Colt and Hylda sat underneath a tree cooling off from the heat of the sun whilst 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 for all my life! He was there in my every birthday!"
"You're 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!"
The petty rebuke of Mina was oddly effective, resulting for Filla to take damage. But, she is 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 is basically the fight of the women who wishes to claim Colt as theirs. It is as petty as it was glorious and the one that is most involved sat next to Hylda talking about life.
'This is not what I expected when I came here.'
Not everything in life is dramatic, sometimes, it is 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 the back touch his shoulders. He cheek was poke as he turned around.
"It had been some time since you came, Sparkly."
"Well, there are a lot of things I had been doing Sister Mary."
Wearing an amber-colored tunic, a black pendant around her neck, and a dagger with a pommel that is etched with two wings, both with contrasting color of light and dark.
She was a beauty as well with an oval-shaped pair of eyes, well proportioned body that is outstanding because she is well-toned, this is Sister Mary, a Priestess of the Dracian Fate.
Colt looked at the beautiful Mary and smiled. He stood up from the ground and 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 Priestess of the Fate, are you saying the heretic Sparkly, the most handsome men of all has a change of heart?"
Colt cringe after remembering the past he do not wish to remember, but he also felt something in his heart.
'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…"
He was cut off by Sister Mary as she raised her left hand.
"I can see where this is going to lead to, no need to say anything further, follow me to my office, then, we will talk."
At this time, Mina stopped her bickering with Filla. She looked at Sister Mary and didn't even feel a hint of jealousy. The sudden change on Colt's expression told her many things.
Things that are regarding to the golden-haired child named Filla that is in front of her and Colt.
Colt looked at Sister Mary; he followed Sister Mary who said her farewells temporarily to Filla and Hylda before beckoning him to follow.
"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."
"Okay!"
The two responded with glee in Hylda's and Filla's eyes. Hylda headed out first, but FIlla had to stick her tongue out to Mina before running away. The duel shall continue for a later date.
With the two children away, Colt and Mina followed Sister Mary to the Orphanage. The Orphanage was also a part chapel. But as time went on and the more children who had lost their parents grew, it had expanded to be the Light Orphanage.
Today, the Light Orphanage have eight children but it still receives a hefty donation from an anonymous source.
"Your office is as barren as ever, doesn't the orphanage has a lot of money?"
"Well, you give that money for the children…to your child to be exact so why spend it? It's technically not mine."
"You can use it, still."
"Hahaha, let's move on, why don't we talk about the important thing…but 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."
Mary smiled at her words, but something else surprised her.
"Husband? You two already 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 up as her confidence reached the skies.
"I like this girl, Colt. Don't let her go." An aunt-like compliment was given by the Sister.
Sister Mary moved around the cabinet to find a red folder. The folders of cabinet are 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 are rare cases where a Noble sends his or her child to an Orphanage for certain reasons, thus, the folder will become red.
This kind of practice was no longer used in the Kingdom and the Continent for a hundred years. After all, the red folder is associated to scandal so it is no longer practiced.
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.
Mary raised a brow as she looked at Colt the obviously look of "Seriously? You haven't told her?"
Colt merely shook his head and Mary sighed.
"Do you want to know, miss wife?"
"Yes!"
Seeing Mina's expression, Mary looked at Colt. The pressured Colt could only sigh as she began telling his story for the two.
Colt was hesitant at first, he looked at Mina for he knew what he is about to tell is not something he would want her to hear, but Mina showed a determined look that told him to continue.
Her eyes tell him, "I wish to know."
So, not wanting to hide the darkness in his heart, to lay it down to Mina, he began to speak.
"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 to become a prostitute by her parents. She was but 16 at the time…"
Colt stated the number and even he felt bad about the fate of Felis.
"She was a new 'item' in the 'house', thus, the house master let me picked her to have a good time. But, we only had two nights before knowing she was pregnant. I was skeptical at first, however, only I have ever touched the woman, thus I bought her off from the 'house'."
"As a young man, I feared my family learning of my mistakes, thus I bought a house for her to stay, only meeting her when I 'snuck out' to 'drink '. At first it was hard, because there are 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 is right 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 in truth 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.
"And as the time came, when Felis was about to give birth, there was a storm coming. And as an idiot who didn't know how to midwife, I panicked. I was torn of between keeping the secret and calling someone for help.
"But as I am in a state of being torn, 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, seeking the help of Sister Mary.
"I banged on their door, as the storm raged and the thunder rumbled, with all my strength I tried getting their attention as if I was trying to redeem myself as 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 plea, 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 being sapped away. 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 is what I wished. 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 experienced 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 arms.
"I cried, as my heart began to bleed, 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'll get 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 is my daughter and her not knowing anything crushed my heart.
"And everytime she asked me if her parents hated her and 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 began to sob.
"I am a coward."
Leo cried.