123. A mother's love

"Well, I really wanted to, but it's the only thing I can't do it. My promise to her."

Izumi raised his head and glanced at Fuegoloen and said with a reluctant smile.

This was something against his character.

If it were someone else, not to mention a promise. He'd never hesitate to break a dozen.

"So, you don't have to worry about it." He waved his hand, "Please sit down."

After sitting down, Fuegoloen wiped his tears. Kyousuke just gazes at the table while Mereoleona closes her eyes with crossed arms and sits straight.

"Power is the rule. In the hands of an incompetent, power brings nothing but ruins."

His words stabbed into the depths of their hearts.

Mereoleona opened her eyes, revealing complicated emotions.

She could tell that it was specifically aimed at her.

Izumi had a sad smile on his face, reminiscing the past.

"Hori-san, I know you're curious what actually happened to my mother, I'll tell you."

"Sometimes things don't always go the way one's imagined."

"After my father's death, for 6 years, she had to bear all the pressure. Her "friends" began to reveal their true colors. She was harassed everyday, and even returned home with bandages around her head or hands. Never complained and always has that reassuring smile."

"But, people at some point, get tired. Even if you don't want to, the world will force you."

He paused for a moment and asked, "Want to hear further?"

Kyousuke, whose eyes were covered (no idea when) up by his hair, weakly nodded.

This had been hunting him for years, he felt if he let it go, he may not be able to rest in peace.

"In 2015, suddenly everything became quiet. No more trouble. No more bandages, but it was just calm before the storm. She changed and started to become abusive towards me."

Three of them gasped as Mereoleona clenched her fist so hard that her nails dug into her flesh as they didn't expect this.

"I found something strange when no doctors were willing to help us. So, I had to drop out of school to take care of her despite her abusive attitude. As time went on, she became unbearable, began to mumble like a mad person and even started throwing sharp things whenever I entered her room. I had to remove all the pointed objects from her room, so I could rest assured her safety.

I never minded as I was used to pain due to bullying in my school, so her's was a little extreme and it was nothing that I couldn't manage. The only thing that troubled me was that the prices of her medicines soared and the meager money was too little. It's all thanks to that person's help which extended her life a little... "

Two lines of tears rolled down his face.

It was strange that they never noticed.

Illusion.

No further explanation.

"I had to manage the shop and at the same time take care of her. Gradually time passed, on April 1 2016, she started coughing blood. I felt scared for the first time in my life seeing her like that. And the very next day, she behaved very oddly. She started doing household chores and even made lunch for me.

It's like she recovered, but her pale face was saying something else.. From That day, I never left and accompanied her as I somehow felt it. After that, nothing happened and I began to get more restless as days went on.

And in 2016 April 4, 8:43 pm, when I was bringing a glass of water. I found out she was crying. Thinking that something must be wrong, I quickly put down the glass and began comforting her. However, she held me tightly and spoke in a somewhat cracked voice as due to her health even her voice was barely audible."

Izumi bit his finger as he couldn't stop his hand from trembling, remembering that night.

That painful night which he wished was a just nightmare.

"She said, "I'm sorry, son....Your mom couldn't give you the life you wanted. I..hope you forgive me for.....for not being able to see you grow up....,don't....blame them and yo..r...fath..."

Her hands became loose, her voice ceased and body became weightless.

The head rested on his shoulder.

"Holding her hands tightly, that day, I felt the whole world was against me. I hoped that it was just a nightmare, but no matter what I did..

I never woke up from it."

Izumi let out a short intake of breath.

Three siblings were already in tears the moment they heard she behaved oddly.

Even Mereoleona who rarely showed her weak side, had a face full of tears and blood as she bit her lip to suppress crying aloud.

Fuegoleon and Kyousuke lowered their heads weakly as they felt that their hearts were exhausted.

Just how much did both of them suffer?

They knew only one thing that she was poisoned and it eroded her organs, affected her brain, that slow process of torture took away her sanity.

Really, a mother's love is like nothing else in the world.

Even when she was already insane, before her death somehow she still didn't forget her duty and persistently made one last lunch for her beloved son.

It shows how much she loved her son.

It's her presence that gives him wings to fly when his own wings are broken.

She might not be talented in the eyes of others, but to her son she was the most talented person in the world.

.

.

.

(A/N: Of course, father too.)

____

Half an hour later, they regained their clarity as Mereoleona asked softly.

"Izumi, can I call you that? Of course, you can call me Mereoleona. Just Mereoleona."

Her brothers were a little surprised by their sister behavior but didn't think too much.

"Uh, okay."

Even Izumi didn't expect her to be this direct.

According to the information, she was simply a rude and proud woman who'd never let a man other than her family call her name directly.

And, he knew that she wasn't driven by emotions.

"..."

The room fell into an awkward silence once again.

"Here." Izumi took an envelope from the space ring and slid it straight.

They only saw what he showed them.

Even though he didn't like to use his power in a normal world, who cares?

It's his choice.

From their point of view, he took it out from his pant pocket with no crease on it.

"I had no idea what she said back then. Later, I understood everything. From the beginning she knew she was targeted but still didn't seek out for her family which made me very puzzled. Then I started digging for any information and finally knew the reason."

Izumi gave them a knowing smile and spoke up, "She was pressured by those old men and even her father wasn't any better. They wanted her to marry someone she never met, and that time she was already in love with my father and I was one year old. I'm sure your mother knows it. So, she had to make a choice and in the end, chose to run away from the home."

"So, tell me why it was that?" Izumi asked with a sharp tone, "Why was she coerced into something when the eldest daughter was fine?"

For this Kyousuke didn't say anything.

It was for this reason he left the family.

Fuegoleon opened his mouth a few times but no words came from it.

Izumi focused his eyes on Mereoleona, who had been silent after a small introduction and the words came out from his mouth and her face changed drastically.

Which she least wanted to hear.

"Let me tell you, it was because she was not that talented and had no value aside from being a bargaining chip in a political marriage, umm right?"

His eyes glinted and the corner of his mouth turned up, revealing an evil smile, "So, I showed them what a son born from a not so talented woman can do. And, unexpectedly one of them broke out some interesting secrets."

Kyousuke shook his head wryly.

"So, I suggest you read that letter in your home. In front of your father and mother." He pointed his finger at the envelope as Fuegoloen gently took it and held it.

Even Izumi had no idea what was written inside it. He never bothered to use his power to peek.

That would be disrespectful.

It's called Rights to Privacy.

Do you understand?

Privacy!

Whatever was written would be revealed later.

____

"Care to tell us what you exactly found?!"

Mereoleona scowled with a tight expression.

She was deeply hurt by Izumi uncovering the past scar.

It wasn't her fault at all. That time, she had no power in her family, despite becoming Matriarch.

"Easy, easy." Izumi spread his hands innocently, making Kyousuke and Fuegoloen on the side, feeling bad and a little melancholy because this was their sister's bad habit.

She would act like this whenever she wanted something.

"You do me a favor and in turn I'll tell you, how about it??" He proposed a deal with a bright smile.

"Damn it! Brat. Okay, you say." Mereoleona rough temper came back again.

"Announce her identity publicly day after tomorrow."

!

!

Kyousuke sighed as if he had seen another turmoil coming soon.

He was dead sure that this hot-blooded sister would agree within a second.

None of them were stupid either.

With a little bit of thought, they could see through Izumi's evil plans clearly, not that he was hiding it anyway.

But, an unexpected situation occurred.

True to his word, Mereoleona revealed a wild smile, and laughed.

"Hahaha, I like you, Izumi Miyamura!"

Fuegoleon almost fell down while Kyousuke widened his only visible eye in disbelief.

Is the sun coming from West?

How come this woman who refused to marry said those pre-legendary words to a teenager.

It doesn't matter how successful Izumi was, but age was made others unbelievable.

"People will think you're a pedophile, Mereoleona."

Izumi joked as a flush crept up Mereoleona's face.

'Hiss! This woman can blush too?'

Kyousuke suddenly found out, he wasn't familiar with his sister anymore.

Is this still my sister?

Too bad, he wasn't aware of the severity of his action at all like a certain vermilion headed man, who was busy surveying the room.

*BANG*

A furious punch slammed on his face as he lost the balance and fell down.

"Bastard!" Mereoleona punched his face in anger like a fierce lioness

Then, she turned her attention to Izumi who called her old.

Even though she never acted like a woman, her nature couldn't be denied.

Naturally, all women hate it when someone asks their age or compares with others.

She wasn't an exception either.

Women 🍵.

"Now, now. We don't do that here."

Izumi smirked a little, not worried about her fist at all.

"Since you've agreed to my proposal then I'll withhold my side of the deal."

It seemed his words had a magic effect behind them which instantly calmed down the short tempered woman.

His skillful way of diverting the topic made Fuegoloen on the side, raising his thumb at him secretly.

Even Kyousuke, lying dead on the floor was full of praise for Izumi in his heart.

Sure enough, how can an old driver like him compared with a virgin and a lazy bum like me??

Though he already had a family.

====================================

(1997)

Readers, please vote and give your honest review in the review section, I'm begging you.

Power stones 🙏.

It'll motivate me more.

Thanks for reading my story. Have a great day ahead!

Discord channel:

https://discord.gg/DGbZG24T5R