My Mother Has Already Been Taken
My mother had already been taken from me. Though it had been a long time since our last battle, my skills hadn't rusted in the slightest. Before Ilenater could seize me, I swiftly pulled my body back. But because I retreated so quickly, the Demon King—who had been charging straight at me—...
She hit the floor with a heavy thud.
“Ow!”
“Gasp.”
The sound of her fall was so loud that I couldn't help letting out a groan of my own. What was going on? The Ilenater I knew was never this clumsy. Besides...
Ilenater struggled to pick herself up, then sat awkwardly where she'd fallen and quietly looked up at me.
“Uuu...”
Her eyes were wet with tears as she gave a pitiful little sob. The spectacular fall had left large and small scrapes all over her body and clothes. It was a pitiful sight, but I couldn't allow myself to forget for even a second: my opponent was the wicked, cunning Demon King Ilenater. If I let my guard down just because she showed a moment of weakness, she could slice my body in half with a single strike.
“That pitiful look won't work on me! Tell me. Why didn't you dod—”
“Oh my goodness!”
A middle-aged woman burst out of the house, startled by the commotion.
“Heavens, what happened here!”
The woman looked shocked. She quickly knelt and wrapped her arms around the shoulders of Ilenater, who was still sitting on the floor.
“Dear, are you all right?”
Wh-what did she just say? Dear?
While I was still reeling, the middle-aged woman turned her head. Her eyes blazed as she fixed me with a glare and scolded me sharply.
“You! What do you think you're doing? Who are you to treat our dear like—”
Her voice gradually grew quieter. The fire in her eyes faded along with it.
“R-Roen? Is that really you, Roen?”
“Mother...”
The three of us—me, my mother, and the Demon King Ilenater—went inside the house and sat facing one another across the table. I was so anxious I could barely sit still, yet the atmosphere between my mother and Ilenater on the opposite side was strangely warm.
“Tsk, tsk... Does it hurt a lot, dear?”
“I'm fine, Mother. I didn't fall that hard, so please don't worry.”
“Fine? Look at all those scrapes on your skin! Really...”
My mother acted as if her own son wasn't even in the room. She focused entirely on bringing a towel soaked in warm water and gently dabbing at the wounds on Ilenater's body.
Was this truly reality? Or was my body still fighting inside the Demon King's castle? Perhaps I had fallen into one of the Demon King's clever illusion spells and simply couldn't escape.
But if this was an illusion, the way they addressed each other was completely absurd. My mother kept calling Ilenater “dear” as though she were utterly adorable, while Ilenater called my mother “Mother” with perfect naturalness.
In the middle of it all, Ilenater turned her head slightly and sneaked a glance at me. When our eyes met, she even broke into a happy little giggle. I didn't know what she was plotting, but every small gesture only made me more uneasy.
At the very least, I had to make it clear that I wouldn't be fooled so easily.
“I commend you, enemy though you are. I don't know how you cast this illusion on me without my noticing, but once I break free, I'll—”
“Roen!”
My mother's shout echoed through the house, making me flinch. Me—the man who hadn't even flinched before the Dragon Lord?
“What are you so proud of? Ilena got hurt because of you! You can't even manage a proper apology. Tsk, tsk...”
Mother clicked her tongue and returned to tending Ilenater's wounds with single-minded focus.
I was left speechless. To think she would even use my memories of my own mother to attack my mind. As expected of the Demon King. She was not someone to be underestimated.
By the way, Ilena. Even shortened, the name wasn't exactly ordinary, yet if you didn't know she was the Demon King, her current appearance was that of an ordinary human woman. The heavy armor she once wore was gone; dressed in simple everyday clothes, she looked...
Slap.
To snap myself out of it, I squeezed my eyes shut and slapped both cheeks hard.
No! The pretty face and attractive figure were all part of the illusion magic—manipulated to match my tastes!
When I opened my eyes, both Ilenater and my mother were staring at me in surprise. Ilenater smiled softly, gently took the hand that had been tending her wounds, and spoke.
“Mother, it seems Roen is quite shaken. I think I should explain how I came to be here.”
“Hmph, there's no need. I have no use for a son who treats a sweet child like you so roughly. Tell him to leave!”
“Ugh...”
I knew it was an illusion, yet hearing my mother call me an unneeded son still made my chest ache. I'd always thought my mental strength was exceptional, but it was crumbling far too easily. I clearly needed more training...
While I clutched my aching heart, Ilenater refused to give up and continued persuading my mother.
“Please don't say that, Mother. Roen has such a warm heart. In any case, the two of us will talk alone for a moment.”
“Just the two of you? Are you sure that's safe? I'm worried my worthless son might try to hurt you again.”
“Oh, you don't have to worry about that. Please stay seated. We'll step outside and be right back.”
“You're going outside to talk? No.”
Mother pulled Ilenater back down before she could stand, then went into the kitchen and returned with a small basket.
“Still, since my son has finally come home, I should go see Mr. Hesed and buy some meat.”
Wait. What name had I just heard? Hesed. As far as I knew, that name belonged to...
“Really? What a wonderful idea, Mother!”
Ilenater sprang up from her seat and hugged my mother tightly. Mother couldn't hide her delight and smiled with open affection.
“All right, I'll be back. If Roen does anything to you again, be sure to tell me. I'll give him a proper scolding!”
“I will. Please take care on your way.”
As my mother prepared to leave, I stood up out of basic courtesy. Yet Ilenater kept hugging her all the way to the door and wouldn't let go. She was far more affectionate than her own son.
“Mother, are you sure you don't need me to walk with you?”
“Silly girl, it's right nearby—no need for an escort! I'll have a cup of tea while I'm out, so take your time talking. And Roen!”
The voice that had been endlessly warm toward Ilenater turned ice-cold when she addressed me.
“If you treat Ilena roughly, you'll be lucky to get nothing but broth tonight!”
“Y-yes... Understood.”
“Keep it in mind!”
After scolding me sternly, Mother turned back to Ilenater with a gentle expression, exchanged a light wave, and finally left. The door closed behind her.
“Impressive.”
The moment the door shut, I offered a round of sincere applause.
“It's as elaborate as if you'd peered directly into my memories. I admit this is the finest illusion magic I've ever encountered.”
“What have you been going on about this whole time?”
“Your natural acting is excellent too. Your plan is to slowly drive me into confusion, isn't it?”
“Sigh...”
Ilenater let out a long breath, then suddenly thrust her hand toward me.
“Touch it.”
“What are you trying to pull?”
“Exactly what I said. Touch my hand. You can even pinch it, as long as you don't do it too hard.”
“Ridiculous. What kind of trick is this...”
“It's not a trick. You know this, don't you? Even inside an illusion, if the body is injured, the soul suffers as well.”
Ilenater's attitude was firm, as if she had nothing to hide. When I still refused to touch her, she returned to the table, pulled out a small fork from underneath, and offered it.
“If you really can't trust me, you can stab me with this. It's not direct contact, so that should be fine, right?”
I was still deeply suspicious, but we couldn't remain locked in this standoff forever. I took the fork and slowly moved it toward Ilenater's hand. The Demon King's bare hand, without her gauntlet. The defenselessly offered palm was strikingly white and...
“Stop.”
I couldn't bring myself to stab her and tossed the fork aside.
“Fine. Let's say, as you claim, that I'm not under an illusion. Then why are you here?”
“I already told you. I wanted to see you. That's why I waited.”
“But why? To take revenge for your defeat?”
Ilenater shook her head as if the very idea was ridiculous.
“Then why!”
“The words you said when you spared my life!”
Ilenater looked straight into my eyes.
“You told me not to live a life forced on me by others. You said to live the life I wanted. You remember, don't you?”
“...I did say that.”
“That's exactly why.”
Ilenater took one step closer.
“You told me to live the life I wanted, but until now I've only lived as the Demon King who succeeded my father. I didn't even know what I truly desired.”
She took another step.
“So I thought about it—what it was that I wanted. The answer came faster than I expected.”
Finally she pointed her finger directly at my face and declared,
“You.”
“Me...?”
Ilenater lowered her hand, crossed her arms, and stared at me. A proud little smile touched her lips as she nodded.
“Yes. Seeing you now, I feel it clearly. I want to have you.”