I Became The Mother Of The Strongest Villain - Chapter 4

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Chapter 4

The long winding path to reach the house was rugged and weathered, but despite how difficult it must be for a small half-frozen body, there wasn’t even the slightest whimper heard from the child

If it weren’t for the improved physical prowess Yuria had gained after arriving in this world, she wouldn’t be able to easily come and go from home to the town as easily as she did. She could hardly fathom how arduous the trip would pose for a child nevertheless, the child didn’t mutter a word and continued walking.

“Isn’t it hard?” Yuria, worried about the child, asked softly. Hearing her, the child previously looking ahead turned to Yuria gazing at her as though looking through a window.

The child quietly asked, “Are you going to throw me away?”

It was a pure question coming from him. He couldn’t do anything even if Yuria were to abandon him. He didn’t want to be abandoned, but he also didn’t want to hold onto someone who was ready to throw him away.

Although she was the first person who showed him goodwill and asked him to accompany her, the child hadn’t fully accepted Yuria. He followed Yuria out of pure curiosity and interest, he simply thought that it would be okay to follow her.

The child’s question reminded Yuria of her past causing a melancholy sentiment to colour her expression. She had been like that too, unable to show any feelings, only able to endure. She was afraid if she told it to her parents, who were also struggling with trials set by the world, they would abandon her.

Yuria pretended she was okay, thinking she couldn’t burden her parents with her problems and that she was meant to be alone. She continuously chewed and swallowed those words as she grew up, even as an adult it was the same. The child who couldn’t say a word in fear of abandonment became an adult who had learned to sit in silence hiding their fears.

However, twisting the cap tighter only heightened the buildup of the emotions she kept bottled inside, gnawing and corroding from within.

“No, I will never throw you away. I was just worried about you.”

In the midst of her selfishness driving that impulsive decision was pity, and compassion for the child, she had no intention of throwing away the child no matter what. She confirmed tightly grasping the child’s hands.

She couldn’t let the child be wounded by the world as she had.

At Yuria’s words, the child just tilted his head.

You can throw me away if you want. You don’t need to hold onto something that will only be a burden, it’s natural for a child to be a burden and be abandoned eventually.

Moreover, he couldn’t understand Yuria’s worries. Having had no one to worry about him before, the child didn’t know why Yuria was concerned for him, nor the cause of her worrying.

Nonetheless, Yuria’s words made his heart flutter, he wiggled his little hand in response to the ticklish feeling.

“If it’s alright with you, can I give baby a hug so I can carry you?” Yuria asked, knowing the child wouldn’t be able to ask for help even as they were struggling on their own.

It was unacceptable to let those little feet continue to walk through a forest carpeted with stones and tree roots.

Does that child know how pitiful it was to see him struggling to walk with that little body of his?

From the moment she saw the trial he’d been put to she had no intention of letting the child labor on his own again. Seeing the image of the child walking alone through the rough forest, reminded her how she endured silently, abandoned alone in the world.

“Hug?” The child tilted his head not understanding his black hair fluttering like starlight with the action. Only Yuria was contained in his red, transparent eyes that peered up at her.

“Yes, as long as it’s okay with baby.”

The child nodded slightly. Despite wearing dusty and shabby clothes, the child’s appearance could not be covered up, emphasizing the loveliness of the child found in even the trivialest of his actions.

The child didn’t quite understand the word, “hug” since he’d never felt his mother hug him in her arms. However, what was in Yuria’s gaze was obviously warmth, so he did not refuse.

With the child’s permission, Yuria carefully picked up the child. Yuria put on a painful expression again, being able to feel his small stature through the clothes. His body, which was infinitely small and fragile even just looking at it, was even more so when holding it.

Yuria held the child tightly in her arms and walked the familiar path. No longer needing to keep pace with the child, her pace sped up and they arrived at her cottage shortly.

Seeing the house nestled deep in the forest, the child’s eyes widened. It seemed strange that there was a house in such a place.

“…….Home.” The child slightly murmured.

“Yeah, from now on you’re going to live here with me.”

“Here?” The child’s eyes grew in surprise once more. It was a house that was a little sloppy and small compared to other houses, but to the child, it felt warm and comfortable more than any other. He had never had a proper home until now. The only places he was allowed were the hard, cold ground, and places on the brink of collapsing.

As Yuria nodded her head slightly, a light appeared in the child’s eyes. The door opened to a small cozy home, he couldn’t believe he actually had a home to stay in now.

Yuria carefully put the child down. Seeing his unknown new surroundings, the child wandered the house with curious eyes, each sight leaving him more amazed than the last. Maybe due to his excitement, the child was soon running around, his fingers constantly wiggling unable to contain the adventurous spirit of a child experiencing a new world, so he committed everything he saw to memory.

A smile spread across Yuria’s face at the sight of the child’s blatant happiness; his head swiveling to and fro, his twinkling eyes, his jittery hands and feet – everything was lovely and cute.

She also felt like being a child.

“Here, home.” Like a toddler learning their favorite word, he kept chanting the word “home” aloud.

“Hold on a minute, I’ll warm you up.” Usually, Yuria wouldn’t light the stove to save wood, but she couldn’t let the child, who had endured the frigid snow, freeze.

The child looked at Yuria’s behavior with a curious expression.

It seemed unbelievable that when the tree Yuria held in her hand went into the furnace it turned red, emitting a bright red light. He wanted to touch that red thing to know what it felt like, but in the end chose not to instead, wiggling his toes excitedly and shaking his head.

“It will be warm soon.”

“Does it really get warmer?” The child, who had kept silent until now, spoke up when he was with Yuria. It was a childish voice, but Yuria was more than willing to hear it.

“It was difficult for you, so you can rest now.”

Yuria also longed for a break. Her weariness suddenly became all the more evident facing the warm air, after sitting in the cold wind for the past few days.

The child nodded in understanding yet, he just stood still.

“Baby?” At Yuria’s call, the child looked at Yuria as if to ask why she was doing all this.

“You can lie in bed.”

The child tilted his head.

Yuria pointed, “That’s the bed.”

At Yuria’s suggestion, the child cautiously moved forward as if the floor was about to collapse. His behavior changed, becoming extremely wary and tentative.

He shuffled slowly towards the bed taking one or two steps and jumping in alarm, stopping for a moment to tap his little feet on the floor as if making sure it wouldn’t collapse. He walked three more steps and flinched again in surprise, and this time, he looked around. As a result, it took him a long time to go to bed; however, Yuria wasn’t in a rush.

Upon reaching the bed the child discovered it was higher than expected, and couldn’t easily climb up. After thinking about it the child stretched his hand out to climb up the bed, but immediately recoiled as soon he touched the mattress, his alarm causing him to fall to the floor.

“Baby?”

“That…….”

“Huh?”

“It’s soft. It moved!” The child exclaimed with wide eyes, shocked by this dangerous, squishy being occupying the house. The child suddenly got up from the floor and warily studied the bed.

“Hahaha.” Yuria couldn’t restrain her laughter when she saw the child’s vigilant appearance towards the mattress as if it was some kind of vicious monster.

Seeing Yuria’s smile, the child looked at her blankly. It was the first time he had seen such a pretty and bright angelic smile on the soft Yuria, or anyone. Despite this, the child felt a little uncomfortable with her radiant smile, due to his awkward reaction being the cause.

“That’s scary.” The child said in a rather sullen voice, staring at the bed.

“It’s not. It’s just a bed.”

“Bed?” The child tilted his head.

“Yeah. It’s a place to lie down and sleep.”

“It’s strange. That sucks, it’s too soft.” He had always slept on the floor, so it was weird that it was so soft.

“Would you like to lie down? Then you will fall asleep.” At Yuria’s words, the child made a doubtful expression.

Go over there, and when you lie down, you’ll be able to sleep.

The child had now taken to lying on the floor, the familiar ground was much better than such an unknown scary thing.

At his action, Yuria’s smile vanished, a bitter expression taking its place.

Wasn’t there a saying that: ‘through even the smallest actions, one can see into a person’s past’?

The child’s awkward approach and familiar appearance made it possible to vaguely guess about his past.

“The floor is cold and hard.”

She wanted to respect the child’s wishes, but that didn’t mean she’d just watch him sleep on the floor.

However, the child could not understand Yuria’s reasoning.

Everything you experience for the first time is terrifying and stressful.

“Then would you like to lie down together?” Yuria said to relieve the child’s anxiety.

The child was in turn, deeply troubled by the suggestion the floor was comfortable, but Yuria seemed to want him to lie on the bed. The child wiggled his fingers contemplating his decision, then nodded slightly, if he didn’t listen to her she might kick him out.

The child, who had quickly gotten used to the warmth of the cottage, did not want to experience the cold again. If he was kicked out, he didn’t know how to get back to town, nor where to find shelter.

With the child’s permission, Yuria took him by hand and lifted him onto the bed.

Once laid on the bed the child’s eyes grew, astonished by the cozy cushion that enveloped his entire body.

The very nervous child was stiff as a board as he laid there awkwardly. He could only roll his eyes, unable to move even his fingers. He was engulfed in a cushiony softness that seemed that if he made even the slightest movement the bed would swallow him whole.

“It’s okay, sweetheart.” Even at Yuria’s words, the child remained as hard as a rock.

The bed dipped, before moving back to place as Yuria laid down beside the child to reassure him that this was normal, unintentionally startling him in the process.

As time passed, the child’s eyelids grew heavy and began to flutter incessantly slowly losing the battle against sleep.

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