Chapter 17: The daughter and the past of Colt Edgeworth (part 2)
Chapter 17: The daughter and the past of Colt Edgeworth (part 2)
Colt and Hylda sat underneath a tree cooling off from the sun’s heat while the two supposed rightful lovers of Colt duked it out in a staring contest, which had gone on for quite some time.
“I know him all my life! He was present every birthday!”
“Your three years’ worth of life with my darling is not important, for the two of us are already engaged. We have the blessings of our parents, and we love each other!”
Mina’s petty rebuke was oddly effective, resulting in Filla taking damage. But, she was not down for the count, “Urk….we love each other too…! We even take baths together until some time ago!”
Mina felt an invisible damage piercing her very core, “Ugh…well, I bathed him last night!”
“Argh!”
This was basically the fight of the women who wished to claim Colt as theirs. It was as petty as it was glorious, and the one most involved sat next to Hylda talking about life.
‘This is not what I expected when I came here.’
Not everything in life was dramatic. Sometimes, it’s simply full of bullshit that just drags on. However, it did paint a smile on Colt’s face.
‘I wish this lasts even when the inevitable comes.’
He sighed as someone from behind tapped his shoulders. His cheek was poke as he turned around.
“It had been some time since you came, Sparkly.”
“Well, there are a lot of things I’d been doing, Sister Mary.”
She was wearing an amber-colored tunic, a black pendant around her neck, and a dagger with a pommel engraved with black and white wings.
She was a beauty with a pair of oval-shaped eyes, a well-proportioned toned body. This was Sister Mary, a Nun from the Dracian Fate.
Colt looked at the beautiful Sister Mary and smiled. He stood up from the ground, placed his right hand on his chest before nodding his head as a show of respect.
“Hoooo, I thought you didn’t believe in the Gods? For you to bow to a Nun of the Fate, are you saying the heretic Sparkly, the most handsome man of all, had a change of heart?”
Colt cringed after remembering the past he did not wish to remember.
‘Ugh, this is the worst feeling.’ Colt turned to Sister Mary and shook his head.
“Well, let’s just say I am a different man now.”
“That’s rather surprising. So, are you going to play with Filla today?”
“No, I wish to…”
Sister Mary cut him off as she raised her left hand.
“I can see where this is going, no need to say anything further, follow me to my office, then we’ll talk.”
At this time, Mina stopped bickering with Filla. She looked at Sister Mary and didn’t even feel a hint of jealousy. The sudden change in Colt’s expression spoke many things.
“Filla, Hylda, go and pick some apples, I will be talking with your big bro Sparkly for a while, got it? IF you do good, then I’ll bake some pie for you later.” Sister Mary instructed.
“Okay!”
The two responded with glee in their eyes. Hylda headed out first; Filla had to stick her tongue out to Mina before running away. The duel shall continue at a later date.
With the two children away, Colt and Mina followed Sister Mary to the Orphanage.
Today, the Light Orphanage had eight children, but it still receives a hefty donation from an anonymous source.
“Your office is as barren as ever, doesn’t the orphanage have a lot of money?” Commented Colt.
“Well, you give that money for the children…to your daughter, to be exact, so why spend it on me? It’s technically not mine.” she joked.
“You can use it, still.”
“Hahaha, no. Let’s move on, but before we talk about it, first, does she know?”
By she, Sister Mary referred to none other than Mina seated beside Colt.
“I know, and I support my husband’s decision.”
Sister Mary smiled at her words. But something surprised her.
“Husband? You got married?”
“It will happen in the future, so it doesn’t matter if I call him my husband now…” Mina confidently answered. Her chest was puffed up, and her confidence reached the skies.
“I like this girl, Colt. Don’t let her go.” An aunt-like compliment was delivered.
Sister Mary moved around the cabinet to find a red folder. The folders of the cabinet were all brown. However, only one was red, and this folder was obviously Colt’s.
The brown means the parents either abandoned the child or are already not of this world. However, there were rare cases where a Noble sends his or her child to an Orphanage for certain reasons. When that happens, a red folder will be used.
This kind of practice was no longer used in the Kingdom and Continent for the past hundred years. After all, the red folder was associated with scandal, so it’s avoided like the plague.
But Colt asked Sister Mary to do it as proof that he acknowledges his responsibilities.
“Finally, after three years, this folder will finally get thrown away. Sigh, I wonder, what your family will say if they get to learn the story of Colt Edgeworth, the wastrel young master of the City…are they going to cry?”
“Is the story of my husband that sad?”
Mina casually asked.
Sister Mary raised a brow as she gave Colt the apparent look of, “Seriously? You haven’t told her?”
Colt shook his head, and Sister Mary sighed.
“Do you want to know, miss wife?”
“Yes!”
Seeing Mina’s expression, Sister Mary looked at Colt. The pressured Colt could only sigh as he prepared to narrate his story to the two.
At first, Colt was hesitant, he glanced at Mina, for he knew what he’s about to recount was not something he would want her to hear, but Mina showed a determined look.
Her eyes told him, “I wish to know.”
So, not wanting to hide the darkness in his heart, he laid it out for Mina to know.
“Well, it is not that spectacular of a story. It is not that even special.
“When I was 15 years of age, I was infatuated with the idea of having sex. I met a woman, a prostitute, and had a night with her. Her name was Felis…she was a woman sold by her parents to become a prostitute. She was 16 at the time…”
Colt stated her age, and even he felt terrible about Felis’ fate.
“She was a new ‘item’ in the ‘house’; thus, the housemaster let me picked her to have a good time. But, we only had two nights before learning that she was pregnant. I was skeptical at first. However, only I have ever touched her; thus, I bought her off from the ‘house’.
“As a young man, I feared my family learning of my mistakes. Hence, I bought Felis a house to stay, only meeting her when I ‘sneak out’ to ‘drink ‘. At first, it was hard because there were guards around me all the time, but the more I slip away, the more the guards let me be.
“Besides, I would always come back when the time comes, so it didn’t really matter.
“I was guilty of the fact she got pregnant, and without the courage to take the life of an innocent child, I took care of Felis. I frequently snuck out of the manor; they would think I am drinking, but I was taking care of her. I wished no one would know of Felis and the child, so I could ask no one.
“Weeks passed, and it seemed like I was merely playing, but as months went on, I was already known as a wastrel. And then, I took the title of the wastrel as a cover and head home drenched in alcohol, acting drunk to let them know what I did.
“The time came when Felis was about to give birth; there was an oncoming storm. And like an idiot who didn’t know how to midwife, I panicked. I was torn between keeping the secret and calling someone for help.
“But as I was troubled, Felis grabbed my hand and told me one thing, “I don’t care what happens to me, please, just take care of our child.” Those words of her made me feel the selflessness of a mother, and I rushed out Sister Mary’s help.
“As the storm raged and the thunder banged on their door. I tried to get their attention with all my strength as if I was trying to redeem myself for being a pathetic excuse for a human. And as Sister Mary appeared before me, I kneeled and asked her to save Felis and my child.
“She answered my pleas and helped delivered the baby, and as Felis got a hold of our child and looked at me with a smile of bliss, she said to me with a tear-stained face and a happy expression.
“” I will not last long, I can feel my strength leaving me. This is the best time to say it; thank you for not letting anyone else touch me and saving me from ending up as a prostitute. When I was a child, I wished to have a family of my own. A husband who will care for me and love me, to have a child who will smile as she frolicked on the grass, that was my wish. But even though I never got to see my child run around the grass, I saw her breath and live; despite myself not getting married and having a husband, I still managed to experience being cared for by my savior…Young Master Colt, thank you for granting my wish even if you didn’t mean it; please, take care of our child…”, she died with Filla in her embrace.
“I cried, as my heart bled, I could have saved her if I had told others about it. I should have learned then, took Filla with me to the manor and raised her as my own, but I feared she’d be criticized, so I had Sister Mary take care of her, and for the past three years, I would sneak out of the house every single day, I would sneak out of the manor come here to take care of her as I had promised. And as I watched her grow, knowing she’s my daughter and her not knowing anything crushed my heart.
“And every time she asked me if her parents hated her if that’s why she was abandoned, I always wished that I could hold her and scream that I am her father, that I didn’t hate her but loved her from the bottom of my heart. I lived a lie, a lie that hurt everyone around me, I…”
And as Colt told his story, a single tear escaped, and more followed. He began to bawl as he sobbed.
“I am a coward.”
Leo cried.