Even Though I Defeated the Demon Lord, My Wife and Daughter Treat Me Like Trash ~ I Found Out My Wife's Child Isn't Mine, and When I Confronted Her, She Got Mad and I Was Exiled. The Country's in Trouble Because the Demon Lord Came Back? Sorry, I'm Getting Remarried to a Princess, So I Can't Help. - Chapter 15: My Parents

Chapter 15: My Parents

I’m… the son of the former emperor?

An illegitimate child, meaning my mother must have been of low status?

“Emperor Vildreft was unmarried, if I remember correctly. Yes. He often met with Lady Liberka in secret, despite their difference in status. I was chosen to accompany them on those occasions. The former emperor treated me more like a friend than a servant.”

My father figure narrowed his eyes, as if recalling those days fondly. From there, Karnak continued his story.

He told me that my father had been working to reform the noble system so he could marry my mother, and that’s what led to the famous “Tragedy.”

“The former emperor was fair and just, always punishing corruption without hesitation. But his policies stirred strong opposition from some nobles… and ultimately, he fell victim to his younger brother’s rebellion.”

I had learned that part as a historical lesson from Karnak before, but I never imagined it was about my own father.

“The court turned into a battlefield for power, with bloodshed and violence repeating again and again. The direct royal bloodline, including the former emperor, was wiped out one by one… and as you know, it was Emperor Jamirat who eventually brought the situation under control.”

Jamirat was a general who had been fiercely loyal to the former emperor.

He, being a distant relative of the royal family, ascended to the throne and was said to have continued Vildreft’s reforms.

“Lord Jamirat has always said, ‘If a suitable person appears, I’ll gladly relinquish the throne.’ But Barnes and I discussed it… and we decided to respect the wishes of both the former emperor and Lady Liberka.”

“Their wishes?”

“Yes. Please wait a moment.”

Karnak stood up and took a book from a shelf.

Its spine was blank, and the pages were slightly yellowed from years of use.

As he flipped through it, he seemed to be looking for something specific.

“Ah, here it is. June 21st, Year 843 of the Imperial Calendar. It was before you even turned one.”

“Is that a diary?”

I never knew Karnak kept a diary.

“Van, the truth is… this room, where we’re sitting… is where they often met in secret. It’s also the place where you were born.”

“What!?”

“Well, it’s about time I start preparing dinner. I need to run out and get some groceries. In the meantime, take a look at the memory from the date I mentioned.”

“…Ah.”

Of course—I have the magic that lets me see the memories of a place.

Though it’s mentally draining and I can only use it once a day, now that I know the exact date…

Karnak left the room quietly.

I never thought I’d learn about my parents like this…

I calculated the date Karnak had mentioned and used my “memory-probing magic” to peer into the past of this place.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

A young man stood beside a bed, holding a baby, with another man who seemed to be his attendant.

One of them was easy to recognize—Old Man Karnak in his younger years.

So, the woman lying in bed must be my mother, and the baby must be me, held by my father.

“Liberka, it won’t be long before I can bring both of you to the castle.”

“Please, don’t push yourself. Just seeing your face from time to time like this is enough for me… and for this child.”

“What are you saying, Liberka? We are a family. It’s only natural that we live together. Besides, Van is my heir, and one day he will rule this country…”

“Your Majesty, as I’ve said many times before, I only wish for this child to have a simple, happy life, even if it’s ordinary.”

“But—ugh!”

Just as a slightly awkward silence settled between them, the baby reached out, grabbed the man’s finger, and pulled on it.

“See, both of you, young Van is upset. He’s telling you not to decide his future for him.” 

Karnak quipped, pretending to speak on the baby’s behalf.

Both my father and mother burst into laughter.

“Haha, sorry, Van. We’ve discussed this so many times already.”

“Exactly, Your Majesty. Please consider how Van and I feel, always having to mediate between the two of you. Let’s decide once Van is old enough to make his own choices. Every time we reach the same conclusion, yet we start the conversation from scratch again. Spare us, please.”

“Alright, alright, I understand… but still…”

“But still?”

“In this vast world, the only one capable of silencing me with force is Van. That’s why he’s the one truly fit to inherit the throne as emperor…”

“Oh, Your Majesty!”

“Ah, don’t be mad, Liberka. Of course, I’m just joking.”

At that, the three of them laughed together, a warm atmosphere surrounding them, with the baby (me) at its center.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

The magic faded, and my consciousness returned to the room.

Though the furnishings had changed, the atmosphere from that time still lingered here.

I stood in the same spot where my father had stood.

When I closed my eyes, I could replay the scene I had just witnessed.

—I had always been afraid of one thing.

Why had my real parents abandoned me?

I never asked Old Man Barnes or Karnak about them.

Of course, I was curious, but the fear of hearing a painful truth kept me from asking.

That’s why I worked so hard to meet the expectations they set for me.

I wanted to prove that I wasn’t worthless, that I was born into this world with meaning.

To believe that, I pushed myself to become stronger.

In the experience I just had, I found what I had always longed for.

Perhaps Old Man Barnes created this “memory-probing magic” for this very reason…

Thanks to that, my fears have disappeared, and I finally got what I needed—the answer I had been searching for.

—I was loved and wanted by my parents when I came into this world.