"Morning Light, such a beautiful flower… do I really deserve this?" Hilda asked, her voice trembling as she gazed at the flowers Wood tightly held in his hands. Tears streamed down her face, and she thought it was the most beautiful flower she had ever seen.
"Morning Light also called the Child of Dawn, brings hope to those around it…"
Hilda gently took the glowing flower from Wood's hands and lifted the unconscious boy off the ground, realizing something profound at that moment.
Wood remained unconscious until almost noon. When he finally awoke, the first thing he saw was Hilda sitting by his bedside, watching over him.
"I'm sorry, Lady Hilda. I delivered today's flowers a bit late. While picking them, I got careless and ended up surrounded by a group of magical beasts. I suppose next time I go into the forest, I'll need to bring a sword or staff," Wood said with a slight smile.
Wood hadn't expected to be surrounded by beasts. With only intermediate-level magic at his disposal and no weapons on hand, he exhausted his magic quickly and had to rely on his hand-to-hand combat skills to escape.
Hilda had initially planned to scold Wood for his recklessness, but upon hearing his words, her tough exterior crumbled. She rushed forward and embraced his head, repeatedly apologizing.
"My child, you must never go to such dangerous places alone again. From now on, I'll treat you just like Eris, as if you were my own son, as warm as the morning sun."
Wood, his face pressed against something incredibly soft, was utterly confused. He had no idea why Hilda was suddenly acting this way.
Wood had started giving Hilda flowers to win her over and ease her dislike of him. He also sympathized with her situation and thought it was the least he could do since he was living under her roof for free.
As for his daily trips to the wilderness, they weren't just about picking flowers for Hilda. The main reason was to train. Most of his abilities were things he couldn't display openly, so he had to practice in secluded areas.
Though Ghislaine was strong, she always held back during their training sessions, and that hindered his progress. To master the Six Powers quickly, Wood fought magical beasts in the forest. These beasts didn't hold back, and through those life-and-death battles, Wood's body and abilities improved dramatically.
The flowers were merely an afterthought. Since they were expensive to buy in town, he simply picked some during his training and brought them back.
During this time, Wood also managed to create a small fortune for himself by selling the parts of the magical beasts he defeated.
Because of this, Wood couldn't quite understand Hilda's sudden change of attitude. He had only intended to make her dislike him less, but her reaction had far exceeded his expectations.
From that day forward, Hilda treated Wood exceptionally well, even more so than her own daughter, Eris, at times. Ghislaine even told him that when he had returned, wounded from the forest, it was Hilda who was the most anxious.
Hilda had gone so far as to sell off her own dowry to hire a Saint-level magic user from the Adventurers' Guild, who used the highest-tier healing magic to treat Wood. That was the reason he recovered so quickly.
Life in the Boreas household continued peacefully for a few months, until one day, two letters arrived for Wood, abruptly disrupting his routine.
One letter was from his mother, Zenith. In it, she was furious and said she was considering divorcing Paul.
The second letter was from Lilia, the maid. In her letter, Lilia apologized to Wood and explained the situation, as well as bidding him farewell.
To put it simply, Zenith and Paul had been trying to have another child, either a sibling for Wood or Rudeus. After years of trying, Zenith finally became pregnant.
While this should have been a joyous occasion, things took an unexpected turn when Lilia also became pregnant, and this complicated matters significantly.
Since Zenith was pregnant, Paul had refrained from any physical relations with her. However, Lilia, living in the same house and hearing the sounds of Paul and Zenith's nightly activities, eventually succumbed to temptation, and she and Paul ended up in a relationship.
Lilia took full responsibility in her letter, apologizing for seducing Paul. But Wood knew his father well—Paul was a womanizer, and Lilia shouldn't bear all the blame for what happened.
With such a major event occurring at home, Wood knew he had no choice but to return.
The journey back was swift, thanks to the best carriage he could hire. Yet, when he arrived at the house, the air was thick with tension. Zenith stood with her arms crossed, her face a mask of cold fury. Paul knelt on the ground, his head bowed in shame, while Lilia stood off to the side, her head down, her bags already packed.
As Wood stepped into the room, all eyes turned toward him. Zenith's expression softened, and she ran to him, wrapping her arms around him tightly.
"Wood… my boy…" she whispered, her voice trembling as she held him close. "I don't know what to do anymore. I've decided… I'm leaving Paul. I can't stay here. You're old enough to decide… will you come with me, or stay with him?"
Wood could hear the pain in her voice, and it tore at his heart. But he knew he couldn't let her make such a rash decision.
"Mother… please," he said gently, stepping back to meet her gaze. "I know you're hurt, and I know Paul has made mistakes, but please, don't make this decision in anger. Think about it carefully. You're carrying my brother or sister. Can you really raise them alone?"
Zenith's lip quivered, but she said nothing.
"And what about Lilia's child?" Wood continued. "That's my sibling, too. I know this situation is painful, but they didn't ask for any of this. They deserve a chance to be born into a family that will love them, not one that's torn apart."
Wood tried to mediate, reminding his mother that in this medieval world, it wasn't unusual for noblemen to have multiple wives. The real issue was that Zenith, as a devout Milis follower, strictly believed in monogamy.
Despite knowing Paul's nature, Zenith had still fallen in love with him and married him.
*******
P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 380+ at p@treon.com/Betek and change @ to a