Nearby, hearing Loki's words, Laufey let out a long sigh.
"Ah..."
After sighing, he shook his head and spoke softly.
"You only just found a life worthy of being called a life?"
As his words fell, two more traces of pity appeared in Laufey's gaze toward Loki.
"In other words, before this, you never felt that your life was worth living, did you?"
Casually tossing aside the broken axe handle, Laufey freed a hand and gently gripped Loki's upper arm.
Feeling his son's slightly lean yet still powerful arm, Laufey was overcome by countless emotions.
"I really was wrong, wasn't I..."
As Laufey spoke, scenes from the past flashed through his eyes.
In that ancient memory, he solemnly placed the swaddled Loki, who had still been only a child, into Odin's hands.
He saw Odin reluctantly accept the child, and he saw the reluctance in Odin's eyes even more clearly.
But at the time, all he thought about was Loki's future fate. He had never considered whether that child would live happily!
He... had ultimately forgotten something.
Thinking of that, Laufey shook his head once more.
"I... was probably wrong in many ways. I failed to give you a real family, and I failed to give you a perfect childhood.
I sent you into the hands of my sworn enemy, made him your adoptive father, and even made him promise that you would become king.
I thought I had given you everything I could. The benefits of the long war between Odin and me all fell upon you.
I thought you would not like Jotunheim's bitter winters. I thought you would be satisfied by the fragrance of blood and glory surrounding Asgard's throne.
But thinking about it now, how could Odin have treated you sincerely while carrying his hatred for