"Mom, how can you be such a hypocrite? You should stop praying for Michael’s forgiveness if you don’t do anything about it. What did you expect to happen?" Hesta asked her mother, Evalynn Fang, trying to understand what was on her mind.
"He will return. Michael has always been a good child. He will return to me," Evalynn said with unfounded confidence in her voice.
Hesta shook her head. She hadn’t been around Michael much in the last few years, but the few times she’d seen him were enough to tell that he didn’t even think about his mother. Michael did not waste a single thought about his mother, and he wouldn’t know if she died. Even if she died, Michael would probably not even mourn. Hesta couldn’t blame him for that.
If she had been in Michael’s stead. She would hate her to the core and wish her death. Michael, in comparison, was much more generous. He forgot she existed and left it at that.
"No, he won’t. But if you want to see him again or hear from him again, you need to do something about it. How about joining the Human Protection Service? Eren and the other former Curse Users joined the program and will receive some funding from Michael. They’re given control of one planetary system in a backwater galaxy, some even multiple, and are tasked to protect the Lesser Human races there.
You do not have to do anything else, but I’m sure Michael hopes we can help them grow up into a responsible race. Michael wishes to avoid another disaster like the emergence of the Supreme Human Alliance. What do you say, Mom? Do you want to give it a try? We could work together and guard one of the larger, lesser human tribes. If our results are good enough, we might meet Michael and talk to him. What do you think?"
Evalynn Fang hesitated, but she was thinking about it.
"He hates me?" Evalynn asked, "But I only wanted to protect you. How can he hate me for that?"
’She still doesn’t understand his point? Even after so many years? Are you serious, mom?’ Evalynn wanted to scream, but she was aware of how efficient that would be. It would be useless. She took a deep breath.
"You followed your adult child alongside father, leaving my brothers, both minors, alone in the Tritan Alliance. Neither of you tried messaging them often. All you did was send a few messages once every three months. But even those messages weren’t genuine. They were no better than saying, ’We know you exist, but we still don’t care about you.’ That is fucked up, Mom!"
Hesta sighed. She glanced at her father, but Peter Fang didn’t budge. He looked stone-cold at her as if she’d killed a bunch of children before them, tearing their limbs apart right before their faces.
"If you want to mend your relationship with Michael in this lifetime, you have to work for it. Michael is already incredibly busy as it is. He’s trying to take care of the Origin Expanse and change parts of it for the better – that works so-so, but he is trying –has a family to take care of, friends to be around, and numerous other duties to take care of. He is a Primal, the Supreme Lord, Father, and still takes care of stuff like the Anti-Blood-I serum."
Evalynn nodded slowly, "Maybe I should do something. I would love to see my granddaughter…"
Hesta smiled at that. She may not have a child and would probably never get one given that she was already a Divine Lifeform in a relationship with Evee, but she knew how effective it was to use her niece against her mother.
"Let’s put Lucia aside. What is this about the funding? Will Michael give us a few Soultrait Symbols if we play along with his Human Protection Service?" Peter Fang spoke up at last, but the content of his words was infuriating. As always.
Enjoy new adventures at empire
"You always speak about Soultrait Symbols, powerful Artifacts, and stuff like that. How about you start working for them instead of demanding them?" Hesta hissed at Peter Fang, who reacted by unleashing a flurry of origin energy. He circulated origin energy through his body and stomped toward Hesta, whose eyes narrowed to tiny slits.
"Don’t you talk to me like that, Hesta! Know your place!" He bellowed, but Hesta didn’t budge. Her father had been scary in the past, but not anymore. He was a pushover, if anything.
Hesta released her War Empress Soultrait, unleashing an overbearing aura that smashed straight into Peter’s face. Peters wasn’t even at the same Tier as Hesta anymore. She was at a higher Tier than her father at this point. Yet, Peter Fang still thought he had the most power in the family. If Michael heard about that, he would probably laugh his ass off.
"You keep forgetting what it means to know your place," Hesta sighed deeply, "I’ve long since decided to cut ties with you, father. Even if my mother is wrong for following me and abandoning my brothers for me, at least she did it to protect me. I don’t condone her actions and will probably lecture her for neglecting Michael and Daniel, but you followed Mother, hoping to acquire a curse in the Nest. You weren’t even here to take care of me when my Curse threatened to swallow me. Nope, you stalked other Curse Users, trying to get your hands on a Curse."
Hesta gave her father the middle finger as she continued, "You acted like a self-centered piece of shit while I was on the verge of death and my brothers had been abandoned. Everyone was helpless, yet you could have stayed with Danny and Michael to be there for them and raise them. You can count yourself lucky that they turned out like this. If not for them being well and all, I would have ripped your heart out!"
Hesta’s eyes glowed dangerously as the power of the War Empress filled her, "You better leave now. I don’t care if you join the Human Protection Service or if you die. You better get out of my sight! And don’t even think about bothering Danny!"
Peter scurried backward and his eyes bulged in surprise. He had never seen his daughter like that. However, that was not why he was so surprised. He was more surprised about the powers leaking from Hesta.
"You have more than one Soultrait Symbol?" He stammered.
"Of course. Michael gave them to me to help him with the Tekur. Our relationship is still a little bit…rough around the edges, but I worked hard to improve my relationship with him. He’s a loving child, you know? Michael doesn’t hate me. All he ever wanted was some love and care. That is why he holds so tightly onto the people he likes. After experiencing what it feels like to get abandoned, Michael would never force the same face upon anyone. Everyone he holds dearly is growing with him. And he makes sure nobody feels neglected. That is tiring, but Michael loves it."
Hesta cleared her throat after the Xth tirade and smiled at her father.
"Did you know that Daniel worked hard to buy Mother a Soultrait as well? He gifted her two Soultraits, though rather weak ones because he still loves her even after everything she did to him and Michael," Hesta explained,
"The only one everyone hates is you, Dad. You did not only make one wrong choice. You didn’t stop going down the wrong path, father."
"You are a disgrace."