Chapter 68
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: The Birth Mother's Lingering Attachment
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"...I'll step out first."
Bella backed away with an uneasy expression on her face. Once the office door clicked shut and the child's presence had completely faded, Roselia wiped the smile from her lips.
Her red eyes turned toward the couple. Though they hadn't voiced it, their faces plainly showed their undisguised dissatisfaction.
"Noble lady... no matter what, she's still our daughter..."
The man finally spoke up. His words carried a stubborn refusal to yield. Roselia, who had known exactly what he wanted all along, smiled as she drew something from her bosom.
"I know. I'll relieve you of that lingering attachment."
What emerged from her hand was a heavy pouch of gold coins. As the glittering gold spilled through the seams, the couple's eyes widened instinctively.
"Would this ease your regrets a little?"
Gulp—
Dry saliva slid slowly down the woman's throat. Even at a glance, there were at least hundreds of gold coins inside. Tens of thousands of runes at minimum. With this sum, anyone could dream of a dazzling fresh start.
Unlike the woman, who couldn't hide her expression, her husband calmly pushed the pouch back toward Roselia.
"...We can't give up our daughter for this much."
For this much.
A chilling smile spread across Roselia's lips. It was greed bubbling up in the most repulsive way.
Bella had surely seen through the crude act they'd been putting on from the start. That must have been why she'd seemed so deflated.
Bloodshot eyes, cheap perfume that stung the nose. The faint stench of alcohol clung to them inescapably. No one would mistake them for parents who had come yearning for their daughter.
Above all, the investigation into them had wrapped up long ago.
In truth, the moment Bella had set foot in the Rahel Tani household, every background check surrounding her had begun.
If Bella ever found out, it might wound her heart. But Roselia was thinking only of Bella.
She planned to excise any impure elements that might one day harm her—right from the root.
"That's a shame. It's not enough, you say."
Roselia slowly drew the money pouch back toward herself. For a brief moment, the man's eyes wavered faintly.
But when Roselia produced another pouch, his expression quickly settled again.
"Wouldn't this be sufficient?"
The woman gave a slight tug at the man's collar. At that silent signal, he cleared his throat and accepted the pouch.
"...No helping it, then. Please take good care of the child."
There was no trace of reluctance left in the man's fingertips as he pocketed the pouch. Roselia, seeing this, broke into an even brighter smile.
"This is my thanks. After all, thanks to you two, I got to meet Bella."
At Roselia's cheerful tone, smiles crept onto the couple's lips as well. Swayed by the allure of the gleaming gold, they already seemed to have forgotten Bella existed.
The couple exchanged a glance and nodded wordlessly. They had clearly reached some unspoken agreement.
"Then, we'll take our leave."
Just as the couple turned to withdraw amid the harmonious mood.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Roselia's voice, suddenly curt, halted their steps.
"It doesn't seem like we're done settling accounts yet."
"Pardon? What do you mean by—"
"I've just compensated you for bringing Bella into the world."
Roselia's red eyes gleamed sharply. A killing intent thick enough for even this oblivious pair to sense filled the air.
"Now, it's time to collect payment for the wounds my daughter suffered because of you."
The air grew oppressively heavy in an instant. The entire room seemed crushed under the weight of Roselia's emotions.
"Guh...!"
Overcome by the pressure, the couple collapsed to the floor.
"M-Milady...! W-What is this! What did we do to deserve—!"
The man spat out his grievances. His twisted expression only fueled Roselia's rage further.
"It's truly amazing. How could a child as radiant as her be born to scum like you?"
Despite being shattered countless times at such a young age, Bella still held onto her upright, transparent heart.
Roselia simply could not forgive the fact that such a precious soul had been scarred by these base creatures.
"H-Hic...! W-We had no choice!"
This time, the woman with eyes the same hue as Bella's lifted her trembling head.
"No choice?"
"D-Did we ever hit the child? Abuse her?!"
Genuine injustice flickered in the woman's eyes. She couldn't fathom why she deserved such treatment.
"To people like us... a child is a burden! We did more than enough just by sending her quietly to the orphanage instead of selling her off at the slave market! We'd fulfilled our duty as parents!"
Roselia clenched her teeth. Her eyes churned with a fury she hadn't shown in years.
"Then... you shouldn't have had her in the first place."
No, that wasn't right. If they hadn't, she never would have met Bella.
Amid the indescribable killing intent, a part of her felt grateful. Because they'd shirked even their basic parental duties, she could now hold Bella in her arms.
She was sincerely thankful for that. But she had no intention of simply letting them walk away.
She would carve terror so deep into their flesh that they could never touch Bella again.
"I knew it!"
At that moment, a bright, sudden voice pierced Roselia's thoughts.
Her red eyes blinked vacantly. Turning toward the sound, she saw Bella standing there, arms spread wide to either side.
When had she slipped in? Lost in her anger, Roselia hadn't even sensed her presence.
"P-Please, pull back your magic...!"
Seeing Bella sweating and writhing in agony, Roselia flinched and reflexively withdrew her magic power.
The couple, finally able to breathe, slumped to the floor like ragdolls, gasping raggedly.
"Bella! What dangerous stunt is this?!"
Roselia scolded sharply, but Bella raised her voice right back.
"Mom, what are you doing right now?!"
This defiant attitude from her daughter was unprecedented for Roselia. Flustered, she couldn't find the words to continue.
"When did I ever ask for this?!"
Roselia's eyes quivered faintly. The red gaze that had boiled with murderous intent now settled into calm.
"Bella, you're still too young to understand—"
"I know. I know why they're here. And that they don't care about me at all."
At those words, the couple froze for a split second. The woman, in particular, recoiled visibly.
"Ch-Child... As your mother—"
"You don't have to say it."
Having caught their breath, the couple rose cautiously to their feet.
Bella's gaze held no trace of resentment as she looked at them.
Meeting that look, faint guilt mingled with relief on the couple's faces—they'd escaped unscathed, after all.
"Child! Still... I took such good care of you all the way to the orphanage! I—"
As the woman tried to press on, the man clamped a hand over her mouth. He had a gut feeling that one more word could spell real trouble.
"You don't have to say it. I don't resent you at all."
Bella extended a small pouch she'd fetched from the room. It wasn't as much as Roselia's gift, but it brimmed with hefty silver coins.
"Thank you for giving birth to me. It's not a lot, but... I want to repay that kindness with this."
Money Bella had earned with her own two hands. Easily thousands of runes. Not life-changing, but far from trivial.
At the very least, several times what they'd have fetched selling her at a slave market.
"Ahem, ahem."
The man cleared his throat and glanced around. Catching his eye, Bella tucked the silver pouch directly into his bosom.
"I'll convince Mom not to harm you. Please, just go now."
The gold pouch from Roselia still danced in the man's mind, but he deemed this haul decent enough and turned to leave.
The woman, however, clung to a stubborn attachment deeper than mere money. Her eyes locked on Bella, unmoving.
"Let's go, quick."
The man seized her arm and bolted from the office. The woman parted her lips as if to speak, but the words died on her tongue.
"Just one promise."
Before they crossed the threshold, Bella called out one last time.
Her sky-blue eyes seemed drained of strength. Meeting them, the woman clutched her chest against a pain entirely new to her.
"I hope we never cross paths again."
The woman's eyes trembled faintly. The nagging ache in her chest swelled beyond control.
"Y-Yeah, we won't. No need to worry!"
The man nodded furiously and scurried off. In stark contrast, the woman glared at Bella while gripping her chest.
'This is strange. She's my daughter, isn't she?'
Why is she looking at me like that?
Before stepping into the Rahel Tani mansion, the woman had felt nothing special for Bella. No affection, no love.
But now, locking eyes with her, a long-ignored door of emotion creaked open. Maternal instinct she hadn't known existed stabbed deep into her heart.
"W-Won't you come with Mommy?"
The woman forced a smile, lost on what expression to make. Bella gazed at her with sorrowful eyes, then slowly shook her head.
"I'm sorry. I hope you both find happiness."
It was resolute. The raw pain crushing the woman's chest twisted into a searing wound in that instant.
A scar of regret that time itself could never heal, indelible.
"Don't spout nonsense!"
The man yanked the woman's arm and dragged her out.
All that lingered was the birth mother's attachment, sharp as a thorn, and the faint sorrow trailing from the child's words.