EMPEROR'S RECKONING

Chapter 382: Worth of a Painting

Cecile's mother let out a sigh before she pinched the nose between her eyes. She couldn't believe what she was saying and the blood on her daughter's mouth was visible even for normal people with sore eyes. She lightly opened her eyes before trying to take it in. She knew her daughter was not joking from those auburn eyes of her. She was not the type to act like a kid either.

Cecile slightly chuckled as she saw her mother's opinion. She knew the news would surprise even her. There was no way that she could have come prepared for the words that casually came out of her own daughter.

"Mother? Are you okay?" asked Cecile with a hinge of a grin.

"To be honest, I don't know. I don't know if I'm supposed to be happy or sad or euphoria-like or depressed. This is all too sudden and those emotions came crashing in my mind."

"Hahaha, don't worry mother, as long as you agree that he is my husband then everything would be fine."

"Fine? Heh, I know you, I wash your butt when you are still just a newborn. You wouldn't settle if it against your goals. I know you won't listen to a word I said if I said no."

"Hey, don't bring that up, I can wash it my self but you insist to wash mine and yes, I won't listen to a word you say if you said no. Hehehe."

Cecile's mother let out a sigh. She knew Cecile was not a pampered kid despite being born in a family with ridiculous wealth, which was very surprising since she herself seemed so mature amongst her peers during her youth.

"I guess, like mother and daughter huh," she muttered before smiling against her daughter.

"Okay, I think it's time to take him to an empty room and let him rest. I will summon the best physician I know."

She flicked her finger before a red ruby stone was in her hand in a blink of an eye. The Summoning Ruby Stone, of course, the Treas family would have it. With consideration of how big the family was it would take one hundred experts to guess who will she summoned with the stone.

"No need, he will be resting on my bed."

"Wha... What?! Hold your horses there missy! I know you kissed him from the blood surrounding your lips but letting a man sleep on your bed? Are you serious?"

"Of course I'm serious! He is my husband remember? I already tie the knot with him, look!"

Her daughter showed her the platinum ring that was on her ring finger. It was shiny and the highest grade of them all. One won't even found them on auction nor Treas's family treasury, let alone the jewelry shop. Even the highest appraisers of the Treas couldn't identify the ring.

"But.. you have that ring since you were a little, you said you find it?"

"Yes, mother, it's quite complicated actually."

"So you've been married to this boy since that young age?!" Cecile's mother pointed out her finger against the young boy that was definitely needed to rest by now.

"No, I've been married to him before... ah shit..."

"What?! What do you mean?!"

Cecile immediately turned around and let her back against her mother. There would be no end to this, it would be bad for Lyon's health if he were to rest hearing a debate. She left the scene like she was about to chase a thief before leaving a gale that fluttered her mother's hair.

"Honest;y, that tall lady of mine," she put her hands on her waist before shaking her head.

She looked around and noticed that the palace was huge but empty of people. At the very least, the painting, statues, and the floor were left clean, though some of the young man's blood adorned the floor. The smell of iron was quite a stench to behold, "My God, how can someone lose that so much blood and still breathing."

She tightened her upper lips before swapping the Summoning Ruby Stone with another one. She crushed it using those lean fingers of hers that were not adorned with any nail art.

A red light immediately blasted through the roof before arriving right in from of her to her surprise. She glanced up at the ceiling before shaking her head. It was her fault for summoning inside the throne room in the first place. The red light slowly diminished before revealing a young woman with fully equipped maid attire.

"Head Maid, Bernadetta, at your service mistress!"

The cheerful woman was about to glance up before rubble smashed her head to confusion. The grand entrance had lost its momentum by a single piece of rubble.

Cecile's mother slightly smiled as she held her laughter in.

"Ehem! Detta, bring the rest of your group and maintain this place."

"Y-Yes mistress! But after I stopped spinning."

She shook her head before leaving Bernadetta in the throne room. She was making her way toward the room where nobody dares to approach. She purposely stomped her feet to the ceramic so that the sound reverberated the entire castle. The subtle of her motherhood kicked in as she walked closer and closer toward the room.

"Hm?"

She slightly hummed as she noticed with a furrowed eyebrows of her, the door was opened rather than shut. This had never happened before, Cecile would have never forgotten to close the door.

*Flutter!

Her eyes opened wide as she saw the recognizable white cloak flying out of the door right in front of her view. Her motherhood immediately flared up before she rushed in with a leap from her feet. With gritted teeth, she landed right in front of the opened room before putting her hands on her waist, ready to reprimand her unruly daughter.

She pointed forward before she was slightly caught off guard. The woman was not there, her daughter was not there to be seen nor the bloodied young man. She furrowed her eyebrows before she noticed her daughter's clothes and the young man's pants were on the ground. She gulped before she heard a plop from something entering the hot tub.

"No... no way.. my daughter couldn't be that assertive..."

She muttered the words before she lightly approached the door that led to the grand bathroom. It was slightly opened, she carefully leaned her face in before seeing the butt that she used to wash was clearly visible. Her eyebrows immediately flare up before she was about to blast the door...

"?!"

(Tears... my daughter... my strong beautiful and tall daughter is... crying... over a man?) thought the mother who couldn't even remember when was the last time her daughter cried. Not even when she gave birth did her child cry.

The voluptuous woman calmly entered the huge bath that was lightly steaming. Her long legs were swallowed by the green water before it reached her beautiful navel. In her arms was the luckiest young man alive but unconscious, she slowly placed him right above the water before the body actually float instead of sinking.

Basked by the water that was infused with natural mana, she carefully took on a towel right beside her before wiping the blood out of his face carefully.

Her mother gasped, she never thought that her rude daughter would have this side inside her. This was the first time she ever showed kindness, it was as if she failed as a mother for not noticing this side of hers.

"She is tending him so dearly... my child... is he that much dear to you?" her mother couldn't help but also shed a tear. Even though she didn't know what really happened between the two of them. Through her motherly instinct and the maternal bond between them, she could feel the mixed feelings of sadness and happiness that Cecile felt.

Cecile suddenly carried him again before turning around and walked up the stairs leading out of the bath. Still dripping with water her body moved and adorned the floor with it. She opened the door before furrowing her eyebrows. She noticed that the door leading outside was closed.

She smiled as she also took notice on her white cloak was neatly placed on top of her desk. Though the window was still broken and the wind fluttered the pair's naked body. They didn't feel any chill, but the water on their bodies quickly dried up.

She calmly climbed the bed before putting his head on top of her voluptuous breast. She put her arms around him as she combed his hair with her fingers. She lightly kissed the top of his forehead before she leaned in and rest her face on top of it.

"I've missed you so much... Lyon. Finally... you are in my arms once again."

She closed her eyes with her beloved in her arms. On top of the king-size bed, the scene of the two of them resting against each other was worthy of a painting.