The noblewoman standing before El was none other than his mother, Karina Regis. Before her marriage, she was the sister of the current Grand Duke of the East.
By seniority, Karen had to call her aunt, and El was his cousin.
The sky had already darkened, but the lights in the hall were bright. Karina wore a rose-red gown, and even in her forties, she was still stunningly beautiful.
Ivena sat obediently beside El, her platinum-blonde hair tied back in a ponytail that hung behind her head. Her maid outfit wrapped her tightly, and her impressive figure drew all eyes.
Too much.
“Mom, how did you get here so fast? I only wrote to you yesterday……”
El asked in surprise, for he had taken four full days just to reach the royal capital.
But with the development of Magitech, if the magitech trains within the capital could be popularized, then the Empire’s transportation would surely become much more convenient in the future.
“I used the Rosent Family’s teleportation magic array. It cost quite a bit of money, and I owe someone a favor. But none of that matters; your business is what’s most important, El, my child.”
Karina’s gaze was filled with pure love, because El was her son, and that alone was enough.
“Wait, so that means…”
“Yes, Young Master El, although I don’t know the details, I already found out about you keeping this matter from me.”
Ivena spoke with an expressionless face.
Hiss—she’s really angry, isn’t she.
“All right~ now, let’s get down to business. El, should we have Ivena step out for this conversation?” Karina asked, putting on the air of “you’re the head of the house, it’s your decision.”
!!!
My dear mother, must you fan the flames like this.
“I’d like Ivena to stay, Mother.”
“Eh? Why? The following matters concern secrets of the Regis family, you know. It wouldn’t do for outsiders to overhear.” Karina appeared truly “perplexed,” as if she couldn’t understand El’s thinking.
Ivena sat quietly to the side, not interrupting.
“Because, I believe Ivena is completely trustworthy. I regard her as a member of the Regis family. This is my judgment as the head of the house.”
With Ivena’s abilities, she had no need to stay with the Regis family, much less humble herself as a maid. She deserved somewhere better. But she chose to stay, simply because of the bond they shared as family.
“Very well,” Karina remarked.
She knew the maid’s loyalty was beyond question. With her experience and seasoned skills, she could see Ivena’s affection for her son, even though the elf hid it well.
Elves are a foolish race; once they fall in love, they are utterly devoted—betrayal is out of the question.
El couldn’t see it, partly because Ivena seldom gave herself away, and partly because he lacked experience.
He’d only ever had one lover—Aurelia. He was familiar with the way Aurelia looked at him: fiery, possessive, longing. In short, it was the kind of affection he recognized.
Karina knew there were different kinds of love. In Ivena’s watery eyes, she read restraint, devotion, and a willingness to sacrifice all. What a foolish girl, Karina thought in her heart.
Forgive her for not telling El. Elven fertility was simply too weak, and the Empire was unlikely to acknowledge a half-elf heir.
El was a man of deep feelings. He would never betray those who loved him, nor would he betray his partners.
So, Karina made the coldest judgment: let El use his “charm” to keep Ivena bound to the Regis family’s service, until the day El died.
Happiness.
Ivena knew this, too. She carefully hid her feelings. Even if El dated other women, she would quietly give them her blessing.
It was cruel, but there was no other way.
Karina sighed and began to recount what El had gone through.
“El, are you certain there’s a demon inside your body?”
“Yes, Mother.”
“I don’t know much about this. All I can do is tell you everything I know.” El’s gaze grew serious—he hadn’t expected his mother to know anything about the demon inside him.
“Where should I start… Oh, right, El, your father’s accidental death back then…”
“Actually, I killed him.”
Karina said this shocking thing in the calmest tone.
“Huh?” El was dumbfounded.
Ivena was stunned too. This news was simply too explosive.
“Wait, Mother, you didn’t say that wrong, did you?”
El asked, carefully seeking confirmation.
“I know this truth is hard for you to accept. Originally, I was ready to take this secret to my grave. This is my sin. After you hear it, I’ll accept whatever you choose to do.”
Karina spoke heavily and began to narrate that long-buried past…
Karina and El’s father, David Regis, had been bound in a pre-arranged political marriage. There was no special affection between them, only the duty to manage their family.
David was a dozen years older than Karina, always wore round spectacles, and was a gentleman of impeccable manners.
Gradually, Karina came to feel a sense of belonging in the Regis County.
Every previous Count of Regis had been clever and capable, managing the territory prosperously; the people lived happily and adored their lord.
She stroked her rounded belly. The name had already been agreed upon: “El,” named after David’s great-grandfather.
It was a simple name, common even among the commoners, but the thought of it being her child’s name filled her with warmth. It felt as if, no matter what he was called, it would always be the right name.
Karina dreamed that one day, El would become the lord of this county, marry, have children, and live happily ever after.
But that sweet dream was soon shattered.
When El was five, she noticed David behaving strangely.
“What are you going to do to El?” she questioned him.
David’s face twisted, looking completely unfamiliar to her: “Dearest, don’t worry, I won’t harm our child. He is Heaven’s favorite, a treasure granted by the gods. It’s thanks to you that he was born into this world.”
“A great existence will awaken in him. No, no, this isn’t awakening… He’s simply too special. My child, I’m so jealous of you.”
His face was full of fanaticism, overwhelmed with joy, but there was a sliver of fear in his eyes—and as he said, jealousy.
He’d come in contact with the demon cult. Karina made her judgment.
“Is that so? I’m truly happy for El.”
On the surface, she played along with David’s ideas; for now, she needed to make sure she was safe.
That madman didn’t care about her, his mind consumed by his grand ideals.
“The Regis family will be great again. It will. I can see that future clearly now.”
After David left, Karina collapsed weakly to the floor, sobbing and wiping her eyes in silence.
She didn’t understand. All she wanted was for her child to grow up healthy—why was even that simple wish beyond her reach?
Report it to the Church? David was mad, but no fool; he would have covered his tracks well.
Besides, if it came out that David had dealt with cultists, what would others think of El? The Regis name would be ruined.
Appeal to other nobles? Her own family did have influence, but leaving aside how they might intervene in a count’s household, there simply wasn’t time.
That madman would do something irreversible to El as soon as the next day at the latest.
She could do nothing. In terms of personal strength, she was a Bronze-rank mage, while David was a seasoned Gold-rank mage.
Which left only one solution… Karina’s eyes grew resolute. For her child, she was willing to do anything.
That very night, she poisoned David.
Because it happened so suddenly, no one noticed a thing. And, to ensure his evil plans would go unimpeded, David had already dismissed his guards and withdrawn from the public eye.
No one knew where this noble lady, who’d never laid a hand on anyone, found such courage.
Karina destroyed David’s corpse and told the world that David had gone into the Beiga Forest to conduct magical research.
That bought her precious time. She wrote to her elder brother, the Grand Duke of the East.
With the Grand Duke’s reputation backing her up, she staged the scene and fabricated the story that the Count of Regis had died in an accident.
“That’s basically what happened. It’s worth mentioning that there were no traces of cultist activity in the county at the time. I suspect your father must have come in contact with the demon cult in the royal capital.”
“All right, my story’s over. Little El, how do you feel? Do you think your mother’s actually a bad woman?” Karina tried to sound relaxed, a smile on her face.
El’s expression was very complicated. He never imagined his background would be this tangled.
Especially when it came to his memories—his father, who’d been respected and admired, turned out to be an ambitious man in league with the demon cult.
Karina was terribly uneasy. She’d told herself countless times that no one could accept a mother who killed their father, and she’d long been ready for El’s hatred.
But when this moment truly arrived, she suddenly found she couldn’t bear El’s animosity.
Just as she was about to beg El for forgiveness, El hugged her.
“Mom, you’ve really suffered all these years.”
Karina’s face pressed against El’s sturdy chest, her hands tightly gripping his back.
It should have been a joyful moment, yet Karina felt her nose sting with tears and couldn’t say a single word.
Her greatest feeling was not relief at being understood by El, but the realization that El had truly grown up. He could now stand on his own, and her task was finally done.