Chapter 54
Adeline furrowed her brows at Herald’s immediate denial.
It was strange. He had just confessed that he cared so much for Chloe—so why couldn’t he easily admit that he had affection?
“This isn’t from a purely sincere place.”
“What do you… mean by that?”
Adeline tilted her head in confusion, and Herald avoided her gaze for a moment before gathering the courage to look into her eyes again.
“My feelings for you… made me feel something for Chloe because I wanted you to notice me once more.”
“……”
“In short… I treated Chloe that way because I wanted to look good in front of you. That… can’t really be called fatherly love.”
“……”
A brief silence fell.
Adeline’s eyes widened as she tried to interpret what Herald had just said.
“Wh-what… did you say?”
Her words came out in halting syllables, full of her confusion.
“You could say my affection for you influenced how I treated Chloe.”
“Ha…”
Adeline stared at Herald, whose earlobes were gradually reddening, and gripped her forehead in disbelief.
“Just hearing that… it sounds like you’re confessing to me, Herald.”
“……”
Herald didn’t speak, but his golden eyes, unwavering, answered for him.
Adeline was right.
At that moment, her face flushed, as if his emotions had infected her.
“Wh-what…? Suddenly… what are you…?”
“I thought I’d finally express it properly. Our daughter—no, your daughter—gave me a proper scolding.”
“To Chloe?”
Herald nodded, recalling the moment he returned to the mansion holding Chloe yesterday.
By the time they reached the Ereiton estate, Chloe, who had fainted, had briefly opened her eyes.
“Ahhh…”
“Is she awake?”
“Hahaha…”
“What?”
Herald hadn’t understood her weak voice properly, so he leaned closer to her.
“Mom… hahaha…”
He chuckled lightly as he recalled it.
“Chloe kept telling me to reconcile with you. I guess she realized things had become awkward between us.”
“Chloe…”
Adeline felt as if she had been struck on the head, stunned by what she had just heard.
At that moment, a large hand held hers.
“Adeline, I’ll try to change from now on. So if you’re dissatisfied or upset with me in any way, I want you to tell me without holding back.”
“……”
“I’ll do my best to fix it. And…”
Herald rummaged through his coat pocket and took out a crimson velvet box, extending it to her.
“What’s this…?”
“It’s our wedding anniversary today. I debated whether to give it, but since it’s prepared… I want to give it to you.”
As he spoke, Herald didn’t even look at Adeline.
She had seen this side of him before.
On their first wedding anniversary, he had hurried back and given her flowers he had picked himself, apologizing while avoiding eye contact.
Whether out of shyness or guilt, it had looked cute, and she had been very happy with such a clumsy gift.
Now, feelings long buried were beginning to resurface.
Adeline slowly accepted the box.
Inside was a deep blue sapphire necklace.
“Thank you for the gift… and for your earlier confession…”
Blushing, Adeline spoke, and Herald turned his head away completely, his earlobes bright red.
I was sitting at my desk, waiting for Seian.
After about a week of recuperation, I was fully recovered—so much so that I barely remembered what had hurt.
As soon as I felt better, I got busy immediately.
When Elly handed me a packed schedule of ability training and classes, I felt like fainting.
Wasn’t it too harsh for someone who had just gotten out of bed?
But I was probably the only one thinking that way.
Even Pepe said…
“If you’re the heir of the Ereiton family, you must do it. Besides, your ability went out of control when you were kidnapped, right? That was extremely dangerous. If mishandled, you could have exhausted all your body’s energy, not just the natural energy.”
“My body’s energy?”
“Yes.”
“What would happen if I used it?”
Pepe stared at me as if incredulous I didn’t know and said firmly,
“You’d die.”
…that was it.
“Ugh…”
Thinking about it again made my body shiver.
How could he casually say something like that?
But I understood what he meant.
The second time I used my ability, I really couldn’t move.
It felt like all the strength in my body had drained away. I was terrified.
Afraid I might never control my body at will again.
Training in abilities in the future would probably reduce that risk.
“Sigh…”
I leaned back in my chair, letting out a deep sigh.
“Why the sigh?”
“Eek!”
A low voice popped up behind me, and an uncontrolled shriek escaped my mouth.
“Wow, amazing! That’s exactly like the monkey cries I heard when we got lost in the jungle before!”
I glared at Seian, who casually clapped and mentioned monkeys.
He ignored my stare entirely and just sat down beside me.
“Alright, ready for class?”
“My heart’s racing too much. I can’t do this right now.”
“How unfortunate.”
Seian muttered with a tone and expression that weren’t the least bit sympathetic.
He was already flipping through my notebook.
“Ah…!”
A short shriek escaped me without thinking.
I had completely forgotten he had assigned homework on the last day of class, after everything that had happened.
“Hmm…”
He looked over the empty pages, sighing.
I could only lower my head beside him like a guilty criminal.
“I’ve heard you went through quite an ordeal… but to have done no homework at all. This teacher is so disappointed I could cry.”
Even speaking so indifferently, with such a nonchalant expression…
Thud. Seian’s hand closed the notebook.
“By the way… are you physically okay? I had to be out of the mansion for work, so I couldn’t visit while you were sick. My apologies.”
“It’s fine.”
I meant it. If Seian had come, it would have been even more uncomfortable.
The only people I wasn’t uncomfortable around while sick were my mother, Elly, and… Herald, perhaps?
Surprisingly, I wasn’t that uneasy around Herald.
He did what I asked without complaint.
Besides, he had saved my life.
Feeling closer to someone who saved your life is natural.
And now Herald no longer treated me uncomfortably like before. Maybe he had reconciled with my mother without me knowing?
Come to think of it, when my mom came back with Herald, their faces were red…
“…right?”
No, if they had reconciled, wouldn’t they have visited me together?
“…Just for a short time, how about that?”
And the fact that my mom and Herald came separately, one in the morning and one in the evening, was a little worrying.
Maybe they avoided meeting each other?
“Miss!”
“Huh?”
“Did you hear me?”
“Ah…”
I hadn’t heard at all. Seian, observing my awkward smile, adjusted his glasses with his middle finger and spoke.
“So, you didn’t hear me at all. Looks like I’ll have to extend class by two hours.”
“Huh? Why?”
I asked, doubting my ears.
“You didn’t do your homework, and you didn’t focus in class. I initially thought of just adding an hour, but… that won’t do. Two hours, then.”
Ah… I should’ve just stayed fainted a few more days. Stupidly sturdy body!
