Chapter 74: Wanted: Venti!

The atmosphere in the tent dropped to freezing point, as the once-harmonious mother and daughter now faced each other like enemies.

To Cocolia, anyone could call her a tyrant—anyone but Bronya. She alone… absolutely could not.
Cocolia had poured all her tenderness into her, never asking for anything in return. No matter what Bronya wanted, Cocolia had done her best to fulfill it.
In the years since taking her in as her adopted daughter, no matter how busy she was, Cocolia had always made time for her. Whether it was bedtime stories or parent-teacher meetings, she had never missed a single one.

To ensure that Bronya, whose identity had once been controversial, could grow up in the best environment, Cocolia had sacrificed her entire life. Aside from work, her life revolved around home, weaving the sweetest lies and backstory for her, clearing away the thorns in her path, and dealing with one scheming scoundrel after another.

Why couldn’t Bronya understand her efforts? She was already so grown up, already at an age where she could become a “mother” herself.
Why couldn’t she grasp her intentions—

This pain, as if an invisible hand were squeezing her heart, left Cocolia pale and gasping for breath.
She clutched her chest tightly, her lips trembling, her gaze vacant.
The change was so drastic, it was as if her inner self had been replaced.

Bronya, too, silently lowered her hand. The bright red mark of the slap remained on the girl’s delicate cheek, but compared to the physical pain, the emotional wound struck deeper.
However, the tears would no longer flow.
The tears she could shed for her mother had already dried up.

The girl’s silver eyes reflected her mother, her cherry-like lips pressed tightly together, her resolve unshakable.
“…I will not go back with you. Whether you plan to strip me of my acting commander position or revoke my status as the Guardian’s heir, I can return everything you’ve given me.
But there’s one thing—if there’s even a shred of past affection left in your heart—please return what you’ve taken from me—”

Bronya tore off the geomarrow medal that symbolized honor and her past, like a rebellious knight declaring a break with an overbearing queen.
She declared firmly,
“Freedom. Give me back my life—Bronya’s life!”

This “unrepentant” attitude infuriated Cocolia, but she no longer intended to harm Bronya. On the contrary,
she had realized that such punishments were useless against Bronya’s unwavering resolve.
Only by targeting her vulnerabilities could she truly make her repent.

Cocolia stepped closer to Bronya, gazing at the girl who once followed behind her, now grown into a graceful young woman.
Though the red slap mark marred her cold, elegant beauty, it also gave her a strange, alluring charm, like a crushed gentian flower.
Cocolia reached out and gripped her chin, forcing her to look up.
“You want freedom? As my daughter, do you really think you’re entitled to such a luxury?”

Her scornful, disdainful expression only deepened the girl’s sense of humiliation, yet Bronya could only glare at her in frustration.
“Don’t worry. Bronya, I won’t strip you of your status as the Guardian’s heir, nor will I let you scurry back to the mud like a stray dog.”
Cocolia leaned down, brushing past her daughter’s cheek, and whispered softly into her ear,
“You’re the child I raised, my most beloved daughter. Even if you can’t break free from your mental shackles, I won’t give up on you…”

“You—you’re just deceiving me—!”
Bronya struggled harder, but Cocolia’s hand, like ice-cast stone, didn’t budge.

Cocolia sneered, “Remember? I once told you to learn tolerance… Just as I’m choosing to forgive you now, even if I do something painful to you later, you’ll forgive your mother, won’t you?”

“What are you planning to do to my friends!?”
Bronya’s expression darkened, and Cocolia seemed to confirm something from this change.

She felt a chill, never expecting her daughter’s rebellious phase to include something it shouldn’t.
“…Do? I won’t do anything. But as your mother, don’t I have the right to judge whether your friends are worth keeping?”

When Bronya heard her mother mention Venti’s name, her heart sank. She realized she had been under surveillance all along.
And Venti’s information had likely long been placed on her mother’s desk—

Though Venti was strong and didn’t need her to worry, Bronya was terrified that her mother would use the same tactics on him as she had on her.
If that happened, and Venti was pushed to his limit, the dragon tied to him—Stormterror—would surely appear.
She still wasn’t sure what kind of relationship Venti had with the dragon, but if she had to guess, it was something like a master and their familiar?

If her mother recklessly targeted him, Belobog might suffer the dragon’s wrath. If the dragon went on a rampage in the city, the casualties would be catastrophic.

Perhaps mistaking her silence for fear, Cocolia curled her lips into a malicious smile.
“Hmm? What’s this reaction? Did I hit a nerve? Or is he more than just a friend to you?”

This accidental jab made Bronya instinctively retort,
“That’s none of your business!”

“None of my business? Would you let your own child associate with unsavory people in the future?”
Cocolia teased her like a cat playing with a mouse.

“Venti isn’t unsavory!”
“If he’s not, then why are you so resistant to answering?”

Like a black widow closing in on her prey, Cocolia slowly ensnared Bronya in a web of words.
“If I recall correctly, your first meeting was at a banquet, wasn’t it? You stood up for him, but he showed no gratitude and ended up in jail with the troublemakers.”

“Are you saying all this just to prove how many spies you’ve planted around me? I used to trust you so much!”
Bronya shot back.

“Spies? Ridiculous. Without my watchful eye, do you really think you could’ve held onto your position as the Guardian’s heir amidst all the wolves circling you?”
Cocolia shook her head, as if pitying Bronya for failing to understand her good intentions.

“Enough. Bronya, I’m tired… I don’t want to argue with you anymore. From now on, I’ll use every means to make your ‘friend’ tell me exactly what your relationship is, and then—”
Her eyes gleamed with a cold, unfamiliar sharpness.

“I’ll issue a warrant for his arrest. He’ll become a criminal, one who brought the dragon into the city, tore families apart, and deserves the hatred and scorn of everyone.
And you, during this time, will obediently stay in your privileged position and watch as the poet, pushed to the forefront of public outrage, meets a miserable end.”

In a mood that could only be described as a mix of helplessness and the urge to curse,
Bronya could only look up and emphasize,
“…You’ll regret this…!”