Keith and Dianella were public figures, so they could not ignore people's curious stares. One of them had to clarify Joshua's words. And the person who would do that was Keith, since he made Emma come to the evacuation site.
"What Joshua said is true. A newbie awakener can't possibly kill an experienced hunter. I think there's a misunderstanding here," Keith explained, making everyone stare at Emma demandingly.
The old woman made a fuss in the wrong place and worst of all, she also wrongly accused Radmilo.
"Just for your information, Radmilo is not an awakener. I believe he is blameless of your child's death," Joshua said, making Emma even more cornered.
People thought that statement would solve the problem. After all, no one would believe that a weakling like Radmilo killed Gordan. Then, if Radmilo really experienced an awakening, that did not mean he could finish a raid team.
However, Emma's mind was not like everyone else's. She looked at Joshua as she spoke. "Why did you always defend this guy? I doubt if you're telling the truth. Who knows if you're working with this guy? Maybe you're hiding the truth because you're also involved!"
"Madam, please calm yourself down."
Hannah, who did not intend to speak, finally chimed in because she was not happy with Joshua being accused. "I was on Radmilo's side, too. He was right next to me and Joshua when the gate explosion happened. Carl from the Tasmanian Devil guild even helped us at that time. He can prove it."
Emma bit her lip and clenched her fists tightly. In fact, Hannah's words throw doubt on her accusation against Radmilo. Two people had defended the man, corroborated his alibi, and cleared him of the accusation.
Emma should not have continued this commotion. It would be better if she apologized and went home while waiting for a valid report from the police. Unfortunately, she was still filled with anger because Radmilo had been silent from the start.
The man did not give any defense and instead looked at her with a flat face. Emma had the feeling that Radmilo was making fun of her, even though the man did nothing.
"Why are you silent? Are you making fun of me because there's no one to stand up for me?" Emma asked, her voice shaking with anger and sadness.
Radmilo already knew that such questions would attack him. He cleared his throat for a moment before replying, "I sincerely apologize for making you feel this way. However, I didn't mean to mock you. The reason I'm silent is that my throat hurts."
The last words made Emma lose interest in touch on Radmilo's silence. It was clear that he showed those words as subtle satire to her. Some time ago, she had strangled Radmilo, and that was an irreversible fact.
"I understand how you feel, Madam," Radmilo spoke again to draw the attention of a sluggish-looking Emma. "I've also lost my loved ones. My parents died from a gate explosion. I know that feeling and don't want anyone else to feel it, too."
Emma could say nothing. She brought up her memories of the time when she lost her parents. It was a difficult time. The sad feeling of losing them would never heal, even though she finally found happiness with her little family.
It was a happiness that Emma never wanted to let go of. She knew that Gordan often bullied other people and got into trouble at school. However, she still loved Gordan, regardless of his son's behavior. It was because she was a mother.
Emma may not be a good mother from other people's perspectives. Still, she was a good mother to Gordan. She never expected that she would witness the birth and death of her child.
"I-I'm so sorry for causing such a fuss in a place like this. I shouldn't have done that. I think I lost my mind because of Gordan's death," Emma spoke while shedding the tears she had been holding back for a long time.
The atmosphere suddenly turned melancholy. People who were initially annoyed by Emma's attitude became concerned for the woman. After all, Emma was a mother who lost her beloved son.
They could not mention about Gordan enjoyed bullying other people in situations like this. They thought Gordan deserved to be killed, but they did not express those thoughts out of pity for Emma.
Then Dianella became the first to take action to calm Emma down. She gave the woman a handkerchief and rubbed her back. "Everything is clear now. I suggest you wait for the progress of your son's case from the cops," she said.
"I agree with Miss Smith. If you're still suspicious of me, then I don't mind when the police investigate me. I'll do it to calm you down," Radmilo chimed in and made everyone else, except Keith, stare at him in admiration.
They thought Radmilo was patient enough not to get mad at Emma. If they were in his position, then they would be offended by Emma's attitude. However, their admiration was funny in Radmilo's eyes.
Even though his face was filled with sympathy, he actually enjoyed Emma's suffering. It was something that always satisfied him. A mother's reaction was on a different level. Their grief was an outstanding achievement for Radmilo.
People could not buy the genuine love of a mother with money. They offered their love for free to their children. The only payment for that love was the happiness of their children. They were happy when they saw their children happy.
And Radmilo was happy if he destroyed that happiness. He only killed Gordan in an instant, but he gave the greatest sorrow to Emma. It was more satisfying than torturing his victims.
This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦