My Love for You Broke Me

Chapter 273

Early spring in France had always been pleasant, so I took off my coat upon getting off the helicopter as it felt warm.

Robert, who got down from the helicopter after me, suddenly grabbed my shoulder from the back and pointed at the castle. "Mom is waiting for you there."

"Why isn't she at the hospital?" I furrowed my brows and asked.

"Mom has a house doctor," he explained with a cheeky-looking grin.

I gave him the benefit of the doubt. When Robert noticed that men from the Xenos Family surrounded the castle, he frowned and asked bluntly, "Ree, what are you guarding against?"

With that, I came up with an excuse and answered, "I had suffered losses previously and was injured badly, which is why I'm more cautious nowadays whenever I'm out. I have nothing against you."

I then walked toward the castle without waiting for his reply. "There's not a single servant in the castle?" I asked as I was puzzled to see how empty the place was.

"There are not many servants in the castle, as only Mom and Alain reside here," Robert explained to me casually.

"Alain?" It was my first time hearing that name.

"He's your stepfather and also the Duke of the country."

A Duke was the highest-ranking title within the nobility rank, and the status he possessed was unimaginable. It seemed like Mom had married a decent man.

…

As soon as I entered the castle, I realized that it was an understatement when Robert said there weren't many servants working in the castle as the vast living area was filled with busy servants. Inside, around a dozen of them were on standby along the hallway on the second floor.

All of them donned gorgeous uniform dresses inspired by the Renaissance era. The interior of the castle was decorated darkly, which resembled the lifeless atmosphere seen in movies. As I stood at the other end of the long hallway, it felt suffocating, and I instantly regretted agreeing to Robert's request and coming over to France. I had a strong urge to leave the place, but before I could do so, Robert noticed me hesitating and seized my palm before clasping my fingers tightly. I was taken aback by his action and tried to shake his hand off but to no avail.

He dragged me around the long hallway, and we finally entered a room. It was an enormous room that was at least 1000 square feet. There was a bed in the middle of the room, and a woman with a pallid complexion was seen lying on it while she was given an IV Drip Treatment. The next moment, Robert pulled me near to the bed and called out to my mother.

Hearing that, the woman struggled to open her eyes and then looked over at me with a pair of dim eyes. "How are you feeling?" I tried, but I couldn't bring myself to call her 'Mom'.

"I'm fine," she replied, sounding as if she was trying to make me feel better.

"I'm sorry for using one of your kidneys," I uttered. She suddenly experienced kidney failure, and yet I… I really hope that a day like that won't come.

"Don't worry about it. You are my daughter, so I hope you'll grow up healthily and worry-free. She paused before continuing weakly, "I've never played my role as a mother nor know how to be a mother. I'm sorry if I've not given you a mother's love. Ree, you are my daughter and my only child this lifetime. Although I don't know how to love you, I'd sacrifice my life for you if I had to. I'd do it without hesitation, as that is my responsibility toward you. It'll forever be my responsibility toward you this lifetime…"

Her life… Like the kidney.

With a trembling heart, I clenched my fists and was lost for words. In the end, I uttered, "I've been a burden to you."

She didn't know how to be a mother, yet she was willing to give up her life for me. This was a mother's love. On the outside, she seemed impassive, which was how she usually was but deep inside, she probably hoped to be close to me. If not, she wouldn't have asked Robert to bring me over. However, at my age, where I had encountered multiple near-death experiences, I could no longer be easily moved or reveal my emotions.

"I'm sorry. What did the doctor say?" I asked.

"My condition is stable with the help of medication," she answered.

The woman in the bed had a pallid yet beautiful face, and she told me with a smile, "I had promised your father that the next time both of us meet would be after our death. Since he had left ahead of me, I'd follow behind him in a matter of time. This is what I have wished for, so you don't have to feel bad about it."

After hearing her words, I recalled the tombstone on the top of Brimstone Mountain. The words 'May we be reunited after our deaths' were carved on it. Although she hated my father, she loved him deeply at the same time. She didn't want me to feel bad because I had received her kidney. On that day, I finally realized her love for me, which was buried deep in her heart, and tears welled up in my eyes. My heart ached for her.

When she noticed my expression, she told Robert, "Rob, Alain is reaching soon. I would like to speak to him, so could you please bring Ree out for a stroll and come back after 30 minutes."

With that, Robert brought me out of the room, and I sighed helplessly. "Seeing her like that makes me heartbroken. It's all because of me… I am the reason she became like this. It is all my fault."

"Just that?" he asked impassively.

"I'm alive because of her. I don't know what to do since I'm the one who is indebted to her!" I shut my teary eyes, thinking about the whole situation.

"Ree, do you feel upset because she gave up her life for you? Haven't you thought that all she wanted was a daughter?"

His question caught me by surprise. "What are you trying to say?"

"You are Mom's daughter and my closest relative. Do you still remember when you asked me what my faith is?"

"What is your faith?" I asked.

He used to tell me that life was his faith, to use his whole life to protect what mattered to him most. He remained silent upon hearing my question, and it was rare for him to be this quiet.

He brought me into an elevator, and we took it to the floor below. When the elevator door opened, the space in front of us was pitch black, and he stretched his hands over to switch on the light. After the lights were switched on, I could see a long and narrow passageway in front of me. Although both sides of the hall were lit, it gave off an eerie feeling.

"Where is this?" I asked, feeling a little unsettled.

"Take a guess." He was grinning from ear to ear.

He led the way as we walked through the tunnel, and as I walked, I picked up a fishy odor that got stronger as we walked further into the passageway. Moreover, it also smelled like rotting flesh. I felt that something was off and refused to walk further. Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

Noticing that, Robert looked over and asked, "Aren't you curious about what's inside? There's something inside which belongs to you. Do you want to take a look?"

Something that belongs to me? I decided to follow behind him after a brief contemplation.

Robert then led the way as he continued walking. Not long later, there was a smell of Formalin in the

air, and the rotten flesh smell had gotten stronger. Finally, we entered a hall at the end of the passageway, and I noticed an elderly man sitting in a wheelchair in the middle of the room.

He stared at Robert with fear written all over his face and sputtered something in French. I couldn't understand a word and asked Robert to translate his words. "What is he saying?"

"Why is he here?" I added.

Where the hell is this? Why is there an elevator that led us directly here, and who exactly is the man?!

"He said that he is the devil." Robert then walked over and patted his cheeks. Although he was donning a gorgeous performing costume and looked like an innocent man with an attractive face, at that moment, he looked like a devil who was about to blow up.

I brought myself to walk toward that older gentleman calmly, and as I got nearer to him, the smell of rotten flesh got stronger…

Before I could make out what it was, Robert suddenly grinned and asked me, "Ree, do you