I'll post today and tomorrow's chapters today. These two chapters are supossed to be read together, so you know... No chapter tomorrow...
...
*BAM!*
"Why did you never tell me about this, Tito!?"
[I'm sorry, young master. But master forbade me from telling you about this.]
"So you simply hid the fact that mother was dying from me!? Great, hahaha! I did not even know my own mother was dying!"
[Master's orders are absolute.]
Bloed fell silent. He felt his blood boiling from the rage, but he knew that Tito was not at fault. As an AI, Tito was completely loyal to its master. It would never violate its master orders, even if it means putting its own safety at risk.
"Dammit!!!" Bloed hit the wall and cursed. He could not believe this was happening.
"… How is she?" He suddenly asked.
[Most of her organs have shut down. I have managed to keep her alive through the use of the medical systems, but she will not endure for long… I fear master will die in less than ten days.] Tito replied mechanically.
Bloed bit his lips. His hands clenched into fists and his breathing turned heavy.
"Is there nothing we can do?" Bloed asked.
[… I'm sorry. This spaceship does not have the technology to stop the degeneration of her cells.]
Bloed fell silent. His body slid on the wall and fell on the ground.
For an instant, Bloed felt as though the world was crumbling around of him. The pain he was feeling was greater than anything he had felt before.
Camilla was dying.
And he could not stop it.
"… Hey, Regina."
"Master?"
"… You knew?"
"… Mother asked me to keep it a secret."
"… So I was the only one did not know, huh." Bloed chuckled bitterly and held his head. What was he supposed to do now?
Heaving a sigh, he stood up. "… Tito, please open the door. I want to see mother."
[Master is unconscious. You won't be able to talk to her.]
"It doesn't matter. I want to be there when she wakes up."
Tito's eye flashed momentarily before nodding and opening the door.
Bloed entered with a lifeless expression. Regina wanted to follow after him, but Bloed stopped her.
"… I want to be alone."
Regina fell silent and nodded.
When Bloed was gone, she held her chest and frowned.
"… So it's sadness huh… And this other feeling… guilt…"
Regina's heart felt very painful.
She never wanted to feel like this again.
…
Camilla did not wake up for days.
Every day, her condition deteriorated more and more, but there was nothing Bloed could do. He could only accompany her beside the bed, seeing each day how his beautiful mother turned weaker and weaker.
Bloed stopped eating. Regina and Tito tried to persuade him to take care of his body, but Bloed ignored them completely. Even although he knew it was not their fault, he was extremely angry with them for hiding Camilla's condition.
Finally, after five days, Bloed spoke to Tito again.
"… Hey Tito."
[Young master?]
"The cryogenic chambers are working normally, right?"
[… They are.]
"If we put mother in cryogenic sleep, how much can she last?"
[… Master's body is already too damaged. Even cryogenic sleep can only extend her life around ten or twenty years more.]
Bloed nodded and his expression turned determined. "It's enough. I'll find a cure by then. Tito, start preparing the cryogenic sleep."
[…]
"Tito?"
[I'm sorry, master.]
Bloed's expression changed. "Tito, I'm giving you an order! Start preparing the cryogenic sleep!"
Tito hovered silently beside Bloed. [I can't do it.]
"Dammit, Tito!" Bloed stood up and slammed the wall. "I'm giving you an order!"
Tito did not answer. It only stared at Bloed with its lone eye silently.
At that moment, a weak voice sounded.
"… Stop, it Bloed."
"!!!"
"How are you, son?"
"Mother!" Bloed's expression turned excited. "You are awake! Mother, mother! Don't worry, you will be fine! I'll find a way to cure you! I assure you mother! I'll g–"
"No, son." Camilla interrupted him. "I'm going to die."
Bloed turned pale. "But mother! The cryogenic chamber!"
"I will not sleep again."
Bloed fell silent.
"My son, I already slept for too long. My life should have ended four hundred years ago. It's already time for me to go… To meet with my family..."
"But mother… Please."
"My son." Camilla lifted her hand weakly and caressed his cheek. "I also want to stay with you a bit more... But not like that… It's time already… My time has reached."
"Mother… mother…"
"Stop crying, son." Camilla rebutted him, but her cheeks were covered in tears. "You are a man, be strong. Didn't you promise yourself you were not going to cry again? Don't be a crybaby."
"… I understand, mother… I'll not cry anymore." Bloed wiped his tears away and tried to force a smile, but his smile was incredibly ugly.
Camilla, however, smiled seeing that.
"Do you know, Bloed? You were the last gift God gave me… I'm incredibly happy of having a son like you… You brought happiness to my last years of life…
"My son, your mother has many regrets, but you are not one of them. I want to see you becoming in a handsome and successful man, showing the world the greatness of technology. I want to see you married, and carry your children in my arms… Unfortunately, my time is not enough…"
"Mom…"
"Grow strong, leave this place and show the idiots that abandoned you how wrong they were. Make my legacy proud… Show the world how great you are… How great humans are…"
At some moment, tears had covered Bloed's eyes again.
Camilla tried to wipe them, but the tears continued flowing. They were like a river that could not be stopped.
"… Take care of Lina… Reginleif… She is my daughter, make her happy… If you want, marry her… Heh, don't worry about having children, I made sure of making her able of that."
Bloed tried to smile, but he could not.
"… Tito, come here."
[Master.]
"… From now onwards, Bloed is your master. You must follow all his orders and obey him in all. Guide him in the future."
[… Understood.]
Camilla smiled. "Thank you."
She then took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Is Regina here?"
"I'm here mother." Regina entered hurriedly through the door.
"… My daughter… Please, be happy."
"… Yes, mother…"
Camilla lifted the corner of her lips. "I'm happy. I have an amazing son and a great daughter. God blessed me in the end, giving me back the family I lost…
"But now, it's time to go…"
With a sigh, she closed her eyes.
"Do you know, Bloed? I can see my family waiting for me."
"Mother, mother… Please… Don't go... I love you… I love you."
"… Yeah, I love you too, son."
Then, Camilla's breathing stopped.
That day, Bloed lost his teacher, his mother, and his first love.
And that day, Bloed finally grew up.