The West Wind's Destination - Chapter 46
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Aseph had many things he wanted to do, to give, and to see Bea happy and laughing whenever he met her.
Right after their reunion, before he could put any of those plans into action, the child came into the picture, leaving all his plans up in the air.
‘Is it right to be on guard?’
Aseph was no fool. He had experienced betrayal and invasion, came back from the dead, and even led a war to victory. His pursuit of Bea was not just because he was blinded by love; he genuinely believed Bea was not the person everyone claimed she was.
However, his worries soon dissipated.
The decision to go to the mine, and the preparation of travel clothing, gave him a dreamlike time with Bea.
Contrary to others’ judgments, Aseph saw Bea showing quite a bit of affection towards Homun. While looking forward to emphasizing the idea of family during this trip, Bea quietly said,
“Has he gained weight?”
She was referring to Homun. Aseph also glanced at the child.
Ever since entering the mansion and being fitted with new clothes, Homun had startled and then averted his gaze when he heard that remark.
‘Has he?’
The clothes Homun wore were modest. They resembled noble attire but were more functional, with trousers suitable for a young boy. Even with just taking off the old cloaks and worn clothes Bea had put on him, he looked like a child born and raised as a noble.
In short, he resembled a young Aseph, the sight of which was incredibly adorable in anyone’s eyes.
It seemed, however, that this change was unfamiliar to Bea.
“What has he been eating?”
“He’s eaten sweets that look like clouds made of sugar.”
“……”
Bea’s expression turned cold.
Aseph, unable to stay still, interjected,
“It seems the chef made a lot of cotton candy because the child likes it.”
“…I see.”
“Should I tell them to reduce the snacks?”
Bea looked down at the homunculus, now quite plump. Her gaze was icy.
“Don’t worry too much, Bea. It’s important for children to eat well. Actually, he was underweight before, so now he looks much healthier.”
That was true. Bea too glanced at the child who looked like a mini-Aseph.
Even though Aseph knew Bea was genuinely curious and not upset, he enthusiastically defended the child to prevent any possible backlash.
“It’s actually great that he doesn’t have picky eating habits. He eats milk and vegetables really well.”
Homun perked up at his defense.
“Y-Yes! I drink milk well.”
“…”
Bea narrowed her eyes.
“You’ve been drinking milk.”
“Y…Yes!”
“But you used to hate that opaque, white liquid.”
Quickly, Homun shook his head.
“I may be a failure, but I want to grow quickly and be of help to you, Master.”
Before Bea could respond with ‘that’s right’, Aseph scooped Homun up.
“My child, why say such things?”Top of Form
Aseph, having twirled the homunculus in the air once, held Homun in his arms and spoke gently.
“At your age, you don’t need to do anything. Just eating well and growing up is enough.”
Both Bea and the homunculus gazed at Aseph with astonished eyes.
“There’s no need to try to be helpful to adults yet. Being born and growing up well is itself a fortune and a miracle.”
“I-Is that so?”
Homun, who looked like Aseph but had more of Bea’s essence, stammered unusually.
With eyes resembling high-quality topaz and amethyst, the homunculus murmured softly.
“Then, is it okay if I stay here longer?”
“Of course.”
“Even if I’m not helpful?”
As he said this, Homun looked at Bea instead of Aseph.
“Helpful? My role is to help you grow up well.”
“But to survive, one must constantly prove their value….”
“No need for that, my little one. Just eating well and growing is enough.”
“Uh…”
Hearing these words for the first time, the homunculus looked up at Aseph with quivering eyes.
“Still, you should only eat snacks in moderation. Eating too much isn’t good for your health.”
Homun cautiously glanced at Bea before softly responding.
“I understand.”
Aseph put down Homun and tenderly ruffled his hair. The typically expressionless face, reminiscent of Bea’s, blushed. It seemed that Homun was quite content with the idea of staying here.
‘If only Bea felt the same about this place.’
Although the child outwardly resembled Bea, the more Aseph observed him, the more endearing he found him, convinced he was similar to Bea. No one else seemed to share this opinion.
“Correction.”
Bea, who had been silently observing them from behind, finally spoke up quietly.
“Merely being born isn’t a miracle. It’s a result of my research.”
Aseph fell silent and looked at her, ready to listen to whatever she had to say.
“There are no coincidences, no luck, or miracles in this world. It’s filled instead with countless probabilities and laws.”
“Is that so?”
In truth, Bea didn’t think she communicated well with Aseph and wasn’t sure how much of her perspective he could grasp.
However, she was very sure that Aseph’s behavior just now irked her.
