77 Mother's Survival Manual

A faint creaking noise echoes all around the house as Eli starts to open the door, light streaking through a vacant and caliginous lounge.

"Now, I remember... Mom and Dad are working overtime tonight," the lone girl mumbled to no one in particular.

After locking the door and putting away her shoes, she then ascended the stairs and went straight to her bedroom. With a listless expression, she just prepared herself to rest for the night and set her alarm earlier than usual so she could do her homework. All the while, her mind remained blank as if trying to repress a certain thought. That's until Venus went ahead and spout it out in her stead.

"Your parents sure are workaholic. Didn't they stay late yesterday either?" the former Empress started, her reflection appearing on Eli's vanity mirror.

"Well, yeah... It's alright, though. I understand," she replied indifferently, making her huff and cross her arms.

"You say that but you're actually disappointed earlier, aren't you? When you saw that there's not even a single text or call, that is."

At this, Eli paused and turned to look at Venus's face of scrutiny in the mirror. She then denied her claim and shrugged it off, reasoning that what she felt about the whole thing won't matter anyway. That's because it had always been like this. She already got used to the forlorn atmosphere that would greet her everytime, but she didn't blame her parents nor anyone for that since she fully understood their family's financial predicament. It's better to be alone for a couple of nights than to starve for days.

"Venus..."

"What?"

"I share your feelings, Venus. We're one in the same body after all, and you've been a mother yourself. That's why I understand a parent's way of thinking even better than before... It's all about putting your child before yourself, isn't it? And no matter how you'd appear to them in the end - whether they ended up perceiving your existence as nothing but air or you've become a memory that reminded them of how lonely they used to be, you'd still choose to do what you thought was better for your child."

Taken aback by her sudden confession, Venus only stared at her while recalling everything that happened earlier today. Her vessel had a lot of mulling-overs to do, and even managed to bracket down her personal insights like that. Eli, on the other hand, was simply speaking out what she's pondering about at the moment. While she did so, however, she suddenly remembered something pivotal to this entire contemplation.

"Say, Venus... You didn't actually hate Noah, did you...? Now that we're on this topic, I was beginning to retrieve a recollection of your truest thoughts about this matter... To be honest, I was extremely muddled these days. I knew that I was able to grasp all of your memories a while ago, especially when you attempted to emotionally connect with me during the first time you completely took over my body, but then, for some reason, I felt like everything I should've known before were slowly... vanishing," Eli rambled, getting more and more confused by the second, much to Venus's flummox.

"Angelica-"

"That said...! I should've been aware of everything that's between you and Noah! You don't despise him, right? You do have your reasons for doing those things, don't you? You've been a true mother, haven't you...?! I should've known all the answers to that. I know them. I definitely know them... or at least I thought I knew..."

Venus then reacted to this enigmatically, peering at Eli as stifling silence stretched in their midst. Her vessel appeared to be utterly befuddled, imitating the face of someone who had solved a puzzle before but was now back to square one. The villainess had a good idea of what's going on with her, though. Not only did she get what she's trying to explain, but she also knew the situation all too well. Right now, however, she decided to clear up the mist little by little so as to avoid rattling her even more.

"What's between me and my step son, you say? It's just as you said - no matter what the child may think, the parent will do what they think is the best for them... The young prince was naive and weak. Someone who craved for love like that could be easily influenced. Manipulated, even. That's why I took it upon myself to show him how ruthless the world could be, and I didn't care if I'd be that devil whom he's going to take after. He had to survive that place, which was why I taught him the same thing that I learned in order to do so... That is, to be above everything..." Venus trailed off with an unfeeling and steely front, confounding Eli.

"He had to survive even if that meant becoming the demon. That's what I taught him... But then, he had Harrison Louen all along. I felt betrayed, of course. He even chose that countryside rat in the end... I was able to realize something at my last breath, though. When the prince came rushing to that throne room and I was already soaked in blood, I took a glimpse of his face at that moment... Then, I thought... I was at least relieved that he did manage to survive like how I've always wanted... He survived without taking the same path that I took. He also got away from the malevolent imperial blood that's running through his veins... He survived and did a damn good job in doing so - that's what I thought."

Without both of them noticing, tears began to roll down Eli's cheeks out of nowhere. She could feel every tiny bit of emotions that this prideful woman poured on those words. She truly meant what she said. Venus, on the other hand, was caught off guard after seeing her crying. Then, as if she wasn't surprised enough, Eli suddenly stretched out her hand to the mirror before stroking her cheek. Her delicate finger lightly touching the cold surface, staring at her tenderly.

"Even though we're nearly the same age, you were already shouldering that much... You got it in you, after all. Being a heroine, that is," she softly blurted out, a proud smile splattered on her face.

"Huhhhh...?! I'm not trying to redeem myself by reasoning all that since I still did make use of him. It will not justify all the crimes I committed even if you say that my real motives are what truly matter... I'm still a villainess! I'm purely adulterated to the core!" Venus bolted out, lifting her chin condescendingly.

"Okay, okay... I get it, Your Majesty. Nice oxymoron, by the way."

"You're not taking me seriously."

Eli only chuckled at her miffed expression before eventually heaving a sigh of relief. Now that the matter with Noah has reached its conclusion and Venus finally came clean with her inner thoughts, there's only one more clarification she had to hear no matter what.

"By the way, Venus... Why does it feel like my memories have all been jumbled up? There's something amiss about them. I believe you're aware of the time I felt like I just learned something I should've known from the start - that incident back at Amethyst Falls for one, then the fact that I was clueless about your relationship with Noah... Why is everything-"

"Sleep," Venus cut in all of the sudden, baffling Eli.

"Huh? What?"

"Sleep for now. I'll explain everything in my Realm."