A Depressed Kendo Player Possesses a Bastard Aristocrat - Chapter 114 (1) - A Depressed Kendo Player Possesses a Bastard Aristocrat

Side Story – The Star of a Mother

To my beloved children,

My children.

I love you, always and forever.

When the world turns its back on you, when sorrow weighs you down, remember this:

That Mother is always by your side…

Even if my body crumbles and turns to ashes, even if I draw my last breath and rise to become a star in the night sky before you, my love will always be with you.

It will illuminate your path and whisper words of encouragement.

Raiden, and Ariel. 

Never forget.

I will always remain by your side.

{Motherly Note}

-Phillipa, The Last Entry-

***

The crimson sunset faded beyond the horizon.

The time of day when a veil of darkness descended upon the sky.

Night, arriving as it always did, painted the world in a frosty hue, exhaling the winter’s chill it had held in its embrace.

Moonlight, imbued with the essence of darkness, embraced all things in its benevolent embrace.

Falling dew sang of the stillness of dawn.

Even the shimmering mist concealed itself, leaving only a sacred silence lingering in the night’s embrace.

Standing on the terrace of my room, I quietly observed it all.

– Whoosh…

The blowing wind playfully caressed my hair.

I brushed back a few stray strands and exhaled.

“Haa… It’s still quite cold.”

The breath that escaped my lips dissipated into the air, carried away by the wind’s gentle current.

Even though winter was passing and spring was slowly approaching, the night air remained unchanged.

Rubbing my cold hands together, I looked up at the sky.

The sight of countless stars densely scattered across the black canvas was dark, yet not dark at all.

Gazing at the small but brilliant fragments of platinum light, I felt a strange emotion welling up inside me.

It was the thought of my mother that had suddenly come to mind.

“Mother…”

It is said that when people die, they become stars and melt into the tapestry of the night.

And those stars, shining brightly, illuminate the paths of those they loved in their past lives.

It was the most famous legend and superstition in the Empire.

I couldn’t help but ponder the resonance of the word “star.”

“…Mother must be somewhere up there too.”

I muttered, biting my lip slightly.

My quiet murmur, unheard by anyone, dissipated into the night.

– Come here, Raiden.

– Mom’s here! Now stop crying and cheer up!

– You’re such a good boy… My adorable son!

Voices from the past echoed in my ears.

Those warm and comforting voices, ironically, brought a pang to my heart.

I have to let go now.

Overcome the pain and rise above it.

I had resolved and repeated this to myself hundreds of times, yet this sadness, this pain, was something I couldn’t seem to shake off.

Perhaps I was destined to live my entire life carrying these emotions within me.

The sorrow of losing you.

The despair of surviving in your stead.

The longing for a reunion that would never come.

With a heart painted blue by the vastness of the world, I would stand before the stars in the night sky, tears streaming down my face.

Whispering unspoken greetings into the wind, like letters carried on the breeze.

“There’s still so much I wanted to say to you… I wanted to tell you I love you, so much more…”

I murmured, wiping my stinging eyes.

Through my blurred vision, I could still see the waves of stars filling the night sky.

Within those countless stars were memories of bygone days.

The vast expanse of the Milky Way held the love and loneliness that had once filled my heart.

Small clusters of stars whispered poems of yearning.

And there, in the depths of that tranquil sea of starlight, watching over me, was my mother.

Her starlight, now a knot in my heart, shone down on me.

As if whispering encouragement.

And whispering love.

– I love you forever.

– Mother will always be on your side…

The one star I loved.

The one star that loved me.

The starlight that allowed me, a coward, to no longer fear the night.

It was the guiding star of my life, the compass of my world.

“…I miss you.”

Oh, Mother.

My beloved mother.

When this cold winter passes and spring arrives on my star,

Like blue grass sprouting on a grave,

Will flowers of happiness bloom on the hill where loss and absence are buried?

In my heart, weary and overwhelmed by misfortune and sorrow,

Will roses, the color of your hair, blossom?

“I need an answer… Your answer…”

A weary murmur.

The only response was the silence of winter.

I buried my face in my hands.

And then, collapsing to my knees, I let out a sob I had been holding back.

“Ugh, sob… Sob…”

I was alone.

Only the silent starlight kept me company.

In the embrace of that tranquil starlight, I had to let myself cry, if only for a little while.

.

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