The West Wind's Destination - Chapter 92
To Bea, it felt as if she had been one with Aseph all through the night, locked together. She couldn’t be certain of how it actually was since the strange atmosphere that had tormented her all night had completely dissipated by the time she woke up.
However, his traces lingered on her body for quite some time. Despite having been cleaned out thoroughly, the sensation of him still being inside persisted. For several days, her lower region felt numb, and her back hurt so much that she couldn’t get out of bed.
During this time, a few visits from the mage and doctor occurred. The aide, butler, and Homun briefly showed their faces a few times.
Aseph provided somewhat belated care. It seemed often when with Aseph, she would end up sitting in bed, just receiving food he spoon-fed her.
“Even if you’ve been regenerated with magic, you still need to rest. I was too hasty.”
Aseph blushed, recalling how much he had been scolded by Ruslan.
“Bea, please eat a bit more. I really can’t stand seeing you like this.”
Despite Aseph sighing heavily as he spooned up the soup for her, Bea just stared at the bowl, hardly eating. Seeing her like this, Aseph felt even more guilty.
“Does it not suit your taste? I wish you would eat a little more. I’ve told the chef to be careful…”
He said just one more bite earlier, and now it’s one more bite again. Bea was about to point out Aseph’s contradictory statements but instead just stared intently at the finely chopped vegetables in the soup bowl.
“You don’t cook anymore, like you used to?”
“Hm? Of course, it would be good if I could personally take care of you but…”
Aseph was a bit flustered.
Of course, Bea wasn’t suggesting that the Archduke himself should serve her meals. She recalled the soup Aseph had made from ingredients he had hastily gathered in the forest when they first met. Indeed, Aseph often thought back to those times while looking at Bea lying in bed.
The former Archduke and Archduchess also used to take care of each other in such a manner, and Aseph, having grown up seeing that, did the same.
It was a fond memory for Aseph. If given a chance, he wanted to try it again.
But…
“I avoided it because you said you disliked it.”
“Right.”
“…”
Bea agreed immediately, but Aseph seemed to urgently want to say something more, then closed his mouth.
He remained silent for a while, as if thinking about something. Looking intently at Bea, Aseph tilted his head and then spoke.
“I avoided the jerky and mushroom soup, and the wild boar meat you often said you disliked.”
“Yes.”
“You dislike them, right?”
“I do.”
Though her words sounded cold, Aseph’s heart didn’t drop like it did when Homun had first told him that Bea’s least favorite things in the world were Homun and Aseph.
Aseph hummed with a low voice.
He observed Bea’s face for a while longer, then stood up.
“Please wait here for a moment.”
Walking out without hesitation, Aseph paused briefly upon reaching the bedroom door. After looking back at Bea, he whispered softly to someone outside.
Soon, Aseph let someone in. The door opened, and a child, hesitating and only poking their head through initially, eventually entered after lingering for a while.
Aseph affectionately tousled Homun’s hair and whispered something into his ear. Leaving Homun alone, he then left the bedroom.
“…Mother.”
Homun tentatively uttered that word again.
At first, it felt alien, but as Aseph had said, if he was a unique being born from her hands, then perhaps it wasn’t incorrect to use that term.
Bea nodded somewhat in agreement.
Then, Homun shuffled closer to the bed.
He had grown noticeably since she last saw him a few days ago. His body was rapidly growing, and he had mentioned learning swordsmanship recently.
Previously, Bea had dressed him in whatever was enough to keep out the cold, but now, having received good care in this place, he somewhat looked like a young noble.
The quality clothes made Homun look like a child raised in a noble family, with a clean, white shirt and neat trousers. His expression, almost void of emotion like Bea’s, and his countenance were as domineering as that of a noble born.
Did Aseph look like this when he was young? No, Aseph probably had a softer expression. Despite Bea saying multiple times that Homun was nothing more than a clone, Aseph insisted they were different individuals, and now she began to somewhat understand what he meant.
While Bea observed Homun, he spoke first.
“Mother, will you be living here from now on?”
“Yes.”
“Then, do I not need to learn swordsmanship?”
“What do you mean?”
Homun opened and closed his lips hesitantly before he finally answered.
“Ruslan Arkleis, a retainer here, has been teaching me swordsmanship.”
“And?”
“He said that if I only follow the path of research in your footsteps, I might not be able to protect you again.”
“How would you protect me? I can take care of myself.”
Moreover, Homun was just a small child, too little to protect anyone.
“I argued that too, but other people mentioned the incident where you were taken by Myron Devesis. They said force and status are most useful when removing obstacles and acquiring what one desires, and that Aseph Vilkanos did not utilize that properly.”
What does that have to do with anything? She couldn’t find any correlation in what he was saying.
“But if Aseph Vilkanos was right, and you staying here proves them wrong, then…”
“Homun! Good grief…”
Aseph, having returned after a short absence, quickly approached after apparently overhearing part of the conversation. He handed something to Bea and then picked up Homun.
“This kid.”
Aseph playfully messed up Homun’s neatly arranged silver hair with a laugh.
“He’s just being dramatic because he doesn’t want to take his swordsmanship lessons.”
