Chapter 211: Mother (1)
Noah now stood in front of his mother’s chamber.
Honestly, he wished he had simply waited and spoken with everyone together during lunch.
He took a slow breath before raising his hand.
Knock.
Knock.
For several moments, there was no response from inside.
Then, a calm voice finally reached his ears.
"Come in."
Hearing her permission, Noah slowly pushed the door open.
The spacious chamber came into view.
It was the master bedroom shared by his parents.
The room was elegantly furnished, with polished wooden furniture, luxurious carpets, and tall windows that allowed warm sunlight to pour inside.
Beyond them lay a wide balcony overlooking the vast gardens of the manor.
A woman sat quietly on a chair placed near the balcony.
Her back faced Noah.
Her long wheat-blond hair flowed freely down her back, shimmering beneath the afternoon light.
Nathan had inherited that beautiful hair color from their mother.
Noah quietly walked toward her.
Stopping a few steps behind, he spoke softly.
"Mother... I’m back."
Those simple words left his lips as he silently prepared himself for whatever response awaited him.
Among everyone in the family...
She had been the angriest with him.
She had known that Noah had committed everything while heavily intoxicated and that Ophelia had used the incident to portray herself as the victim.
Even so she had remained furious.
At least, that was what Noah believed.
He remembered countless occasions when she had patiently tried to correct him.
She had repeatedly warned him to stay away from bad habits.
Most of her concern had centered around his reckless lifestyle.
Drinking alcohol from the early age of sixteen.
Sneaking out with wealthy friends to attend extravagant parties.
Ignoring his sword training. Neglecting his responsibilities.
In the beginning, she hadn’t said much. It had only happened occasionally.
But as the years passed those habits had gradually become more frequent.
Then came that incident.
The final straw that had shattered her patience.
Noah still didn’t truly know what had angered her the most.
Was it because he had attempted to force himself upon a woman?
As a woman herself, such an act would naturally be unforgivable.
Or was it because he had brought immense disgrace upon the Eldritch family?
While Noah remained lost in his thoughts, the woman quietly closed the book resting in her hands.
She rose gracefully from her chair, the folds of her dark navy-blue gown settling elegantly around her figure.
Then she slowly turned around.
Cold blue eyes, clear and tranquil like the frozen lakes of winter, met Noah’s.
She was Catelyn Eldritch.
The daughter of Lord Branjen, one of the great noble houses that governed the northern region of the Eldritch Duchy. A land where winter reigned throughout the entire year.
Her porcelain-smooth skin remained flawless.
Despite being a woman in her late forties, she possessed the youthful elegance of someone in her early thirties.
Time seemed to have treated her with remarkable kindness.
"You’ve returned..."
Her voice was calm.
She began walking toward Noah with slow, graceful steps.
Her heels clicked softly against the polished wooden floor.
Her cold blue eyes never left him, carefully observing every change in her son.
She didn’t focus on the cat. She was ignored once again.
Soon, she stopped directly before him.
Even with her high heels, she was still slightly shorter than Noah.
He had grown to nearly one hundred eighty-four centimeters, well over six feet tall.
Silence settled between the two. Neither of them spoke.
Several long moments passed.
Then Catelyn slowly raised her gloved hand. Her delicate fingers gently cupped Noah’s cheek.
His blue eyes widened in surprise. The icy expression on her face softened ever so slightly.
"How have you been... my son?"
Her voice was warm and gentle.
Just as it had been a year ago.
"I’m doing well... better than ever."
Catelyn studied his eyes carefully.
A small smile gradually appeared on her face.
Without another word, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.
"My boy... I’m sorry for being so harsh on you for so long."
Her voice came softly as she held him close.
Unfortunately Nancy once again found herself trapped between two giants.
"Meow..."
The poor black cat let out a pitiful cry of protest.
Noah blinked in surprise, unable to understand why she was apologizing.
The huge felt warm and gentle. Reminding him of his true mother from mast life.
From time to time he truly miss them. Wondering if there was any chance to go back.
While in this world his parents were not close to him.
At least that was he considered.
But now when she hugged him... he felt calm and nice.
His father Julian and mother Catelyn... bith of them genuinely care about him even now.
Though he does think that what Noah had done had deserved that kind of treatment.
Yet his mother genuinely regretted the way she had treated him.
"Mother... why are you apologizing? Of course because I treated you so coldly for all these months."
She gently loosened the embrace before looking into his eyes.
"I refused to let you return home or even galk to you. But I had to do it. So that you could learn to live on your own. That you could grow up...And leave behind those terrible habits."
She slowly released him completely.
"If I had continued treating you as before, you would have kept begging for forgiveness and asking me to bring you back home."
She shook her head gently.
"I didn’t want that. So I forced myself to be harsh. Your father did the same. I wanted you to finally mature."
She smiled faintly.
"Honestly... it could have gone either way. You might have become an even greater wayward or a better man. Thankfully...The latter happened."
She looked at Noah from head to toe before smiling proudly.
"Just look at you. You’ve changed completely. You finally look like a proper gentleman."
Noah once again found himself speechless.
How would they react if they ever discovered that I wasn’t the original Noah...?
That thought surfaced once more.
But only briefly. He had already accepted his decision. He was Noah now.
Nothing would change that.
A gentle smile appeared on his face.
"I understand, Mother. So please don’t apologize. I’m not angry. If anything... This experience helped me grow."
As soon as those words left his mouth, Catelyn’s blue eyes widened slightly.
"You truly have changed..."
She looked at him with visible surprise.
"I don’t remember you ever speaking so gently and nicely."
Noah smiled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Well...I learned many things during these months while living in exile."
She nodded proudly.
"Come. Sit with me."
She led him toward a long sofa inside the room.
The two of them sat beside one another. The cat rested on his lap.
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