I BORROW HIS PAIN

8

CHAPTER 8: THE CURSED CHILD

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After Hearst handed Commodore a new mask, he smiled subtly. "But it looks like an uneven stainless steel mask. Ardent Shark is trying to imitate me."

"He might be a dangerous imposter, brother," Hearst Castle said, voice tinged with concern. "I also want to save Lady Harmonica from him. I’m furious with him."

Commodore pondered the unsettling developments. "This reckless choice of his might be the very thing that lands me in a dungeon."

Suddenly, Mr. Kinsley entered Hearst's room unexpectedly, noticing a young man standing in the corner. "Oh! You have a visitor, Hearst. And what's your name, young man?"

"I am… Hadson," Commodore replied, hesitating to invent a new name on the spot.

"Oh… it sounds familiar. Anyway, I've brought snacks. Come, join Hearst and me."

Soon, Lenora entered to see her son, Hearst, unaware of their guest. "Oh… you look familiar," she murmured, her voice trembling as an inexplicable nervousness washed over her. She didn’t recognize Commodore’s face, yet something about him stirred her memory. "You are?"

"I am Hadson."

"Again!"

"I am Commodore Hadson," he admitted, avoiding their gazes. Mr. Kinsley’s smile faded gradually as he took in Commodore’s face for the first time.

"You’re quite the handsome man, aren’t you?" Mr. Kinsley remarked with a hint of admiration.

"You bear a resemblance to your father..." Lenora swallowed hard, struggling to accept it. "You are a curse in my life. You carry his blood… his power…" She shook her head, as though disapproving of the sight of her son’s face.

Hearst was jolted by her reaction. "Wait… do you mean, my father isn’t his father, Mum?" This revelation hit him unexpectedly.

"No, he’s just an orphan," Lenora said, defensively.

"Yes," Kinsley confirmed. "Are you angry, Commodore?"

Commodore gave a strained smile, fighting the bitterness within. "I don’t hold grudges, nor do I harm others—it won't heal my wounds. Distance is my way of healing. I’m not mad at you, Mr. Kinsley, for you never treated me as your son," he acknowledged.

"But you’re an orphan, Commodore," Hearst Castle said, still trying to understand.

"I am your son," Commodore replied, conviction in his voice. "I know in my heart that I am not an orphan, because my mother has always been there for me. You were just afraid…" His words were clear and unyielding.

Lenora began to cry, unwilling to admit that Commodore was her son. Mr. Kinsley comforted her with a hug. "Don’t cry. None of this is your fault."

"I have to go to my grandfather's house. I’m sorry for being a 'cursed' son, Mum," Commodore said, his voice full of quiet resignation, as if he had known all along that he wasn’t truly part of the family.

Later, at Major Leomord's house, the Ivans family was visiting, discussing an important arrangement. Commodore entered, looking exhausted but dignified.

"Commodore, you’re here," Major Leomord said, forgetting for a moment that he wasn’t wearing a mask. Tryton and Lady Serene were stunned to hear his name.

Tryton chuckled, as if solving a mystery. "Commodore! It’s good to finally meet you. How have you been?" he greeted him energetically, catching Commodore off guard.