The Villainous Son Loves His Mother - Chapter 5

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Help me, Mother.
I just want to live a quiet life at the academy, but this damn pest keeps getting in my way.

“Lord Hein, please allow me to apologize for this morning’s incident.”

We were in the classroom.
I had been meditating to block out the noise of the rabble when this girl from my class—whose name I couldn’t be bothered to remember—said that to me.
She was likely connected to the Fafnir Family; the reference to “this morning’s incident” left no other explanation.
But I couldn’t possibly remember the name of some girl who wasn’t even the Head of the Family.
Still, saying that outright would cause unnecessary trouble.

“It’s fine. Leave.”

I showed her the utmost courtesy I could muster and granted her forgiveness.
And yet—

“Hey, isn’t that a bit harsh?”

Some male—what was his name again?—decided to butt in.
What exactly was so harsh about what I said?
Should I be more critical of the female’s rudeness?
Am I being too lenient?
I decided to ask anyway.

“What is it?”

The male replied to my question.

“Look, she’s apologizing to you, right? That means she must have done something wrong. But even though she’s bowing her head, you don’t have to be so dismissive.”

“W-wait a minute, Azel-kun! Don’t go putting words in my mouth! I don’t feel that way at all!”

The female protested.
So, the male and female weren’t even on the same page?
Mother, please help me.
Even with my intellect, I couldn’t understand what the male was trying to say.
Left with no choice, I decided to explain everything from the beginning.
Mother had always told me to get along with my “friends,” so I would try to answer as gently and politely as possible.

“Listen well, you inferior being. That girl there, from the Fafnir Family, is the daughter of a viscount. I, on the other hand, am from a ducal house. Keep that in mind. This morning, the wheel of the Fafnir Family’s carriage broke, blocking the road. My carriage was behind theirs, naturally obstructing my progress. According to the customs of this nation’s nobility, this is a grave insult. While the academy maintains the pretense of equality, the outside world operates differently. In such cases, the Aster Family would typically demand financial compensation from the Fafnir Family as punishment. However, I chose to overlook the matter and filed no formal complaint. This young lady is apologizing for it now, likely fearing a later claim. That’s why I responded as I did, to assure her I wouldn’t pursue compensation. Or would you have preferred I demand exorbitant damages? Ignorance, when taken too far, becomes a sin. Don’t irritate me so early in the morning. If you understand, never speak to me again in your life.”

Perhaps it was Mother’s love that was nurturing my spiritual growth day by day.
I never imagined I possessed such a compassionate side.
But the next moment, I was subjected to an outrageous act.
The male had the audacity to slam his hand on my desk.
To top it off, he shouted, “Don’t mess around! Cut it out with the condescending attitude!”
To be disrespected to this extent. I couldn’t possibly let this slide.
If I allowed myself to be treated like this, I would tarnish the reputation of Duke Aster’s House.
This was an insult worthy of execution.
To hell with the academy’s pretense.
This man was an “enemy” trying to disgrace Duke Aster’s House.
And enemies deserve no mercy—he would die right here.
I pointed my index finger at the male’s brain, intending to apply pressure and rupture it.
This method of killing would make it look like a sudden death, simplifying matters later.
But—

“You’re the one being ridiculous, Azel-kun!” a voice shouted.

The voice belonged to a female member of the Fafnir Family.

“Wha…?”

The male called Azel was speechless, and his foolish expression amused me slightly, so I decided to postpone killing him.

“I’m sorry for raising my voice, but Lord Hein is right. I was shown mercy. Normally, I would have to pay a considerable sum of money. I appreciate that Azel-kun was looking out for me, but the more he speaks like that, the worse my position becomes. I can’t believe the Count Alpheith Family hasn’t taught him noble customs… Lord Hein, I sincerely apologize. Please forgive Azel-kun and me.”

The female member of the Fafnir Family lowered her head so far that I could see the top of her head. I was growing tired of the situation and considered forgiving her.
Really, when you think about it, if a stray dog barks at you, do you need to get angry and call it disrespectful?
Etiquette and such concepts require a certain level of intelligence to comprehend.
And that male didn’t seem to possess that level of intelligence.

“Very well. Go.”

So I decided to forgive the male.
Or rather, if I had killed him there, even I would have been subjected to questioning.
That would have delayed my return home.
And that… would have been the worst possible outcome.
My priorities were Mother first, Mother second, and Mother third.
The time I spent with Mother took absolute precedence.
I had almost made a mistake.

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The class was excruciatingly boring.
Everything they taught was already known to me.
Yet there was a perverse pleasure in this tedium.
Mother, please look upon me!
This Hein has endured the unbearable and suffered the insufferable!
So, please praise me…
As I was preparing to leave, basking in my own self-admiration, a woman approached me.

“You’re quite different from what I expected. I thought you’d be a bit more… rough.”

I recognized her immediately.
It was Esmeralda Ira Sarion of the House of Sarion.
At one point, there had been talk of an engagement between us, but it had quietly faded away.
That suited me perfectly, so I had no intention of reviving the topic.
If the engagement hadn’t fizzled out on its own, I would have ended it myself.
I planned to remain a bachelor for life.

“Is that so?”

“Are you still upset about the engagement proposal?”

I wasn’t entirely sure what she was referring to.

“Who knows?”

With that vague reply, I quickly gathered my belongings and left.
Esme’s gaze pierced into my back like a sharp needle, and Sarionmes’s stare was unbearably irritating. But right now, I couldn’t afford to waste even a moment on complaints.

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In the original timeline, the moment Hein unleashed his Magical Power to kill Azel, Esmeralda would nullify it.
At that time, Hein had become intoxicated with power, arrogant, and neglectful of his training, allowing Esmeralda to counter him.
Consequently, Esmeralda would deem Hein a dangerous element, a significant obstacle to his path of conquest.
Incidentally, if a parallel-world Hein had attempted the same thing, Esmeralda’s intervention would have made no difference.
This is because the Hein of this world never slacked off and was always striving to improve himself.
The harder Hein worked, the more his mother, Helga, rejoiced—and since her joy was the ultimate reward, leading to incestuous intimacy, there was no reason for the mother-complex Hein to hold back.