One Day, I Picked Up a Mom - Chapter 67

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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 67

The principle was relatively simple.

When the lamp’s flame heats the boiler, water boils and high-pressure steam is generated, which travels through precisely designed narrow tubes into the cylinder.

Then the steam pushes the piston back and forth, causing the wheels to rotate through connecting rods.

I hurriedly asked an employee for a kettle filled with water and matches.

After some time, the employee returned with what I had requested.

“Did I come quickly?”

Through the crack in the open door, Iban rushed in. Seeing Iban looking refreshed, I gestured for him to come over and said.

“Iban, shall we try making the train move now?”

“Train?”

The child’s eyes widened.

Iban looked back and forth between the train and me, then came close and sat down beside me.

“Yes. Come here. First, we need to fill this with water. Try it, Iban.”

Following the instructions written in the manual, Iban held his breath and carefully filled it with water using the small kettle.

“Mother will light the fire for you.”

I took out a match from the silver case the employee had brought.

With a brief friction sound, a flame sparked to life. Iban’s round eyes followed the flickering light.

I carefully transferred the flame to the alcohol lamp wick. Soon a bluish flame began dancing and heating the bottom of the brass boiler.

“But… is this the right way to do it?”

“Yes. Now if we wait, the train will start breathing.”

“…Breathing? This thing?”

Iban propped his chin and stared intently at the train.

The small lamp flame flickered in the child’s eyes.

“Should we put out the fire since it’s dangerous?”

Just as Iban pulled back his body anxiously and asked.

Finally, with a hiss, white steam shot out.

Iban was startled by the sudden sound, his shoulders jumping as he grabbed my arm.

“Wh-what’s that?”

“Now, this is it. Try pulling this lever.”

I gently stroked the startled child’s face and whispered softly. Iban nervously swallowed and reached out his finger.

Then with the sound of escaping steam, click, click. The wheels began to roll.

“Wow! It’s moving! It’s really moving?”

Iban jumped up from his seat and started hopping around.

His cheeks flushed with joy, and laughter burst forth as he followed the moving train, filling the drawing room.

“Mother, look, look!”

“You’re right, it’s really amazing.”

“But how did you know?”

The child, who had been busily following the train, turned his gaze to me.

“There was an instruction manual.”

“And?”

“It had detailed instructions on how to do it.”

“…Huh? You read that?”

When I nodded, Iban blinked slowly.

The child’s expression suddenly became blank.

“Iban?”

“Mother… you read all that dense writing?”

Iban’s voice trembled slightly.

“Mother can read things like this now.”

I smiled proudly at Iban, who seemed quite surprised.

“Now Mother can do these things too, not just Hark. I’ve been studying hard all this time.”

“Ah…”

Iban opened his mouth blankly like someone who had been struck hard by something.

The child’s gaze went back and forth several times between the brass train rolling energetically on the floor and my face.

“Iban, what’s wrong?”

“…You can read everything now?”

“Iban will be able to read soon too. You’re just young, so it takes more time.”

Whether he was shocked or hurt, seeing Iban’s serious face, I hurriedly explained.

“There’s nothing to worry about.”

“…Yes.”

Only then did Iban nod and turn his head toward the train.

But the excited hopping and joy from before was nowhere to be seen.

Even while chasing after the train, the child somehow seemed to have drooping shoulders.

* * *

Why.

How could Luna read?

“Young master?”

Iban glanced at the servant standing guard at Ludrio’s bedroom and said weakly.

“I came to see Count Roderich.”

“Count Roderich has retired for the night. Please come again tomorrow…”

Leaving behind the servant who trailed off awkwardly, Iban knocked loudly on the door.

“Young master, tomorrow…!”

“Let him in.”

Just as the servant grabbed Iban’s hand to stop the child’s rudeness, low permission came from inside the room.

Only then did the employee carefully open the door.

Inside was very dim.

At the far end of the dark room, only a small light was on around the bed where Ludrio Rharhart sat.

“Iban, what brings you here at this hour?”

“…You knew, didn’t you?”

“What?”

Ludrio completely closed the documents he was holding and tilted his head sideways.

“That Luna can read.”

“Yes.”

“She’s not stupid, right? And she’s not crazy either.”

Then what exactly was Luna?

“But why is she by my side?”

Just like she suddenly learned to read, wouldn’t she suddenly leave me?

Iban gripped his clothes tightly.

“Tell me too. Why she’s by my side.”

Count Roderich would know. Why Luna thinks of me as her son.

“It’s memory loss.”

The answer flowed from Count Roderich’s mouth more easily than expected.

“She hasn’t been diagnosed by a specialist, but that’s what I think.”

“What’s that?”

“She’s forgotten who she is.”

Iban furrowed his brow. The child couldn’t easily understand what Ludrio’s words meant.

Forgotten who she is? But she’s not stupid?

“It can happen from an accident or shock. Having lost her memory, she met you and believed exactly what you told her, Iban.”

“…”

“Meeting you, who called her mother.”

“Is she smart? Is Luna smart?”

At Ludrio’s incomprehensible words, Iban asked again.

“Hark says Luna is quite smart. Is she really smart?”

If she wasn’t a fool, if she was smart, she might eventually figure out all his lies.

She would realize all the truth and say she didn’t need someone like him.

Luna, who wasn’t a fool, would be able to live well on her own without someone like him.

“Yes.”

The moment a brief affirmation fell from Ludrio’s lips, Iban felt as if something deep in his belly had burst open. Warmth leaked out helplessly through that gap.

Even when he tried to breathe in, air wouldn’t enter his throat. His vision went dark and his ears became muffled.

“…”

But now he had grown to love this Duke’s Mansion.

The warm, delicious food given at every meal, and the soft bed too.

He really liked the mysterious toys he received as gifts and the wooden sword he got for the first time.

He still disliked studying, but it wasn’t all day long—just part of the day—so he could grit his teeth and endure it.

Now he had grown to like the Count too.

The Countess Roderich was leaving soon anyway.

…Something began to scrape sharply at the inside of his ribs. His heart was racing so fast that the sound seemed like it would deafen him.

“So… are you leaving?”

If Luna left, if she went away.

He didn’t want to be alone again. He didn’t want to be abandoned again.

There was no way he could live alone without Luna.

“Tsk, taking turns crying.”

After the small rebuke, Ludrio’s black slippers entered Iban’s field of vision.

Then his body floated up from the floor.

“Don’t cry. Even if she does leave, you can continue staying here with me.”

“No, no! I don’t want that!”

At Ludrio’s words, the emotions that had been suppressed all poured out at once.

Staying here wasn’t what Iban wanted.

He didn’t need the toys or the wooden sword. He didn’t need the food or the bed. He didn’t need a father to hold him.

“Don’t let her leave, don’t let her leave, even if she wants to go, don’t let her!”

Iban grabbed Ludrio’s neck tightly and pleaded desperately.

“You can do that!”

How wonderful it would be if she were a fool. How wonderful if it could always be just like now.

“You can do that for me!”

Iban truly had no confidence in a life without Luna.

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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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