335: Mothers and sons (part 2)

Mothers and sons (part 2)

Egon bent down beside a pine tree trunk and picked up something from beneath the leaves and dirt. At first, it appeared to be a simple stone, but when he blew on it and wiped it clean with his shirt, it reflected the daylight magnificently. Adela, if she didn't know better, might have mistaken it for a diamond in the rough, but diamonds of this size simply didn't exist.0

Seeing her gaze fixed on the stone, Egon smiled.

"You're focusing on the wrong side," he remarked, turning the stone over to reveal its true artistry.

Adela gasped as she beheld the carving, which contrasted starkly with her husband's brown gloves. It depicted the face of a beautiful woman, and the way Egon's thumb grazed over it suggested an intimate familiarity with every contour.

"…Are you the artist behind this?" she inquired.

A faint reddish hue tinged his cheeks. "Carving into sturdy stone takes my mind off things. I picked up the skill from Andreas and honed it during my youth in Kolhis."

"How fascinating," Adela remarked, her awe mingling with a twinge of jealousy. If she were honest with herself, she couldn't help but feel envious that it wasn't her face he had carved, especially since the likeness appeared recent. "Do I know her?"

Egon took a deep breath. "This is what I remember her face to be—my mother."

A hint of moisture welled up in Adela's eyes, her heart aching for the impact the fire that had consumed Egon's childhood home must have had on him. She closed the distance between them and studied the carving more closely.

"Beautiful," she murmured. "No wonder my husband is so handsome." She looked up at him, expecting a tender expression or perhaps a smile, but instead, she saw a somber countenance.

"He acts as if he's detached from his past, as if it means nothing to him... I thought that by having a visual reminder of the woman who gave birth to him, he'd finally return to his usual self."

This was about Bastian then.

"I'll be frank with you, Adela. I've already vowed to protect you and be by your side every step of the way. But Bastian is an integral part of me. He and I, we come as a whole." 

She stared at her husband for a long moment, trying to discern where he was leading with this conversation.

"I want the two of you to get along," he continued, his gaze imploring her.

Adela bit her lower lip and looked away, grappling with conflicting emotions. She felt like a coward for avoiding eye contact with Egon. Her heart raced as she debated whether to divulge the truth about Bastian's behavior that tarnished her honor. At the same time, she pondered the necessity of shielding her husband from Bastian's subtle love confession.

Should I just disclose everything?

When he gently held her hand with his gloved one, her eyes snapped back to meet his.

"I've always considered myself a father to him, and I know he has a fondness for you," he murmured, struggling to express his thoughts. "Do you remember what I've told you about having children?"

She swallowed, vividly recalling the discussion they'd had about this when Egon had shared his concerns about potentially not being able to father children.

"I do," she replied, trying to maintain a neutral tone, all the while wondering when she would be able to ascertain if she was indeed carrying and who she could turn to for answers.

Egon let out a sigh and brought her hand up to his lips, planting a gentle kiss there before lowering it. His eyes bore into her with intense sincerity.

"Think of him as a son to us. Will you?"

She blinked, utterly taken aback by the notion.

If Egon hadn't struggled so hard to express them, she might have found his words ridiculous. After all, she and Bastian were almost the same age, and she highly doubted that Bastian saw her as a mother figure.

It appeared that her husband was even more deluded than she had originally presumed. His intelligence didn't seem to factor into this. Was he deliberately deceiving himself? Had he already detected the struggle in his brother's heart?

Egon released her hand, his expression hopeful. "I will not expect an immediate answer. But if you would grant me that wish, then I would truly appreciate it."

She mentally tightened the edges of the emotionless mask she wore on her face, determined to conceal her feelings of pity. It was apparent that Egon's pride, much like her own, was under scrutiny. His arrogance seemed to be facing a severe trial for him to express his thoughts in such a manner.

While she couldn't give him the whole truth, she knew she shouldn't mislead him either.

"You don't need to wait for an answer, Egon," she replied firmly. "I understand where you're coming from, how you've protected and raised Bastian, essentially acting as the father neither of you ever had due to the age gap between you. However, Bastian von Conradie is not and will never be a son figure to me. He is my brother-in-law, and the nature of our relationship should be guided by mutual respect for boundaries."

Shock registered on Egon's face, and Adela was satisfied by his reaction.

"I shall not indulge him like a mother does her child," Adela continued, her tone firm but not hostile. "For he is an adult, responsible for the decisions he makes and the words he says, just like I am and just like you are."

Egon couldn't have been completely detached from reality, especially after Adela had revealed Bastian's offer of fealty. She turned her face away from him, clearly expressing her frustration.

"Please, do not place me in an inconvenient position," she implored. "This conversation is one you must have with Bastian, not with me."

With that, she turned her back to him and approached the horse, leaning on it as if to pat it. This stance might have revealed a colder side of her to Egon, but it was a stance she was proud to adopt. She had no intention of encouraging Bastian who took cheap shots at her honor; she owed that to herself.

I won't let anybody take advantage of me. 

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