21. Confessions
Goddamn it! Speaking to Adrien was so easy and inviting, that she didn't pay attention to what she was saying.
"She… she runs a small sort of convent. She is no nun, I know that, but many women come to our place seeking for religious guidance and shelter from hazards."
A convent? How could women in search of shelter end up dead? What was it that they did there?
"Why is it so dangerous to make decisions in this shelter of yours?"
She put a strand of hair behind her ear trying to remain calm.
"Because… many of them have children and families, their husbands abandoned them or hurt them, some of them were never married in the first place and their parents just threw them away like worthless rubbish," that much is true, she thought. "And you surely understand that these situations can be very tricky to handle, the result of them can save or condemn a woman's reputation."
Of course he understood that, his father protected her mother's reputation until he killed her.
"I do," he said, " I wished that I had known about it before. Madam Lenoir is truly a heroine."
Marinette smiled.
"She is. I can only hope to be like her, but I must do my best."
Adrien took his hand off her back. There was only one thought taking over his mind now.
"If you don't mind me asking," he hesitated, "what kind of mistake did your mother commit?"
Marinette gave him a glare that could have killed him.
"Please forgive me! But I cannot imagine what kind of bad reputation could be enough to have a woman killed."
The girl looked at her purse. As long as she didn't mention witchcraft nor anything of incriminating nature, there was no reason why she couldn't tell her the story of the Coven of the Sun and the Moon and how the consequences of her mother's mistakes still persecute her in dreams.
"The husband of this woman was terribly violent to her and her daughter. She didn't know what to do, she couldn't leave him and he wouldn't leave them, so she went to my grandmother's shelter asking for advice and help. My mother foolishly told her that she should hurt him before he could hurt their daughter. The woman was stupid enough to follow her word, she killed her husband and was subsequently killed by the town. Three years later, the daughter came back to town and killed my mother to avenge hers."
Adrien blinked a couple of times, his mind desperately searching for words. What can one answer to that? It probably was not a good idea to mention that he did thought her mother an idiotic fool.
"I… I do not even know what to say."
She looked at his face and one look was enough to tell that he was horrified.
"I believe that she was too young for the role," she replied, "my grandma says that they pressured her too much. I am terrified of making the same mistake myself."
"You wouldn't, you already know that it is not… recommendable."
She chuckled sadly.
"I mean, the kind of mistake that takes the life of a person."
"I am sure that you will do as best as you can."
They remained in silence for a while. Talking to Adrien was incredibly easy, so much that she had to watch every word not to let something slip. She remembered the feeling she had had almost an hour ago, that ancient longing. Did it mean something? And if it did, what was it?
Suddenly, Adrien mumbled something.
"Pardon me?"
Whatever he was trying to tell her, it seemed to be terribly hard.
"Forgive me for intruding, but I must ask you something."
"Do go on?"
"Why is it that you do not bear your father's name?"
She frowned.
"Given everything that I just told you, I suppose that I have no right to complain at all, but that is indeed too personal, sir."
He seemed to be aware of that, for shame and anger shone in his eyes.
"I am truly sorry, but my father wants me to find out the reason and I am afraid that your freedom might depend on what I tell him."
Her heart skipped a beat.
"My freedom?"
"There is madness coming to this town, Marinette. I hope that I am wrong, but I know that I am not."
She almost sighted. Kagami's late father was right: as long as Adrien got involved in the politics of Saint Emilie, there was hope for it.
"Well, my grandmother has been running her shelter since she was very young, many men did not like that in the city because it attempted against the supposed harmony of their homes. Among these men was my father's father. His wife left his house and joined my grandmother's shelter when my father was old enough to take care of himself. Because of this, he didn't want him to marry the Lenoir's daughter and when my father did it anyway, he began to spread horrible rumors about her. Then, father dueled with his own father for my mother's honor. They killed each other before I was born, and my mother died a year after my birth, so I grew up with my grandparents."
Once again, he had run out of words. He didn't need to know anything else about her father to admire him.
"I am terribly sorry for your parents' deaths."
Marinette glanced back at him and saw in his beautiful face just how distressed he was about it. She landed her hand on his arm and tightened on it comfortingly.
"There is no need to be. I will honor their memories until my last day and someday, maybe, I will see them again."
He gave her a small, sheepish smile.
"So, what is your real name?"
"Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Will that satisfy your father?"
"I am really sorry. I don't think that I can bring myself to tell him your story."
"Then don't."
"I must. It will be enough to know that you are a legitimate daughter."
Adrien got to his feet and offered her his hand.
"Time to go back, if only to let people see us in there."
She took his hand and walked with him.
"Certainly, Adrien."