Fulfilling desires earning points~

Chapter 181- Forgiveness

Minoru’s POV:

 The situation was both confusing and serious.

 A war was about to begin. Those powerful beings—who once thought humans weren’t even worth noticing—were now planning a surprise attack to show their strength.

Seraphina didn’t explain their real goal, but I had a feeling they were just testing the waters before something much bigger.

 They would probably study how strong we are… and maybe even leave spies behind to look for weak points or other useful things.

Maybe I was overthinking it. Maybe all those movies I’ve watched were making me too paranoid.

 But no matter what, the truth is that two realms are close to war—and I have a very important part to play.

 The elven prince was arriving today. My job was to sneak into his palace and gather information.

 I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous… but there was no other option.

Like Seraphina said, anyone could become a target in this war. They might go after Japan—and there are people there I can’t stand to lose.

So yes… I have to take part in this.

"Minoru?”

 Hearing Mom’s voice, I turned toward the bed.

 She was awake.

“You can sleep a bit longer,” I said gently. It was close to dawn. I had just woken up myself—after a surprisingly good rest, thanks to the maid who… took care of me.

 ‘I should thank her later,’ I noted to myself.

I got up and poured some warm water into a glass before handing it to Mom.

 They say if you want to see someone’s real face—literally—look at them right after they wake up.

Her hair was messy, her eyes slightly puffy, and she looked a little dazed… yet somehow, she looked beautiful. I took a quiet moment just to look at her.

She took a few sips of water before I asked, “How are you feeling now?"

 “Better,” she replied. “Never thought I’d be able to sleep so comfortably in a place like this.”

 Her voice was calm. She wasn’t just saying that to make me feel better—I could tell.

I sat down beside her, resting my hand on her lap.

 “Mom… I’m going to send you back in a few hours.”

She frowned, and I already knew what she was about to say.

“What do you mean send me back? You’re coming with me, right?”

I let out a quiet sigh.

 “Mom… something big is about to happen. I can’t explain everything right now, but if I don’t help these people, a lot of innocent lives could be lost. Hundreds, maybe more.”

I didn’t want to pull her into this or risk her safety by telling her too much.

 But saying nothing at all wasn’t fair either.

She cupped my cheek, gently turning my face so I had to look into her eyes.

 “Why can’t you just come back home and live a normal life?” she asked softly. “Why do you have to face danger like this?”

Her words… they melted my heart.

 Just two days ago, I saw doubt in her eyes. She was scared of me.

 But now? All I saw was warmth and worry—the kind I knew from long ago.

It made me happy. And deep down, I wanted nothing more than to grant her wish.

But…

 “I have to do this, Mom,” I said quietly. “And I promise—I won’t be risking my life.”

That part wasn’t a lie.

 My mission wasn’t to fight in this war—just to gather information.

 Even though I might still be an inexperienced demon, I knew my strengths. I was good at slipping away when I needed to.

If things got too dangerous… I’d run.

 I’d already promised Seraphina I’d help—but never at the cost of my life.

Mom stayed quiet, her gaze dropping as she muttered, “Did all this happen because of me?”

I frowned. “Of course not. You were the reason I came here, yes—but the ruler of this place had hundreds of other ways to get me involved.”

“But… why you?” she asked softly, probably wondering why I was chosen out of so many people.

I scratched the back of my head and gave a crooked smile. “Uh… maybe because I’m too good at seduction?”

She fell silent. Then her ears turned red.

 She must have remembered how close she was to giving in back in the car.

She didn’t say anything after that—leaving just enough quiet for me to speak.

“Mom… I’m sorry for hiding the truth about Dad and Shiori.”

She looked up at me—and thankfully, I didn’t see any anger in her eyes.

“I talked with your father about it,” she said softly. “And… I realized you were right. You saved this family from falling apart.”

Her eyes dropped again, and her voice turned faint.

 “Things weren’t going well between me and your father. We barely talked, let alone spent any nights together. His work was exhausting, and my classes were depressing.

And Shiori…”

 She paused, biting her lip before continuing,

 “I had no idea how much she was suffering. I was so caught up in my job… I didn’t even notice.”

Gently holding my hand, she said,

“You helped us climb out of that pit… You saved our family and brought our smiles back.”

With a soft, beautiful smile, she added

 “And I can’t even begin to tell you how thankful I am for that—”

“So you’ve decided not to count me as part of the family after all, huh?” I cut in with a teasing tone.

She blinked, surprised. Her lips parted, probably ready to clear the misunderstanding—

But then, she simply shook her head with a small smile and pulled me into a gentle hug, resting my face against her chest.

“You did well, child,” she whispered. “Mama is proud of you.”

I closed my eyes, letting myself sink into that familiar warmth…

 A warmth I had been missing for far too long.

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A/N:- Thanks for reading.