The Villainous Son Loves His Mother - Chapter 29

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When I returned from the academy, I immediately headed to the office.

“Where’s Mother?”

“She’s working.”

I handed my coat to Feri, who was walking beside me, and continued down the corridor.

“Does she seem busy?”

“No, she’s as usual.”

Mother had seemed constantly busy lately. Though Feri’s words suggested nothing had changed, I could tell. The slight weariness in Mother’s eyes grew more pronounced each day.

“Feri, if you notice anything unusual about Mother, inform me immediately. Don’t let her overwork herself.”

Feri nodded solemnly.

“Understood, Young Master.”

I could assist Mother with her duties. By the age of five, I had already deciphered complex documents and mastered all the political knowledge required of a noble.
Yet Mother stubbornly refused to entrust me with such responsibilities.
Her explanation was always the same: “Prioritize your studies at the academy.” But—
Regardless, I wanted to share even a fraction of the burden Mother carried on her shoulders.
That’s right, she was pushing herself too hard.
Today, I had to say something.
With unwavering resolve, I stood before the door to her office.
Just as I was about to knock—

“Is that Hein? You may enter,”

Mother’s voice—a celestial melody, so beautiful that words could never truly capture it!
Mother…!

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“Lately, I’ve become more sensitive, and I’ve somehow gotten better at handling magic power. Especially Hein’s—I understand it so well. It’s so pure and profound.”

Mother said with a gentle smile. Magic power isn’t uniform.
Its color, scent, and density all reflect an individual’s essence, varying infinitely.
Yet, only a handful can discern these subtle differences.
It could be called a feat of skill.
Of course, I could do the same, but that’s probably because I’m Mother’s son.
Even so, I’m overwhelmed by Mother’s radiant smile.
Needless to say, it’s not just about her appearance.
But through the faint stagnation of Magic Power enveloping her, I caught a glimpse of fatigue she couldn’t quite hide.

(It’s been building up.)

At first glance, it seemed like mere exhaustion.
But something felt different.
Regardless, I had to act now—and I did!
It took less than a second.

(Still, this is just a temporary fix.)

As I thought this, Mother suddenly embraced me.
It was our first hug since that day.

(Mother’s scent…)

I inhaled deeply, filling my lungs with her fragrance.
Ah, I wanted to drown in the sea of Mother’s chest forever.
Why am I fifteen?!
If I were younger, I could have… m-m-m… milked her!

◆◆◆

Something erupted from Hein’s entire body at an astonishing speed, approximately 299,792 kilometers per second.
It shattered the stagnant mass of magic power lingering within Helga’s body, as if carving it apart with invisible blades.
This spell was one Hein had independently developed—for Helga’s sake.
Hein had created numerous spells for Helga. While his own thirst for knowledge played a part, the primary motivation was to protect her.
In Hein’s eyes, Helga was terribly prone to exhaustion, fragile and vulnerable. He wasn’t being needlessly overprotective.
Hein suspected there might be more to Helga’s weakness than met the eye. Unable to pinpoint the exact cause, he resolved to safeguard her comprehensively.
Helga remained completely unaware of the magic being performed right before her eyes.

There was a reason for this.
Detecting magic involves perceiving the Magic Power emitted by the mage.
But what does it mean to perceive Magic Power?
Simply put, it’s a matter of skin sensation.
If a fist-sized stone were dropped on your arm, you’d naturally notice.
What about a thumb-sized stone? You’d still feel it.
But what if it were as small as a fingernail? Some might not even notice.
As the size decreases further, what happens?

For example, most people wouldn’t feel a grain of sand.
And Magic Power consists of particles far smaller than grains of sand.
Since everything in this world is made of particles, Magic Power must also be composed of particles.
However, whatever Hein had released was incredibly tiny, with a mass of m ≲ 10−14 eV/c2—about 5.6 × 10^25 times smaller than ordinary Magic Power particles.
Helga suddenly felt a lightness in her shoulders.

“…How strange, Hein. Looking at your face makes my shoulders feel a little lighter.”

“Is that so? I’m glad to hear it.”

Helga stared intently at Hein’s composed expression.
After a moment, she abruptly stood up and pulled Hein into a tight embrace.
Helga didn’t believe Hein had done anything for her.
She hadn’t sensed even a trace of magic, so she assumed it was simply a matter of her mood.
Yet her heart and body were filled with a warm sensation—the feeling that Hein genuinely cared for her and was staying close to her. She couldn’t help but feel utterly endeared to him.
Helga’s feeling was simply due to the particles of Hein’s Magic Power permeating her body.

Regardless, Hein continued to fuss over Helga’s well-being with excessive protectiveness.
This was why Helga, who was supposed to die of an unexplained illness in the “original timeline” within a few years, was now only experiencing mild fatigue.
However, while her death was initially attributed to an unknown cause, later generations would uncover the truth:
The cause was Magic Power.
Magic Power, in the end, is composed of particles—matter.
Therefore, it can undergo transformation.
Especially when someone absorbs Magic Power that isn’t their own, unless they are an exceptionally skilled Magician, they cannot fully assimilate it.

The remnants of another’s Magic Power tend to mutate into malignant forms.
This is what makes it so dangerous.
Mages typically form master-disciple relationships.
As a result, a master’s Magic Power can easily permeate a disciple’s body.
That’s why, in later generations, tens of thousands of talented magicians would lose their lives.
But in this timeline, that wouldn’t happen.
Because the cause of this terrifying disease was identified extremely early, before it could spread.

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“By the way, Hein, I’ve noticed an increasing number of nobles complaining of feeling unwell lately.”

“Is that so? Even Mother’s friends?”

Helga’s expression darkened.

“Yes… That’s right.”

“So, telling me this means…”

“Not that I expect you to fix it, Hein, but more like…”

“You want me to take a look? In case I can figure something out?”

“It’s like you’re reading my mind. But I can read yours too, you know.”

With that, Helga hugged Hein again.

“See? Isn’t this what you wanted?”

Hein didn’t answer, but the strength of his arms around Helga’s back spoke volumes about his true feelings.