Chapter 006
It didnāt like he wanted to take Ronschka because of his powers as a spirit mage. Instead, it seemed to be for some other reason.
Yes, it was as if he felt a connection with him.
āDid someone like him suffer when he was young?ā
It was something Adel couldnāt know.
His little feet were in terrible condition.
His thin nails were broken and bruised, blood clotted on them, and the skin was peeled back, exposing the flesh. The sight made Adele sigh in pity and guilt.
Lucas was stunned about what the patient was doing, but eventually, he couldnāt stop Adeleās persistence.
After cleaning the wounds, she filled the basin with lukewarm water and began washing the childās body.
āIf the wounds reopen, itāll be a mess. Let me do it.ā
Ronshuka shook his head vigorously.
āNo! No…ā
Lucas stopped mid-sentence, noticing Adeleās pleading gaze.
Even though he knew she was the bad woman who had hurt the child, it was hard to ignore that look.
How strange. Lucas shook his head in frustration and stepped outside.
***
Finally, there was peace.
Worried she might hurt Ronschka, Adele moved her hands cautiously.
But no matter how careful she was, touching wounds with water was bound to sting.
Yet, the child didnāt make a sound. Occasionally, he only made an awkward smile.
“Does it hurt?”
Her trembling voice made Ronschka nod.
It really didnāt hurtānot at all?
Her mom was touching him. Just that alone made Ronschka so happy that he felt she could endure any pain.
“Mom.”
His heart felt light and warm.
Adele washed Ronshka slowly, then dressed him in clean clothes that Lucas had prepared. He looked so much better now.
“Should we cut your hair too?”
When she brushed his bangs, Ronschka shook his head.
“Itās ugly.”
“Whoās ugly?”
“Ronā¦ Ronschka.”
“No, youāre not! Who said that?”
Adele quickly realized who mightāve said such a thing.
The only one who had been with Ronshka all this time was herself.
“Ronschka.”
“Y-Yes?”
Adele felt her chest tighten. But she couldnāt let the child keep thinking of himself as a monster.
She needed to help him regain his confidence, little by little, so he could truly be happy someday.
Even if, one day, he realized the truth and came to hate her.
For now, she resolved to encourage him.
Adele said, “Ronschka, you’re very beautiful.”
“Beautiful?”
“And brave.”
Ronschka gave Adele a suspicious look.
“No, I’m not.”
“Really? Are you saying you donāt believe what Mom says?”
“I-I believe you!”
The childās voice rose, ringing in Adele’s ears.
“Then believe what Iām saying now.”
“But…”
They said Iām a monster. They said I looked horrible.
Ronschka seemed conflicted.
“Listen, Ronschka. Iāve been a bad mom.”
“No! Momās not bad.”
“Yes, I was. Worse than the witch in the deep forest.”
“The witch?”
As a child, everyone heard the same warning.
“If you donāt behave, the forest witch will take you away.”
Witches were known for kidnapping children and eating them.
Worse than a witch?
Ronschka looked shocked but quickly made a firm decision.
“I-Itās okay if youāre a witch, Mom!”
“Witches are bad, though.”
“S-s-so what?”
In his excitement, his stuttering worsened, but he showed no intention of changing his mind.
āBecause you’re Mom.ā
With that one reason, Ronschka showed blind love for Adele.
Adeleās eyes started to glisten with tears. She didnāt deserve to cry, but she couldnāt hold them back.
“Iām sorry. Iām so sorry, Ronschka.”
She tried to force her tears back by opening her eyes wide, but the tears wouldnāt stop.
Ronschkaās small, scar-covered hand trembled as it slowly reached for Adele’s cheek.
“It’s… okay.”
It must have taken great courage for Ronschka to place his hand on her cheek.
That only made Adele feel more guilty, and she cried even more.
“He looks much better now that heās cleaned up,” Lucas remarked, seeing Ronschka in clean clothes.
His body was no longer dirty, and his messy hair had been brushed. Without the burn scars, his appearance would have been pleasant to anyone.
“He looks familiar,” Lucas muttered. Now that he was neat, his face seemed familiar, though he couldnāt remember where he had seen him before.
Anyway, it doesnāt matter. He had long since distanced himself from society, and the two of them would never set foot there.
āIāve ordered a carriage. Weāll leave soon,ā he announced.
As time passed, the small carriage arrived at the village, and Lucas left immediately. Of course, Adele and Ronshuka went with him.
āMomā¦ā
Adele, whose wounds hadnāt fully healed, winced from the jolts of the carriage. Ronschka, anxious, tried to make her more comfortable by adjusting her coat and cushions.
āDoes she deserve this?ā
Lucas looked at them with cold eyes. While they were staying in the village, Adele had shown great devotion to the child.
But Lucas didnāt trust what he saw.
Could she really be after something because she knew he was noble?
There was still the question of why she had wrapped the child in her arms in front of the bear, but maybe there was another reason?
āJust like her.ā
Lucas continued watching Ronschka fussing around, his gaze drifting out the window.
On the journey, Adele moaned in pain from the fever and exhaustion. Because of her condition, the carriage was moving slowly.
They stopped at every village for doctors to check on her, careful not to make things worse. Lucas wondered if it was really necessary, but when he looked at Ronschka, he couldnāt help but follow Adeleās wishes.
For the child, Mom was everything. Lucas couldnāt easily take that away from him.
The carriage eventually reached its destination.
A golden-haired, blue-eyed boy gazed out the window. A maid chuckled as she watched him.
“Are you waiting for Lord Lucas?”
“No. I just wanted to look outside.”
“Really? Then I suppose this isnāt important?”
She waved an envelope, and the boy quickly turned and held out her hands.
“Itās my duty as a student to read my masterās letters.”
“You know you can speak casually with us.”
“Iām fine this way.”
Taking the letter, Leon sat down to read. As he did, his brows furrowed.
“What does it say?”
“That heās bringing back another child.”
“What?”
The maid was startled, while Leon re-read the sentence, puzzled.
“A child,” he repeated, but the words didnāt change.
