Life in Another World With Narration chapter 53

53 – A Mother’s Heart

I was transferred to Queen Ludmilla just as I was imprisoned in the magic stone cell.

Ludmilla reached out her hand towards me and her eyes sparkled, causing the cubic magic stone cell to disintegrate.

“Did you find Shari’s mother?”

“……”

Instead of answering, Ludmilla looked at Shari, who was perched on top of my head.

What? Did you find her or not?

“Shari, separate yourself from that man and come forward.”

Ludmilla commanded Shari.

Shari widened her eyes, slowly detached herself from my head, and came forward.

Then Ludmilla’s eyes began to sparkle again.

“Wait! What are you doing right now…?”

Suddenly, a large magic circle appeared, surrounding Shari.

Ludmilla gestured a few times, and the magic circle enclosed Shari just like the magic stone cell had enclosed me.

Shari looked at me with a bewildered expression.

“Stay still, human. If you don’t want to die.”

Ludmilla continued to cast an unknown spell, her eyes shining.

Shari tried to break through the magic circle, but surprisingly, she couldn’t escape.

A magic that can imprison a ghost? I’ve never heard of such a thing.

As the magic circle trapping Shari increased in number, eventually Shari’s form disappeared completely.

I stared dumbfounded at the magic circle that confined Shari, unable to believe it.

“Sigh… Imprisoning a spirit indeed consumes a lot of magical power.”

“Why are you suddenly doing this? What has Shari done wrong?”

“To prevent her from hearing the conversation starting now.”

Ludmilla said with a slightly weary expression.

“Right now, Shari won’t be able to come out of this barrier or hear anything. If I just release the barrier, she will come out perfectly fine, so don’t worry.”

“Why… didn’t you find Shari’s mother?”

“I found her.”

“But then why did you confine Shari?”

Feeling a sense of foreboding, I asked Ludmilla.

If she found her mother, she should let Shari meet her.

Even if it becomes a sad reunion because she has become a ghost, Shari still wanted to see her.

“Forte. The girl’s mother is a woman named Forte. And…”

“And…?”

“Forte… is dead.”

I listened to Rudmila’s detailed story about Shari’s mother.

Forte was a woman who lived the life of a writer and a traveler.

She left Ainblad and traveled around the continent, writing books about what she saw and experienced firsthand.

Once she embarked on a journey, her enthusiasm was so great that she would not return for months.

The Ainblad library had dozens of her travelogues and books.

She seemed to be quite famous among the demons as a writer, with fans who admired and followed her.

When she left Ainblad, there were discussions everywhere about the upcoming book she would write.

Forte had a deep understanding of ecology and geography, so her books were also highly valued academically.

Then she became pregnant with Shari.

Since Forte had not married anyone, she didn’t know who the father was.

Even in her pregnant state, she visited famous flower gardens and landmarks near Ainblad, practicing prenatal education.

After Shari was born, she raised her alone in Ainblad, dedicating herself to childcare.

As time passed and Shari reached the age of walking on her own, Forte started traveling again with her.

Traveling and writing books were both her profession, and she couldn’t leave her daughter alone at home.

But that became a burden, and Forte lost her daughter.

I don’t know what accident happened during their journey that caused them to be separated.

But one thing is certain: one day, she returned to Ainblad alone, without her daughter.

“They say Forte didn’t even know that her daughter had been taken by humans. They say she searched the place where she lost her daughter in Ainblad multiple times, gathering people to help find her,” Rudmila said, squinting her eyes and looking at the magic circle that imprisoned Shari.

A mother who lost her daughter while traveling.

Honestly, I thought the responsibility lay heavily on the mother who couldn’t properly take care of her daughter.

But even if it wasn’t Portia, there were certainly mothers who actually lost their children senselessly.

When I was young, I went to the market with my mother and had a frightening experience where I briefly held someone else’s hand in the midst of a bustling crowd.

If someone with ill intentions had taken me away at that time, I would have never been able to return home.

Accidents like that always happen.

“I understand what kind of person Shari’s mother was. But why on earth…”

“In the end, Portia failed to find her daughter and fell ill. I don’t know if it was an illness of the heart or if she caught a fatal disease somewhere, but she died soon after.”

“…”

“I understand that you want this child to meet her mother. But sometimes, not knowing might be better, don’t you think? If you want, I can tell her that Portia has gone on a long journey and hasn’t returned yet.”

It was only then that I realized Ludmilla had used magic to confine Shari and prevent her from hearing the conversation.

If a young child were to hear the news of her mother’s death when she came here wanting to see her, it could be an unbearable shock.

No matter how much of a ghost she was, just the thought of it made my heart ache with pity.

“Oh, human, I ask you. Do you still want to tell that child about Portia’s fate?”

Ludmilla asked me.

Even if she asked me now, to be honest, I don’t know.

Emotionally speaking, it might have been better for Shari not to know about her mother’s death.

But on the other hand, I thought that might just be my own perspective.

If I were in Shari’s position, I would have wanted to know honestly.

Even if it were a painful truth, I would have thought it was my duty to know and accept it properly, rather than never knowing it forever.

“Um… May I ask you a few questions?”

After much deliberation, I opened my mouth, looking at Rudmilla.

“Go ahead.”

“Is there a grave for Porte?”

“We don’t bury the dead. We cremate them with the flames of magic.”

“Then is Porte’s house still there?”

“It should still be there.”

Rudmilla replied.

I was relieved that at least the house was still intact, albeit a bit late.

I made up my mind.

I thought it would be better to tell the truth properly rather than deceive Shari.

She had the right to know about her mother.

I had no right to take away her qualification to think about her mother as she pleased.

So, perhaps it would be better to tell her the truth properly and do what I can do.

“I have a favor to ask…”

I slowly opened my mouth, looking at Rudmilla.

* * *

I decided to visit the house where Porte had lived with Shari.

It was a difficult opportunity that I obtained by asking Rudmilla.

Even when Shari was locked up in the magic prison, she never left my side, and Rudmilla specially allowed me to visit Porte’s house with Shari.

The given time was only one day.

By tomorrow, I had to leave Ainblad for sure.

If I didn’t leave this place on time, Ludmilla might actually execute me.

“She’s staring at me so intensely….”

The cold gazes of the other vampires had become familiar now.

Anyway, the fact that I was alive and wandering around Ainblad itself was a tremendous privilege.

I hadn’t told Shari about her mother’s work yet.

I still hadn’t figured out where to start and how to bring it up.

I thought it might be better to tell her before entering Forte’s house, but the words wouldn’t come out.

Shari was eagerly leading the way, knowing that she was going back to her original home.

I followed behind her with a complicated expression on my face.

Forte’s house was located in a quiet place, far from the bustling streets of Ainblad.

The neatly organized yard was adorned with beautiful purple flowers.

Carefully, I opened the door with the key I received from Ludmilla and entered the house.

As soon as I entered the house, the smell of books wafted through the air.

On the desk, which seemed to have been used for Forte’s writing, there were still unfinished books, a pen, and an ink bottle.

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The bookshelf was filled with various books, and a large map of the continent hung on one wall.

There was no one in the house, but there was a lingering sense of someone soon returning if I waited.

It was a house that had the warm and nostalgic feeling unique to a home.

“Shari.”

I called Shari’s name as I wandered around the house in a daze.

Shari turned to look at me, blinking her eyes.

“I have something important to tell you…”

She slowly opened her trembling lips.

Although I had already made up my mind to tell her, when it came time to speak, my lips wouldn’t move easily.

“I found out about your mother through Queen Ludmilla.”

Shari stared at me silently.

“Your mother… passed away from illness not long ago.”

I finally told Shari the truth.

Her expression gradually turned cold.

I heard that she was an amazing person. She wrote a lot of books while traveling. Her books are still popular in Einblad. So…”

No, I shouldn’t say unnecessary things.

“I’m sorry, Shari. For delivering this news.”

Shari’s expression seemed like she could burst into tears at any moment.

But she didn’t shed a tear.

Is it because she’s a ghost?

I couldn’t figure out what to say to Shari.

Shari stared blankly at the house as if she had turned into ice for a long time.

And after a while, she slowly floated towards the desk that seemed to have been used by Forte for writing.

On the desk, there was a half-opened book lying there, as if it had been written.

And next to it, there was a large notebook.

Shari showed interest in the notebook and cautiously picked it up.

And as she opened the first page, there was writing that seemed to be written by Porte.

“Shall I read it to you?”

Shari nodded slowly.

I began to read the words written in the notebook to Shari.

—–

My beloved daughter,

Yesterday, I had a dream of you coming back home.

You are the most beautiful and lovely child in the world.

Every day, I regret the day I lost you and spend it in tears.

I still want to believe that you are somewhere alive.

I hope that someday you will return to Ainblad as if nothing ever happened.

I wanted to show you the wide and beautiful world that your mother has seen.

Perhaps it was too much of a desire, but I can’t forget the sight of you laughing and running in the flower field of blooming Rubeld Gorge.

I think this mother has committed a great sin against you. Losing you is entirely my fault.

Maybe this mother deserves to be punished.

I feel like I am carrying the guilt of not being able to protect you and going to hell.

I remember when I read you travel stories and drew pictures for you.

You also said that you wanted to travel with me.

You were so much like your mother, who had a great interest in new places and flowers.

With the remaining time I have, I want to draw the places we couldn’t go together.

Carrying the burden of guilt until the moment I close my eyes for the rest of my life, I won’t forget you.

I miss you, Shari.

I’m sorry, Mom.

—–

After reading the beginning of the note, I turned the page.

On the remaining pages, there were drawings.

A flower field blooming with various colors, a lavender field seen from a cliff, a forest full of fallen leaves, and more.

Various landscapes were drawn with the skill of a talented painter.

And in all those landscapes, there was Shari, smiling brightly.

Judging from the content of the note, it seemed that the drawings were made after losing Shari.

Forte, longing for his daughter, meticulously drew her in the landscape paintings.

Shari couldn’t take her eyes off those drawings.

Slowly, I turned the pages of the note and showed Shari the pictures inside.

The vivid drawings made it seem as if Shari had actually been in those landscapes.

That’s how I spent the night, reading and showing Shari the records left by Forte until she was satisfied.

Hoping that this would bring some comfort to Shari’s heart.

* * *