The Villainous Son Loves His Mother - Chapter 26

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In the end, I only managed to sleep for a short while, but it helped me organize my thoughts somewhat.
… I did, I think!
Still, I couldn’t shake off this awkward feeling.
A big sigh first thing in the morning is pretty depressing, but I guess it can’t be helped.

“Young Master, it’s Feri.”

Feri arrived at the usual time.

“Come in,”

I said from the bed, not bothering to get up.
I wasn’t in the mood to move.
Feri showed no reaction to my disheveled state and approached the bed.

“May I assume today’s training is canceled?”

“As you wish.”

Feri nodded briskly, but didn’t leave.

“What is it?”

When I asked, she suddenly leaned in with an intensity that suggested she’d steeled herself for something.
She didn’t seem to intend me any harm, so out of curiosity, I let her do as she pleased. And then…

“Young Master… I am prepared to accept any punishment. Even execution, if need be.”

With those words, she embraced me.

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For Feri, Hein was an absolute being—a god, one might say. She harbored not affection for him, but rather faith.
Yet on this day, what Feri felt for Hein was neither faith nor loyalty. It wasn’t love, nor even pity. If I had to name it, I’d call it a sentiment of closeness.
Feri was awkward with words, incapable of flattery or charm. Some might even call her unlovable. It was precisely this quality that had led her previous masters to treat her so cruelly.
Regardless, this woman was wired to express her feelings in the simplest ways.

“Young Master,”

She murmured, pulling Hein into a tight embrace.

“Insolent fool,”

Hein muttered, but he made no move to resist.
He remained quiet with his face pressed between Feli’s br3asts.

“So this is the scent of the forest,”

By “scent of the forest,” Hein meant the distinctive body odor of the Delphen, with their dark skin, and the Elphen, with their pale skin.
Though not unpleasant, it possessed a unique quality unlike human body odor.
It could either invigorate or soothe those who inhaled it.

“You may do as you please with me, Young Master,”

Feri said, steeling herself.
The Delphine’s body odor could indeed invigorate others, but the nature of that invigoration varied.
In some cases, it could even incite cruel, sadistic impulses.
In the “original history,” Hein had brutally dismembered Feri and subjected her to inhumane treatment. While Hein’s own cruelty played a role, the influence of Delphine’s body odor could not be entirely dismissed.
But the Hein of this world…

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I buried my face in Feri’s chest, stuck out my tongue, and licked her skin.
Feri let out a soft moan, but I ignored it.
More importantly, the sweet tingling on my tongue was likely the effect of Feri’s magic power.
Feri’s scent was a Magical Fragrance capable of inducing various abnormalities, from charm and excitement to madness.
That said, this level of effect should be tolerable even for a commoner with a moderately strong will.
I sensed no malice in her actions.
In other words, the impudent woman was trying to use her unique ability to stimulate my mind.
What an insolent woman!
Slightly annoyed, I sank my teeth into Feri’s br3ast.

“Ah… Young Master…”

Instantly, Feri’s skin grew damp with sweat, and the concentration of her Magical Fragrance intensified.
This wasn’t likely intentional on her part; even someone with a resilient mind could be driven mad by such a potent scent.
But it would not be an exaggeration to say that my mind was now at the height of the stars, and I was no match for Feri’s magical fragrance.
Nevertheless, I couldn’t deny that Feri’s devotion had been the catalyst for restoring my composure just moments ago, when I was still troubled by my relationship with Mother.
But!
One thing needed to be made crystal clear.

“Feri, it is extremely disrespectful to hold me like this. It’s as if I belong to you. You belong to me, not the other way around. Understand that.”

With those words, I stroked Feri’s right ear before dismissing her from the room.
It was time for dinner.
I needed to change.
The thought of facing Mother at the dining table still made me feel strangely awkward, but now I felt capable of conversing normally.

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The defining feature of both the Delphen and Elphen races is their long ears, which hold special significance for them.
The purpose of ears is to hear, and for them, hearing is synonymous with learning.
In the culture of the Long-lived Species, it is believed that all the knowledge they acquire throughout their extended lives resides within their ears.
They revere their ears as sacred and rarely allow others to touch them.
Even when other races capture and enslave them, they seldom dare to touch or defile their ears.
This is because such an act would drive them to choose death.
What use is a slave if they are dead?
The only individuals they would allow to touch their ears are those they deeply trust. Conversely, anyone who, knowing the sacredness of their ears, still dares to touch them, demonstrates profound affection and trust.