Demonic Witches Harem: Having Descendants Make Me Overpowered!-Chapter 138: The Fraud Hero

Since Aubree would be returning to Elysium soon with Claude, she and Aurelia decided to spend the day shopping together in the capital.

It was Aubree's idea, of course—wanting to savor one last outing with her daughter.

Aurelia had protested, pointing out that her mother was heavily pregnant and growing weaker by the day due to the daemon child inside her.

Walking was difficult, and she tired easily. But still, Aubree's spirit burned brightly, undeterred by her condition.

After all, it had been more than two years since they could walk the streets like this—free and unhidden.

No cloaks to mask their identities, no hoods drawn low, no pretending to be someone else.

Back then, they'd moved like fugitives, always watching their backs, erasing every trace of their presence.

It had been exhausting—mentally and physically—especially for Aurelia, who had started traveling at just fourteen years old, robbed of the chance to make real friendships.

That's why, as she watched her daughter laugh and chat with a familiar fruit vendor, Aubree's heart swelled.

Aurelia was finally talking to someone her age, unafraid and unburdened.

"Come back tomorrow, Aurelia!" the cheerful shopgirl, Luna, beamed. "My father's finally coming back from the East Continent!"

"Oh? He must've brought back all sorts of exotic fruits, right? I heard they have some really rare ones over there," Aurelia said, her eyes sparkling.

Luna nodded eagerly. "Yes! Super sweet and juicy ones! I'll make sure my dad gives you some before he sells the rest to the nobles!"

"Ah, no, really, you don't have to. They must be expensive…"

"Oh please, you won't pay a single coin!" Luna said, grabbing Aurelia's hands with a bright grin.

"You saved me and my sister. You're our Hero! My dad will be thrilled to thank you himself."

"T-Thank you, Luna," Aurelia replied, a bit awkwardly, her face flushing.

Aubree stood a short distance away, smiling quietly as the girls finished their conversation and walked off.

"You seem happy here," Aubree said after a while. "You have friends now."

"Friends?" Aurelia repeated with a sigh, her gaze fixed on the basket of fruits in her arms. "I don't know, Mother… Sometimes I feel like a fraud."

Aubree blinked, caught off guard. "What do you mean?"

"You saw how Luna thanked me for the medicine that healed her and her sis... But it wasn't mine. It was His Majesty. I just followed his orders." Her voice trembled. "None of that was me."

"Aurelia…" Aubree's heart ached at her daughter's words.

She wanted to reach out and offer comfort, but found herself fumbling, unsure of how to ease the weight Aurelia carried.

Just as Aubree opened her mouth to respond, a child suddenly rushed toward them, her face pale and body drenched in sweat.

"Hero! Please help my father!" the little girl cried out, her voice trembling with urgency.

"Calm down. What happened to your father? Can you take us to him?"

Aurelia asked gently, placing both hands on the child's shoulders in an attempt to soothe her.

The girl nodded quickly and guided them without delay, leading them through winding streets until they reached the outskirts of the capital, stopping at a modest, weathered house.

"My name is Lily," the girl explained once they arrived.

"I live here alone with my dad. He works in the mines, but he got trapped outside the capital for months because of the plague... He only just returned, but now he can't even stand."

She opened the door to a dimly lit room. "He suddenly got really weak… Please, Hero, help him!" she pleaded, tears welling in her eyes.

"I'll do my best," Aurelia said, her voice steady.

Inside, lying on a straw bed was a man—thin, hunched, and visibly worn down. His breathing was shallow, and when he slowly opened his eyes, they were dull and sunken.

"Lily...? Who are they?" he asked hoarsely.

"She's the Hero, Father! She came to help us!"

Lily said, rushing to his side and holding his hand as she helped him sit up.

Aurelia observed him closely. His back was arched unnaturally, and a foul, rotting smell came from his mouth when he spoke.

"This illness… It's called the Winterborn Curse," the man rasped. "It can't be cured."

"No, Father!" Lily insisted, her voice cracking. "She healed the Red Slumber—she can do this too!"

"I'll try sir," Aurelia assured him, her tone calm and resolute.

The man looked up in surprise, then gave a weak chuckle. "You don't have to call me 'sir'... Just Alan is fine." He offered a slight bow from where he sat, full of gratitude.

They spoke for a while longer as Aurelia examined his condition further.

Though she didn't know much about the Winterborn Curse, she remembered Claude's teachings: the first step was always to strengthen the body.

If the body had proper nourishment, sometimes it could fight off the affliction on its own.

"I need you to adjust his diet," Aurelia told Lily.

"Give him food rich in meats. Add vegetables if you can, and make sure he eats regularly. His body needs the strength to fight back."

Alan sighed. "Ah… but I only have Lily. She's still young. I doubt she can hunt for meat."

"It's fine, Father! I can catch fish!" Lily beamed. "That's like meat, right?"

Aurelia nodded with a smile. "Yes, that'll help too."

After ensuring Lily understood everything and offering words of encouragement, Aurelia and Aubree left the house quietly.

They spent some time shopping for a few supplies before finally heading back to their own home.

***

Aubree watched her daughter with growing concern. It was already the middle of the night, yet Aurelia hadn't slept a wink—still hunched over her desk, flipping through old books and notes about the Winterborn Curse.

She knocked softly on the door.

"You can come in, Mother," Aurelia called without looking up, sensing her presence.

Aubree stepped inside and quietly sat on the edge of the bed. "Aurelia, aren't you tired?"

Aurelia shook her head firmly. "No. I have to do this. I will find a way to cure this illness."

Aubree sighed. She was proud of her daughter's determination—but that same determination, the need to shoulder everything alone, now made her worry more than ever.

"Why don't you tell me about the disease? Maybe I can help you."

Aurelia finally looked away from her notes and turned toward her mother. "From what I've read, this illness only seems to exist in snow-covered regions."

"The body weakens day by day, the bones become fragile and brittle... then eventually, they die a painful death from the fractures alone."

Her voice faltered, laced with frustration. "That's all I've managed to piece together so far."

Aubree fell into thought, her gaze drifting toward the window. Outside, the land lay cloaked in a thick blanket of snow.

"Let's try narrowing it down," she said gently. "What does a snowy land lack that other places don't?"

"Sunlight!" Aurelia exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with realization.

"You might be right—it could be a lack of sunlight... but what does sunlight actually do to the body?"

Aubree rubbed her chin, thinking aloud. "Well... it keeps us warm?"

"Hm..." Aurelia leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. fгeewebnovёl.com

"But if it was just from the cold, wouldn't the patients be shivering or have frostbite? Alan didn't seem cold at all. He looked... normal. Just weak."

A heavy silence settled between them, the flickering candlelight casting long shadows across the room.

Then Aubree spoke softly. "Aurelia... why don't you ask Claude? He might know something you don't."

But the moment his name was mentioned, Aurelia's face darkened. "No! I said I'll do it myself! Anyway, you should be resting, Mother. Don't disturb me."

Aubree sighed again, rising slowly to her feet. "Alright. But don't push yourself too hard."

As she stepped out of the room, she gently closed the door behind her.

She reached into her pocket and activated a magical communication crystal—one she had saved for moments like this and asked Claude to come here tomorrow and he agreed.

***

When Aurelia woke up, the last thing she expected was the familiar, infuriatingly calm voice of Claude drifting in from outside her room.

She frowned.

Throwing on her cloak, she stepped into the main room—only to find her mother and Claude sitting together at the table, sharing breakfast like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Aubree looked up with a smile. "Oh, come here, Aurelia. Claude made us breakfast!"

Aurelia sighed heavily and trudged toward the table, flopping down in her chair with a clear scowl.

The scent of buttery eggs and herbs hit her nose, and despite her annoyance, she began eating the scrambled eggs in front of her—annoyed further by how good they tasted.

Claude sipped his tea and then asked casually, "Do you have another patient today?"

She tensed, hesitated, and gave a small nod.

He narrowed his eyes. "You do realize helping patients matters more than your pride, right?"

Aurelia's fork paused mid-air. Her eyes widened as she stared at him. If anyone else had said that, she would have snapped—but this wasn't just anyone.

This was Claude. A king. The man who gave her the medicine that saved lives.

So instead of replying, she turned her face away.

"I know…" she muttered. "But I don't want anyone's help anymore. I'm supposed to be a hero… how can a hero like me not be able to heal anyone on her own?"

"I don't want to be a fraud forever..."