Who Could Have Loved the Monster Princess? - Chapter 51
“…Huh?”
Did I hear that right? “Thank you?”
It couldn’t be a thank you for getting rid of a foolish child, right? The Duchess of Felix had forgotten all semblance of pride and had mourned her son’s death too deeply.
Could it be a sarcastic remark? But I couldn’t sense any particular hatred from her. Only a deep fatigue and melancholy hung over her face. As she saw my confusion, the Duchess spoke in a calm tone.
“…Thank you for trying to protect Geoffrey.”
The Duchess reached into a small pocket and took something out. When I received it and opened it, it turned out to be my own hair. The dull gray, bristly strands were unlike normal human hair.
“How did you… know?”
“Are you asking how someone from the Felix family, who survived countless attacks by the Demon King, knows how to deal with vengeful spirits?”
“I apologize. But… this couldn’t protect your son.”
“After all, you gave this hair to someone who insulted you, so as a mother, I should thank you.”
The Duchess of Felix sighed and continued.
“As a mother, I also owe you an apology. His twisted nature is my fault.”
“The Archduchess, apologizing to me?”
“The boy insulted you, didn’t he? I heard the Crown Prince punished him for it. He admitted it himself.”
The Duchess pressed her fingers to her forehead and fell silent for a moment. Then, she spoke again.
“Felix owes Staedt. If you’ve taken responsibility for Geoffrey’s death, then I can no longer hold anyone accountable.”
She looked as though she was on the verge of collapsing.
“Please, pour out your resentment toward me, as much as your heart aches. Nothing can replace your beloved son, but as a mother, you must rise again, don’t you think?”
I wanted to say that I was fine. After all, being blamed was a regular part of my life, and a peach from Ken would heal me. But the Duchess, who had been gazing at me, smiled bitterly.
“You are truly different from that boy,” she said softly. “Do you not resent the father who made you this way?”
Why was she suddenly turning the conversation toward me? Not long ago, I would have confidently answered, “I don’t resent him at all.” But for some reason, those words wouldn’t come as easily now. The Duchess didn’t wait for my response and continued in a weary tone.
“Geoffrey resented me deeply. For not having borne him into royalty, for making a bastard with illegitimate noble blood… He wanted himself to rule over the nobles.“
”He hated himself.”
“Yes. He did.”
The Duchess nodded solemnly, her gaze searching for something in me that was different from her son. Her eyes seemed to pierce through me, making me reflect for a moment.
Do I hate myself as well? Do I resent my father?
I was sure of my answer. I didn’t. But somehow, after so long believing one thing, I wondered if I had changed without realizing it.
The Duchess shook her head slowly, as if seeing something I hadn’t yet noticed in myself.
“You…” She looked at me with a sad smile. “You were loved, weren’t you? I… I couldn’t love him as I should have.”
Her eyes turned away, lost in a quiet sorrow.
“I never regretted bearing him. Even though he was born of a forbidden union, he was the only fruit of love I had in my life. He was the child I would trade my very soul for, my one and only precious love.”
Even while speaking of a love without regret, the Archduchess had a face full of self-blame.
“But now I regret it. It was only self-satisfaction. I used his presence to remind me of my happier days. I turned away from his needs because I couldn’t fulfill them. And in doing so, I failed to recognize what he really needed.”
The Archduchess closed her eyes.
“Thank you for listening. Lady Staedt. As for your responsibility to me, I consider it finished with this rambling confession today.”
“Is that alright? I can cooperate in capturing the culprit.”
“The culprit has already been confirmed by Felix’s mage. Who can blame anyone for succumbing to the will of that wraith and bringing about their own demise?”
The Archduchess, now wanting to be alone, sent me away.
‘Self-destruction?’
If the mage confirmed it, it must be accurate. There’s magic that reads the remaining traces, and the investigating mage must have seen the circumstances of that time firsthand.
But something felt off.
