POV (Point of View)

Chapter 98: Deception

"Your hair really is beautiful, Julius. Never ever cut it, okay? I love it long this way."

"Sure, Mom."

The 17-year-old Julius Schuff used to have a long beautiful blonde hair. He had a beautiful pair of blue eyes, like those of the blue skies. He was often mistaken as a girl when he was still a child. Hence, he would help in the market and in the farm to build up his muscles to show everyone that he's a man. A man who can protect his mother.

His mother is Lilian Schuff. She was a star. She was his star. She was a beautiful woman who can light up the dark with her music as a violinist and with her colorful stories about her life and about the vibrant countries and cities that she's been to in Europe through music. Of course, her stories filled the nights of the young Julius, fueling his interest and curiosity to venture to faraway lands to meet people and to be in beautiful places. And to pursue his dream which is to become a botanist. But in her lively stories lie a dark past that he knows...has never left his mother's regrets. Which was the loss of his elder sister. He believed that his mother's love for his long, healthy blonde hair roots from her longing for her daughter.

In all of Julius' childhood, all he knew was that his mother was a talented woman—loved by many—for her beauty and talent in music. She raised him when he was still a baby with the money that she gets for being one of the scouted musicians in Germany and hops from a province to another during concerts. Given that Europeans are natural music lovers, men of all ages loved the music that his mother, Lilian created.

However, one problem occurred that ruined her fame and reputation—when her fans found out that she had a child for being an affair of a married politician. To save the man's name, he never admitted to the public that he was in a relationship with the violinist. To make things worse, he stopped supporting Lilian and Julius financially. The poor mother, with her status now ruined, had no choice but to keep raising his son, Julius, all on her own. She was disregarded by her scout, sent away, and puked out by the people she used to please. During this dark time, one woman called for Lilian Schuff and let her work for a powerful family—the House of Schreiber. The villagers, the people they met, accepted them for who they are.

The Schreibers, known for their abundant riches that stem from mining fields and hectares of lands in the provinces, had hundreds of employees. One of them then was Lilian and Julius Schuff. The mother was always invited by the eldest daughter of the house to listen to her playing constantly. Everyone called her 'Dame', the daughter of a rich and renowned lord of their lands. But behind her, the villagers call her the 'introverted princess' who refused to breathe the same air as the poor. 

Julius' mother however had a different opinion about her. Lilian would come back home with lots of gifts from the said young Dame—food, pastries, clothes, jewelry, and many more as tokens for the music and stories the musician brought to her from the outside. She would tell her son how beautiful, and kind the young woman is; and how she hopes that the rest of the village could see that. In fact, this young woman called Lilian 'the mother she never had.' If Julius could remember it correctly, he never really paid mind to how his mother described this young woman. All he knew at that time was that, only his mother was able to see this woman face to face. And only she can testify how "good" this heiress was.

The son, growing up on a ranch, took great interest in plants, herbs, and flowers. Julius was okay with the simple and humble life in the village. He was able to attend and receive education in a public school and from his mother. But his earnings weren't enough to sustain his education at a university to pursue his love for botany. But Julius didn't mind. As long as he has his mother, he was fine with everything. It was during their time of peace that a mysterious epidemy took their village by storm. One villager after the other died of unknown causes. And this was caught by Julius' mother, Lilian. At that time, the harvest was scarce. Money was limited. Afraid to lose his mother, he went to the House of Schreiber to seek refuge and mercy. And to ask the young woman to help his mother—the woman she calls 'the mother she never had.'