#113. Parents' War
'Parents' war'.
People called it the War of the Three Kingdoms. The Kingdom of Thalassa attacked Peneus using the death of Empress Kalista as an excuse, and the Kingdom of Pindus attacked the Kingdom of Thalassa using the death of its Prince as an excuse.
As soon as the Kingdom of Pindus declared war, they occupied a place that produced a large amount of saltpeter. There were no firearms in the places that produced saltpeter, and the Kingdom of Pindus was a country that trained strong knights. The people of the Kingdom of Thalassa were helpless. Therefore, the Kingdom of Thalassa had to conserve gunpowder in an all-out war with the empire. Of course, King Thalassa did not do nothing. They also stated that they were wronged. They said that they did not kill the Prince, but that it must have been Asherad's plot, but the people of the Kingdom of Pindus, who were hot-tempered by nature, did not believe it and trembled with anger.
Why on earth would Emperor Peneus, who supported them, kill the Prince? The justification was Thalassa, and everyone in the Kingdom of Pindus was shouting to trample on Thalassa because of the incompetence of King Thalassa, who even framed his grandson. The Kingdom of Pindus, exhausted from border conflicts, literally mercilessly wiped out Thalassa.
However, the war did not end quickly. The Kingdom of Thalassa produced a large number of firearms based on the blueprints that the Count of Locania had handed over. However, the situation was not favorable because of the Kingdom of Pindus, and the Kingdom of Pindus did not have a strong enough military force to occupy the Kingdom of Thalassa on its own. The Empire of Peneus was also blocking the Kingdom of Thalassa, but internally, there was an active civil war. The Children of Shimer. No, the armies of the Count of Locania began to occupy the empire as if they were slowly taking root.
In the past, after the great defeat at the border, Emperor Asherad's position was in jeopardy. There were even suspicions about his relationship with his mother, Empress Sabrina, and the Duke of Turbol. Although there were nobles who supported Asherad, many were hesitant to turn their backs on him in this unfavorable situation.
In this way, the power of the countries was so equal that no one had an advantage, and there was no sign of a quick end to the war. Realizing this fact, the enemies of each country soon began to engage in small wars of attrition.
Six and a half years have passed like that.
"Mom!"
The boy ran to the woman, who was smiling brightly and bending down. The woman had dirty blond hair that was tangled and tied up in a ponytail. She was organizing her art supplies.
"Mom!"
The woman turned her head as the boy called for his mother again. Daphne, no, Olivia, looked at her own child.
“Ian. Don’t run so fast.”
The little boy nodded with a bright smile. The boy, looking up at her, had eyes as green as jewels. Olivia forced the corners of her lips to lift as she looked at those beautiful eyes that reminded her of the man who had enslaved her, the one she had considered so horrible.
“What did you learn today?”
“Today I learned about my mom’s favorite painting.”
“Oh really? I see.”
Olivia continued to clean up her paintbrushes. The clanking sound of the brushes being cleaned up echoed throughout the room. Ian listened quietly.
“Mom, when I get to a higher grade...”
“I’m busy preparing for class tomorrow. Can you stay out?”
It was a gentle voice. But it resonated terribly coldly. Ian lowered his head as if he were deadened by the sound and headed toward the door.
At that time, a man came into the house.
“I'm here.”
Ian smiled brightly at the voice. It's Dad! As Ian left the room, a man dressed in black came in. He had red hair and a handsome face. This man always wandered outside instead of staying at home.
The man who entered the house looked at Ian. He stroked his head with a stiff expression and went into the room where Olivia was.
"You came?"
Olivia turned around, smiling brightly.
"Dad!"
Olivia shouted as Ian approached the man, Derek.
“Ian! I told you not to call him Daddy!”
“...”
“This man is not your father!”
Olivia rarely got angry at Ian, but she would get angry if he called Derek "Dad."
“Oh, Dad.”
Derek let out a low sigh when he saw Ian terrified. For a moment, there was silence between them. Derek sent the child out first, thought for a moment, and then spoke in a low voice.
“He can call me dad.”
"But..."
“Then what should I call him?”
“...”
“Just let him be my child. That’s better.”
Olivia nodded weakly. This whole moment was not her choice. And yet, she had to take responsibility.
The day she found out she was pregnant with Ian, she went to the doctor. She needed an abortion pill. But all the doctors refused to let her have the baby. She didn't want to have the baby. She didn't want to be the mother of this child. It was so simple that she couldn't choose a life she didn't want.
It was none other than the Kingdom of Thalassa's policy of banning abortion.
The kingdom protected pregnant women and considered it a great sin to kill a life in the womb. This was because they worshipped the Moirai, the gods of fate who created life and threads. It was considered sacrilege to destroy any thread of fate that the Moirai created.
Not only that, when the war broke out, they were worried that the country's population would decrease, so they implemented a policy of banning abortion. Both women who had abortions and doctors who performed them were sentenced to death. So she could do nothing.
Even though it was an unwanted pregnancy.
Even though she has no intention of taking responsibility for this child.
Olivia and Derek even sought advice from doctors in other cities, but they refused, stating that "having a child is a sacred duty."
I need the freedom to choose. I don't want to have this child. I don't want to give birth to this child, I don't want to raise this child!
But the country's policies and the religious values that childbirth is sacred forced Olivia's choice, and it returned as violence.
Holy?! What the heck!
Am I a stallion? A beast that gives birth to children?!
Olivia tried everything to get rid of the child, including banging her stomach against a table and rolling down the stairs, but failed or was stopped by Derek.
“Ahhhhhhh!!”
Olivia screamed in agony. Even at that moment, the child was growing rapidly. If she were to terminate the pregnancy without giving birth, her body would be in danger.
Because she has to have a child even though she doesn't want to. Regardless of her will, because the higher-ups want it. Because it's right!
Pregnancy was uncomfortable. She felt dizzy due to anemia. It was natural that she had difficulty moving. She felt that all the nutrients in her body were going to the baby. Her body became very thin.
Why am I being like this because of a child I don't want to have? I didn't want to have a child, so why? At some point, Olivia's daily routine became looking at her belly and crying.
“Let’s give birth and have the baby adopted by a good couple.”
Derek said so. Was that comforting? No, not at all. Olivia didn't want to give birth to a child who would soon be abandoned.
It really was.
But the child grew in the womb in an instant. He even showed off his presence by squeezing her belly. When she went out on the street with her swollen belly, people supported her and took care of her as if it were something. Olivia found that consideration disgusting.
And then, as time passed, she gave birth to a child. Olivia experienced hell during the severe labor. She couldn't understand why she had to go through such pain. At the end of the pain, the child came out.
It was a boy.
She would have preferred to have a daughter if she were to have one, but it was a son.
That child also has green eyes.
Olivia held the child expressionlessly. It was a lie that maternal love was born when looking at the face of a newborn child. But she could not bear to send this lump of blood away.
Because of this, she breastfed the child and cared for him until he was one year old.
Caring for a baby was hard. Every time he woke up, he had to be fed, and no matter what, he would just cry so loudly. If it weren't for Derek, Olivia would have killed this little creature, and she might have died too.
Olivia looked at the baby while sucking her breast. At some point, the harmless creature started laughing at Olivia.
The child laughed.
Olivia felt as if something was falling apart as she watched it. All sorts of emotions were mixed together. Regret for the child, love for the child she had borne, awe for the small, fragile being, and self-loathing for trying to suppress all of those emotions.
Olivia cried for a long time in front of the child, clutching her chest at the strained emotions.
And now she has decided to stop taking care of the child. She felt like she would fall for that smile. She and Derek started looking for someone to take care of the child.
However, they could not find a suitable person. Some scientists wanted to experiment with children, and there were those who trained children to perform. When they tried to place children in orphanages, there were too many children due to the aftermath of the war, and they were not properly cared for.
Looking at the boy looking at her with his eyes shining and his face blackened with filth, Olivia knew that this was how her child would end up.
The child was too small and fragile to let go of her hand, and Olivia couldn't bear to abandon the child.
I didn't want to give birth because I was afraid this would happen! I was afraid this would happen! What is life precious? If life is precious, then we should start by taking care of the children who lost their parents in orphanages. Children who lost their parents because of war lived miserable lives. This child, Ian, will become like that!
Olivia turned around, holding Ian in her arms.
He was born of unwanted love, but he is kind and lovable; he resembles the enemy, the son of the enemy.
Daphne, who became Olivia, loved Ian, but she couldn't give him her full love. He was becoming more and more like her enemy.
"Mom."
"Huh?"
“Mom, where does it hurt?”
"No."
Because of this, Olivia could not fully accept the absolute love that children give to their parents.
'Parents' war'.
People called it the War of the Three Kingdoms. The Kingdom of Thalassa attacked Peneus using the death of Empress Kalista as an excuse, and the Kingdom of Pindus attacked the Kingdom of Thalassa using the death of its Prince as an excuse.
As soon as the Kingdom of Pindus declared war, they occupied a place that produced a large amount of saltpeter. There were no firearms in the places that produced saltpeter, and the Kingdom of Pindus was a country that trained strong knights. The people of the Kingdom of Thalassa were helpless. Therefore, the Kingdom of Thalassa had to conserve gunpowder in an all-out war with the empire. Of course, King Thalassa did not do nothing. They also stated that they were wronged. They said that they did not kill the Prince, but that it must have been Asherad's plot, but the people of the Kingdom of Pindus, who were hot-tempered by nature, did not believe it and trembled with anger.
Why on earth would Emperor Peneus, who supported them, kill the Prince? The justification was Thalassa, and everyone in the Kingdom of Pindus was shouting to trample on Thalassa because of the incompetence of King Thalassa, who even framed his grandson. The Kingdom of Pindus, exhausted from border conflicts, literally mercilessly wiped out Thalassa.
However, the war did not end quickly. The Kingdom of Thalassa produced a large number of firearms based on the blueprints that the Count of Locania had handed over. However, the situation was not favorable because of the Kingdom of Pindus, and the Kingdom of Pindus did not have a strong enough military force to occupy the Kingdom of Thalassa on its own. The Empire of Peneus was also blocking the Kingdom of Thalassa, but internally, there was an active civil war. The Children of Shimer. No, the armies of the Count of Locania began to occupy the empire as if they were slowly taking root.
In the past, after the great defeat at the border, Emperor Asherad's position was in jeopardy. There were even suspicions about his relationship with his mother, Empress Sabrina, and the Duke of Turbol. Although there were nobles who supported Asherad, many were hesitant to turn their backs on him in this unfavorable situation.
In this way, the power of the countries was so equal that no one had an advantage, and there was no sign of a quick end to the war. Realizing this fact, the enemies of each country soon began to engage in small wars of attrition.
Six and a half years have passed like that.
***
"Mom!"
The boy ran to the woman, who was smiling brightly and bending down. The woman had dirty blond hair that was tangled and tied up in a ponytail. She was organizing her art supplies.
"Mom!"
The woman turned her head as the boy called for his mother again. Daphne, no, Olivia, looked at her own child.
“Ian. Don’t run so fast.”
The little boy nodded with a bright smile. The boy, looking up at her, had eyes as green as jewels. Olivia forced the corners of her lips to lift as she looked at those beautiful eyes that reminded her of the man who had enslaved her, the one she had considered so horrible.
“What did you learn today?”
“Today I learned about my mom’s favorite painting.”
“Oh really? I see.”
Olivia continued to clean up her paintbrushes. The clanking sound of the brushes being cleaned up echoed throughout the room. Ian listened quietly.
“Mom, when I get to a higher grade...”
“I’m busy preparing for class tomorrow. Can you stay out?”
It was a gentle voice. But it resonated terribly coldly. Ian lowered his head as if he were deadened by the sound and headed toward the door.
At that time, a man came into the house.
“I'm here.”
Ian smiled brightly at the voice. It's Dad! As Ian left the room, a man dressed in black came in. He had red hair and a handsome face. This man always wandered outside instead of staying at home.
The man who entered the house looked at Ian. He stroked his head with a stiff expression and went into the room where Olivia was.
"You came?"
Olivia turned around, smiling brightly.
"Dad!"
Olivia shouted as Ian approached the man, Derek.
“Ian! I told you not to call him Daddy!”
“...”
“This man is not your father!”
Olivia rarely got angry at Ian, but she would get angry if he called Derek "Dad."
“Oh, Dad.”
Derek let out a low sigh when he saw Ian terrified. For a moment, there was silence between them. Derek sent the child out first, thought for a moment, and then spoke in a low voice.
“He can call me dad.”
"But..."
“Then what should I call him?”
“...”
“Just let him be my child. That’s better.”
Olivia nodded weakly. This whole moment was not her choice. And yet, she had to take responsibility.
The day she found out she was pregnant with Ian, she went to the doctor. She needed an abortion pill. But all the doctors refused to let her have the baby. She didn't want to have the baby. She didn't want to be the mother of this child. It was so simple that she couldn't choose a life she didn't want.
It was none other than the Kingdom of Thalassa's policy of banning abortion.
The kingdom protected pregnant women and considered it a great sin to kill a life in the womb. This was because they worshipped the Moirai, the gods of fate who created life and threads. It was considered sacrilege to destroy any thread of fate that the Moirai created.
Not only that, when the war broke out, they were worried that the country's population would decrease, so they implemented a policy of banning abortion. Both women who had abortions and doctors who performed them were sentenced to death. So she could do nothing.
Even though it was an unwanted pregnancy.
Even though she has no intention of taking responsibility for this child.
Olivia and Derek even sought advice from doctors in other cities, but they refused, stating that "having a child is a sacred duty."
I need the freedom to choose. I don't want to have this child. I don't want to give birth to this child, I don't want to raise this child!
But the country's policies and the religious values that childbirth is sacred forced Olivia's choice, and it returned as violence.
Holy?! What the heck!
Am I a stallion? A beast that gives birth to children?!
Olivia tried everything to get rid of the child, including banging her stomach against a table and rolling down the stairs, but failed or was stopped by Derek.
“Ahhhhhhh!!”
Olivia screamed in agony. Even at that moment, the child was growing rapidly. If she were to terminate the pregnancy without giving birth, her body would be in danger.
Because she has to have a child even though she doesn't want to. Regardless of her will, because the higher-ups want it. Because it's right!
Pregnancy was uncomfortable. She felt dizzy due to anemia. It was natural that she had difficulty moving. She felt that all the nutrients in her body were going to the baby. Her body became very thin.
Why am I being like this because of a child I don't want to have? I didn't want to have a child, so why? At some point, Olivia's daily routine became looking at her belly and crying.
“Let’s give birth and have the baby adopted by a good couple.”
Derek said so. Was that comforting? No, not at all. Olivia didn't want to give birth to a child who would soon be abandoned.
It really was.
But the child grew in the womb in an instant. He even showed off his presence by squeezing her belly. When she went out on the street with her swollen belly, people supported her and took care of her as if it were something. Olivia found that consideration disgusting.
And then, as time passed, she gave birth to a child. Olivia experienced hell during the severe labor. She couldn't understand why she had to go through such pain. At the end of the pain, the child came out.
It was a boy.
She would have preferred to have a daughter if she were to have one, but it was a son.
That child also has green eyes.
Olivia held the child expressionlessly. It was a lie that maternal love was born when looking at the face of a newborn child. But she could not bear to send this lump of blood away.
Because of this, she breastfed the child and cared for him until he was one year old.
Caring for a baby was hard. Every time he woke up, he had to be fed, and no matter what, he would just cry so loudly. If it weren't for Derek, Olivia would have killed this little creature, and she might have died too.
Olivia looked at the baby while sucking her breast. At some point, the harmless creature started laughing at Olivia.
The child laughed.
Olivia felt as if something was falling apart as she watched it. All sorts of emotions were mixed together. Regret for the child, love for the child she had borne, awe for the small, fragile being, and self-loathing for trying to suppress all of those emotions.
Olivia cried for a long time in front of the child, clutching her chest at the strained emotions.
And now she has decided to stop taking care of the child. She felt like she would fall for that smile. She and Derek started looking for someone to take care of the child.
However, they could not find a suitable person. Some scientists wanted to experiment with children, and there were those who trained children to perform. When they tried to place children in orphanages, there were too many children due to the aftermath of the war, and they were not properly cared for.
Looking at the boy looking at her with his eyes shining and his face blackened with filth, Olivia knew that this was how her child would end up.
The child was too small and fragile to let go of her hand, and Olivia couldn't bear to abandon the child.
I didn't want to give birth because I was afraid this would happen! I was afraid this would happen! What is life precious? If life is precious, then we should start by taking care of the children who lost their parents in orphanages. Children who lost their parents because of war lived miserable lives. This child, Ian, will become like that!
Olivia turned around, holding Ian in her arms.
He was born of unwanted love, but he is kind and lovable; he resembles the enemy, the son of the enemy.
Daphne, who became Olivia, loved Ian, but she couldn't give him her full love. He was becoming more and more like her enemy.
"Mom."
"Huh?"
“Mom, where does it hurt?”
"No."
Because of this, Olivia could not fully accept the absolute love that children give to their parents.
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