CHAPTER 152…………………………………………..
“…Has everyone been well?”
Squirrels gathered around Adel as she stepped into the glass greenhouse.
She had taken a deep breath before entering, but her chest still felt heavy and stifled, as if it were blocked.
“Thank you… for not forgetting me.”
Adel smiled faintly as she watched the squirrels climb up her shoulders and hands.
The glass garden had been perfectly restored; not a trace remained of that day.
The overgrown bushes, the lavish glass structures—everything was exactly as before, peaceful, as if nothing had ever happened.
The only thing that had changed was one thing:
The creature that used to come running toward her with a squeak the moment she stepped in was gone. She couldn’t find the large presence that had reacted to her just as her heart would race at Killian’s steps.
Adel swallowed hard, as if forcing something down her throat.
“…….”
Rustle.
She did not miss the sound of another presence inside.
Guided by a thread of hope, Adel moved forward and stopped in front of the bench where it always sat.
“Kaiden… so you were here after all.”
Seeing her brother’s sturdy back, Adel bit her lip.
Kaiden seemed to have known she was coming from the start, yet for some reason, he remained silent.
“…Is it really okay for you to be wandering around already?”
“Of course.”
Adel smiled, but instead of meeting her gaze, Kaiden furrowed his thick brows.
Rather than forcing herself closer to her brother, who seemed to be avoiding her, Adel sat on the bench.
“I thought I’d be able to see your face first when I woke up… I was disappointed it wasn’t there.”
“…Sister, that day… because of me.”
“I survived thanks to you. I heard everything. You brought Sister Rebecca from San Fidelio.”
Technically, she brought her, but recalling Rebecca’s horrified expression, it was clear what Kaiden had actually done.
Knowing him, he probably would have acted as if the entire San Fidelio were his enemy, without even blinking, when it came to something personal.
“It’s my fault. Not yours.”
It was obvious what he was thinking.
He was probably blaming himself, thinking that the accident happened because she wasn’t there.
Silly boy.
Adel patted the bench, inviting him to sit beside her, but Kaiden didn’t move.
From the deepest part of the bushes, only his heavy sighs grew deeper.
“I’m okay now. It’s the first time I’ve rested this long.”
“…Even so, you didn’t have to come all the way here…”
“To see Balrog.”
“….”
“We never got to see Balrog. And she can’t move freely since this is her home, so I had to come see her.”
Adel lifted her head and smiled as calmly as she could.
Yet Kaiden, seeing that she didn’t look around or pretend to search, wiped his dry face slowly.
“She’s gone back.”
“…Gone back where?”
“She grew too big to handle. She would have been discovered here sooner or later, so I sent her back to the forest.”
Adel listened quietly to Kaiden’s calm voice. Instead, she gripped her dress so tightly it hurt.
“So that’s what happened… no wonder I couldn’t see her.”
“….”
“She wouldn’t just stay hidden if I came. She’s like you—she only trusts me.”
Adel spoke confidently, closing and opening her eyes, but still, nothing appeared. That was enough.
“So… did she go back safely?”
“Hmm, probably.”
“…Thank goodness.”
Adel whispered the words to Kaiden, who still wouldn’t look at her, and his shoulders twitched.
In truth, he wanted to dash out of this suffocating place immediately, but he couldn’t bring himself to.
Instead, he rummaged under the bushes, picked something up, and finally approached Adel.
“…This is…”
“I picked it up. On the way to send it back.”
It was quite a large egg.
Its faintly reddish, translucent color seemed even more vivid as it touched Adel’s knees.
“That guy—no, your husband… probably the same species.”
“So that’s why you’ve been taking care of it?”
“Not exactly… I tried to get it to hatch before you arrived, but it didn’t work. No matter what I tried…”
“No, no… that’s not how it should be done.”
Adel saw the large marks stamped all over the eggshell and closed her eyes.
Really, his temperament…
As Kaiden tried once more to lower the egg, Adel wrapped her arms protectively around it.
“…Of course, it’s my first time too, though.”
“Sister!”
“Thank you. Truly, thank you.”
With a soft thud, the tears she had been holding back fell.
Being the second time, the feeling of tears running down her cheeks was no longer unfamiliar. Of course, the egg on her lap felt as natural as always.
“…And… it’s good to see you.”
She didn’t bother wiping away her tears, knowing they wouldn’t stop easily.
Kaiden was dumbfounded by her whispered words.
Why was she like this? Adel was still calm and elegant, not a hint of disarray. If it weren’t for the endlessly flowing tears, he could have sworn she was smiling.
“This is the last time. So please… keep it a secret.”
