Chapter 106: Curse of the Devil

"Mother, when can I go out? I have already finished what you told me to!" 

"Dear... that's still not enough. A little more years, okay?"

.....

Her name was Runa with her son Relle.

Runa was a hard-working maid inside the Romen Family. All her life, she had been serving the noble family. She was very loyal and does not question her life.

Runa was honest and gentle.

But one day, a relative of the Romen Family came and fancied her. As a gift, the Romen Family gave their relative one night with the Runa.

Runa was reluctant but as a loyal servant, she displayed her obedience and endured the night.

Months came and a nightmare dawned when Runa noticed that she was actually bearing a child. Together with her friends, she cried for days and nights to come.

"Sir... I conceived a child from that night."

"Hayss... I understand, I will contact him right away."

But that relative already forgot about her, only saying, "She wasn't even that good and she barely satisfied me. If I give her child support, I feel like I'm being robbed!"

Runa was shocked but at the same time, she expected this. She looked at her large belly and anger rose within her.

"If only you didn't form!" she cursed, unable to blame it to anyone except for the unaware child inside of her.

The following days became hellish. As a woman with a child inside of her, the same work before becomes unbearably difficult. Her meals became insufficient while her energy was exhausted.

Her friends who were always helping her became tired of her. Meanwhile, the nobles that she was loyal to seemed to have forgotten about Runa, a simple maid. 

"This is because of my naive obedience that I fell into this situation! Should I tell them and ask for help again? No! They don't care about me!"

Days became increasingly hard until her child came out.

"Relle, my child..." for the first time, she was filled with hope and love when she received her child.

But at the next second, disgust could be seen in her eyes as they looked onto her child's deformed face, "Why? Why are you born this way!?"

"Is this because I cursed you when you're still not born!?" she cried as her hands trembled.

From that moment on, she lost all hope. Her body became weak and her strength faded.

Relle grew up, scaring others with his face.

"Whose child is this!?"

"He's a demon, go away!"

He relentlessly cried, being isolated from others.

His mother, Runa felt her heart ached when she saw this.

"Shush, shush, it's okay, it's okay. When you grow up, you will become the most handsome man in the world!" 

"Really?"

"Yes! To become the most handsome, you need to work hard! Don't bother what the others says." Runa's voice was filled with love;

"Let's stay here, in the basement, away from others. Me and you, will work hard so that when you grew up, you can get out of here and make many many girls fell in love with you!"

"Wow! Okay! Mom, I will work hard!"

Years passed by in the basement. Their skin turned pale white from the lack of sunlight. Relle became even uglier.

One day, Relle finally couldn't hold his curiosity back about the outside world, "So much time had already passed, I'm sure I'm super handsome by now!"

His mother didn't let him see his own face and kept anything reflective in the basement. Relle have no idea.

Without Runa knowing, he sneaked out, wanting to show his face. Also, wanting to make her mother proud.

But the second others saw him.

"Kyah~! A demon! A demon!"

"I-I'm not a demon, I'm Relle!"

"Oh, that Runa! We told her not to let her ugly child out of the basement! What if a guest saw him!?"

"Huh...?"

"Go back! Go back! Don't show yourself here!"

Relle cried and ran back to where he grew up.

"Mom! You said I will become handsome!"

"B-But you're becoming handsome, dear."

"Don't lie to me?! The others called me a demon!"

The old and weak Runa was shocked, "Others? Others saw you? Did you go out?"

"I did. I've been working hard day and night for the past few years! Why can't I got out!?"

"...." Runa stared at Relle in silence. There was a long pause before she erupted in anger.

"You don't know...

"..how much I worked hard just to hide you...!"

Runa cried as she remembered all the work she had done.

"Unfilial child!"

"Even before you were born, you have been making my life hard!"

"Why did you exist!? Why!?" she cried.

"You're not cute! You're a demon in my life!"

"I hate you!"

"...." Relle stared in a daze, not knowing what to say. He couldn't take it all.

Rell could only mutter;

"But... I love you, mom..."

Before he cried and ran away again.

He ran and ran. Out of the basement, past the maids, past the nobles, to the gate, and out to the outside world.

Relle could only look around, weak and dejected. Unwelcomed gazes were everywhere. People were avoiding him left and right.

He was unwelcomed by the world. Unwelcomed by others. Unwelcomed by his mother.

"So this is the outside world... I don't like it."

Inside the basement, Runa was in shock. Her anger faded and her words came back to him. She regretted everything that she said.

"Where's Relle?! Where's Relle!?"

"Your ugly son came out!"

"My son, my son! Why did you go!?"

Runa could only feel guilt and disgust. Disgust towards herself.

Years passed by, Runa didn't come out of the basement ever since. She was still waiting for Relle to come back.

Runa greatly regretted her words back then. She had been keeping it on her mind. Her already weak body was giving in from the work her son and she had always shared.

There was not a night she would remember her son. How could she forget about him?

At the end of her life, she finally heard great news from her once friend who took pity on her.

"Relle came back?"

"He's on his way to meet you. It seemed like he had never forgotten you after all these years."

Staring at the dirty ceiling, "My son... you came back for me." Runa she whispered before life faded.

Relle didn't know he was too late.

Welcoming Relle, a maid took out a letter and gave it to Relle.

"Your mother... Aunt Runa knew she couldn't make it... so she wrote this letter for you."

The letter was old, evident from its yellowish color.

Opening the letter, Relle saw that there was only one line written on it.

[I love you too]