"....then, Bye!" I said, making a hasty retreat from the terrace, after my conversation with Ren, before my internal 'cringe' meter hit the red zone.
For some reason, I am feeling a familiar, hot prickle of embarrassment for the things I just said to her. Like I said something cringe.
You know the feeling—the one where an adult looks back at something they did as a teenager and wants to vanish into the floorboards.
...Although, It was necessary. In my opinion, at least.
Yes, It was all for the sake of the greater good. In the face of the greater good, A little embarrassment is nothing. Nothing i can't handle.
Hooh... I hope that the therapy session had, at the very least, some effect. I don't want all my valuable and precious and noble effort and time to go to waste.
Although I have no real experience in giving mental therapy, I still used to give my male friends some therapy.
The therapy of 'Moving on from your girl'. Ah, poor guys, I hope they are doing well without my mental support.
"I didn't know you could console people as well." Aqua Said
[What made you think that I couldn't ?]
"Trust me, You were not good at it, at all. I thought you were a cold hearted guy to strangers."
[But it worked out, Right ?]
"we don't know that."
[I'm sure it will]
It has to. I wasted a lot of time and energy there.
"Although.... Your interest in her was unnatural. you were quite rash."
Yeah, anyone could see that.
"Especially, That Magic barrier. You were like a Hooligan, trying to hit on a cute girl, using force"
That's quite the detailed description. But she is not wrong. I did go a bit extreme... Maybe ? But, did i really act like thug ?
"Why were you So interested in her anyways ? Why interfere in someone's personal matter to this extent ?"
[You will know one day]
"Let's hope I do."
I did know would be in pain but this much ? that's extreme.
'I killed my mother'
I remembered her words.
So, she blames herself for that huh... It's not unusual, though. But it's not fair either.
People, who have gone through something, are often better at consoling other people who are going through the same thing. And Apparently, the effects are also much better. After all, they know the pain, the difficulties, the suffering more than someone who hasn't gone through all that.
So, Following that logic, My consolation should have a better effect on her. after all, I.....
*****
I am currently following Mary through the crowd.
Rem was a heroine known by many names. Such as 'The Tragic Heroine', 'The Lotus Waifu' etc.
Although the one that i liked the most, that was 'The second coming of the pink yandere'.
Yes, a yandere.
If one is a fan of anime, they should be acquainted with a certain pink haired girl from an anime where the characters could predict the future through their diary.
Although, that fate, that personality might change with my intervention.
Oh that note, I guess it's time to talk about Ren's Backstory.
it's probably time for a bit of a Lore Dump. Every heroine has a "Why," and Ren's "Why" was particularly a bit messy.
Ren's mother was a maid of the Volk house, who died a while ago.
Ren was born about three months after The official wife, My aunty, Gilda Von Volk or Regulus, gave birth to her son, the legitimate heir.
So, it was a love affair between a House master and a maid. A hot juicy topic for Nobles to gossip about.
Eventually, and very much Surprisingly. My aunty forgave my uncle for the transgression and accepted Ren into the main family.
Although, I don't know her motives behind accepting her.
She is a Doting aunt, to me, but outside of that ? I don't know much. Not even how she treats her own son, is not known to me.
I even have doubts that she dotes on me, more than my cousin.
There's a chance that she was just kind and felt pity for Ren, who just lost her mother but who knows.
Humans, and women in particular are never simple. Never.
If she really did accept her out of pure, maternal kindness, that's a good thing.
But, if it was a calculative move ? She is scary.
Even i, who is a complete newbie in the high society politics can already see three benefits that she can gain from her actions.
One, She gets to have a cute daughter that can later be used as an alliance tool with some other family.
Two, By accepting a pitiful illegitimate orphan and forgiving her husband's infidelity, she built an image of a pitiful and kind woman in the high society, earning her pity and liking, and most importantly respect, from all noble women. She would be known as a Woman of Virtue.
That will boost her reputation.
Third, by forgiving The Grand Duke, she can make the Duke owe her.
Basically, she holds a moral leverage over the Duke. And that will make her Voice in the Volk Household stronger.
Scary
Now back to Ren's story. According to backstory in the Game.
When she was young, her parents were too busy at work to give her any attention and Her nanny, the head maid ? Well... Let's say that bitch was one hell of a monster for a caretaker. She used to harass her, a lot. and yes, a looot.
No, Harass is too much of a light word. She tormented her, a young innocent girl.
Apparently, The Nanny had a crush on the Duke and she definitely didn't like it when her best friend, Ren's birth mother, succeeded in getting something she herself could not.
So, what did she do ?
She took revenge on her best friend's daughter, instead. What a bitch, right ? Don't you just wanna punch that face.
Now, I myself, pity loosing heroines like the Nanny, very much, But This is unforgivable and out of the Line. A child should not suffer for her parent's actions.
I knew Ren's childhood personality would be somewhat ...negative, like this. But, i didn't expect it to be this bad.
Her teenage version was a confident and strong genius mage. An amazing girl. Her only flaw could be that she was a bit too emotionally dependent and a yandere.
But, honestly ? isn't that awesome ?
You can call me crazy. But that flaw was what I liked the best about her.
It was not mentioned in the lore, how she became a Confident mage from a Gloomy under-confident kid.
So, I hope my intervention can fasten the process.
I followed Mary back to where my mother was standing. She was engaged in conversation with a couple that radiated an almost suffocating amount of presence.
The Man had Blue hair and Golden eyes.
But the most noticeable thing about him, The thing that actually tells his story, his identity was that, everything about him- His presence, his posture, the way he occupied space—everything screamed of only one word.
A Warrior
This man is the holder of the title 'King's Sword', Theodore Von Volk.
What a coincidence.
And beside him is a beautiful woman with Golden blond hair and Amethyst Purple eyes.
She looks Just like a female version of the king.
Because she is, after all, his sister, Gilda Von Volk or formerly Regulus.
I went to them.
"Ty!" Gilda called out the moment she saw me. Before I could offer a formal royal greeting, she crouched down and pulled me into a hug, ruffling my hair with reckless abandon.
As I said, a doting aunt. Both her and my mother. Birds of the same feather really do flock together.
The amount of love, I get from my family is really an overkill. I'm not exactly complaining, though.
I looked over her shoulder at the Grand Duke. He looked like a block of permafrost. Cold. Unmoving.
I wonder how I should bring it up ? the matter of Ren ?
"How have you been ? You've grown up a lot in the last year." Aunt said.
Well, i wouldn't say a lot.
"I've been well, Aunt Gilda," I replied, smoothing my hair back into place.
And after that short greeting, some useless conversations went on for some time among the adults.
There's no chance of bringing it up. But, I guess, i gotta bring it up by myself.
"Aunt" i called