January 11, 2021
"...Ah, Uncle?"
"What are you doing here?"
Cabelenus clicked his tongue and tilted his head slightly. Even in the darkness, Mikael caught sight of his gleaming golden eyes and instinctively ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) reached out. At that moment, the sensation of the stiff fabric in his grasp felt reassuring beyond words.
"I-I was l-looking for M-Mom... Hhic...."
"Calm down and speak slowly. I can’t understand a word you’re saying."
Cabelenus placed a firm hand on Mikael’s face. Meeting his gaze directly, Mikael gulped.
"Stop crying and take a deep breath."
"B-But—"
"Crying alone won’t help me understand what’s going on. Calm down and explain properly."
Mikael’s pupils quivered. The gruff man before him did not hold him gently when he cried, as his mother would have. But strangely enough, that brought him comfort. Even through his blurred vision, the unwavering gaze before him stood firm, seemingly unshaken by anything. Mikael looked up at Cabelenus and did as he was told, inhaling deeply, then exhaling.
"I heard a strange sound."
After repeating the deep breaths several times, Mikael finally managed to speak. His voice still carried traces of tears, but unlike before, his words were coherent. Only then did Cabelenus release his grip on Mikael’s face.
"A strange sound? What kind of sound?"
Cabelenus turned his head, scanning the surroundings. However, the corridor was eerily silent. There wasn’t a single trace of the sound Mikael had mentioned.
"Did you not hear it, Uncle?"
His tear-filled eyes turned toward Cabelenus. The man furrowed his brows. Just moments ago, he had been consoling a woman with a similar expression. Now, seeing the redness around the boy’s eyes, it weighed on him even more.
"Maybe you mistook the sound of the wind?"
"B-But it was really weird! I can still hear—wait, huh?"
Mikael’s eyes widened. At some point, the eerie sound had completely disappeared.
"What?"
"...I can’t hear it anymore."
Mikael darted glances around, as if struggling to accept that the noise had vanished.
"You don’t hear it?"
Cabelenus tilted his head slightly. Mikael scrunched up his nose.
"I wasn’t lying. I really did hear it."
"Who said you were lying?"
"...."
"You don’t have to look at me like that. I believe you. There’s no reason for you to lie in the first place."
Mikael squinted at him. The expressionless man was difficult to trust in many ways.
"...Do you really believe me?"
"If you don’t want me to, then I won’t."
"No! Believe me! I really did hear a strange sound!"
Mikael flailed his arms in frustration.
"What exactly did it sound like?"
"W-Well, it was really weird..."
His nose crinkled again. Now that he had to explain it, he found himself at a loss for words.
"It’s hard to describe, but it was kind of like... Kreeeak?"
"...."
"Kikiki?"
"...."
"Rrrr?"
"...."
With every attempt at mimicking the sound, Mikael’s shoulders drooped lower and lower. Eventually, his lips jutted out in a sulky pout. He would have preferred any reaction at all, but Cabelenus, who was staring down at him, remained expressionless.
"That’s all?"
"I can’t explain it well. It sounded really weird at the time, but I can’t put it into words."
"Sounds like you don’t have a talent for descriptions."
"That’s not true!"
The child, now flustered, flushed with irritation. His face had regained some color, looking much better than before. Even as he assessed Mikael’s condition, Cabelenus quietly studied the dimly lit hallway stretching behind him. Mikael had no reason to make things up. If it wasn’t a misunderstanding, then he really had heard something.
'Perhaps...'
Cabelenus’s eyes sharpened. He hadn’t heard the sound Mikael described, but he had an idea of what it might be.
"Uncle, what are you looking at? Is there something there?"
Mikael tugged on Cabelenus’s sleeve, concern creeping into his face once again.
"No, nothing."
Cabelenus shook his head indifferently. Alicia had insisted that Mikael no longer possessed any power, but there was always the possibility. That force had tormented him for so long. It was hard to believe it had simply vanished. Even so, there was no reason to let the boy know. Whether or not Mikael had any power left no longer mattered.
"You came out because your mother wasn’t there, didn’t you?"
"Ah, right! Mom! Uncle, do you know where she is?"
Just the mention of his mother was enough to make Mikael’s eyes sparkle.
"I do."
"Really?"
"I’ll take you to her. Come here."
Cabelenus crouched slightly to meet the boy’s gaze. He had never imagined he would be in a position to protect a child. After all, the child of a monster was bound to be a monster himself. He had always believed that, rather than let him live a wretched life, it would be better to get rid of him entirely. But the boy he had been watching all this time did not seem like a monster.
"But what if the strange sound comes back?"
"Then it’s probably a ghost."
"D-Don’t joke around!"
Mikael shouted in alarm. Cabelenus smirked slightly as the boy crept closer to him.
"In an old castle like this, it wouldn’t be surprising if there were ghosts."
"...Is there really a ghost here?"
"They say a pale white specter appears every night—"
"Stop it!"
Mikael pressed himself against Cabelenus almost as if hugging him.
"What? Are you scared of ghosts?"
"I-I’m not scared!"
"Then what?"
"I-I was just worried about you!"
Even in his flustered attempt to sound confident, his trembling body betrayed his words. Cabelenus let out a chuckle and reached out, effortlessly lifting the boy into his arms. Mikael, now unexpectedly nestled against him, blinked in surprise.
"I’m not scared."
"Liar. How can anyone not be scared of ghosts?"
"I can beat them."
"...Really? Even ghosts?"
Mikael squinted in skepticism.
"Ghosts aren’t scary."
"But no matter how strong you are, you can’t fight a ghost. Ghosts are super powerful!"
"There’s nothing I can’t beat."
The absurdly confident statement was delivered without hesitation. Mikael hesitated before peeking up at Cabelenus cautiously.
"...Then, if a scary monster making strange noises shows up, will you chase it away?"
"Of course."
"It might be a really terrifying monster."
Mikael mumbled as he buried his face against Cabelenus’s shoulder. He didn’t want to seem weak, knowing the man would tease him. But just for tonight, he decided to let it go. He pretended to be fine, but his little heart was still racing.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
"It Doesn’t Matter."
"Why doesn’t it matter? Are you not afraid of anything, Uncle?"
"I’ve already decided to protect you, no matter what."
"What gives you the right to protect me?"
Mikael’s question made Cabelenus clamp his mouth shut. He couldn’t bring himself to say something as empty as because I’m your father. The truth was, he still wasn’t confident he could be one.
"You only care about Mom. You’re just trying to be nice to me because of her, aren’t you?"
"...."
"See? You can’t even deny it."
Mikael fidgeted with his fingers. Cabelenus said nothing, simply watching him. Even in the smallest of gestures, Alicia’s presence could be seen in Mikael. But that wasn’t why he had picked him up. It was because the child had been stubbornly standing on trembling legs, refusing to let himself collapse despite being too weak to stand.
"I know exactly what you’re thinking, but just so you know, I won’t acknowledge you as my father just because you say so."
"...."
"You have a lot of things, but I only have my mom."
"...."
"So don’t take this lightly. Until I’m sure you’re really a good person, I won’t accept you as my dad."
More than anything... you came too late.
Even as Mikael muttered those words, he rested his face against Cabelenus’s shoulder. His muscular frame was firm, but large and comforting. Just being held like this made him feel safe—like nothing could harm him as long as he was in these arms.
"Weren’t you ever lonely without Mom? I feel like I’d die if I didn’t see her for even a day. Didn’t you feel the same way?"
"...I missed her. More than anything."
Cabelenus’s answer came after a long silence, his voice low and hoarse. Mikael carefully lifted his head.
"Then... you could’ve come a little sooner, couldn’t you?"
"My pride got in the way."
"Pride? What’s that?"
Cabelenus often used difficult words. Mikael pouted, tugging at his clothes as if demanding an explanation. But the man only stared at him in silence.
"...You really do resemble your mother."
"You always say I don’t."
"No. You do."
Though... not entirely.
Swallowing the rest of his thoughts, Cabelenus adjusted his grip on the child. He had thought Alicia was light, but Mikael was even lighter. He could lift him with one arm.
"...I don’t hate you."
"...."
Their eyes met in the air—so different in color yet oddly similar in shape.
"If I had to say, I think I actually like you more than I dislike you."
"W-What kind of weird thing is that to say all of a sudden? Did you eat something bad?"
"Maybe."
"Uncle."
Ignoring Mikael’s grumbling, Cabelenus turned his head. He hadn’t looked at his own reflection in decades. The face in the window was his own, but it felt unfamiliar. Still, as he studied it, he couldn’t help but think of Mikael. The boy resembled Alicia... but at the same time, he resembled him, too.
***
"Mom, I—"
"Shh."
"...Is she asleep?"
"Looks like she was tired."
Cabelenus nodded slightly, setting Mikael down. The boy immediately scurried over to Alicia’s side.
"Move."
"Why?"
"She looks uncomfortable. She should sleep in the bed."
She must have dozed off waiting for them—curled up on the sofa, her body slightly hunched. Cabelenus carefully picked Alicia up and laid her on the bed. Even after all this time, her habit of curling into herself when sleeping hadn’t changed.
"Can I sleep here? Shouldn’t we ask the owner of the room first?"
"I am the owner of this room."
"You are?"
"Yeah."
"Then I’m sleeping with Mom."
Mikael wasted no time, scrambling onto the bed. Cabelenus tilted his head slightly, watching the child settle beside Alicia.
"Suit yourself."
"...."
"What?"
"I thought you’d try to kick me out."
"If I wanted to kick you out, I wouldn’t have gone looking for you."
"Oh, I guess that’s true... Wait, does that mean you went out because of me?"
Mikael’s eyes widened like a startled rabbit.
"Why else would I have been there at that hour?"
"Hmm..."
"Enough talking. Go to sleep. It’s past bedtime for kids."
"I’m not a kid."
Mikael huffed in protest.
"If you don’t want to be a kid, grow another foot taller first."
Cabelenus spoke indifferently as he picked up some papers. Mikael blinked at the broad figure sitting with his back turned.
"Aren’t you going to sleep, Uncle?"
"I don’t need to sleep for a day."
Cabelenus shook his head firmly.
"But Mom says you should sleep on time."
"Then I’ll sleep on the sofa later. Now, go to sleep."
He waved a hand dismissively.
"But you said the sofa’s uncomfortable."
"I’ll sleep in another room then—"
"You can’t! What if a monster shows up while you’re gone?"
Mikael pouted. Cabelenus put down his papers, resting his chin on his hand.
"So what do you expect me to do?"
"Sleep here."
"...."
"You’re too big, but the bed is big too, so it’s fine. That means you can sleep here too."
Mikael puffed up his chest as if he had come up with a brilliant idea. Cabelenus frowned at the boy patting the bed invitingly.
"I said no."
"But you said you don’t hate me. And actually... I don’t really hate you either."
Mikael hesitated, rubbing his earlobe before giving a small, shy smile. His gaze drifted to the pendant dangling from Cabelenus’s neck.
