The Abandoned and Terminally Ill Lady Married a Monster - Chapter 30
Chapter 30
“What kind of child are you! To have this kind of book! Don’t they control what books are allowed in here? What are they doing, giving this to a child?!”
“They say such things are more shameful if you hide them.”
“Who said that?!”
Kin yelled, his face burning, looking utterly exasperated.
I screamed internally. ‘I, I also want to stop saying these embarrassing things, but the words keep coming out!’
“The book…”
“This is confiscated.”
‘You’re a child too. You’re the same height as me. I don’t know your age, but…’
The words reached the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t utter them. My nonsensical babbling seemed to have finally reached its end. Kin stood up, fuming.
“I’m going home.”
I couldn’t bring myself to stop him. For one simple reason: I was too embarrassed!
Kin must be fleeing for the same reason. Why else would he run away with such a mortified expression?
I meant to see him out, but he was too quick. He bolted, escaping the house in a flash…
…along with the book I had given him.
I didn’t know then…
[“My wife seemed to know quite a lot. Isn’t it time you showed me firsthand?”]
…that in the distant future, the boy who would become my husband would tease me, using that very book against me.
* * *
Daykin walked, his face a bright crimson.
‘Idiot.’
There was no subject, so it was unclear who the idiot was. But he seemed angry at the idiot, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
Daykin’s hand kept drifting towards his lips. He grinned foolishly as he headed home. Then, noticing what he held in his hand, he groaned. His cheeks, which had finally cooled down, flared up again.
Daykin slipped into his room, hiding the embarrassing book. He plopped down on a chair with a thump and let out a strange groan.
‘I’m going crazy.’
He was going crazy with happiness. Since when had he become so fond of her? He had acknowledged his feelings for her before, but he hadn’t realized they would become this intense.
His first love, at fifteen, made his chest feel like it might burst.
‘Is this what it feels like to be in love? If I keep feeling this excited and happy every day, won’t my heart explode?’
The burning hot potato groaned. But he didn’t have much time to dwell on it. He had arrived later than usual and needed to get ready to go to the dining hall.
* * *
Daykin had been eating more than usual since he met Ailee. He had even gained a little weight. The energy that had been draining away as he controlled his overflowing abilities was now being used for physical growth.
He was still thin and small, though.
Minerva glanced at Daykin, focused on his meal, then returned her attention to her plate. In a casual tone, she asked, “Did you have a nice outing?”
Daykin nearly choked on his food at the unexpected question. Outing? Had he told the servants that today? He hadn’t. He’d told them not to come, that he wanted to stay in his room and read.
‘I’ve been caught.’
His secret outing had been discovered. Daykin cautiously gauged his mother’s expression.
Normally, he wouldn’t have been scolded too harshly for sneaking out. He often, or rather, frequently, slipped away from his lessons to wander outside.
However, this was a time to be careful.
Daykin carefully considered how to respond to his mother’s question. Unlike her son, Minerva calmly sliced her steak and said, “I suppose you prepared that gift so quickly to give it to the friend you met outside. I don’t particularly care who you met. Even if you run around like a colt, I trust you know what you’re doing.”
Daykin wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or worried by her words. As he hesitated, Minerva continued, “I’ll give you until tomorrow. We need to pack and return.”
“Tomorrow? That seems much earlier than planned…”
At Daykin’s words, Minerva’s expression finally flickered. Daykin knew instantly why they had to return so suddenly.
“…They’re conscripting men for the war.”
The sons of the House of Blashur were traditionally sent to war or to the monster subjugation forces in the north from a young age. No matter how exceptional their abilities, underage nobles weren’t usually conscripted, but the Blashurs were an exception.
The cause of the outbursts was an excessive amount of power. If his body couldn’t control the overflowing power, the risk of an outburst increased. To prevent this, the surplus magic had to be drained, little by little, from a young age.
The power inherent to the Blashur ducal family manifested as explosions. It couldn’t be released just anywhere, requiring specific locations for its controlled discharge.
The kingdom, of course, made good use of them. Though, outside of wartime, they were treated as walking bombs. And because their power was so formidable, the imperial family regarded the Blashurs as dangerous elements.
After all, no matter how well-trained a dog, if it’s stronger than its owner, it’s a problem. One could never know when it might bite. Openly antagonizing the ducal family, however, would only incite rebellion against the imperial throne.
So, both in war and peace, the imperial family made every effort to show the Blashurs the utmost courtesy. All the while, they kept them close, ready to cast them off the moment they showed any sign of defiance.
