The Iudex's day off

Short Story 4 - Happy birthday, my sweet child

 "You must be Claude. I'm Wriothesley, nice to meet you. Would it be alright if I spoke with your mother?"

 That was the moment our lives got easier.

 As per his orders, I was provided with free meals, clothes, and all a child my age would need. My mom too gained some benefits. While it wasn't as much as for me, she too received free meals and a mandatory monthly check-up from Miss Sigewinne, whom I later found out, was the one who told His Grace about our situation in the first place.

 It was the first of these monthly check-ups that revealed that my mom didn't just have a weak constitution but rather a chronic illness that could take her from me at any time.

 I was devastated even as she assured me that she was alright.

 I dove into my work in an attempt to make myself forget, to try and erase the pain that struck every time I thought about it.

 It was His Grace that pulled me aside one day and gave me a vicious scolding, telling me how I should be spending time with my mom instead of running around like an idiot.

 He was right.

 He was right and I knew it. It just hurt so much.

 But I tried. Slowly, I decreased the time I spent outside, spending more and more of it with Mom.

 It was hard at first, but the more I did so, the more I realized just how stupid I had been.

 The next four years were nice. They were happy.

 I would spend most of my time with my mom, but I still ran an errand or two every day.

 Sometimes when she wasn't confined to bed by Miss Sigewinne, she would come along with me and we would do it slowly, walking around the fortress, just chatting.

 It was the day right before my 16th birthday.

 I had woken up early to run down to the cafeteria to get my mom breakfast in bed.

 I returned with the food waiting for her to wake up, but even as hours passed, she never did.

 I had gone over to her bed worriedly, ready to run to Miss Sigewinne if she wasn't well but-

 She was so cold.

 She wasn't breathing.

 I just froze.

 I didn't know what to do.

 It was an inmate who lived next door that discovered this first.

 He had heard something fall and break. What it was, I had no idea.

 He had immediately called His Grace and Miss Sigewinne when he found me unresponsive to his voice. I don't even remember hearing his voice in the first place.

 Apparently, I was carried out by His Grace at one point, but I don't remember any of it.

 The next thing I knew was waking up in a strange bed in an unknown place.

 I panicked, of course, and my panic attracted His Grace who had been in the other room.

 This was his residence, he had explained. He told me that I could stay here as long as I wanted.

 He was kind and considerate, talking me through everything that happened.

 There would be a funeral the next day, or even the day after if I wasn't ready for it.

 And I-

 I just wanted to be left alone.

 He did, eventually, but not before placing a small box on the bedside table.