Reincarnated As The Villainess's Son-Chapter 344: [Hot Springs] [2]

The woman moved forward, stopping just a few steps away from us.

Her white, pupil-less eyes swept over the scene, pausing briefly on Priel’s drawn sword before settling on me.

Was she expecting an answer from me?

Too bad.

I simply met her gaze in silence.

"She asked a question," Tyshara reminded, her voice steady as she looked between us. "Avril? Priel? Explain."

Her hazel-green eyes flickered to me for a brief moment, but she held her tongue.

Unsurprisingly, she didn’t even glance at Elijah.

Priel stepped forward, his bravado faltering under her gaze. "This… this bastard insulted me! And he—"

"Are all Aljanahs like you?" I interrupted, glancing at him. "Or is lying your personal sin? Does it make you stronger?"

Priel’s face twisted with rage. "Are you mocking my family?"

"Are you stupid?" I tilted my head. "I asked a question. When did I ever mock your oh-so-great family?"

"Enough."

Himari’s voice was soft, but it carried the weight of a command.

Priel clamped his mouth shut.

She turned to Avril, her expression unreadable. "Avril. Speak."

Avril flinched but nodded. "Priel bumped into Heather and demanded an apology. When Elijah intervened, Priel escalated things."

Himari’s gaze shifted to Priel. "Is this true?"

Priel paled. "I—I was just—"

"Silence."

Her voice didn’t rise, but it was enough to chill one down.

Priel’s fingers twitched around his sword, his gaze darting to Tyshara—only to be met with an unforgiving stare.

Himari stepped forward, her kimono trailing against the floor. "You drew a weapon in my home."

Priel swallowed. "I—I didn’t mean—"

"You will apologize," she said, her voice leaving no room for debate. "To Heather. To Elijah. And to Himmel."

Priel’s jaw tightened, but he gave a stiff nod. "I… apologize."

Himari’s gaze didn’t waver. "Now leave."

Priel shot me a final glare before turning on his heel, his grip still tight around his sword.

Avril hesitated, glancing at me before following him, her shoulders slumped.

Himari turned to Elijah and Heather. "My apologies for the disruption. Please, enjoy your stay."

Elijah nodded, his expression stoic.

Heather muttered a quiet "thank you" before they both retreated down the hallway.

That left me standing alone with Himari and Tyshara.

Himari’s white eyes locked onto mine. "Himmel."

I forced a smile. "Lady Uzume. A pleasure to meet you."

Tyshara quickly walked towards me. "Why have you not been accepting our invitation?"

I tilted my head slightly, pretending confusion.

Then, my gaze flickered to Himari, who stood quietly at the side, watching me with those void-like eyes.

"I think you’re mistaken," I said with a polite smile. "Why would I ever be associated with Aljanah Highbloods—"

"You don’t need to worry about me."

Himari’s voice cut through my words, drawing my attention back to her.

"I already know who you are."

I closed my eyes briefly.

Then—

I looked at Tyshara.

"You don’t need to stare at your aunt with such cold eyes," Himari continued before I could speak. "It was my mother who insisted, not her."

I drew in a slow breath. "I apologize."

Tyshara’s voice wavered. "That’s… hurtful, you know."

I turned back to her.

"How could you look at your family like that?" she whispered.

"I’m a stranger," I replied flatly. "Especially to you."

"Don’t say such things." Her voice turned sharp, almost scolding. "We have never—and will never—abandon you."

"...."

Th𝓮 most uptodate nov𝑒ls are publish𝒆d on ƒreewebηoveℓ.com.

I looked at her quietly.

An urge to argue burned in my chest.

To ask where she was when I was living in hell.

When I was dying every day for her daughter.

But—

It doesn’t matter.

You complain to family. Not to strangers.

"I’ll take my leave," I said at last, offering a slight bow.

"Can’t you spare some time?" Himari asked, making me pause.

"With all due respect, I’m only here to claim my reward." I glanced at her. "I have no interest in being anyone’s conversation partner."

"It is a request from the head of the Uzume family to the heir of Segyal Highbloods."

Her gaze met mine, steady.

"Please reconsider."

I sighed.

Refusing now would be equivalent to antagonizing them.

Humans are stupid creatures.

Especially high humans with too much pride.

They tend to hold grudges even for the smallest things.

"Lead the way," I said, gesturing to her with my hand.

She nodded. "Gladly."

-------

Three minutes of walk.

That’s how long it took to reach her room.

"Come in," Himari said as she slid open the door.

Tyshara and I followed her inside.

So, it wasn’t just my room, huh?

Himari’s room was just as simple.

No extravagant decorations, nothing that screamed power or status.

Just clean wooden walls, a few old paintings, and a beautifully crafted bed.

"Please, have a seat." She gestured toward a mat on the floor.

She sat down herself, picking up a pair of knitting needles.

Tyshara followed suit.

"What are you doing?" I asked as I lowered myself onto the mat.

"Knitting a sweater for my son," Himari replied, her hands moving skillfully. "And teaching Tyshara how to make one."

"...I see."

Her son, huh?

That fucking manipulative bitch.

The worst of the Uzume bloodline, and that says a lot, considering the number of twisted people in this family.

"Where is he?" I asked. "Haven’t seen him around."

"He’s training in Lumina," she answered without looking up. "The academy wasn’t enough for him. He’s too talented to stay there."

"...Right."

I nodded, unimpressed.

I turned to Tyshara. "Are you making one for Killian?"

She smiled. "Yes. He once asked me to."

Lifting the half-finished sweater, she added, "Knitting isn’t exactly my thing, but it’s the least I can do for him."

"..."

I let out a quiet chuckle.

Quite the contrast between how she treats Killian and Elijah.

"Has your mother ever made anything for you?" Himari asked, still focused on her knitting. "Esmeray was quite skilled at it."

"She... forgot as time passed," I replied, forcing a smile.

Tyshara sighed softly. "I still remember our first meeting. You looked just like her—back when she had purple hair."

"Don’t compare me with her." I scoffed, trying not to yell at her. "I don’t like it."

"...Right." She chuckled nervously, her shoulders slumping down.

"How did you even become the daughter-in-law of the Aljanah family?" Himari asked, looking at her.

"If my memory serves me correctly, aren’t you from the Kandam continent?"

"It’s... uh, complicated," she whispered.

Himari gave her a sideways glance. "I’m listening."

For a moment, Tyshara seemed unsure whether to speak. Then, after a long sigh, she finally did.

"When I was seventeen, I was kidnapped and taken to a castle rooftop, a rope tied around my neck."

My mind buzzed.

I knew this story.

It happened in the game.

"I was a princess of a small kingdom in Kandam," she continued, her voice distant. "A perfect hostage for the enemy we were at war with."

A small, nostalgic smile tugged at her lips before she turned to me.

"That’s when I met your uncle." Her voice softened. "He saved me… along with his best friend. The man I admired."

’....’

Ragnar.

"In my teenage years, I dreamed of marrying him," she whispered, fingers pausing briefly over the yarn. "But then, I realized something—"

"That he was surrounded by many women," Himari finished for her.

Tyshara nodded. "Unlike him, Sir Jolis was different. He was kind, reserved, and considerate."

I chuckled under my breath.

I knew my uncle well.

He wasn’t kind out of goodwill.

It was his sin.

He was just doing what he hated the most.

"Your uncle wanted an artifact that had been in my family’s possession for centuries," Tyshara continued.

"My father saw an opportunity and offered him a deal—marry me, and he could have it."

"And he accepted?" I asked.

"He did." She let out a quiet laugh. "And I hated him for it."

"As you should," Himari commented, never stopping her knitting. "No woman wants to be treated as a mere transaction."

"I couldn’t love him for a long time because of that," Tyshara said, forcing a smile.

"But when Killian was born, I started to. And when Avril came into our lives, that love only grew stronger."

"..."

Ah.

The smile faded from her lips, replaced by a hollow expression.

"Everything was fine until one day—he brought home an infant boy… and then vanished, leaving us behind."

She lifted her gaze to meet mine, her moist eyes holding back tears.

"A week after he was born, Elijah Vukasin came down with a terrible fever." Her voice grew colder. "The doctors said he wouldn’t survive the night."

She placed the half-knitted sweater on the floor and bowed her head.

Even Himari stopped knitting.

"I was a terrible person," she whispered, gripping the fabric between her fingers. "That whole night, I prayed to all five gods… for him to die."

My fists clenched on their own.

What happened to her was cruel, yes.

But she had no right to take it out on a helpless child.

"Your prayers didn’t work," I said, my voice coming out like a taunt.

"I swore that if he survived, I would love him. I’d give him my name. Be his mother."

"And yet you did none of it," I said, pushing myself up from the floor.

"I just couldn’t," she admitted, looking up at me. "I couldn’t bring myself to love a motherless child."

"...."

I didn’t understand.

How could she hate an innocent child that much?

Did she have any idea what Elijah had suffered—because of her neglect?

"I guess what they say about your family is true." My voice dropped into a whisper. "The only good Aljanah… is a dead one."

I turned, ready to leave. But then—

"I heard about your lovers from Avril," she said softly, making me pause. "How you loved a girl even when you had a fiancée."

I glanced back. "What about it?"

"Do yourself a favor." Her voice was firm now. "Choose one woman and marry her. It will save many people from misery."

"Don’t worry about me, Aunt," I said, smiling brightly at her. "I won’t love a girl who would hate an innocent child."

Tyshara just stared at me in silence.

"You’ll regret it, Himmel." She lowered her gaze. "No woman can stand watching the man she loves with someone else."

"...."

I didn’t argue.

Because I knew she wasn’t lying.

But—

Choosing between Christina and Shyamal is impossible for me.

[<And how things are going, more will also come along.>]

’....Please shut up.’

I sighed and shifted my gaze toward Himari, who had been sitting quietly all this time.

"You don’t have anything to say?" I asked, turning to her.

Himari rose gracefully, adjusting her kimono before bowing deeply.

"Thank you for saving my daughter’s life."

I scoffed. "I don’t need your damn apology."

Himari straightened, her pupil-less eyes locking onto mine.

"I regret not being able to help her. And I will carry the shame of losing her until Amaterasu devours this world."

"...."

I shut my eyes and exhaled slowly.

Without another word, I turned and left the room.

There were so many things I could’ve asked—so many things I could’ve said.

Like what Tyshara would do if her indifference led to something irreversible.

But honestly—

Some futures weren’t worth discussing.

[<Himmel, you didn’t mean—>]

Yeah.

When the second core of the game began, it wasn’t Esmeray or Ragnar who destroyed the Aljanah family.

It was Elijah.