Irregular Curved
Chapter 13: Dreams

"Light, please promise. Whatever happens in the future, keep smiling, okay?"

The woman's hand rubbed Light's head gently, her carelessness when facing Light so felt full of affection.

Light, who was lying right by the woman's side, could only be confused as he looked at her. He did not understand why the woman was saying something that was difficult to understand.

However, to please the woman, Light finally smiled, following something the woman wanted, "Well, Mom!"

"Good boy." Elena Allain, better known as Elena Renesse, once again gently rubbed her son's head, hugging Light tightly until Light fell asleep comfortably.

The atmosphere of the room was dark, there was no source of lighting in it. Just because the warmth he felt had disappeared, Light woke up from his sleep, not finding the figure he loved so much right beside him.

Light got up to sit down, but he did not find Elena in the room. Deeply fearful, Light understood Elena would be at her private desk in the corner of the room if her mother did not sleep with her.

In a hurry, Light left the room, passed through the hallway and and saw something he would never forget in his entire life.

Blood splattered patches filled every corner of the large hallway wall. Light saw several figures in the corners of the hallway sitting weakly with several knives sticking right all over their bodies as well as Elena who had fallen covered in blood with a gasp of breath.

"Mother! Mama!" Light ran over, approaching his mother who only had a little consciousness left.

Elena smiled, a moment of relief approaching her mind, even though only her son's cry was the last thing she could see.

"Light, go. go..." Against those weak words, Light shook his head to refuse.

"Mother!"

"Go away. before they..." Elena was lying weaker and weaker.

Before successfully lifting his mother's body, the loud noises of the presence sign drew closer. Light did not understand what he had to do.

However, Elena calmed him down, rubbing one side of his face while giving a farewell smile, "Go away. Promise to always forgive and smile whatever you are going through..."

The sobbing was heard getting louder, the pursuit of some troops was also getting closer to the two. Elena tried to raise her weak hand, gently rubbing her son's head until it was covered in blood stuck to her hand, "Wherever you are... Whatever you will face in the future... Don't worry..."

"Because mom will always be by your side."

"Hoaahh!"

Light awoke from his sleep and immediately sat down to be shocked by the dream he had just experienced. Light's breathing was wheezing, yet he was able to calm himself back down after adjusting his breathing in a few moments.

"Huh.huh..." Light examines his surroundings, he finds himself in a room that feels very foreign to him, "Where..."

"Akh!" As he got up, Light felt a tremendous pain accompanied by his body filled with bandages.

It was not impossible for Light to rise from his bed. Despite feeling the overwhelming pain, Light held him back to stay up and dragged his weakened body towards the door of the room.

Kriyet.

The wooden door squeaked, Eld— who was smoking tobacco—when he threw away his cigar and approached Light to help him, "Young Master?! Why don't you ask for help from inside the room?!"

"Ugh." One side of Light's body was swept away by Eld, both of them walking towards the sofa in the middle of the room very carefully.

"Why don't you call someone first, Young Master?" Eld sat down Light with worry.

His back was resting on the back, the pain he was experiencing slightly lessened as his body relaxed again, "And so do you smell, Eld."

"Well..." Eld mutely, he was aware of his mistake of being close to Light who had no habit of sucking cigars. "I'm sorry, I'll change for a while."

Eld left the room. Ending in solitude, Light inevitably has to pay attention to his surroundings. The room that Light occupies now looks quite large, maybe sized like a living room found in an ordinary house in a remote countryside. The floor is in the form of long woods neatly arranged, gray walls are quite weathered although it can still be said to be worth living in.

"I'm sorry for bringing something uncomfortable, Young Master." Eld walked in with a tray of soup and a glass of water, bowing for a moment before taking the chair opposite to where Light was.

"It's okay, I'm just not used to it..." Light's gaze was fixed on the soup bowl served right in front of him.

"Please, Young Master." Eld offered the soup to Light after seeing where he was looking.

"Thank you, sorry to bother you." Light took the soup and ate it very greedily.

So voraciously he ate, Eld looked at Light with a warm smile, perhaps looking like a connection between a father and his son, despite Eld's own age of nearly stepping on the head of six.

Tak.

Light put the bowl and took the glass beside him. Because his stomach that had been filled on the side had a choking experience, Light drank the water slowly.

"Where are we? And also, what happened to me until now?" Light opens up the question of the situation he really wants to know.

"Are you sure? I'm guessing, you should rest a day or two ahead before you think of any further steps." Eld was not sure, Light's newly realized condition had not fully recovered making him very worried.

"It's okay," Light replied indifferently.

Eld took a breath, sat up straight as he turned his face serious, "After the incident, you were unconscious for more than 5 days. Right now, we are in an empty village that is on the border. The knights, civil officials, and servants and former slaves who followed us have taken some houses that are still worth living in. We're thinking of staying in this village until winter's over."

"So... How do you reserve food for the winter?" responsiveness Light.

"I can say it will be fine, Young Master. Everyone—including the former slaves—worked together to build this village a little and collect foodstuffs back. Well, at least, I'm grateful that everyone can work together without a problem." Eld replied.

"Did Abigail say something to you, Eld?" For some reason, Eld felt the pressure emanating from Light. He felt that it was not supposed to take Light's bad side by telling lies.

"No, he didn't say anything to us." Eld stared at Light without showing any sign of lying, "We were only surprised to see you unconscious on his back."

"Thank you, I'm grateful that you're one of my subordinates, Eld." Light smiled in relief, he was grateful that his existence had been accepted, unlike his dark past.

Light decides to eat a few bowls of soup and rests in his room for the next few days.

However, Light feels a strange thing, a dream he has managed to forget now re-emerges in memory.

If this is the result of my actions for accepting the dragon's gift...

Right.. I can't put my emotions forward and act rashly.

In the three months until winter ends, imperial reinforcements will arrive. Then, I must master the dragon's gift before they take control of the border region from me.

......................