59 Tree of Truth (1/2)
TILLY felt the same burning in her chest that made her lose control just yesterday.
Just when she thought she was going to lose it again, she felt a cool Mana that seemed to quench the sudden fire in her heart. It felt familiar because Kiho's Mana was also cool like that. But it was still different because after putting out the burning in her chest, the coolness of the strange Mana turned lukewarm.
A Mana was that neither hot nor cold could only belong to the little on in her womb.
[Winter, our baby boy.]
She gently placed her hands on her tummy. It seemed like her son noticed her anger rising up so he used his own Mana to calm her down. Winter was really special.
[Thank you, baby.]
”Tilly, are you okay?” Duke Prescott asked worriedly. ”Does your stomach hurt?”
Tilly gasped when she realized that aside from Kiho, she was yet to share the happy news with her father. Well, she planned to tell him but she almost forgot about it because of the serious conversation they were having. ”Father, I have good news for you,” she said excitedly. ”I'm pregnant now.”
Her father looked shocked. And then he gave her a small smile. ”Congratulations, Tilly,” he said warmly. The happiness was evident in his eyes. But there was also sadness in them. ”Your mother would have been happy for you as well if she was still with us.”
”I know that, Father,” she said with a smile. ”Actually, I plan to visit Mother's grave with Kiho to tell her about my pregnancy.”
”Please do that.”
”Father, will you come with us?”
He looked taken aback by her request. ”But why would you want to bring me along? You should spend your free time with your family.”
”We're family, Father,” she gently reminded him. ”Even if I'm already married and will have my own child soon, I will always be your little girl.”
He looked touched by her words, but it seemed like he also felt awkward.
[Well, I can't blame Father because I don't remember being affectionate to him during my first life.]
But of course, she also wanted to change her relationship with her father this time.
”Alright, I'll accept your invitation,” the duke said. ”I want to visit your mother's grave with you and your family.”
She smiled at that, and then got serious when she remembered what her father said a while ago. ”Father, is it true that Her Royal Highness killed my mother?”
”Yes, but we don't have evidence to prove it,” he father said grimly. ”I told you that your mother died in an accident. That was true. But what I didn't tell you was when we found her body, her heart was missing.”
She gasped at that. ”Mother heart was ripped out?”
Her father nodded, his mood understandably turning sour. ”Your mother trusted the princess even though we were warned by the Denvers.” He smiled sadly. ”She was that kind of woman, you know? Marianne would always try to see the good in others. Your mother had a big heart, and that heart caused her death.”
”What happened, Father?” she asked, her chest tightening in pain. ”What do you mean when you said Mother trusted the princess?”
”The Denvers told us that Her Royal Highness has a device that can detect Fire Mages. They sealed your mother's Mana so she wouldn't get detected. But unfortunately, the princess still found out about her blood when she got pregnant with you,” the duke explained. ”The Denvers didn't have the ability to conceal your heart, Tilly.”
She got teary-eyed when she felt a pang in her chest. ”It was my fault…”
”Of course not,” her father denied. ”Your mother never blamed you. I also never thought that it was your fault.”
She heard that but she already got upset.
[Maybe it's the hormones.]
”Tilly, there was no one to blame but the princess,” her father said firmly. ”When she asked your mother to be her dance teacher, she convinced Marianne that she was an ally. That she was looking for the surviving Fire Mages to mend their broken relationship with the Moonchesters.”
But since Captain Denver was still alive, that could only mean one thing. ”Mother didn't tell the princess about the Denvers?”
”No, she didn't,” he confirmed. ”Your mother didn't want to put the Denvers in danger. So, she asked Morgan Denver to protect her memories while she was trying to figure out the princess's plan. Apparently, Her Royal Highness said she needed the heart of the Supreme Fire Mage to summon the sky beast. And according to the princess, once she summoned the Red Phoenix, she would use it to find the Great Fire Tree.”
”The 'Great Fire Tree?' I haven't heard about that, Father.”
”It's a knowledge that only the royal family knows,” the duke said. ”Her Royal Highness told your mother that the Great Fire Tree knows the truth that would clear the Fire Mages of their ”betrayal.” And once the truth is out, the princess promised that the royal family would welcome the Fire Mages back to the empire.”
”I can believe the existence of the Great Fire Tree, Father,” she said. ”But I can't believe that the princess would accept the Fire Mages.”