Chapter Thirty-One
_ The Mother
* * *
Elliot was frustrated that his role would be confined with Cardinal Ivan Jerome of all people—a man hated by his colleagues even before the nobles. He was obnoxious, acted with superiority, and got along with no one, behaving like someone with nothing to lose. To Ivan, he had been an extraordinary genius from the moment he arrived at the temple, succeeding in becoming the youngest Cardinal in Cassian. With holy power, genius, and cunning, he possessed a level of strength that could not be underestimated...
' But for moments, he looks lost and lonely. How did he end up with absolute loyalty to the current Emperor? '
At the ceremony, Ivan—disguised as an ordinary deacon among those who came with the Patriarch and the highest authority of the temple, Steve Rokshan—waited until the ceremony ended. Then, Ivan pulled Elliot aside and gave him clothes for a disguise.
" Why do we have to disguise ourselves? You are a member of the temple.. Yo—...."
" Shhh, be quiet now.. They certainly know of my loyalty to His Majesty. Entering like this would only increase suspicion regarding His Majesty's plans to get rid of them. "
Elliot was frustrated but listened intently to Ivan's whispered words. Afterward, he quickly changed his clothes into those of an ordinary priest. After indirectly hiding their faces, they moved with Rokshan's entourage. Because strictness was present, Ivan had hidden the two individuals whose places they had taken, and they quietly followed the procession into the temple. Upon entering the inner part of the temple, Ivan moved smoothly in the opposite direction with Elliot behind him. Having lived in the temple for more than ten years, he wandered through it with ease until they finally reached Rokshan's secret room, where Ivan began searching for something useful for the thousandth time...
" What exactly are we looking for?! "
" I don't know. Anything that seems useful would be an achievement. "
Elliot sighed and began searching and searching for something he did not know. While he was fiddling with the books on the shelf, he accidentally pulled out a book, and at that moment, a door in the room opened...
" Wait, a secret room inside a secret room? How marvelous. "
Ivan turned toward the sound and looked into the dark part, not knowing if it had an end. Ivan took a step down the stairs, and when he placed his foot on the second step, his foot slipped. He tried to grab onto Elliot, who was off-balance, so both of them slid down the very steep staircase until they reached the bottom. Ivan stood up frustrated and moved toward the room hidden in the deepest depths of the temple, while Elliot brushed the dust off himself...
' Is this man a genius as they say?! He seems like an idiot... '
Ivan muttered in annoyance. His eyes began to adjust to the low light, and he looked toward the largest bright spot, which was near a dimly lit torch. There was a worn-out bed and some cabinets; it looked like a room where someone lived. Ivan felt his feet moving on their own toward the bed, which did not seem empty. He felt as if he were possessed by something before moving further...
" Mr. Jerome, what is this place?! "
He didn't even turn toward the source of the voice, which was Elliot, whose eyes had begun to adjust to the lighting of the place and approached where Ivan was. It was clear that he noticed his shock. Ivan sighed and pointed to the bed. Before they could move, for a moment, there was a sound of groaning that seemed painful. They looked at each other and then at the bed; they realized that the person there was a woman. They moved cautiously, and Ivan opened the cover to find the face of a thin woman covered by her black hair, which was heavily streaked with gray. Elliot looked at the hesitant Ivan, and before Ivan could turn her over, he heard the woman groan again. It was familiar to Ivan, and at that moment, he hesitated, feeling a numbness in his body. This made Elliot even more confused, so he looked at Ivan to urge him on. Ivan placed his hand gently on the woman's shoulder, and he heard her voice calling out in a soft tone full of pain:
" Ivan... "
The blood froze in Elliot's veins. Thoughts raced through his mind—had they been caught? But he looked at Ivan, who was shocked, trembling, and his eyes were bloodshot. Elliot felt that something was happening, so without hesitation, he grabbed the woman by her shoulders and turned her over gently. Here, silent tears flowed from Ivan's eyes. Elliot looked at the woman who appeared pale and ill, clearly suffering from malnutrition...
" Mr. Jerome, do you know her?! "
Ivan placed the woman's thin palm between his hands, brought them close to his eyes, and whispered in a choked voice:
" Mother!! "
Elliot, feeling as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head, looked at Ivan and then at the woman who was barely moving. She placed her hand on Ivan's head and whispered:
" You have finally come, my little one. "
Elliot used to believe that the man in front of him was heartless and without feelings, but now he was sobbing like a small child. The woman, who spoke no words other than patting his hair, brought many thoughts to Elliot's mind:
' When did she come here? Why is the temple hiding her? Why does she look like this? '
After more than fifteen minutes of Ivan's crying, which finally stopped, he looked into his mother's emerald eyes and felt his heart was full. He had cried, forgetting everything around him—the temple, the plan, even Cassian. She was the only person he had strived for. How had he not found her in his previous life, and how had he not even known of her existence?
" I think before we ask anything, we must get out of here. We might be discovered. "
Ivan finally took notice of Elliot's presence and looked at his mother, who said in a gentle voice:
" Let us listen to your friend first.... Is it possible for you to bring me those books on the shelf? "
She pointed for Elliot, who brought a collection of large, thick books and placed them on the bed. After flipping through them, she gave them to Elliot and said:
" If possible, would you carry them until we get out? "
The woman's calmness was frightening to Elliot, but Ivan, who was deeply affected by his mother, did not care. He sighed and carried the books while she looked at Ivan and said:
" There is a shackle on my left foot. "
Ivan nodded, and with a strong, swift movement, he broke the shackle, which seemed to have been immune to magic. Ivan carried his mother, and just as they had entered, they tried to leave. But the temple was in a state of chaos; clearly, the situation outside had stirred turmoil within the temple. Despite Elliot's anxiety, they managed to exit smoothly.
There was chaos when they approached the square, and although the sky had become clear, there were still monsters roaming here and there.
" The sun will set soon. "
" Monsters love the darkness. "
It was the voice of Ivan's mother that made Elliot look at her quietly. She sighed and said:
" Ivan, you are good at releasing holy energy on a wide scale, right? "
He nodded in affirmation, understanding his mother's words. He released his holy power in a wide circle, and the monsters that were rampaging evaporated into the air. Ivan looked at his mother, who was clinging to him, hiding her face inside the cloak.
" The temple is responsible for all of this, that despicable Steve. "
" We are aware of the temple's involvement in this. "
It was Elliot, who was carrying the books, who spoke. He looked at Ivan's mother, who looked at him in surprise and said:
" We must meet the current Emperor urgently. "
Ivan looked at his serious mother. He realized that his mother had suffered much, but she was alive, and he was happy and worried at the same time. He sighed and said:
" Wait a moment. "
They were confused and looked at Ivan, who was supporting his mother with one hand while with the other, he took out an emerald magic stone and activated it. A voice came from the stone:
_ Did you two get out of the temple?!
" Yes, the situation is urgent. I will teleport to the palace. "
_ Very well, we are waiting.
The glow disappeared, and Ivan held his mother tightly and signaled for Elliot to come closer. When he approached, Ivan grabbed him, and in an instant, the place changed around them from the street crowded with people to a high ceiling and extravagant walls. There were four pairs of eyes looking at them. Before Ivan could speak, Ariana rushed toward Elliot and said with concern:
" Brother, are you alright?! "
Ivan remained silent and looked at the grumbling Elliot, who put the books aside, hugged his sister, and said in a sweet, warm voice:
" I am fine. How did things go?! "
* * *
After they had discussed the important matters, the jewel in Raphael's pocket emitted an emerald light. Raphael took it out to hear Ivan's voice informing him of their exit, so he told him calmly:
" Very well, we are waiting. "
He allowed Ivan to enter the office. When Ivan and those with him arrived, Raphael was annoyed by Ariana's rush toward her brother, but he noticed the sound of the chair Ivan moved and paid attention to the person who sat on it—a tattered woman who looked to be in a state that evoked pity and sadness. Before Raphael could speak:
" Karin greets His Majesty. I cannot stand, Your Majesty; please excuse me. "
It wasn't noble etiquette, but the politeness and atmosphere were solemn. Even Elliot turned to Karin and looked in silence. It was a familiar name to Ariana, but she thought:
' From where would I know this woman?! '
Raphael signaled for the rest to sit and said calmly, interlacing his fingers under his chin:
" Lady Karin, will you tell us what you have? "
He had an intuition telling him she had a connection to Ivan because of the strange resemblance between them, and he did not forget that Ivan had paid intense attention to her. He looked on quietly.
" First, I must introduce myself and my story. I am a witch, or rather a healing witch who uses magic potions... "
Karin took a deep breath, and before she could continue, Ivan passed a glass of water to her. After she drank it, she continued..
" More than fourteen years ago, I was living in Ruano County with my son as any single mother, working and selling potions. I had a patient who had to receive her medicine at its specific time; it was a medicine to stop runaway holy energy. I took Ivan with me and we went to the capital. I was arrested by the temple and could not tell my child of my whereabouts, until he found me today. "
Ariana stepped toward the woman and said:
" Why were you arrested by the temple? "
Karin fell silent for a moment and hesitated, but she spoke quietly, and there was a sense of pain:
" I was abandoned in front of the temple when I was five. The temple took me in despite me being a witch. I thought they were just being kind, but the previous Patriarch wanted human specimens for his experiments—children who possessed magical powers. It seems they pass power from bad to worse. When I escaped, I thought I had finally survived. Despite more than nine years passing, when I returned to the capital, I did not expect them to be waiting for me... "
She took a deep breath and said with hatred:
" Rokshan, who was worse than scum, arrested me. "
Raphael and Ariana realized she was telling the truth, but it was incomplete. Raphael looked at Philip and Elena, who were listening to Karin's talk quietly, and sighed:
" Lady Karin, thank you for informing us. I will allocate a private room for you. "
" Your Majesty, I want to ask about what became of Marquis and Marchioness Silas... "
Ariana's hand, which was fiddling with the leather of the sofa, froze. She looked at Karin and said...
" Do you mean Marquis Albin Silas? "
Karin looked at Ariana intently and said, standing up and approaching Ariana with stumbling steps, and grabbed her hands:
" You, aren't you little Aya? I remembered you. You have the face and the honey-colored hair of Marchioness Lorisia Silas. "
Ariana was flustered, and before she could speak a word, Raphael looked at Philip and Elena, who realized his intention. Philip stood up and bowed:
" Thank you, Your Majesties. I will ask Your Majesties' permission to go rest. "
" No problem. You are our guests until the dilemma is resolved. "
Philip smiled and left, holding Elena's hand, who had a lot of curiosity but left with him..
...... To be continued ......