Chapter 15

“But I am his aunt…”

“Mom! Mom!”

As soon as I mentioned the word “aunt,” Luca screeched like a nestling, chiming “mom” endlessly.

If I kept on denying not being Luca’s mom, I could’ve been seen as a ruthless mom.

I tried my best to not be an unforgiving aunt, so this is all I get…?

He bit the hand that fed him. Luca, how can you do this to me…!

I saw the resentment and dejection bottled up in the Luca latching onto my hip.

At that instant, he snuck a glance towards me and our eyes met.

Luca’s blue eyes burned with relentless obsession.

Why in the world is this happening?

What does Luca want? Perhaps…

He wants me to go with him to Winterwald by calling me mom…

Haha! There’s no way that can be!

He’s just throwing a tantrum because he was surprised by his uncle’s unexpected appearance.

If I can explain it well, I think Luca can understand this situation.

Why would Luca want me to go with him to Winterwald by insisting I’m his mother?

We’re not that close anyway.

It doesn’t make sense, not one bit.

But the situation wouldn’t go as smoothly as I hoped.

Rüdiger with a bitter face looked at me and Luca, suggesting,

“I do not know what the current situation is… Madam, I mean, Lady, if you are Luca’s mother, I cannot separate a mother from her son, so please, let us all go to Winterwald?

O-oh, no!

All hell would break loose because of revenge that’ll play out, so why would I go there!

Aside from my pity towards Luca, I didn’t want to follow him to Winterwald.

Going there meant that I would be heading straight toward the deadly plague, without a doubt.

My sympathy and compassion for Luca existed while he stayed in Emden.

I refused with my whole body, shaking my hands and head.

“No, I prefer this rural, idyllic life…”

“You said you wanted to live in a castle like a princess before.”

The bawling Luca abruptly argued without slurring his words.

Like sparkling blue crystals, his eyes shone with resilience.

Disregarding Luca’s defiance, I promptly listed the reasons why I had to stay behind in Emden.

“Living a simple life appeals to me.”

“You said you wanted to wear jeweled rings on all 10 fingers.”

“My tastes are so simple that eating greasy meats upset my stomach.”

“But you said that you’d die to have a slice of veal steak.”

“…”

He kept rebutting everything I said; by the end, I had no more excuses to give.

Luca recalled a lot of Judith’s past remarks verbatim rather well, a lot more than I thought.

Even I had no memory of it at all…

Until now, I was unsure whether Luca was calling me mom intentionally or not, but this time, it finally became clear to me.

This was absolutely deliberate!

Looking at it from all sides, even from 100 yards away, it was obvious that this was on purpose!

At this rate, I’ll really be dragged with him to Winterwald.

I tried to persuade Luca in my most stern voice.

“Luca, of course, I would love to live a wealthy life, like others. However, I lived in Emden all my life for 27 years. All my friends are here too. I don’t want to live anywhere else.”

I was thinking about going near the capital after Luca left for Winterwald, but no one knew of my intentions.

Without any hesitation, these blatant lies slipped out from my mouth.

“Aunti- I mean, mom, but you don’t have any friends.”

Oi, Luca.

Sheesh, must you say such hurtful words to someone?

Good grief.

Even if Judith had no friends to call her own!

I looked at him with eyes full of anguish as he raised his chin confidence.

“If you say it like that, then I also lived here my entire life for 10 years and all my friends are here, so I’ll stay here in Emden forever.”

Like this he spoke clearly before turning a 180, changing his attitude as he bawled instead.

“You wanted to get married, after you sent me off, right? Since I’m such a burden, you sold me off to that stranger! I know it all! I’m not going anywhere, no way! I’m going to live with you for the rest of my life, mom!”