The Villainous Son Loves His Mother - Chapter 2

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Born into House Eldenbloom, I was noticed by Damian of Duke Aster’s House at the age of sixteen and married him.
It was a political marriage.
Damian claimed my magical power was of exceptional quality.
There was no love between us. For two years, I was merely used to bear children.
It’s not as if I had no thoughts at all about being treated that way.
On the contrary, I felt a strong resentment.
However, neither House Eldenbloom nor I could possibly defy House Aster.
But everything changed after Hein was born.
My son, Hein, was extraordinary from birth.
The magical power contained within his tiny body was immense, and Damian, my husband and the Head of House Aster, glared at the infant Hein as if he were a sworn enemy.
Yet Damian’s hostile gaze paled in comparison to that look in Hein’s eyes.
Those were the eyes of a born conqueror, arrogant eyes that took it for granted that every being in this world should bow before him.

“Kill him. That child will bring great calamity,”

Damien’s words made me tremble.
Looking back, I realized Damian must have been terrified of Hein.
To be honest, I was afraid of Hein, too.
Even as a newborn, Hein’s eyes already held a glint of arrogant contempt for others.
What kind of person would this child become when he grew up, with such innate magical power? I almost nodded in agreement with Damian’s words.
But then, I suddenly became aware of Hein’s warmth against my skin.
No matter how much calamity he might harbor within him, Hein was still my child.
I understood Damian’s concerns.
This child was incredibly dangerous.
He might become a demon whose name would be etched in history.
I could sense such a malevolent and powerful force.
Yet he was still my child.
Damian, his father, felt no love for Hein.
If I, his mother, didn’t love him, who would? That’s why I said:

“I refuse, my lord.”

“What did you say, Helga?”

Damian glared at me.
I had never defied Damian before.
I had never even considered it.
But at that moment, I resolved to protect Hein, even if it meant dying right there.

“…Very well. I’ll inform House Eldenbloom that you died in childbirth.”

As soon as he spoke, Damian conjured four spheres of white-hot flames.
He had casually decided to kill me, but I still refused to back down.
As a member of House Eldenbloom, I was no novice when it came to magic.
I cast protective spells on myself and Hein.

“…As the mother of one who carries my bl00d, you weren’t a bad choice as a vessel. The quality of your magic must be high. No matter how much of it there is, you can’t make fine cuisine with rotten water. But that turned out far too well. I’ll ask you one last time. You truly have no intention of handing it over, do you?”

“None whatsoever. If you won’t love Hein, I will. Hein is my son.”

“I see. A pity.”

Damian said this and raised his arm—

.

.

.

Please, God, I closed my eyes and poured my magical power into the protective magic with a prayerful feeling, but deep down, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to prevent it for even a moment.
The difference in power between Damian, the Head of Duke Aster’s House, and myself, a mere daughter of a Count’s House, was immeasurable.
Yet I was perplexed that the moment of destruction I expected had not yet arrived.
Had Damian changed his mind?
No, impossible.
I mustered the courage to look at Damian. His hands and feet were twisted and contorted.

“Guh… N-No… You bastard…!”

I looked and saw Hein pointing his small palm at Damien and laughing.

“My barrier can’t be destroyed so easily… No! I-I see, you can put magic directly into the barrier! Ugh… ugh! Kill him, Helga! Kill him! Otherwise, the Empire…”

With each gradual clench of Hein’s palm, Damian shrank further.
Cracking and squelching sounds echoed as Damian’s body diminished.
Finally, when Damian was no larger than a bean, Hein…

“Pa… Pa… Pa!”

…laughed with even greater glee than before.
It must have been a truly grotesque and terrifying sight.
But I was simply overjoyed that Hein’s life had been spared.
So I stroked his head and held him close.
Hein rubbed his cheek against my chest and laughed like a normal baby this time.

◇

The sudden disappearance of Damian, Head of Duke Aster’s House, caused quite a stir in the Gaines Empire. I was repeatedly questioned about the matter.
But no amount of investigation could uncover the truth.
After all, Hein had eaten Damian, who had been reduced to the size of a bean.
My bl00d ran cold when I saw the bean floating into Hein’s mouth.
Even for a special child, eating something like that would surely upset his stomach.
I desperately urged him to spit it out, but it was already too late.
For a while after that, I kept a close eye on Hein, but he showed no signs of illness, which relieved me.
But I’m getting off track.
As for how Duke Aster’s House would be managed after Damian’s death, it was decided that I would serve as Head of House until Hein came of age.
For over a decade, we lived peacefully—
Until that day finally arrived.

◇

It happened when Hein was twelve.
One midnight, as I lay in bed, I heard a knock on my bedroom door.

“Come in,”

I called out. Hein entered hesitantly, looking timid.
I didn’t find it suspicious.
Since childhood, Hein had always clung to me, showing an almost excessive fondness. I assumed he had come to ask if he could sleep with me again.

“Hein, can’t you sleep? Or are you feeling a little cold…? Come here. Let’s sleep together.”

When I said that, Hein hesitantly approached me.
Although he was young, Hein had a high sense of pride, and there were many things he couldn’t bring himself to say, so I had to say them for him.
But tonight, Hein refused to get into bed.

“What’s wrong, Hein? Are you feeling unwell?”

When I asked, Hein replied in a hoarse voice,

“Mother, I think… something’s wrong with my body. When I think about you, this part of me…”
He trailed off, his face crumpling as he glanced downward.

“…Oh.”

That was all I could manage to say.
Hein’s p3nis was visibly erect, straining against his nightclothes.
How had I not noticed?
Perhaps my mind had refused to accept it, clinging to the thought that my son was still only twelve.
Whatever the reason, I now understood.

“Mother, am I sick?”

Hein, who is usually the epitome of a good boy, had a clouded face of anxiety.
I felt so sorry for him that I felt I had to do something.

“Well… no, you’re not sick. Come here. Mother will make it better.”

I swear, my words weren’t driven by any perverse feelings.
This was knowledge he would eventually need as he grew older.
Hein is very mature, so the day will soon come when he won’t need me anymore.
Before that day comes, I want to do everything I can for him.
And so I touched Hein’s p3nis──

◇

The hand-stroking didn’t end just once.
After a year, he wasn’t satisfied with my hand anymore, and it didn’t take long for him to accept me as I was.
I was tormented by guilt, convinced I was doing something wrong, something akin to child abuse. But watching Hein call me “Mother, Mother” and sway his hips with such longing, I began to wonder if this too might be a form of love.
Besides, Hein seemed to remember his birth.

-Mother, are we doing something wrong? I read about it in a book. Am I hurting you? If so, please tell me. I won’t touch you.

-Mother, Mother, I want to be loved by you. You’re the only one who loves me. That man tried to kill me, but you protected me. That’s when I first learned what love was.

-That’s why I don’t want to do anything that would upset Mother.

Seeing him like this, I held Hein for the first time in my life, holding him until I was exhausted, and being held by him in return.
Even now, I still believe this isn’t the proper way for a parent and child to be.
But I was happy.

◆◆◆

In the original timeline, Helga, Hein’s mother, agreed to kill him.
In that world, Helga was terrified of Hein’s abnormality.
However, Damian reconsidered, wondering if Hein could be put to good use, and it was decided he would be raised by Duke Aster’s House.
At that time, they were unaware that Hein already understood his parents’ conversations and the feelings they harbored toward him.
But in this parallel world, Hein had come to know his mother’s love.
What changes this would bring to the world remained to be seen.