Now, Arthur truly felt goosebumps and was extremely wary of the woman before him, his own mother.
Upon realizing that he had been transported to the fantasy world of "The Birth of the Elemental Lord" and reincarnated as Arthur Asvold, he had neglected one of the most critical aspects, which was Elizabeth.
Indeed, from the outset, he should have recognized that he had been reborn into the novel's world and been more proactive in formulating his future plans.
Yet he had consistently harbored doubts and denials, and as a result, he had overlooked some of the most vital details.
Elizabeth, his mother, who now smiled gently at him, was one of the hidden antagonists in the novel, the second most challenging for the protagonist to overcome after the final boss.
She was a renowned villain and possessed the highest rating among all the female characters in the novel.
Even the heroines surrounding the original protagonist had to show deference to her due to her unparalleled beauty, which the author had described as beyond imagination.
Her backstory was a tragic and bloody one.
She was born in a kingdom that ranked among the smaller vassal kingdoms of the Balka Empire.
Arthur's father, David Asvold, was the head of the Duke Asvold family, which had never appeared since Arthur's birth.
Coincidentally, he had plans to annihilate the kingdom where Elizabeth resided, although the reason for this kingdom's destruction remained unexplained in the novel.
Elizabeth, at that time, was the cherished daughter of the kingdom's king and bore witness to the slaughter of her own relatives.
At the tender age of ten, she watched her own father, the king, get beheaded right before her eyes.
Her father, the only person close to her, was executed in her presence, and the one responsible for it was none other than David Asvold!
The intense hatred, resentment, and various other emotions remained deeply etched in her heart for over a decade.
When David laid eyes on her at that time, he was so captivated by Elizabeth's exceptional beauty that he sought to take her as his concubine.
At the age of ten, regrettably, Elizabeth, who lacked the means to oppose David, could only capitulate when she was apprehended and imprisoned.
For the subsequent decade, she remained untouched, and David himself took good care of her.
Naturally, her confinement was meant to prepare Elizabeth for bearing his heir.
The author of the novel introduces Elizabeth as a character who is ruthless and cunning, and above all, she loves her own child very much!
Damn! The brain-dead author made such a character, and he is now Arthur Asvold; not that he would have been treated the same as Charlotte in the previous world, right?
No wonder he felt similar feelings toward Charlotte when she smiled earlier.
And how did he know all that?
Of course, it's because Elizabeth and Arthur are his favorite characters, and he thinks Arthur is more suitable as a protagonist than the original protagonist in the book, Abel.
Unlike Abel, who relied on plot armor to keep going,
In this novel, the author portrays Arthur as a character with the same characteristics as Elizabeth: cruel, cunning, and shrouded in hidden true power.
His face is described as exceedingly handsome, making him the most attractive man in the book.
He recalled that a female reader of the novel once inquired about how handsome Arthur Asvold was, and the author had affirmed that his remarkable looks were inherited from his mother, Elizabeth, who was considered the most beautiful woman in the book.
"Damn it! Even the author claimed that I, Zayn Welston, who was the prince of the capital at the time, would have to concede to Arthur Asvold's good looks."
"If I could be resurrected, I'd grab the writer and give him a piece of my mind." Arthur cursed inwardly.
Following that, Arthur Asvold became the character most favored by readers, thanks to his personality, striking appearance, and the way he maneuvered behind the scenes.
He received the highest number of votes, surpassing even the book's protagonist, Abel.
Naturally, all of this was in vain due to Arthur's role in the novel as a stepping stone for the protagonist, ultimately leading to his demise beneath Abel's feet.
This, in turn, drove Elizabeth, his mother, to madness, compelling her to employ all of her abilities to seek vengeance and eliminate Abel.
Even at that moment, Abel came perilously close to death, but the damn author suddenly invoked the power of plot armor, and Elizabeth also met her end.
Elizabeth's love for Arthur was profoundly strong, as he had been the sole source of light in her bleak life and the only support in her solitary decade.
At the time, as he read, he was deeply moved and found this part of the story to be the most intriguing in the book.
However, now, incarnated as Arthur, he was petrified of Elizabeth, whose love for him exceeded that for her own child.
"I must formulate a plan and rescue Elizabeth as soon as possible, before her obsession with me intensifies!" Arthur had numerous future plans in mind.
He gazed at Elizabeth, who bore a striking resemblance to Charlotte.
Suddenly, Elizabeth's gentle voice was heard.
"Ara~ what's the matter, my dear son? Why are you staring at me like that?"
"Are you in love with Mother? Fufu, let's wait for you to grow up and carry out my plan."
"Afterward, we'll live together, won't we? My dear~" Elizabeth giggled and looked at him with a hint of obsession.
"Damn! Has this been going on since the day I was born?!" Arthur exclaimed within his thoughts.
He hadn't even started his life, and her fixation on him was already incredibly strong.
Nonetheless, he decided to set aside his concerns.
After all, Charlotte had taught him a valuable lesson, and he believed he knew how to fend off someone similar to her, right?
"There's still ample time, and I've just entered this world."
"Some long-term plans can wait for the future; for now, I'll focus on nursing and napping."
"Babies are quite fragile physically." Arthur closed his eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.
However, what he failed to realize after getting some rest was the unsettling smile on Elizabeth's face.
"After that man's demise, we'll be together forever, my dear."
"We'll live in isolation, and no one will disrupt us." She whispered softly, her voice tinged with excitement.
Soon after, she too closed her eyes and fell asleep.