Protagonist! Please Stay Away from Me!
Chapter 60: The Imperial Mother

Chapter 60: The Imperial Mother

Third POV—

Suroralia words made Maria go completely silent. She couldn’t open her mouth to even defend herself. She knew her words would be meaningless. It would just be an excuse and she didn’t want to be a vain woman who defended herself with empty words.

Even though her face had an impassive look, her insides were churning with anger. She said, "You betrayed her for him and then, you betrayed him for her. It is like you are a child who can’t chose which side to play with. Yet, here you are trying to charade yourself as her ’loved one.’ Do you think she will like you if she has her memory back? Also, she is doing things completely different from her past. That means may be she is getting her memories back."

Kaerin, who was quiet from the moment Suroralia started opened her mouth. She said, "What does it even amount to? If she gets her memories back, it won’t change anything."

Suroralia said, "Why are you so fixated on her? Kaerin... is it because of the bleak future? Or, perhaps because of the guilt?"

She continued, "You were attracted by his power. A powerful person who could help you rebuild your kingdom. But tell me, did he? Did he help you rebuild your ’kingdom?’ Doesn’t morality pale in front of power? These were your words, I believe. So, now you are proclaiming your love for her?" Her words agitated Kaerin.

"Whatever may it be, there is one thing I can safely," Kaerin looked directly into her eyes, "I haven’t hurt the person I love for power. Out of all us, you are the worst. You are the one who claimed... that she is the one whom you loved. But what did ’you’ do? In the guise of gaining power, you betrayed her. You delivered her to him. All because of the power that you were hungry for. You wanted to become the empress? Congratulations! You became the empress of the ’Unified Empire.’ The most powerful person after that bastard. You were asking us about our feelings, right? Then let me ask you one. Did you ever felt a single bit of happiness after what happened? ’The Imperial Mother.’ You must have liked the title, didn’t you?"

Suroralia clenched her hands so tightly that her nails were on the verge of drawing blood from her palms. There was no rebuttal for those words in her arsenal. She never had an ounce of sleep after she became the empress. ’The Imperial Mother?’ They didn’t even know how much she loathed that title Was it worth it? No, it wasn’t. The power she got was completely unworthy. Yes, she got power but the price of exchange was heavy. It was so heavy that it made her hate herself. It was worse than death. And the irony was that she had been the one to subject herself to that fate with her own hands.

Maria thought that with the onset of those words, Suroralia would no longer argue with them and accept her defeat. Yet, she didn’t back down.

Suroralia sneered, "So what? I can now change it. I can be the one who she loves. Her smile, her love, her body... everything, would belong to me."

"Are you worthy?" asked Maria.

"Of course, I am! I am the one because of whom you two are standing here," replied Suroralia, with a very confident tone.

Kaerin yelled, "It was the collective efforts of all of us! It was because of all of us that we were able to ’regress.’"

"I thought you would never say that word. Maybe sometimes when your delusion weakens, you accept reality as it is," commented Suroralia.

Maria said, "You never used the word when we met at that night. ’Your nightmares are true.’ These were your words. Fox, it seems we need to talk as well... but not now."

"So, are you dealing with me first and then back to fighting?" mocked Suroralia. She scratched her in frustration.

Kaerin took a deep breath and said, "I love her... and it’s not because of her power. I love her with all my heart and soul. I know, what I am saying might shock you. If anyone knew the previous me, they would definitely not believe my words. The same goes for you. I will safeguard her and I won’t stop her from doing whatever she wants... even if she wants to be with you," she looked at Maria when she uttered those words, "I will... not object. It’s the least I can do after what I have done to her."

"What if she wants to leave you? Would you still not object this decision of hers?" asked Suroralia.

Kaerin didn’t answer it and lowered gaze, observing Sharon’s sleeping figure. Her eyes darkened with unknown emotions.

Instead, Maria replied, "She won’t and neither will I," she rubbed Sharon’s hair, "I have made mistakes in past and when the time comes, I will allow her to judge me accordingly. I love her. But if she escapes..." her words trailed off. She slowly caressed Sharon’s covered legs.

"Tch! As expected from the two of you. Both of you are just lying bluntly to my face. You never intend to let her go, do you?" Suroralia nodded, "I see. It’s really different from our previous life."

"Will you let her go?" asked Kaerin.

"No. I had once done it. I will never do it again. As for escaping... it’s out of the question. Then again, I am not a good person to begin with. I am a bad person and I will go to any extent to have her in my grasp. Either she can accept it or, I will force her," said Suroralia.

Maria said, "It’s time for you to go now. I don’t want to see you here anymore. Just go."

Suroralia gritted her teeth in anger but she knew that she should go. She gave Sharon a last look and vanished, leaving no trace of her.

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