One Day, I Picked Up a Mom - Chapter 18

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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One Day I Picked Up a Mother – Episode 18

“Hic….”

Despite the child’s effort to bite his lips, his panting wouldn’t easily stop.

Every time he inhaled and exhaled, his small shoulders rose up to his ears and back down.

“Yes, good boy.”

Ludrio gently stroked the child’s head.

So this child had left home because he wanted to live with Luna, not his real mother.

Even after hearing news that his birth mother was searching for him desperately, he wanted to return to a woman he’d only known for about a month rather than her.

I didn’t understand what it meant that this woman named Luna was crazy, that she was deceived into thinking Iban was her son.

But seeing Iban so obsessed with this one-month mother after abandoning his real mother, it seemed clear the child’s life hadn’t been easy.

Ludrio prepared warm milk for Iban to drink as he tried to calm down.

And he quietly waited for the full glass of milk to be emptied.

After a long wait, the child’s story finally began.

Starting from coming up to the capital to find his mother, getting caught trying to steal bread, calling Luna mother hoping for help.

The woman had been deceived by the child’s words and followed him home, cleaning the house and preparing food.

Iban had used his father as an excuse to leave the village because he didn’t want to lose her.

“I really had no intention of coming all the way here.”

The child hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth again.

Once again with his usual sniffling, the child’s story continued.

He said he didn’t even know who the owner of this brooch was anyway, but he had thrown away the brooch because he was afraid they might actually find the real owner.

Then how Luna found the brooch, what he was thinking when Luna believed the owner of this brooch was the Count.

Iban told everything, even such trivial details.

‘A crazy woman….’

While Ludrio carefully retraced his memories of the woman, Iban slowly rolled his eyes as if searching for more stories to tell.

Then, seeming to judge that he had told everything without hiding anything more, he quietly nodded his head.

“That woman did nothing wrong.”

As if this was what he really wanted to say, Iban added in a careful voice.

“Did the woman tell you the name Luna?”

“…No.”

“Then?”

“I made it up for her.”

He made up a name for her.

At these words that were hard to understand, Ludrio tilted his head sideways. Then Iban hastily opened his mouth.

“It was in the carriage coming up to the capital. Before I threw away the brooch yet. That’s when Luna asked about her name.”

“I’d like to hear more details. What exactly did the woman ask?”

“…Iban, but does Iban know what his mother’s name is? Like this. Almost similar.”

“So. Did you tell her Luna then?”

Iban quietly nodded his head.

“….”

She didn’t seem crazy enough to not know her own name….

Was she really insane?

If she was the Regent’s person, there was no way she couldn’t have figured out what the child’s mother’s name was.

Yet the woman had introduced herself to the servant as Luna.

“Family?”

“…She said no, she said that.”

Iban mumbled as he spoke. From the way he avoided eye contact, it seemed he was hiding something.

When I looked at him quietly, the child who met my eyes corrected his words again.

“She said she only had me. That mother only had Iban, she said that.”

And after thinking a bit more, he said as if crawling in.

“…Since we met in the capital, maybe she has family here.”

“It seems you don’t like the woman finding her real family.”

As if embarrassed that his feelings were discovered, the child’s head dropped deeply.

Tap, tap.

Ludrio left Iban behind and lightly tapped his own hand.

Iban wasn’t lying. There would be no lies in the information brought from Marha either.

“There was someone who told you that brooch was mine.”

However, the woman named Luna still bothered him.

Sometimes it seemed like she was a woman sent by Uncle, sometimes not….

“…I don’t know his name. Some man who lived in that village, a man who always came to the river carrying a lamp told us. He was with us the day we found the brooch too.”

Iban continued speaking quickly without energy.

Perhaps because it wasn’t a story about Luna or himself, the strength in the child’s voice dropped a little.

“He said that brooch was something Count Roderich had carried around since he was very young. That his parents gave it to him.”

At those words, Ludrio’s face visibly hardened.

“…What?”

“He said it was a gift meaning he could come visit anytime.”

At Iban’s following words, Ludrio’s eyebrows twisted into a mess.

“….”

What was that.

Ludrio, who swallowed a light sigh, rubbed his face.

Only he should be the one remembering those words now….

“Did you see his face?”

Ludrio put strength into his finely trembling hands to hide the trembling.

“…Why?”

However, this clever child seemed to notice his change in that short moment and asked while slowly looking him over.

“Weren’t you wanting to meet Luna again?”

“I don’t know. I couldn’t see very well.”

An urgent voice returned again.

“He was wearing a cloak over his head…. I heard the other men calling his name but I forgot.”

His eyes that had been moving as if trying to understand the situation stopped, and Iban continued answering diligently again.

“But, maybe Luna….”

Iban’s eyes wavered again.

“I mean, the woman might have seen him. She’s taller than me.”

“….”

“If you don’t scare her or threaten her, she’ll probably tell you.”

Leaving Iban’s following words behind, Ludrio closed his eyes for a moment.

Could the person they met have been his brother?

Could his brother who went missing 10 years ago still be alive?

If he was alive, then why…. Or was even this the Regent’s interference?

Ludrio silently chewed curses in his mouth.

Now he had to admit it. Ludrio couldn’t grasp at all how the current situation was unfolding.

Even after those sent to Marha returned and frightened Iban confessed the truth.

Wasn’t he gripping the clues tightly yet going deeper into a labyrinth?

What on earth was that woman?

That woman whose name, age, nothing was truthful was pulling Ludrio into a deep swamp.

* * *

Even though I was sitting alone in the drawing room without its owner, I somehow couldn’t move my head freely.

Even though I knew well that there was no one in this drawing room to watch me.

Was I more nervous than when I sat in the drawing room waiting for Count Roderich two days ago because Iban wasn’t by my side?

Or was it because of Count Roderich who had been terrifyingly angry yesterday?

The drawing room was as splendid as when I first came. The large window where sunlight poured in and even the vase with freshly changed flowers.

I slowly looked around the interior before lowering my gaze to the refreshments placed before me.

Today too, appetizing cookies and tea were laid out on the table as if to serve a guest, but….

‘This is your last chance to survive in this estate.’

I truly wondered if this was really what had been given to me after being driven out with threats the day before.

Having such thoughts while staring down at the refreshments for a long time, I steeled my resolve and turned to check the clock.

9:14.

‘Why on earth did he call me here.’

After being coldly driven away, I thought I would never meet Count Ludrio or Iban again.

Contrary to my expectations, the Count had sought me out again from early morning.

Seeing how he provided a large drawing room and even refreshments, the situation didn’t seem to be at its worst….

‘But why….’

As I considered all sorts of scenarios for why the Count had summoned me again.

‘I want to live with Mother. I don’t need Father. If Mother isn’t here, I don’t need Father.’

Iban, who had cried his heart out again, came to mind.

Iban’s feelings, which I had realized far too late, weighed heavily on my chest once more.

But now it really was too late.

The Count wanted Iban and wished to sever ties with me.

So now there really was nothing I could do….

If I had known some important information about the world I had possessed, I might have been able to change something.

Unfortunately, even combining all the clues I had discovered so far, there was still nothing that clicked.

Just as resignation mixed with anger at my own incompetence began to surge and rise.

The door opened without a knock, and Ludrio Rharhart entered together with Iban.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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