A bright light appeared several minutes after Tom came back. It vanished after a few seconds and revealed Mary, who looked at me full of pity. I raised an eyebrow as I seriously couldn’t understand why she looked at me like that. I stood completely still and watched how she got closer and fell on her knees before me. Our eyes were on one level and she looked at me as if she started to care about me all of a sudden.
I stumbled forward as she pulled me into her embrace, a few seconds after I saw the first tears escaping her eyes. She was weeping because of me for an unknown reason. Carefully, I patted her shoulders and held the back of her head.
“Mary, what did you ask?” I asked gently, although I could already guess part of the answer.
“I asked her to show me your past. I am so sorry Lucinda.” She saw it. The whipping, how he burnt my hands or forced me to cook my own heart in a pan after ripping it out. The question was if the goddess showed her the worse parts …
Her pity didn’t feel good. It painfully reminded me of how close I escaped these times and that they could come back faster than I could blink.
“Mary, what did you see?” I asked sternly and pushed her away from me, but still held her shoulders.
“How he electroshocked you a whole day because you fell over while serving the dishes, how he taught you anatomy by cutting open your own body, how –“ Okay, I kind of had to thank the goddess for showing her only the casual stuff.
“Mary.” I interrupted her as I couldn’t bear her pained expression any longer. “It´s okay, you don’t have to cry for my sake. The truth is that I also did these things to others in purgatory, your pity isn’t deserved.” I claimed.
“I know … I know, but I still want to help you. Let me help you unwind all these horrible experiences and maybe, you will turn back to be the girl I saw right in the beginning.” I was naïve back then, didn’t know a thing about the world and didn’t know how to stand up for myself. I wasn’t sure if I ever wanted to be that person again, but I knew she genuinely wanted to help me.
“Thank you, mum.” I smiled and pulled her closer to me again.
“You are welcome, honey.”
Her warmth spread onto my skin again, and became mine in an embrace that seemed to go forever. A few minutes later, after we both calmed down considerably, Laura appeared in a godly flash. She looked at the child in her arms as if this baby did something holy. Maybe her poop could be put into a cow horn to bury it to gather all the earthly holy mana?
“And you, Laura? Why are you looking at your child full of admiration?” I asked, glossing over my own thoughs completely.
“She will be a hero in the future, saving the lives of thousands … I still cannot believe it, but this is her destiny.” Laura apparently asked what the future of her child would look like, to absolutely no one’s surprise.
“She´s mine.” I said drily and met the gaze of two women who couldn’t believe it. Tom on the other hand was chuckling but held his back as my earlier actions still hurt.
“Lucinda, you cannot take Laura´s child away.” Mary said with a stern gaze. I could not? Who was going to stop me?
“No, I didn’t mean it that way. I don’t want to raise her or something along these lines, but I also cannot let either of them go away. Laura knows too much and Sofie is the only possible way to threaten the goddess. See Mary, it is the only logical conclusion to draw here. These two are mine, forever.” I claimed and pointed at Laura while showing everyone my incisors with a bright smile. Laura stumbled backwards against the wall, in search of the door that was behind me. “On the other hand, I don’t want to see them dead as well. The baby would be useless this way and someone has to raise her. Laura, you came here for money and security, so would you mind raising this child just outside the city, always in arms reach and protected by a few guards?”
“Lucinda, we aren’t using our ducal privileges to imprison an innocent woman.” Mary claimed.
“Look, mum. The other option is to kill Laura and select a new mother who is loyal to me. See it this way: You aren’t using your standing to do bad things, you are rather averting the worse. If you do have another idea though, I am willing to listen.” I said in an angel like voice.
Mary gritted her teeth in frustration as she couldn’t come up with something else. Meanwhile, I wondered when I have become so nice to others. Sparing her life was seriously something new to me.
“I accept your demands.” Laura said, holding her child tightly after she realized I left her no other option.
“Wait. Lucinda, you said you couldn’t harm children. I know you didn’t lie, so why do you want to keep Sofie close in the first place?” Mary asked with a concerned expression.
“Huh? Sure, I probably can`t. But this lasagne man here can.” I pointed towards Tom who saluted swiftly. “I would still like to avoid this scenario as much as possible.”
Thanks for the chapter
Wow. Way to say he’s just as bad as you are jeez
I´m not bad?
@bloodyWriter I mean Tom and his odd infatuation with serving Lucy with whatever and however possible.
She looked at the child in her arms as if this baby did something holy. Maybe her poop could be put into a cow horn to bury it to gather all the earthly holy mana?
First I was like "what a delightfully creative way to take a jab at Laura" then I saw the Link... This was HILARIOUS! Especially the [ORDER NOW] button at the end.
If I were a farmer you bet there'd be poop-stuffed cow horns burried all under my fields, gotta gather all the earthly holy mana
But this lasagne man here can." I pointed towards Tom who saluted swiftly.
And there he is! Lasagne Man to the rescue!
(Kinda curious timing, we are trying a kinda-lasagne tomorrow, I have an autoimmune disease because of which I have, among other things, a VERY limited diet since 6 years and I haven't had lasagne for all that time. Sure it wont be "Lasagne" in the classical sense, but I have lasagne-noodles and a very good recipe remotely similar to carbonara which we are gonna use for the filling so I am quite optimistic.)
Bon appetit! I hope it works out for you!
@bloodyWriter thanks! I kinda like cooking and feel pretty competent as well as confident so I am optimistic
@Sizano Yeah ... I can do noodles. And I can oder pizza!
@bloodyWriter well, I mean that is something... you won't starve I guess
would be kind of a problem as I need you to continue writing...
@Sizano I´m more of the baking type anyways. Kind of sucks during christmas, but its nice when I´m alone and make cake for lunch
@bloodyWriter That sounds kinda nice actually. Good for you
@bloodyWriter Heeeey. Another fellow baker over cooking. Sure cooking’s fun, but baking takes the cake (🙃) when it comes to enjoyment.
I like Brownies and Cookies better than anything else, and nothing will change my mind
@Dragons Cheesecake.
@bloodyWriter 🤢
@Dragons @bloodyWriter back when I still could eat stuff like that I used to make twirled puff pastries filled with sweet poppy paste and coated in frosting. Cookies and brownies are nice for sure. As is a good cheesecake(I preferred those with mandarins or poppy paste under the cheese-paste and more crunchy dough pieces on top, I kinda had a thing for poppy-paste). But those things were my absolute favorite thing to eat back then, period. To the extent that I sometimes consider making them now all consequences be damned. So far I haven't tho. Maybe in another few years. Once I am brave enough.
@Sizano I’ve seen those made before, and they do look pretty amazing…for people that like filled treats.