CHAPTER 71: WHO IS RIN’S MOTHER? 2

"That drawer has been stuck ever since I came here..." Rin said as he stood a few steps from the mysterious drawer that had never opened since his arrival in that world. Zepharion’s glowing red eyes were fixed on it, expression unreadable. Rin watched him and said nothing more about the drawer.

"Maybe we should forget the drawer," Rin said, breaking the silence. "Tell me about my mother. Who was she really?"

Zeph turned his gaze away from the drawer. His voice was low, velvety.

"Your mother was the daughter of the Demon King. A full-blooded succubus."

Rin bit his lower lip. He had already heard that information before. "...Succubus?"

"Yes," Zeph continued, stepping closer. "After the Holy Cleansing, when demons were banished from the human world, many suffered. But succubi suffered the most. Their survival relies on demonic energy gathered from intimacy, and with the gates to the demon realm sealed, many were left to rot."

Zeph’s tone dropped as he stared into Rin’s eyes.

"Your mother didn’t wait for death. She changed her form, entered the human world in disguise, and began working in a brothel... feeding where energy flowed freely."

Rin’s lips parted slightly. He didn’t know what shocked him more: the brothel or the fact that his mother had been the daughter of the demon king.

"She became powerful," Zeph said. "Too powerful. Her time in the brothel awakened something dormant in her as she grew stronger. But she didn’t lose herself. She found... love."

Zeph turned toward the window, voice soft now.

"There was a man who always visited the brothel. He always wore a mask, his hair white like frost."

Rin immediately remembered the man he saw in his dreams. No, in Rin’s real memories. He continued to listen to Zeph’s story.

"Nobody knew who that strange man was, but he always asked for her. Only her. Every time."

Rin stood motionless, heart drumming.

"So... she fell for him," Zeph said. "She fell hard. She even removed her pregnancy-blocking charm... a risk no succubus would dare take. And when she became pregnant for him. When he visited again, she told him about it and surprisingly, he didn’t reject her."

Rin took a step forward. "Who was he? Who was that man?"

Zeph’s mouth twisted.

"A Duke. The second most powerful noble in the kingdom. The first being the Vortellions."

Rin stiffened.

"I see... Continue please,"

"He bought your mother out of the brothel, took her to a private estate in the woods. Your mother was happy that she got married to a good man. Someone who was ready to take responsibility. Someone who was wealthy enough to take care of her but he never took her into his home neither did he introduce her to his family. She learned he was married and that he had three children. An heir."

Rin’s stomach twisted.

"But he still claimed to love her. Built her a shed hidden in his land, very far from the manor. Though, he visited often, lavished her with everything... except legitimacy."

Zeph’s fists clenched slightly.

"And finally, she bore him a son. You. And after that, he never lay with her again."

Rin’s eyes widened.

"He knew what she was. A demon. He knew she needed energy. So he let other men come to her. He ordered them to lay with her. Like she was an object. A tool."

"But she still smiled for me..." Rin whispered. "Even when she was hurting."

He could remember the smile on her face whenever she was with Young Rin.

Zeph nodded.

"Yes. Because she loved you, Rin. Even when she was tired. Even when she bled. She always smiled at you. She always said you were her miracle."

Rin felt something cold grip his chest. She wasn’t his real mother but he could feel the pain the real Rin was supposed to be feeling.

"She raised you alone in secret. Until the Duke’s wife found out that the duke had a mistress with a son. Then everything changed. She began to beat your mother. She even tried to kill her. But she was a demon. She healed quickly. And she endured it all. And it was all for you."

Silence.

Then Zeph looked up, voice trembling.

"Until one day... she was beaten so badly in front of you... And she collapsed."

Rin swallowed hard. A vivid memory clawed into his mind... Red. Blood. Her blood.

"She passed out," Zeph said. "And when she woke up... Seeing you stained with blood, she thought you had stayed beside her all night."

Rin nodded slowly. "I didn’t?"

Zeph shook his head.

"You left the shed for the first time while she was unconscious. Rin... you were sixteen. And you were furious. You burned the entire estate to the ground and killed every single member of the Duke’s family."

Rin’s ears rang.

"I did... that?"

"No one ever found the culprit," Zeph said. "But your mother knew. She sealed your magic that night. Hid the truth. And left the shed,"

Rin’s legs nearly gave out. He grabbed the desk for support.

"You are more than an incubus, Master. You’re a demon with a core. An omega with a womb. And a nobleman’s secret heir."

The air around them pulsed.

Zeph stepped toward the drawer.

"That’s why only your dark magic can open this. Not even I can access it."

Rin stared at it. The wood was polished but old. Carvings shimmered faintly along the edges... RUNES.

"But my magic is sealed," Rin whispered. "How do I..."

He stopped. His fingers trembled as they hovered above the drawer.

Ding!

[System Notification Hidden Quest: Unlock the Forgotten Drawer of Blood]

[Status: Incomplete]

[Requirements: Dark Magic Signature, Emotional Trigger]

[Warning: Proceeding may unlock sealed memories. Do you wish to continue?]

[Y/N]

Rin stared at the system for more than five seconds before Zeph’s voice broke his thoughts.

His voice was calm.

"If you open it, everything will change."

Rin looked at his palm. Was he ready to unlock the drawer? What exactly was inside? How can it be able to change his life? What memories are sealed? Maybe sealing it was the best option. Maybe breaking the seal would allow him to be able to protect himself.

"What do you say, Master?"

"I..." Rin swallowed hard.