beauties of night

Part 4 Remorse

I was shocked that my wife was a demon. There was no way that she could be a demon. And I was standing in a daze for a while. Grandfather Wěi grabbed her hand forcibly and said
"Look! How a human can heal so fast."

When I looked at her, her wound was actually healed. I couldn't believe my own eyes. My mother was stunned. Aki was crying. I didn't know what to do. I felt like I'm going to be insane.

Meanwhile, grandfather took out his sword and said
"Die," and swung his sword to cut Sakura's nape.

What! I just thought her as Sakura. She is Sakura but she is my wife. She is the girl I cherish.

At that moment I heard my father's voice in my head.
"Your grandfather didn't allow me to marry your mother. I have passed through a lot of difficulties to marry your mother. Even your mother and I got married, your grandfather hated me. He also hated my one and only daughter because she was a girl and she took my family name. I gave all I have to your grandfather to accept me as a family member. Sometimes, I thought that he doesn't have a heart.
...
What I really want to tell you is... If you have your own family, protect them no matter what happens. Don't regret just like me. Even if you are alive, those regret will kill you countless times.
...
The greatest regret in my life is your sister. I shouldn't let her visited to your grandfather. After bad things happened to her, I shouldn't have locked her in the storage room. I should have treated her nice."

I became conscious and stood in front of my wife. Suddenly, I grasped the blade with my palm and said
"However she is a demon, she is my wife. She is Yamada Sakura. She is a family member of Yamada family. If you hurt her again, this place will be your graveyard."

Grandfather furiously stared at me and said
"You gonna regret," and left our home madly.

After grandfather left, I was shaking. I don't know why. Fear? Anxiety? Despair? Maybe because of all of them. I knew grandfather well. He had no mercy in demons. I didn't know what to do.

When I looked at my wife, she was crying. This was the first time I saw her cry. Aki was crying on the maid's hand. I held my wife's hand and said
"Run. Run from here. Run as far as you can."
She looked back at Aki. I said
"Don't worry about Aki. I can protect him."
Her face looked worry. So, I said
"I promise."

Then she kissed Aki's forehead and she left from home. It didn't take a long time to grandfather came back with his men. His angry face was terrifying. His men attacked me and I defended. I lost and they forcibly seized me because I had no skill in fighting. Grandfather placed the blade under my chin and said
"You should have listened to me."

My mother covered me and said
"Father! Please don't hurt Yoru. He is your grandson."

Although mother was begging, grandfather pushed mother to the ground and gave a large cut on my forehead and said
"This gonna leave a scar. That scar will remind you of your foolishness every single day."

Drops of blood were falling from my forehead. The blood drains flowed down into my eyes. I looked fixedly into grandfather's eyes with my bloody eyes and said
"It may be foolishness for a heartless man like you. For me..."

I breathed heavily and said
"For me, it is..."

Tears were descending from my eyes, complexed with blood. I said with a trembling voice
"For me, this is..."
And I shouted out to him
"love."

When grandfather heard, he scowled at me and berated wrathfully
"You... Moron..."
I could see a teardrop jumped out of his eyelashes hiddenly. I didn't know why.

At that time, uncle Yěmán arrived. He took Aki from the maid's hand. I yelled apprehensively
"What are you going to do to my son?"
Grandfather looked to Aki and said
"Kill that demon."

Mother knelt down and hugged grandfather's legs and said pathetically
"Please... Father... Don't kill my grandchild. I am begging you."
And she turned back to Yěmán and said miserably
"Yěmán... Please... Mercy us!"

But uncle Yěmán nodded his head and said
"Yes, father." At once he left and took Aki with him.

I screamed at top volume
"Aki..."

My mother knocked out of a heart attack.

I promised to protect Aki. I have to do everything I can do.

I struggled and struggled. But four men were holding my arms and legs. Grandfather said
"Hold him tight," and kicked my body several times till I became unconscious.

I had been senseless for three months. When I gained sense, there was no one beside me. I tried to get up but I couldn't move. It took two weeks to move my hands. And I was able to walk one year after that incident.

I quitted my job and searched my wife everywhere. I didn't get any news about her.

Of course not! I didn't forget about Aki, my one and only son. I missed him every single breath.

My mother stayed by my side until her last breath. She looked at me with griefful eyes and said
"It's all my fault. My other half, my daughter, my daughter in law and my grandchild. I couldn't protect them. I am just a useless person who is full of regret. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything." (My other half means My husband)

I doesn't blame my mother but I hate grandfather. Although I hate grandfather enough to want to kill him, I doesn't want to take revenge on him.

Let this life end with this...

Even after my mother died, I continued in searching my wife. Uncle Yěmán attended my mother's funeral but grandfather didn't come. Uncle Yěmán told me to return to work and if I want to see my son once again. It meant Aki was still alive. Right? Therefore, I worked as a third treasurer.

Sis Asa was set free thirty one years after mother died. She might know that her parents were dead. When I met her, I suddenly remembered that I felt the same way fifty years ago. Her face was expressionless and she looked the same. She was seventy one years old but looked like a young girl.

Now, I am sixty one years old and an old man. But I want to hug her and cry like a child. I want to tell her about our parents. They really loved her so much and indeed they regretted for their acts upon her. I couldn't get a chance to tell her.

After sis Asa left, I worried about her and I followed her by horse. When I arrived there, it was late. She was fighting with a demon and she seemed injured a lot. I couldn't see them properly. Unexpectedly, I saw the demon under the moonlight. His eyes... His grin... looked similar to Aki. My whole body was quivering. I mumbled
"Aki... My boy..." [You can read more about that in living without life (Part 5 Grinning Demon)]

While I was bewildered, sis Asa was beaten unconscious. I should go out from the dark and help her. At the same time I was afraid to face the demon. It was not because of he was a demon. Because I thought he might be my son. At that time uncle Yěmán showed up and I left from there. [You can read more about that in living without life (Part 6 Intimacy)]

After all, I am a coward...

Remorse??? Yeah... I shouldn't have left from there. I didn't know that It would become the deepest remorse in my life.

To be continued...

Next Part : Part 5 Reunion

See you on 10 April.