day by day.
The tremendous stress that was strangling her was leaving its mark not only on her hair but on her entire body.
Mella’s eyes had become hollow and sunken, with dark shadows underneath, and tears were constantly flowing from them.
Her heart was pounding incessantly and wouldn’t calm down, and her breathing was completely disorganized, as if something was squeezing her lungs tightly, making it difficult to breathe, and then suddenly oxygen would rush in and she would pant.
Her head was also confused, and Mella was unable to be certain of anything, whether she was sleeping, awake, had fainted and when she had opened her eyes, or whether she was still fainting.
But Mella did not reject that confusion.
Rather, that confused state was everything Mella wanted now.
She didn’t want to wake up from the dream.
Because in the dream, Ed comforted Mella.
Mella’s pupils, which had lost all light, were reflecting the illusion of Ed, who couldn’t possibly be there.
Mella felt the moisture of the teardrops flowing over her parched lips and said.
“Ed, Ed… I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
Of course, Mella knew that all of this was a false illusion stemming from her own desires.
She knew all too well that Ed couldn’t actually be by her side, so it might be a little funny to say, but the face of Ed standing next to the lying Mella was too high, and she couldn’t see his expression.
In the illusion, Ed silently raised his hand and stroked Mella’s cheeks and tear-soaked hair.
“Ed… you know… really, eugh,”
Mella covered her mouth and squeezed her throat tightly.
She almost said “I love you” from her mouth.
Shameless bitch,
How dare she say “I love you” to him?
Even if it was in an illusion, even if it was a dream she was having, Mella knew very well that she had no right to say such words to Ed.
As she covered her already unstable breathing with her own hands, Ed in front of her disappeared in an instant.
Mella, lying alone in her dark room, gripped her throat even tighter.
If her fingernails hadn’t all fallen out, she would have torn at her own neck with them.
‘If you feel sorry for me, never die. That’s your atonement.’
“Hheut!”
Mella hurriedly took her hand off her throat.
It was clearly written on the note Ed had left, but for some reason, Mella felt as if she was hearing Ed’s voice speaking in her ear.
Mella coughed dryly and gasped for breath.
As much as that cough was dry, tears as dry as blood fell in drops.
Ed’s appearance, Ed’s voice, Ed’s gestures, Ed’s scent.
All the things that she had once been so tormented to gradually forget were now vividly revived in Mella’s mind, but this time, all the revived traces of Ed were constantly tormenting Mella.
“It’s my fault… I, I did everything wrong. It’s my fault.”
Why,
Why did it turn out like this?
Why is the Goddess inflicting this pain on me?
What did I do wrong?
Why did my and Ed’s fate become so twisted?
Mella sank into self-torment that seemed to constantly burn her heart, without being able to find a direction for regret or resentment.
And at that moment, a voice was heard.
Knock knock.
“Mother. Are you awake?”
“…”
Her son.
The son she bore with the seed of her enemy and named after him.
It was Edward.
“…Hheuk, hueot, keueugh,”
Mella’s breathing began to roughen again.
She knows.
That he is innocent, that he has grown up to be a kind child beyond her expectations, that she has no justification to vent her anger on him.
Mella knew all of this, but she felt a resentment and anger rising up as if putting her whole body in a heated pot and boiling it.
“Keup.”
Mella bit her lip as hard as she could.
Even though she knew he was innocent, she felt that the moment she opened her mouth, she would pour out words of curse filled with sharply honed resentment and sorrow.
After meeting Ed a few days ago and realizing she was pregnant that day, Mella deeply regretted the unspeakable words she had poured out at him as he looked at her with concern.
Ed alone was already the limit, but her ugly appearance even added guilt towards her son, and Mella suffered from terrible self-hatred.
They were words that should never have been said to a kind-hearted son who had made every effort he could for his family.
Mella bit her lip and covered her mouth with both hands.
“I know you’re awake. I heard you talking to yourself.”
“…”
“…Haa, Mother. Can’t you tell me why you’re doing this?”
“…”
“…”
“…”
After a long silence, Edward spoke calmly, trying to hide his gloomy voice.
“Today, Count Robin Boldiras is returning home.”
“…!”
“…I wish even that kind of person could help you. It seems I’m not enough… I’m going to go in now because I have a promise with Tess. Mother.”
“…”
“…I hope you’ll fill your stomach even a little bit when you feel a little better. I’ll tell the kitchen to make porridge.”
As Edward’s footsteps, filled with complicated emotions, slowly faded away, Mella slowly took her hands off her mouth.
Mella once again felt that her beloved son had truly grown up in a way that lived up to his name.
Just as Ed had done, it seemed that Edward was filling Mella’s shortcomings.
Mella once again realized how foolish she was.
You sick bitch, you disabled bitch living with a deficient brain,
Mella relentlessly poured out curses at herself that she had never uttered in her life.
The reason for all this, her sin, Ed’s enemy, the culprit who separated me and Ed.
The answer to all of that was one, or rather, one person.
The light had returned to Mella’s pupils, which had been out of focus.
The helpless depression that had filled her eyes was gradually fading away.
And something new began to fill those eyes.
Betrayal.
Resentment and hatred.
Anger and murderous intent at a level that was impossible to imagine from someone who had once been a saint.
“Robin.”
Mella got out of bed, slowly got up, and began to look around.
After wandering around for a while looking for something, Mella’s gaze soon stopped on the desk.
On the desk was a plate with rotten fruit, and next to it was a blunt paring knife.
“No, this won’t do.”
He’s a hero.
Even if she aimed for when he was off guard, the chances of succeeding with such a toy-like blade were slim.
Mella slowly began to search her room.
Something certain.
An object that could definitely kill a person.
But unfortunately, there was nothing in Mella’s room that could be used as a weapon.
If there had been such a thing in the first place, Mella would most likely not be alive now.
If there had been a weapon, Mella would surely not have been able to overcome the urge to die.
Finally, Mella looked through the closet and slowly moved her feet.
Was the mace she used during her hero party days in the warehouse?
How much time was left until Robin arrived?
Mella’s heart began to race.
Her hands were so sweaty that the doorknob was too slippery to turn.
“Damn it, open…!”
Kkireuk, Mella barely turned the doorknob and slowly pulled the door.
Kung!
But the door was pushed shut again by a strong force.
Mella widened her eyes in confusion at the incomprehensible phenomenon.
There was no one in this room, but it felt as if someone had forcibly slammed the door shut.
Mella grabbed the doorknob and pulled it again to open the door once more.
Kwang!
The door was pushed shut again by something.
Mella was startled and examined the door closely.
There were two slightly dented marks on the door, as if something hard like a ball had hit it.
“W, what is this…?”
Mella looked at the floor.
It was dark and hard to see, but upon closer inspection, she saw two arrows with cork tips lying on the floor.
It was clear that every time Mella tried to open the door, these had flown in from somewhere and closed the door again.
Mella blankly picked up the arrows in an incomprehensible situation.
At that moment, a familiar voice was heard from behind Mella.
“Stop with the nonsense. Mella.”
A cold wind began to blow into Mella’s room as if the window had been opened.
.
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