Shades of the New World

Lora spent most of her time alone and pondering. Even more so after Evin told the truth of his origins and left for the forest.

Today was like the previous seven days, and she was sitting on a couch that Evin gifted her on her birthday, slouching on her back.

She was thinking about what it meant to be someone's mother. Was it okay for a twenty something year old woman to raise a child who lived three hundred years in his past life? Was there even any point in that? Wasn't the child supposed to teach his mother life lessons?

But thinking about it, Lora did not really have to teach Evin anything. He was born like he knew everything. The child began to speak when he was only two months old and taught Lora how to become a 2nd grade citizen.

After that, he taught himself magic and guided his family through that dreadful experience, doing practically everything alone. When Lora thought about the things that they did when Norna's hired men surrounded Liza's house, she would realize that the only reason they were alive was thanks to Evin's instructions.

Although the carnage and brutality that ensued afterwards was terrifying, Lora could understand that it needed to be done, or else it would be them, who would be lying dead on that corridor.

And after killing Evin and Theor, the intruders would probably have their fill of fun with the women as well.

When Lora's father first brought Elina into the house, Norna took fancy of her and started eyeing her. Lora knew that Norna was a demoted 1st grade citizen, since he was exiled from a family of knights.

The man felt naturally superior than everyone else and did not think twice before kidnapping assaulting Elina. The poor girl was only 12 at the time and the experience traumatized her greatly. She would have trouble talking to anyone who had a big figure and she would start panicking when she found herself alone in the streets.

Thankfully, Ssatsko noticed something was wrong and managed to stop everything halfway. He scarred Norna with his knife and after that, Norna started to act more in line. Theor wished to quit his job at the inn, but after he was wounded, Norna was like a changed man. He showed extreme sincerity when dealing with the aftermath, and even though Elina was still afraid of him, Lora and Theor felt like he was sincere in his apologies. He even looked humbled after everything… But it seemed that everything was an act.

Lora was glad that Norna died. And thinking of the child that made it all happen, Lora couldn't help but be in shock. And it wasn't like the boy was a bloodthirsty monster. Lora heard from Liza, how there are cases of criminals being reincarnated and becoming the Children of the Empress, but Lora never saw a criminal in Evin.

He was instead like the golden star of her family.

Only two years old, and he even somehow brought more money than the combined accumulations of both his parents during their entire lives. The child showed his family so many things that they thought impossible. Only thanks to him, they realized that they lived in a World full of magic, where you didn't need to burn coal to stay warm in the winter, you simply needed use devices that were imbued with magic.

She also thought a lot about the life of people, how problems would pop out one after even when one's life seems complete from the outside. When Lora was younger, she was shocked when people said that the rich still faced problems like the poor faced. She thought it impossible. The rich had enough money to keep their family well-fed and well-dressed their entire life. What else problems should one face?

But after experiencing the life of rich families herself, she found that it did not meet her expectations. Nothing really changed in Lora's life after she started to live comfortably. She still made a bunch of trinkets and other accessories to sell. She would spend most of her time at work, taking care of the house with Elina, or watching Evin practice his magic, though the act scared her greatly sometimes.

She also wasn't one to spend that much money in the first place as well. The lifestyle of the rich looked frivolous to her. Perhaps it was because she spent a portion of her life in total poverty, or because she felt bad for spending all of her son's money; Lora felt that she didn't deserve such riches. Theor also felt the same sentiment. He stubbornly continued his work in the bakery, even though the pay was only a fraction of what Evin brought.

They were feeling overwhelmed with everything that happened, but they still felt proud of their child and they were slowly getting used to the situation… The child was perfect in the eyes of others, and the family thought so as well.

But… When they were told of the reason for their boy's genius, they felt… cheated.

She knew it wasn't a fair word to use. The child did not ask to be reincarnated as their son. It was all the work of fate. The work of the Empress. Not only that, the child made all those achievements and did not hesitate to share it with his new family. He actively tried to give back to his family, as if he was just happy that he was able to be born in it.

Lora did not feel fake love from the child, nor did she feel forced emotions from her child. But she could tell that the child was hesitant when it came to getting close to his new family. He would shy away from hugs and kisses, he did not like to receive gifts from his parents. When the child woke up in the night to pee, he would never ask for help. Instead, he silently floated through the house like a ghost and slowly opened the door to the bathroom, afraid of waking others.

But he still shared with his new family everything he earned.

Lora did not understand such behaviors. Before she knew the truth, she found her child cute and adorable, even after the incident. But after she was told about Evin's true nature, she could not help but think of many negative thoughts.

Lora wondered if these actions showed distrust or if the child was trying to push his family away. Did the child not trust his family? Did he think his family's love would be a weakness for him? Or did he not want such love in the first place?

Not only that, she carried the child for eight months in her belly. To think she was so eagerly waiting for the birth, just to have a three hundred-year-old man to come out of her…

Honestly, it was a disgusting thought. She did not want to admit such feelings, but it was what she felt when she heard of Evin talking about his previous life. Such a cute little boy on the outside, but in truth, a wrinkling old man on the inside.

What was she supposed to feel? She knew such thoughts were unfair and most likely wrong.

Perhaps Evin only felt undeserving of the attention, so he shied away from it.

'That's a positive thought…' Lora thought. She tried to make heads or tails of the situation and she noticed one thing.

The boy, or the old man… Whoever it was, he obviously cared. At least that was one truth. If he didn't care, he would either reveal truth offhandedly, or he would try to hide it as much as possible.

Even if it's a ploy to get on our good side, there's no reason for him to do so. He obviously has the ability to take care of himself, and he's very close with his Cosmic observer. They spend all day together and half of the time they're bickering like little kids and the other half, they're training. Lora understood that the Cosmic's job was to monitor Evin, but she still felt shocked when the Feline would literally spend all her time with Evin.

'Perhaps they're of similar age, so they have a lot of things in common? I still don't know how old is Rith…' Lora wondered. Shaking her head, she sighed and took out a cigar that was hidden under something in her desk and lit it.

Taking a puff, she slouched deeper into the couch and felt relaxed. She took a glance around her surroundings. Everything she was using was bought with the 50 golden coins that Evin obtained.

"I'm such an ungrateful person," she muttered.

She didn't mind receiving the benefits that her son gave to his family, but when he revealed the reasons, the situation suddenly feels a little too sketchy for her.

As she was thinking of such things, the door opened and Theor came in and saw Lora with a cigar sticking out of her mouth.

"Taking up your old habits, eh? I get it… I get it," the man muttered with a smile. Theor took off his jacket and threw it on the door. Lora always told him to put it on something else, but the man never listened. He took off his boots and then went to give Lora a kiss and then frowned.

"Should've known you would taste like some crunched up cigar stick," he complained.

"You taste like a day-old greasy stew," Lora retorted, "And you smell like burnt oil… And some kind of fish?"

'When did we have fish in the bakery?' Lora thought. She and Elina stopped working in the bakery, since Theor hired some workers and took over entirely. The two women began to work on their education and mannerisms, since it was obvious that at some point, Evin would be considered a mage and the family would become 1st grade citizens. They might even become nobility, depending on Evin's achievements.

"Fine, fine, I'm gonna go take a bath after a shit," Theor said proudly and went to the bathroom. The man was obsessed with the thing, always mentioning how he was going to bathe or shit in in thing. 

'I understand that you like the bathroom, but you don't have to declare your intentions every time you use it,' Lora thought with a smile.

Lora never knew how she ended up marrying this man. She, Lisa, Aran and Theor were childhood friends. Lora actually liked Aran more, but alas, that man's fate was with Lisa. Even though Aran was going to study in Arcvallen, the two lovers promised to marry when Aran came back. Lora knew that something like that was inevitable, but she still felt saddened when it really happened.