Chương 141: Mother and Son

Agnes ate an apple as she followed Felicity, who was walking purposefully toward Aqareth's central square.

"Thanks for buying me this apple…actually, wait. You didn't steal this one too, did you?" she asked, taking another bite. Felicity continued walking without even turning around.

"Who knows". Agnes watched her for a few moments before quickening her pace to catch up.

"Where are we going?"

"Toward the center. If Ethan decides to show up and comes looking for us, he'll probably go there". Agnes nodded, satisfied with the answer. She remained silent for a few seconds, but evidently it was not a condition she could endure for long.

"Are you and Ethan the same age?"

"I think he's a few years older than me".

"Do you think he went to visit someone? Since he was born here".

"Possible".

"Ethan says you're an incredible swordswoman. Is that true?" Felicity glanced at her from the corner of her eye.

"Compared to him, I am".

"Are there swordsmen stronger than you?" Felicity sighed.

"You really talk a lot, you know?" She did not even stop walking to say it.

"You remind me of someone". Agnes tilted her head curiously.

"Really? Who?" Felicity remained silent for a few moments. Her gaze stayed fixed on the road ahead. Then she answered in her usual flat voice.

"My little brother". Agnes smiled faintly.

"Oh…is he my age?"

"No. He's dead". The girl's smile immediately disappeared. She lowered her gaze, tightening her grip around the apple.

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be". Felicity continued walking.

"It was a long time ago. By now, he's nothing but abandoned bones". Agnes did not know how to respond. Felicity, however, quickened her pace.

"Come on. Let's reach that square. This heat is becoming unbearable". Agnes nodded and followed her, taking one last bite of the apple. On the outskirts of Aqareth, in one of the city's most impoverished districts, Ethan stared at his mother as she sat before him. For a few moments, neither of them spoke. Then Ethan broke the silence.

"How much time do you have left?" The woman shrugged.

"A few months. Maybe".

"Are you sure it can't be cured?"

"Yes".

"Have you consulted every doctor in Aqareth? Maybe the ones in the city center know of some kind of treatment". His mother grimaced.

"Stop with this optimism of yours. I've always hated it". Ethan lowered his gaze slightly.

"And I've always hated your pessimism. You've always believed that life was gray and devoid of happiness…but it isn't". She looked at him with a bitter smile.

"I'm not pessimistic. I'm realistic". Her smile disappeared.

"Optimism ruined your father. And it ruined you too". She narrowed her eyes.

"He died on some battlefield, who knows where. Forgotten by everyone. Even by the king he fought for". Then she looked back at her son. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"And you…you seem to have lost something". Ethan remained silent.

"You've suffered. A mother can tell these things. What happened to you?" Ethan slowly inhaled.

"I lost someone I cared about. I felt powerless". He spoke bitterly, but without anger. After a few seconds, he raised his gaze.

"But that didn't stop me from getting back up and continuing to live. I don't regret any of my choices. Every one of them helped me grow as a person". He paused for a moment.

"And Father was a true soldier. He died defending the kingdom. You should be proud of him". The woman's expression faltered.

"Proud?" Her voice trembled slightly.

"He left me alone. He chose to fight for the king instead of living with me". Ethan said nothing.

"He left me alone with you…" The woman lowered her gaze.

"I thought you were different from him. But you did the same thing. You abandoned me, just like he did".

"I didn't abandon you. I already told you that". Ethan kept his voice calm.

"You're the one who refused to come to the capital because you didn't want to see me serve the king".

"Is it wrong to hope that your own son will live for himself instead of living for someone else?" Ethan remained silent. This time, he had no answer. After a few moments, he slowly stood up.

"I should go. I'll come back tomorrow. I'll bring you something to eat". He had barely turned around when his mother grabbed his wrist.

"I want you to do something for me, son". Ethan stopped. The woman took a labored breath.

"This illness is consuming me day by day. There are days when I can't even get out of bed. Every bone in my body hurts, and the coughing just keeps getting worse". She lowered her gaze.

"I don't want to keep suffering. I don't want to die slowly, humiliated in my bed". Ethan stared at her, beginning to understand where she was going with this.

"I want to end it". A pause.

"Today". Ethan went pale.

"No". The answer came immediately.

"Absolutely not. You can't know that. It could just be a phase of the illness. You could still recover".

"Please". His mother squeezed his hand. Her grip was surprisingly strong. For a moment, Ethan almost felt that such strength could not belong to a woman who was dying.

"I know I'm asking a lot of you". Her voice had grown weaker.

"I also know that perhaps I haven't always been the mother you wanted me to be". She tightened her grip on his hand.

"But I want you to do this for me, if you love me. I haven't had the courage to do it until now…but with you…with you, I can". Ethan's eyes became glassy. He slowly shook his head.

"No…I can't". His voice trembled.

"It would go against everything I believe in. I… I can't do it. I'll take you to the best doctors in the world. We'll go to the capital. We'll find a way. We'll find someone who can-""Please!" The woman's exclamation interrupted him. Ethan froze. His mother's eyes were glistening with tears. That shocked him more than her words. His mother had always been a hard woman. Cold, strict, incapable of openly showing what she felt. Ethan had never seen her cry. Never. But at that moment, she was on the verge of doing so.

For the first time, she was showing all the vulnerability she had kept buried for years. Ethan remained motionless, torn. He did not want to do it. But he did not want to ignore his mother's final wish either. In the end, he sat down without saying a word. She smiled weakly. As if she had already understood his answer. With difficulty, she stood up and walked over to the small kitchen of the house. She prepared a cup of green tea.

Then she took a small bottle containing a blue liquid and slowly poured its contents into the cup. She added some sugar as well. As if she wanted to make sure the last thing she tasted was something sweet. After a few minutes, she returned to the table with the cup in her hands. She placed it in front of herself. It wasn't even steaming. It was cold. Ethan stared at it.

"Mom…"

"It's all right, Ethan". The woman squeezed his hand again.

"This is what I want". Ethan lowered his gaze. She remained silent for a few seconds before speaking again.

"When I'm dead…don't bury me anywhere". Ethan looked up.

"Leave me here".

"Why?" The woman looked around. The walls were old. The wood was worn, and parts of the house were in need of repair. Yet a smile appeared on her face.

"Because I want to die where I lived my entire life". She turned toward Ethan.

"Where I loved your father. Where I nursed you and raised you. Where I grew old". She paused.

"I never explored the world like you and your father did. For me, my world was always this house". She slowly ran a hand across the table.

"And even though it's old and falling apart…to me, it's my entire world". Ethan felt his eyes fill with tears again.

"Mom…I love you". He took a deep breath.

"I always have". She smiled. A genuine smile.

"Ethan…even though we're complete opposites. Even though I was never very affectionate with you, I want you to know something". She looked him in the eyes.

"I couldn't have wished for a better son". Ethan remained motionless.

"You said I never appreciated you". The woman smiled faintly.

"Well, now I want to tell you. I couldn't be prouder of you". She paused.

"You're a good man. And in a world like this, that's not something to be taken for granted". Ethan lowered his gaze, unable to hold back his tears.

"Mom…you can't tell me this now". She did not answer. She picked up the cup. Slowly, she brought it to her lips and drank the tea. Ethan watched her, unable to look away. After a few moments, his mother spoke again.

"You said you have another purpose now". Ethan inhaled.

"What is it?" Ethan remained silent for a moment. Then he smiled faintly.

"I saved a little girl". His mother looked at him.

"Her name is Agnes. She isn't my daughter, but I treat her as if she were". His smile widened slightly.

"She has red hair. She's kind, strong, stubborn…and she talks a lot". For the first time since Ethan had entered the house, his mother truly smiled.

"I would have liked to meet her". Suddenly, the woman's body convulsed. Ethan shot to his feet.

"Mom!" He grabbed her hand. His mother began to tremble.

"Ethan…"

"It's all right". Ethan tried to keep his voice steady.

"Look at me. Look at me". She raised her eyes toward him. The trembling continued for several seconds.

"It's all right. Stay calm". Ethan squeezed her hand.

"I'm here". The woman continued looking into his eyes. Then, slowly, the trembling subsided. For a moment, everything seemed to return to normal. Ethan felt her hand suddenly tighten around his. Then his mother exhaled her final breath. Ethan remained motionless.

"Mom…" There was no answer. His legs nearly gave out, and he collapsed into the chair beside her. With extreme gentleness, he laid her head down on the table. Then he cried. It was not a loud cry. Only silent tears that streamed down his face. Ethan slowly closed his mother's eyes. Then he leaned down and gave her one final kiss on the forehead. He remained there for a few more seconds. Finally, he turned toward the house. He looked at it one last time. Memories from his childhood came flooding back.

His mother scolding him for feeding homeless people, even though they themselves were poor. The argument they had the day he told her he wanted to become a soldier. The countless arguments. The misunderstandings. All those times when they had held completely different opinions. But at that moment, none of it mattered anymore. It did not matter who had been right. It did not matter who had been wrong. Not even the resentment they had accumulated over the years mattered anymore. They were simply mother and son.

And she had died holding his hand. Ethan looked at her one last time. He wiped his tears away with the back of his hand. Then he stood up. He opened the door. And walked out of the house.