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Chapter 232  Mariam Tairn Sgaeyl

A lady walked towards the main door, her steps slow yet confident, her hands clasped behind her back.

Her lifeless grey eyes stared ahead, her platinum-grey hair fluttering along with the wind.

The main door opened as Esmeray calmly walked inside the castle, her gaze moving towards the maids who bowed before her.

"Return to your quarters," she ordered, looking at them.

They quietly bowed before her, walking out of the castle.

Esmeray moved towards her office, her eyes not even glancing at the lavish decorations around.

Within a few seconds, she stood in front of her office, and with a gentle twist of the doorknob, she swung open the door.

"My lady."

Adaliah stood up, bowing in her direction as she walked into the office.

"Get out."

With a soft whisper, Esmeray ordered her as she moved towards her seat.

Opening the door, Adaliah walked out.

"It seems you\'re quite free now," Esmeray\'s voice echoed as she took her seat, her gaze on the opposite side of the desk. "Or have you stopped worrying about the other forsaken families?"

"Sharp as ever." A smooth whisper escaped the mouth of a beautiful, mature lady who looked no older than forty.

She had long, vibrant red hair, braided loosely down her back; her skin was fair, with a rosy texture, but what stood out were her long, pointed ears.

"What do you want, Mariam?" Esmeray asked, her gaze purely focused on her, noticing every small detail about her.

"...Why are you doing it?" Mariam asked calmly, her golden eyes adorned with multiple spirals looking at her.

"What am I doing?" Esmeray feigned ignorance, her voice steady.

"Don\'t play dumb, Esmeray," she snarled, placing her hand on the desk. "I\'ve been trying to contact your son for months now, and yet I couldn\'t."

"That has nothing to do with me," Esmeray replied, noticing the annoyance on her face.

"Then how come every single time, I try to contact him—"

"In the first place," Esmeray cut in, looking deeply into her eyes, "why do you even want to contact my son?"

Mariam turned silent, slowly leaning back in the chair.

She didn\'t want to reveal her motives to Esmeray.

Not now.

"I heard you tried to contact the Valentine highbloods for a marriage proposal. Is it true?" she asked calmly, looking at her and changing the topic.

Esmeray nodded in response. "I did."

"With Edwin\'s granddaughter?" Mariam asked, her voice doubtful.

"Yes."

"Why?" Mariam probed further, her voice laced with contempt. "Is it because she is the supposed new vessel of Taishareth?"

"No, it\'s because I like that girl," Esmeray replied calmly, taking Mariam off guard.

"...That\'s new," Mariam whispered softly. "...But why like that girl?"

"Do I need to tell you?" Esmeray said, silencing her.

Even though vampires and elves are like enemies, that couldn\'t stop Mariam from recognizing that girl.

...She is special.

And Mariam knows that as well.

"But what\'s with Taishareth?" Mariam asked, her voice doubtful. "Isn\'t making a new vessel a huge drain on her divinity?"

"Her current vessel was \'destined\' to die, and she knows it as well," Esmeray replied. "All she did was make preparations that backfired."

"Then how is her current vessel still alive?"

"...I don\'t know," Esmeray replied calmly.

Even though she didn\'t show it, Shyamal being alive made her doubt her own judgment.

...Or something else happened that she missed.

But she brushed it off as their is still quite sometime for her to die.

"How is Yennefer these days?" Standing up from her seat, Esmeray asked.

"Odd of you to ask about her," Mariam replied, her gaze following her.

"She took care of Azariah when I wasn\'t around," Esmeray replied, walking toward her wine collection. "The least I can do is ask about her well-being."

"She\'s doing fine," Mariam replied, her voice low and uncertain.

"Even after all she\'s been through?" Esmeray asked, noticing her tone.

"...Yes," she replied softly.

"I see."

Esmeray took a bottle from her collection, opening the cork with a gentle touch of her hand.

"I don\'t drink," Mariam informed, looking at her.

"I wasn\'t pouring one for you," Esmeray replied calmly without looking at her.

A silence lingered between them that stretched on.

"About the Aljanah family," Mariam whispered, making Esmeray halt. "Did you get the news?"

"...I did," Esmeray replied, pouring a glass of wine for herself.

"...Are you not going to do anything?" Mariam asked. "Whatever happened, in the end, he is still your brother—"

"I don\'t care," Esmeray cut in, her voice sharp. "It was his choice to abandon everything and walk his own path."

"Your mother tried to save—"

"And she nearly died trying." With a glass in her hand, she walked back toward Mariam. "...She\'s foolish. I am not."

"....."

Mariam remained silent as she looked up at her, who stood just beside her, leaning against the desk.

Knock!

A gentle knock on the door made Esmeray look forward.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It\'s about Azariah, my lady," Adaliah\'s voice echoed from the other side of the door. "He\'s completed his mission and is asking for his reward."

"...Give him all information about Edel," Esmeray replied, taking a sip of her wine.

"Yes, my lady."

"Wait, why is he asking about Edel?" Mariam asked, her voice filled with confusion.

"Why do you ask?" Esmeray asked, glancing at her.

"Did something happen?" Frowning, Mariam pressed further. "Did Edel do something?"

"He tried to kill his grandsons," Esmeray informed her, making her mind numb, "and partially succeeded."

"...Why?"

"I don\'t know." Esmeray shrugged in response.

"...Wait, why is your son asking about—"

"To kill him," Esmeray cut in without a trace of emotion. "Edel\'s grandson was dear to him."

"...Have you gone mad?" Mariam snarled, glaring at her. "Edel is a demigod; why are you supporting your son?"

"I am merely providing what he wants," Esmeray replied, placing the glass on the desk. "And don\'t worry about him. My son is far more capable than Ragnar."

Mariam remained silent as she stood from her seat, her dark green dress gently fluttering as she turned.

"Give up. I won\'t let him meet you." But her steps halted as Esmeray coldly whispered.

"Who\'s going to stop me?" Mariam asked, turning to look at her. "Do I need to remind you who I am?"

"A weak and pathetic woman," Esmeray replied as she slowly walked toward her.

Mariam glared at her, fists clenched tightly, barely suppressing her anger.

"I remember it clearly, Mariam." Standing in front of her, Esmeray whispered, looking down at her.

"Every night, Ragnar trained himself to death, and you always carried him home, didn\'t you? And Ragnar always told you to leave him in the training hall, but you wouldn\'t listen; you always dragged him back home."

"...Shut up," Mariam whispered, her eyes trembling slightly.

Ignoring her, Esmeray continued, "But one night... you left him alone, and the next thing you knew, you\'d already lost everything—your husband, son, everyone belonging to the Sgaeyl family—"

"...That wasn\'t my fault," Mariam whispered weakly, her voice breaking.

"No, it wasn\'t," Esmeray replied calmly, watching her slowly break down. "You didn\'t leave Ragnar alone; he told you to. What happened to him wasn\'t your fault; it was inevitable."

Her voice turned to a cold whisper as she continued, "But what about Liam?"

Mariam trembled as she heard the name, her breath becoming ragged.

"...He was just a little child," Esmeray whispered softly, looking down at her. "...And he died because you failed to be a good mother."

Mariam slowly walked past her and sat back on the chair, her knees buckling from the weight of her regrets. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"...You see Ragnar in Azariah, don\'t you?" Esmeray asked, seeing her barely holding herself together. "...The Ragnar whom you could have saved."

"...Why?" Mariam asked quietly, her voice shaking. "...Why does your son remind me of him?"

"He is nothing like your son," Esmeray replied, mixing truth with lies. "And unlike you, I am always watching over him. He won\'t \'die\' like Ragnar."

"I tend to overthink almost everything," Mariam whispered weakly, staring at her intertwined hands. "...It\'s a bad habit of mine; it always has been."

"....."

"...When I heard about him being suspected as the Exiled Prince, I looked into his life." She confessed, squeezing her hands. "...With the life he\'s been living, a single push is more than enough for him to walk down the wrong path."

"..."

Esmeray quietly looked down at her.

"...The more I learned about him...the more I thought—wanted it." She whispered, finally looking up. "...I wanted to protect that child."

"....And?" Esmeray finally asked, her voice cold.

"...Please, let me protect him," she whispered, her voice pleading.

"No." Esmeray firmly replied as she turned away. "...Live with that regret for the rest of your life."

"Esmeray—"

"And do not try to contact him," Esmeray coldly stated, her hand on the doorknob,

"because he also knows you\'re responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent lives."

She walked out, leaving Mariam alone.