Chapter 145 - Chapter 142: Episode 140 - Full of Ups and Downs
Where did it all go wrong?
The bond between my son and me.
Was it the moment I failed to save Seon-ah from Yu-rin's clutches?
Was it when I held Seon-ah in my arms beyond the Gate and couldn't return to Earth?
Or was it the moment my body was stolen by Sophia?
I don't know.
I just wanted to feel the warmth of Seon-ah, held tight in my arms.
Right now, I didn't want to think about anything.
I didn't want to answer that misunderstanding of Seon-ah's.
Because...
I didn't want to admit that I was no longer the person Seon-ah needed.
And I didn't want to admit that Sophia was the one he truly needed.
If it were revealed that this mother, whom he had thought of all this time, was no longer necessary to him, it would be agonizing enough to kill me.
And if the fact that Seon-ah wanted Sophia turned into certainty, my breath would catch and my throat would tighten even more than it does now.
That was why I had to pretend to be 'Sophia'.
"..."
I tried to mimic the tone of voice from when I was first trapped in my own body and Sophia moved it as she pleased.
"It's nothing, Lee Seon-ah... I'm just glad you're safe..."
"Always... thank you..."
As I let those words out, my breath, which felt like it might loosen, tightened even more.
My heart beat faster, afraid I would be found out.
Even so, my mind calmed down as if I were relieved.
That gentle, informal speech proved he had mistaken me for Sophia.
I feel that something is going wrong, but to stay by Seon-ah's side, to feel this warmth in my arms just a little bit longer...
I felt desperately that I had no choice but to continue this charade.
Seon-ah, who doesn't recognize me...
A wretched, unfilial child who doesn't even recognize his own mother...
Even though I thought that, I couldn't let go of Seon-ah.
I couldn't let go of the son I had finally grabbed with my own hands after so long.
What on earth is this complicated emotion...
However, I couldn't follow that thought to the end.
Because someone was approaching this place where the incident was resolved, where there were only four of us including myself.
Using my Sensory Enhancement ability to sharpen my vision, I looked at the face of the person approaching in the darkness.
The woman who dominated my body, and who dominated my granddaughter's body—the one I was currently mimicking—was approaching.
I was grinding my teeth.
The culprit who stole my son.
The woman who used my body to forcibly rape Seon-ah and give birth to Yena.
And the woman who stole Yena's body.
For a moment, I thought she was the only woman Seon-ah needed, but if he were handed over to the 'real Sophia', he might suffer that terrible thing again.
Then, who is the 'Sophia' that Seon-ah would be happiest with?
It was me.
Although I might be a fake 'Sophia', I was the only one who could give happiness to my son, the one who wouldn't do things that would make Seon-ah suffer.
A fake better than the real one.
That was the thought that filled Min-ah's mind.
Convinced, Min-ah shouted that woman's name in her heart.
'Sophia...'
I grabbed the broken sword and put strength into my hand.
I steeled my heart, stained with this pain, and pulled together my mind, which felt like it would shatter from the shock.
And then I thought.
That Yena had already fallen into Sophia's clutches, and now the Sophia who rapes and torments Seon-ah has taken everything from her and is coming to torment him again...
'Can I kill Yena, my own daughter and granddaughter, with my own hands...'
I had to think that that was no longer Yena.
No, I had to perceive it accurately.
That is Sophia.
She is a monster trying to take away the son I struggled to get back and torment him.
If I don't want to have this happiness I regained taken away, I must kill her.
Min-ah steeled her resolve.
Thinking of the guilt of having to kill her own flesh and blood, and the necessity of getting rid of the Sophia that Seon-ah truly needs, she waited until she approached.
I shouldn't give her a chance to speak, so it wouldn't be discovered that it was Sophia who had taken over Yena's body.
That was the only way to maintain Seon-ah's misunderstanding and take Sophia's place.
Because it was a relationship that could only be established that way, Min-ah thought to herself.
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Even if that is something that makes Seon-ah suffer, I was endlessly repeating to myself that it was a problem I had to solve so that he wouldn't feel greater pain.
She had approached Yena to some extent, but Seon-ah, who was held in my arms, didn't seem to notice that fact.
'Wouldn't it be better to quickly resolve things while Seon-ah doesn't notice?'
Thinking it would be better to keep Seon-ah from noticing that it was Sophia who had taken over Yena's body, Min-ah said to Seon-ah:
"Seon-ah. Wait here for a moment. It will only be for... a very short moment..."
"Wh... where are you going?"
Seon-ah asked while held in my arms.
Seeing him look as if he didn't want to be separated, I felt like I couldn't let him go.
But because it was something I absolutely had to do, I had no choice but to set Seon-ah down and move.
That was why I stroked Seon-ah's hair with a warm hand.
"..."
However, I couldn't tell him that, so I answered with silence.
Seon-ah nodded slightly, unaware of what was happening.
My heart grew heavy as it seemed like he trusted 'Sophia' completely, but it felt light again when I thought that I could take that place now.
I ran quickly to where Sophia was approaching.
As I got there, Sophia also began to be on guard as if she had discovered me.
As I approached within arm's reach, Sophia's eyes widened in surprise.
The appearance of Yena with an adult's body, a face that inherited the blood of me and Seon-ah.
With the face of my daughter and granddaughter, hypocritically...
Even after doing such devilish things.
As if pretending to be human.
She made that expression.
I couldn't forgive her.
I tried to kill that devil who abandoned human ethics for Seon-ah.
However, the sound that came from Sophia's mouth said something that exceeded my expectations.
"Mo... Mother?... What on earth is this..."
As I tried to answer, Sophia suddenly spoke again.
At first, she spoke while looking at me, so I thought she was talking to me.
However, seeing that she didn't need my answer, I could tell she was talking to herself.
"Then... Grandma Min-ah... no, did Mother Min-ah wake up?"
That appearance of her muttering to herself and being confused looked lovely, but when I reminded myself that she was Sophia, I had to realize once again that she was an enemy.
That was why I swung my sword while speaking to Sophia.
"You devilish bitch... After tormenting Seon-ah like that... And now even Yena... You... shouldn't be alive! It's over now... Disappear from before us!"
As the broken sword shot quickly toward Yena's body, Yena struck the blade with her fist as if surprised.
Clang!
Because the sword broke again and was split down to the base, only the handle and pommel remained, and it could no longer be called a sword.
Min-ah, who threw away the useless stick, swung her fist.
As the fist, glowing with a blue light as if imbued with magic, came aiming for Yena's face, Yena lowered her head slightly to avoid it.
And then Yena's fist came aiming for Min-ah's solar plexus.
Perhaps because she activated her magic power all at once, the fist was faintly imbued with light magic, but because it came aiming for a vital point, Min-ah, feeling the danger, pulled her body back and avoided the blow.
Then, we ended up confronting each other with about seven steps of distance remaining.
"Why are you attacking... Mother Min-ah... It's me, Yena... I am Father's daughter... And I am the daughter... who came out of Mother Min-ah's body."
"No... I won't be deceived. Sophia. When I woke up, I saw that ritual circle on my house floor... that ritual circle made for the succession... Furthermore, Yena is the only vessel in the world to transfer the Demon King's spirit... Thinking of the Sophia that came out of my body, the only fact that remains is that she transferred to Yena. Even so, do you intend to keep lying? Sophia."
Yena began to gasp for breath as if she were very frustrated.
However, seeing that, it looked to Min-ah as if it were an act because Sophia was caught trying to pretend to be Yena.
"Let's end it now, disappear for Seon-ah's sake."
Min-ah carried out an attack again.
The hand, again curled into a fist, rushed quickly toward Yena.
The shimmering blue light, as if she had poured her magic power into it to the limit, looked like a brightly shining flame.
In the sad eyes watching it, how painful Yena was, that feeling was contained intact.
Yena, who was watching where the fist was headed, did not try to counterattack.
However, she had not given up her life.
Yena's action in response to Min-ah's attack was.
To run away.