That Lady’s Stalker - Chapter 50
“We know. Mom tells us every day.”
It felt like a knot was tightening in Jace’s throat. If only Asher had had a childhood as bright as this one.
“Ricky, Ririn, shouldn’t you greet the Emperor first when you see him?”
At those words, the children, mimicking the graceful gestures of adults, pretended to be well-mannered young gentlemen and ladies. The sight of such small children trying to mimic adults was irresistibly cute.
Jace, unable to keep his composure, burst into laughter.
“Don’t spoil them too much. They’ll get bad habits.”
A sturdy man approached from behind the children. His hair, just as sparkling as the children’s, fluttered in the breeze.
“You’ve gotten even better looking.”
There was no trace of the darkness that used to linger on his face. Jace was reminded of the days when Asher was gaunt and frail.
Now, as Asher had become a father, Jace gently ruffled his hair, just like he had done with Ricky. Softly, carefully.
“…What are you doing?”
“Just….”
Asher looked at him with a confused expression but didn’t push his hand away. Jace chuckled again, watching Asher.
Ricky and Ririn, watching Jace smile at Asher, tilted their heads in confusion. A strange emotion seemed to be clearly visible, like it could be touched.
Then Ricky asked loudly,
“Why does the Emperor treat our dad like a baby?”
“Because he’s my little brother.”
“That’s strange. I don’t think Ririn looks like a baby.”
“Do you want to be the older brother just because you’re a few minutes older?”
Ririn crossed her arms tightly and glared at Ricky. The argument broke out in an instant. The children tangled together, scratching at each other. Jace and Asher picked them up separately and carried them into the palace.
It wasn’t until the tired children fell asleep from all the playing that the two brothers were finally able to sit facing each other.
“They’ve got a lot of energy.”
“I heard Olivia and Oliver used to play like that when they were young. They’re so much like Olivia.”
Even in the midst of exhaustion, Asher’s face lit up with life when he spoke of his wife.
“Do you still feel that way?”
“Yes.”
Jace had noticed it ever since Asher started growing his hair out, but he couldn’t hide his love.
Asher, back then and even now, was shouting with his whole being that he loved Olivia.
“Looking at you now, you and your wife really do resemble each other.”
“Not at all. Olivia is nothing like someone like me.”
Asher’s face became serious as he said it.
“You do resemble each other. The way you both look at each other so intensely is exactly the same.”
“……”
Jace’s words seemed to please Asher.
“When Olivia came to ask for my permission and handed me the proposal letter, I thought it was truly amazing.”
“Olivia did…?”
“Did you not know? She came in so confidently, as if she had left something behind, I was absolutely stunned at the time.”
But at the same time, Jace felt a sense of relief. Her boldness, without any hesitation, was something he admired.
She was not at all ashamed of her relationship with Asher. She proudly told anyone who would listen that Asher was her man and she was his woman.
Jace was deeply grateful to Olivia. He didn’t think she realized just how much he appreciated her for healing and caring for his broken brother.
“She… she did that.”
“You’re so fortunate to have met her…”
The brothers, both lost in their thoughts, didn’t even touch the steaming teacups before them.
Both of them, no doubt, felt immense gratitude toward Olivia.
It was Jace who broke the silence that had settled in the room. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke to Asher.
“I have something I want to show you. I don’t know if you’ll like it, but…”
Jace led Asher out of the main palace. It had taken a long time to fix things up. In fact, he had thought a lot about it—whether this was truly the right thing to do. Would it bring up forgotten memories?
“This path…”
The path they were on led to the palace where Asher had stayed as a child. He walked along it in a daze, almost as if entranced. In the distance, he could see a palace that didn’t quite match his memories.
The fringe trees he liked so much lined the path around the palace, and the garden was beautifully arranged with flowers and trees suitable for the season. The once rusty and dirty outer walls, somehow, had been restored to their former luster and now gleamed brightly.
Following the path that the fringe trees had created, Asher finally reached the front of the palace. He raised his trembling hand and gently touched the smooth wall. The warmth of the afternoon sun seemed to make the wall pulse under his palm.
He lowered his head, overwhelmed by a strange feeling. It felt as though he had returned to his childhood. As he stood there, lost in confused emotions, the sound of a door opening reached his ears. Through the wide-open door, the interior could be seen.
“Asher, come in.”
It was magnificent. Magnificent and warm. The shattered, worn-out chandelier had been replaced by a large, beautiful one that brightly lit every corner of the room.
The dust that had accumulated on the floor, like gray eyes, had been thoroughly cleaned, and the white marble gleamed with a pristine shine. The faded, damaged frames and decorations had been replaced, and even the doors, once damaged and worn, had been completely changed.
Asher’s eyes trembled slightly.
Jace, quietly observing his face, spoke softly.
