"Faking my death and leaving back then was never an attempt to abandon you. I simply felt that for those two years, I had never fulfilled the responsibilities or provided the love a mother owes her child. I couldn't bear to snatch you away from your father's treasures, and I truly believed that your future would be broader if you stayed by his side rather than mine."
"But I was wrong... I never once asked what you truly wanted. Even now, every time I've tried to take you away from here, it has always been for my own selfish reasons!"
The wind outside howled, rattling the windowpane with a rhythmic clatter.
Chapter 48