I Became A Thief Who Steals Overpowered Skills - Chapter 33:

“Get to the point.”

Krasue looked at Aria with a cold expression.

“You abandoned me because you considered me worthless. But now that you’ve heard positive news about me, you want me to come back to your side because I could be useful to you. Don’t you?”

Aria stopped pouring herself tea. She then looked at Krasue in surprise,

“What do you mean?”

“Mother, will you keep that false attitude in front of your son?”

The child born from her own womb was treated as a good-for-nothing and abandoned at Green Pine Lodge.

A normal mother wouldn’t let that happen, and even if she couldn’t help it, she would at least visit her child no matter where.

However, Aria never showed her face in all the time Krasue spent in the Green Pine Lodge. Not even before he had to leave for Rachellene Academy.

“Hmm.”

At Krasue’s attitude, Aria leaned back slightly on the sofa. She then tilted her head with a hand on her cheek.

“My son, you’ve changed a lot in this time that I haven’t been able to see you. Your mother no longer even recognizes you.”

“Children grow up fast.”

“A child may grow up fast, but it will always be a child to its mother. That’s how I feel with Charlotte.”

Aria let out a chuckle.

“It’s not the same with you, my son. I feel like I’m talking to someone almost my age.”

“Do you think it’s appropriate to say that to your son?”

“I wouldn’t have told that to an ordinary thirteen-year-old son.”

‘Ordinary.’

Krasue laughed softly,

“Mother, can someone ordinary even be seen as a son to you?”

Mistress Valheim. A position that could not be achieved by beauty alone.

Baloch Valheim, her husband, was the man with the greatest battle power in the world at his disposal. He was also considered the most powerful family head of all time.

In some ways, her position was more difficult to achieve than queen or empress.

Aria went through countless shadow battles to prevail in the political arena.

She was twenty years old when she became ‘Mistress Valheim’. Fifteen years later, she held firmly to her position in Valheim, where there was seldom peace.

But from there a problem arose.

The road she went through to get and maintain that position had been too tough.

As a result, she lost many emotions.

What she lost first was maternal love. She only saw her children as a shield to protect her position.

She played the role of mother, but abandoned him without hesitation as soon as she saw that he would not help her retain her position.

Thanks to her daughter named Charlotte, her status was already assured forever.

For that reason, she showed excessive affection towards Charlotte. In contrast, she did not show a mother’s love towards Krasue.

Krasue was right about why she had sent for him now.

The recent rumors she had heard about Krasue were very different from his usual behavior, so she wanted to see if he deserved to be her son again.

At this point, she determined that the current Krasue could be useful to her.

“My son, your mother likes what you have become.”

Then she took a slow sip from the cup of tea she poured herself.

“You will always be my son, that will not change no matter what.”

The blood is thicker than the black tea she had just taken a sip of.

It was as terrible as a curse.

Aware of this fact, Aria smiled broadly,

“You looked so much like your mother since you were a baby that I thought you would be cold-blooded too. I knew this day would eventually come.”

That was an absolutely undeniable fact.

Krasue had inherited Aria’s coldness. Krasue had already realized that.

“If you are determined to be strong, then become the strongest. That’s the only way to live in Valheim.”

As much as he hated his mother, it wouldn’t change the fact that her blood ran through his veins.

“There’s something else I summoned you here for.”

After those words, Aria extended her hand on the table. She picked up an envelope that was there.

On the envelope, which had been opened, the Valheim emblem was clearly visible.

“Your father sent a letter.”

That fact made even the current Krasue stiffen.

“… What’s it about?”

“He said he’ll be back from the forbidden zone soon.”

The forbidden zones were lands where the erosion of the world had spread and was no longer reversible.

Those were the most problematic places for all countries, places that couldn’t even be rated.

Baloch Valheim was in one of those forbidden zones. Completely on his own.

“He wants to see you.”

There was a momentary flash of astonishment in Krasue’s eyes.

What he was known to have done so far could be considered kid stuff. It was not enough to reach Baloch’s ears.

‘Maybe… my father saw something?’

Baloch Valheim had entered the demigod realm.

‘It may be that through a power similar to clairvoyance, he has observed something about me.’

“Stay here at the head manor until then.”

When he heard that he had to stay until his father returned, he tilted his head.

His mother’s expression was that of someone who has given an order that must be obeyed.

“Does the letter also say that?”

Krasue asked bluntly.

“No, it’s not written in the letter, but—”

“Then I’ll return to the Green Pine Lodge.”

The moment Krasue declared that he would return, Aria reacted puzzled for the first time.

“What?”

“Isn’t Green Pine Lodge the place where I was expelled? You and my father agreed to it.”

Krasue, who said this, smiled the same way as Aria.

“I’ll come here when my father summons me. Or…”

Aria realized today that Krasue was worse than her.

“He can come himself.”

Krasue, who had no qualms about spitting out words that others wouldn’t dare say, opened the door.

“Once I testify about the anomalies of this erosion of the world, I’ll leave.”

Aria, who was shocked, was unable to stop Krasue as he walked out of the room.

Out of Aria’s sight, Krasue sighed deeply. Her presence was uncomfortable for him.

‘I hope this ends soon.’

It was curious that he wanted to return so much to the Green Pine Lodge, which he had been sick of in his past life.

Suddenly, the emotionless chick’s face flashed through his mind.

‘Maybe it’s because of her. Bianca must be reading a book as usual.’

While Krasue was thinking about that, he encountered someone heading in his direction.

This was the maid in charge of his room. Once she arrived in front of him, she immediately bowed.

“Lord Krasue, the Investigation Team requests your presence.”

‘Great timing.’

***