Chapter 26: 26

“Mom······.”

Ivanna reached out her hand. She was feeling the bumpy texture of the oil painting on her fingertips.

Unlike other portraits that felt delicate and soft, her mother’s paintings were very clear, rugged, and full of power.

It’s almost like mom was really in it.

“Mom······.”

Her mother with platinum hair, purple eyes, and a sharp and strong impression lived vividly in the painting.

With the sword she was holding, it seemed as if at any moment, she would tear the picture and pop out.

“Beautiful, isn’t it? The artist broke her brush after painting it. She said there would be no better painting than this, and since the best had already been made, there is no room for more.”

“······.”

“Her confidence was so beautiful and wonderful that you could see it through the painting.”

Ivanna nodded her head as if possessed.

It would have been strange if she had painted her mom as delicate and soft as other paintings. She would have looked awkward if she wore unsuitable clothes and that would have made the viewers uncomfortable.

(Note: By unsuitable clothes, it means that women in paintings usually wear dresses, don’t carry a sword, and have gentler expressions while Ivanna’s mom wore armor, held a sword, and had a sharp expression.)

However, thanks to her bold brushstrokes, rough expressions, and impressive use of colors, her mother was reborn in this painting.

It feels like she will live forever.

“Daddy, do you miss Mom?”

“I miss her. Daddy loves her so much.”

“Even now?”

“Now and in the future as well.”

Somehow, the child’s body seemed to be a bit stiff.

“Ivanna. Daddy loves Ivanna too. Like your mother, I will love you until the end.”

Dante knew nothing about what was running through Ivanna’s mind, that’s why he kissed his daughter’s cheek without worry.

Ivanna’s eyes sank darkly, as she knew something Dante didn’t.

Dad would be upset if he learns that I overlooked mom’s death.

He would never forgive me.

Dad says he loves me, but I can’t even tell him the truth.

I am a bad child.

Mom must be hating me for not saying anything, right?

Ivanna stared at the picture of her mom looking forward as she held her sword.

The look in her eyes was stronger and more vivid than mine.

Her eyes seemed to reproach me.

Why did you let me die?

(Note: Ivanna feels like that’s what her mom is asking her)

“······.“

I want to ask for forgiveness, but she’s already gone. When I was imprisoned I said sorry to mom every day despite my suffering, but now she can’t hear it.

Because my mom died because of me.

“Ivanna? What is it?”

When his child was suddenly somber, Dante stroked her cheek in confusion. Since he was worried he would hurt her, his touch was so gentle that her stiff cheeks were starting to relax little by little.

Ivanna felt a little more heartbroken.

“Daddy······.”

“Yes, Ivanna.”

“······How strong was mom?”

“Mom?”

“Is mom very strong?”

 “Mom is······.”

Dante looked at Louise’s painting again.

She was looking straight ahead with the tip of her sword’s blade on the floor as she held it by its hilt in both hands.

Maybe it was because she looked very beautiful and strong, but the background and Louise were a little different from each other.

It was painted in achromatic color and it felt like it was completely overshadowed by Louise’s intense atmosphere.

What surrounded Louise was a ruin. A temple that was broken, destroyed, and has lost its form.

“Ivanna. Do you know what was there scattered at your mom’s feet?”

Ivanna I shook her head.

“It was an altar.”

Ivanna opened her eyes wide. At that moment, her eyes finally caught the ash-stained white stones at her mother’s feet.

Crushed stones that looked exactly like the ones dad had destroyed before.

“That’s a picture of when she destroyed the temple and the altar.”

Traces of the broken temple and altar remained throughout the painting. The sword her mother was holding was also covered in ash.

Ivanna’s mouth fell open.

“Your mom was very strong. She was strong enough to directly destroy what was bothering her. Ivanna, Daddy said that this place only has portraits of someone who made great achievements, right?”

“Yes.”

“The fact that she’s here means that she was an important person. Apart from breaking the temple, she did a lot of other things as well.”

Her name will remain in history books and she will be remembered forever. She will be the first to be recorded as someone greater than the emperor.

In fact, Louise’s life was also recorded as a biography.

“Your mom was that strong, and she was such a beautiful person.”

As her dad continued, Ivanna couldn’t say anything.

Mom was that great. She was that strong.

And I left such a mother to die.

“Daddy.”

“Yes, Ivanna.”

“I love mom, too.”

Ivanna couldn’t take her gaze away from her mom, who looked as though she would live forever, but not in this reality.

“Really. I’ve never hated mom. Never. I’ve always loved mom. I still love her.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Really.”

“Yes, I’m sure she knows as well.”

Ivanna leaned her cheeks on her dad’s shoulder. He gently stroked her hair.

Ivanna still couldn’t tear her gaze away from her mom.

***

Ivanna quietly opened her eyes. Bright moonlight poured out from the window next to the bed.

Unlike the golden color of the sun, it was as pale as my hair.

Unlike the bright and vibrant sun, the moon covered everything with fear.

Mom always said that the moon is scarier than the sun.

‘It’s scary, cold, and cruel. So the world ruled by the moon is evil.’

My mom sometimes carried me and climbed onto the roof of the cabin to look at the sky. Stars stuck in the black night sky and the moon in the middle of it towering over everything.

And she whispered while looking at the moon.

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‘That’s why people should be careful of the moon. Otherwise, it will eat them up.’

In her mother’s portrait, there were both the sun and the moon.

The sun to her mother’s right, and the moon to her left.

The moon was as vivid as the sun. Just like the color of her and her mom’s hair.

“······Will the moon eat me too?”

Since I started treatment, my dad has always fallen asleep in bed with me.

It was nice. Dad was as warm and cozy as mom, so no matter how hard his arms were when he hugged me, I could sleep well.

Now I couldn’t fall asleep because it hurt so much without him. Dad’s arms were very comforting.

Today was different.

“Because I killed my mom.”

Ivanna walked away from her father and slid down her bed. She followed the moon-lit path as she walked to the window.

The floor where she stood barefoot and shined by moonlight was cold and chilly.

“Are you going to eat me?”

She put her hand on the window and looked up at the sky. It wasn’t as close compared to the cabin where she lived with her mom, but the moon was still visible.

Today’s moon was a crescent moon.

“Are you going to take me away?”

The moon did not answer. Ivanna put her face on the cold window.

Although it was summer, the windows were strangely cold.

“I was told that a bad person should be punished, so it’s okay to eat me.”

Ivanna looked back at her sleeping dad. Her dad, sleeping in bed, looked so lonely.

It was obvious why.

Because mom isn’t here. That’s why dad sleeps alone.

“You can eat me, so can you please give back my mom?”

Ivanna looked up to the moon again and desperately made her wish.

“Can’t my mom come back to life if I died? I don’t have to be born again, so can’t you return my mom? To my daddy, my older sister, and older brother.”

The moon still gave me no answer. It was just calmly wandering in the sky as it looked at me.

Ivanna closed her eyes and put her hands together.

Her mom told her to do this when she wanted to make her wish earnestly.

When I wanted the pain to stop, the wish didn’t come true at all, but it’s a wish for mom, so wouldn’t it work this time?

“I’m begging you.”

Ivanna closed her eyes tightly and prayed with all her heart.

“Moon, give my mother back to everyone.”

My mom, who was so great that she was strong enough to even destroy the temple and the altar.

My mom, who was deeply missed by dad, my older sister, and my older brother.

My mom, who couldn’t avoid death because of me and had left forever.

Moon, please.

“Give Mom back.”

Ivanna stood there long after that and prayed earnestly.

***

Ivanna’s condition isn’t good today.

As always, the twins chasing after Ivanna noticed their sister’s state at once.

She kept yawning, looking up at the sky, and taking deep breaths. She was behaving strangely.

“Did she not get enough sleep?”

“According to father, apparently she didn’t.”

“He doesn’t even know when she woke up and wandered around.”

“······That’s true.”

“Then she just had trouble sleeping?”

“Or maybe she’s just tired. It’s amazing that she’s been enduring it until now but she is at her limit.”

The twins grumbled at each other as they watched Ivanna doze off while hugging the Meows.

Usually, when they told her to lie down and sleep comfortably, she became stubborn, but her head would wobble from side to side because she was full after eating snacks.

In case she would change her mind now, the twins sneaked to Ivanna’s side again.

“Sister, let’s sleep in the bed.”

“That’s right. We should take a nap together.”

“Nap······?”

Ivanna dropped down and squeezed her eyes as she yawned. She seemed to change her mind as she stood up while she held the Meows and walked up to the bed.

We can take a nap with Ivanna again today! The twins sang a delight.

“Then I have to go out to sleep.”

Of course, Ivanna was formidable. She, with her Meows by her side, was ready to go outside at the moment.

Her twins were crying.

“You’re going out today?”

“In this hot weather?”

“If you sleep outside in this weather, you’ll be dehydrated.”

“It could be very bad.”

“It’s alright.”

Ivanna ran out of her room, as she was no longer listening to them. The twins, who hated the summer very much, were left behind, unable to do anything.

Ivanna continued to yawn while running. She prayed too long yesterday and now she was sleepy.

She wanted to quickly return her mom to her dad, sister, and brother, so she stayed up too long.

“I have to sleep with the sunlight.”

A place with the best sunlight and soft ground in the beautiful garden.

Ivanna liked that place the best. It was fun for her to think about taking a nap with the Meows, so she was so happy.

Ivanna smiled brightly.

Thud!

“Ah!”

As she ran she bumped into something hard when she was almost near her destination.

Her hands opened reflexively and her Meows fell to the floor.

“Ouch······.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, kid. I didn’t see you.”

Ivanna rubbed her butt, as she raised her head towards the unknown voice.

And she opened her eyes wide.

“Are you okay? Where are you hurt?”

Silver metal clothes, iron shoes, and a sword at the waist.

“Ahhhhhhh!”

Ivanna was pale, and she screamed out loudly.

Just like the cold-hearted iron-clad man who had always dragged her to prison and the altar, a man was looking at her.

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