CHAPTER 146: HER MOTHER

William and Vitori walked side by side through the quiet garden. The soft rustle of dried leaves being crushed beneath their feet echoed faintly in the stillness.

The cool breeze of the summer felt quite nice and adding the stillness of the forest in the background it was quite the place to take a stroll.

The backside of the Tower was well lit, allowing the soldiers patrolling the area to march with clear visibility.

No one came to disturb them, and the two continued their stroll in silence.

Just then, the older man spoke first.

"Emma lost her mother when she was three years old. It was a magic experiment that caused my wife’s death."

William turned slightly toward him, taken aback by the sudden revelation.

He had never asked about Emma’s mother before—not because he didn’t want to, but because he was never sure whether he should.

The man continued, his voice calm.

"My wife didn’t care much about Emma or even her family. For her, magic research was everything. That’s why, despite knowing the dangers, she didn’t hesitate to take part in it—fully aware that a three-year-old child was waiting for her back home."

William frowned. That was reckless... and cruel.

Despite how nonchalant the man sounded, William could tell he was hurting himself by saying those words.

After all, since the moment William had met him, this was the first time he had heard distant whispers of his thoughts—a sign that those memories were too heavy for him to maintain control.

William didn’t interrupt as the older man continued.

"When she left me, I never thought of marrying again. A deep distrust was born in my heart—toward things like love and trust."

William nodded in understanding.

Vitori sighed and added,

"Emma didn’t react much back then, perhaps because she was so young. But a part of me believes she was deeply hurt. In an attempt not to let me see it, she completely stopped mentioning anything about her mother. As if she had forgotten her."

William could understand the pain of losing one’s mother... though the difference was that Emma’s mother had never shown her affection.

The thought of being abandoned for someone’s work—yes, that must have hurt.

"Later, Emma began showing interest in research, invention, and development," Vitori continued. "Much like her mother."

He shook his head.

"I grew worried... afraid she would become like that woman I dearly hated. Yet every time I saw Emma’s eyes sparkle after accomplishing something, or the pride on her face when she showed me her inventions, I couldn’t bring myself to stop her. I didn’t have the courage to take away the reason for her joy just because I was paranoid."

William had heard of it—how Emma was a brilliant inventor, and how several creations offered to the world by the East Wind carried her contributions.

At the same time, he could imagine how conflicted Vitori must have felt watching his daughter walk the same path as her mother.

Yet, he chose his daughter’s smile over his past wounds.

"At a very young age, she achieved things that would make people my age feel small," Vitori said. "Can you believe it? Emma is the mind behind the aether rail."

William’s lips parted in utter shock.

"Really?"

Vitori nodded.

"She came up with the idea of using magic to create a transportation system—one that could save time and move large numbers of people efficiently. She was around ten at that time."

Vitori glanced at him.

"Now do you understand what kind of sharp mind that girl carries?"

William slowly nodded, though he was still struggling to fully process what he had just heard.

Vitori sighed again.

"Watching her grow, I always feared that—just like her mother—Emma would chase greatness over love or family. I don’t belittle that ambition. I simply believe that having a family is an important part of one’s life."

William nodded in agreement. Right. His own dream had always been simple—to build a big house somewhere quiet and live peacefully with his family.

"But you were proven wrong," William said.

"Emma isn’t like her mother. She also dreams of a peaceful life, far from chaos and superficial happiness."

Vitori exhaled softly.

"I don’t know about her dream, but when I heard she was willing to defy my words and break one of the strongest curses recorded in history—just for a man—I saw her diverging from the path her mother once walked."

William lowered his head, a quiet smile stretching across his lips.

Vitori sounded genuinely confused.

"Though I still don’t understand how she fell for a man who behaved like a complete jerk with her in the past."

William stumbled—more mentally than physically—at those words.

Scratching the back of his head, he replied,

"Right... I’m sorry about that. It was the curse."

Vitori hummed, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"And the stabbing? You hurt her after she liberated you, didn’t you?"

William ducked his head.

"Yes. I didn’t want her to grow fond of me for the reasons you mentioned earlier... in that torture room."

Vitori let out a slow breath.

"And I still stand by my point. I have explored countless tombs and ancient records, yet I have never come across an existence like you."

William’s expression grew serious. The mystery surrounding himself continued to deepen, yet not a single page had truly been revealed.

"Here you are."

A familiar voice came from behind, causing both men to stop and turn.

Emma stood there, now dressed in something more casual.

She wore a blue one-piece skirt that reached her thighs, with a pink bow resting at her collar. Her long hair was tied into a ponytail, and under the moonlight, her natural charm seemed elevated—making her appear both cute and captivating.

Without thinking, William spoke honestly.

[You look beautiful. That colour suits you.]

Emma faintly blushed before coughing lightly and walking closer.

"Father, I wanted to ask you something."

Vitori smiled gently at her.

"What is it, dear?"

Emma turned toward William.

"Show him."

William hesitated. Given how suspicious her father already was of him, he wasn’t sure if he should. But Emma gave him an assuring look.

Reluctantly, William unbuttoned his shirt, revealing the cut mark on his chest.

Vitori frowned as he examined it closely.

"This wound appeared suddenly while we were on our way to the Tower," Emma explained.

Vitori bit his lip before straightening.

"I need to check the records... but if I recall correctly, this isn’t a wound."

He met William’s eyes and said gravely,

"He is marked by an immortal being."

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A/N:- Thanks for reading.