CH 102

“What are you doing, standing there in a frantic way? Sit down.”

Ophelia, who had been stiff with tension, involuntarily burst into laughter at her mother’s extremely realistic words.

Goodness, if it was a novel under normal circumstances, the mother would smile warmly and give her daughter a hug.

‘Weren’t Mother’s words too realistic?’

Her mother narrowed her eyes at Ophelia when she suddenly covered her mouth and laughed to herself.

“You came back early, are you sick? Somewhere in the head?”

“Mother.”

“Yes.”

“Be kind to your daughter who came in early. Like, ‘Come here, you’ve had a lot of trouble today, my lovely daughter.’ Do you have any thoughts on saying that?”

“Come here. You’ve had a lot of trouble today. My lovely daughter.”

Her mother, who uttered exactly what Ophelia had said, but in a voice that really contained not a gram of soul, added with a slight lift of her chin.

“More will be difficult. Be satisfied now, Daughter.”

At that Ophelia grinned, approached her mother, and hugged her tightly.

“Thank you dear mother.”

“What an act.”

She said so, but perhaps she liked it. Instead of pushing Ophelia away, her mother gave her a pat on the back.

The touch was also indifferent rather than friendly, which made Ophelia want to burst into laughter, but she held back and faced her mother.

“I have something to tell you.”

Her mother didn’t answer much. She just pointed to the seat in front of her, and Ophelia sat down with a cup of steaming tea.

Ophelia paused as she raised the teacup, scrunching up her nose.

“Don’t make a face like that anywhere.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“It’s cute, but it doesn’t look elegant.”

The words came out carelessly, like breathing.

So, it took a while to fully understand.

“…Mother.”

“Hmm?”

“Did you just say I’m cute?”

“Did. Did you really get sick?”

Slightly frowning, her mother touched Ophelia’s forehead, and Ophelia let her face slack terribly.

“What is that stupid face?”

Her mother openly frowned, but her face softened quickly as her daughter rubbed her forehead with her hand, as if pampering her.

“Anyway, you acted like an old man who lived through the world, and now you’re a three-year-old child.”

Despite her words, her mother accepted all of the pampering.

Before long, Ophelia, having patted her mother to her heart’s content, opened her mouth.

“Since when have you been drinking chamomile?”

“Ever since I knew you only touched this tea.”

Her mother flicked the tip of Ophelia’s nose, and Ophelia laughed like an idiot again.

While drinking tea, the mother and daughter enjoyed a moment of silence.

Then Ophelia placed the teacup down and looked straight at her mother.

“I have someone I love.”

With all the details, the mother just stared at Ophelia for a while.

The gaze tickled. She felt shy, and she felt uneasy at the same time.

Richard met all of her mother’s requirements for a son-in-law, but she didn’t say it was okay.

‘It’s clear why she didn’t say…’

“I’m over the world!”

Without realizing it, an excuse for Richard jumped out.

“No, not that.”

As Ophelia waved her hand, her mother casually said,

“His Highness, the Crown Prince.”

“Yes… that’s right… yes. This…”

That somehow made Ophelia want to go down a rat’s hole. Her voice gradually diminished until it was barely audible.

Her mother filled Ophelia’s empty cup, then her own cup.

After emptying her cup of tea, Ophelia licked her lips, but her mother opened her mouth first.

“The crown prince… He wasn’t the only one.”

“He is not so indifferent to the whole world now.”

“He’s indifferent and cold to everything, but he pays attention to you and is warm?”

The summary was so clear that Ophelia could only shut her mouth and nod.

Her mother let out a light sigh.

“What are you going to do if I don’t allow it?”

Ophelia did not readily answer.

Either she would give up or she would not give up.

What’s the use of such words?

Ophelia said with a faint smile as she touched her hot teacup, which her mother filled.

“I don’t know how to reclaim the heart I gave away.”

It was calm, but strong. Feelings that could not be shaken by anything.

Her mother placed her hand on the back of Ophelia’s hand.

Nothing was said, but her hand was warm.

How long did they stay like this?

Gradually, her mother lifted her hand and slowly nodded.

“Well, my mother didn’t like your father either.”

“You mean, my grandmother?”

“Yes. I didn’t know that this would be passed on.”

Her mother looked down at the teacup and smiled, and Ophelia smiled at her mother.

‘How funny.’

‘I have never thought that I resemble my mother, but at this moment, we are spending time together like it’s nothing.’

Ophelia noticed that she had the same smile as her mother.

“Oh.”

Her mother’s blue eyes flash. Just like how Ophelia’s did.

“Even if it’s the crown prince, if he makes even one tear drop from your eyes…”

At her mother’s radiant smile, Ophelia shook her head.

“I want to tell you this. I am reminding you why the Bolsheik is the Bolsheik.”

Somehow, it seemed that this moment would never be forgotten, no matter how many regressions were made.

With impatience boiling in her, Ophelia stood up and put her arms around her mother’s neck.

“It’s against etiquette to do this, so don’t do it to anyone else.”

Even the nonchalant voice was so pleasing. Ophelia hugged her mother a little tighter.

As each day passed, reasons for Ophelia were increasing one by one.

Why this world must never perish.

.

Morning came without fail after the night Ophelia acted childishly towards her mother, asking her to pat her until she fell asleep.

It was a particularly clear day with not a single cloud in sight.

Although there were worries about making a living, people greeted each other with slightly brighter faces in the good sky and wind.

It was a day when the sun was stinging, so the people gathered in twos and threes all uttered similar words.

“Oh wow, it’s hot.”

“Right? I feel that way especially today.”

“It’s not a feeling, it’s actually hot. The laundry will dry well.”

And this kind of story was coming from all over the empire, not just from the capital city.

Originally, wasn’t it the law of the weather that even in a country, some places were clear while some places rained?

Strangely, however, today the entire empire, no, the whole continent, had a clear sky without a single cloud.

And under the clear sky… One man was struggling to straighten his expression, ready to be bamboozled.

“How many times do I have to tell you for you to know!”

“Sorry.”

“Even if you say you’re sorry, that’s it. You always do this!”

The man swallowed his sigh that threatened to rise from deep inside and hoped that this time would pass quickly.

However, as if reading his thoughts, the other person spat out even sharper words, and the air between the two only cooled.

But at one point, the man’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. 

“What? Why are you making that face? Are my words funny?”

Before the exasperated opponent could say something else, the man shook his stiff neck and slowly pointed his finger at something behind the person.

“What are you doing…”

It took an instant for the face of the other person who turned his head to follow the man’s fingertips to match the man’s expression.

And not only the two of them, but the entire empire, no, the whole continent looked up at the sky and was stunned.

A strange day without even the chirping of birds.

Noon, when everyone was in full swing, doing their own thing, and moving most actively.

At that time, the sky was turning black.

No, the sun was turning black.

Those who were not looking at the sky also raised their heads to the sky without realizing it, and stiffened with their mouths open.

A scene where the sun was slowly being eaten by the darkness, as if it was being eaten by the shadows.

What should be said?

No one made a sound because no one knew.

No, most people couldn’t even breathe properly.

And the next moment.

“Ugh!”

“Kyaaak!”

Those who stared straight at the gradually devouring sun let out groans and screams at the sun’s rays that stung their eyes.

As if being eaten up by the shadows just now had been a lie, the sun was still shining brilliantly in the sky.

Everyone blinked, then shouted one by one.

“What… just now?”

“Huh? What… Really? Huh?”

“Did you see it too?”

“I… I saw…”

“Did we mistake it together?”

People were confused by the momentary, unbelievable sight of the sun disappearing.

It really happened in the blink of an eye.