Thought It Was 'The End', Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 147
When Emma visited, Adeline was leisurely eating cookies at the table by the window.
No matter the situation, humans get hungry when it’s time to eat, and sometimes, the stomach growls shamelessly even before a meal is prepared.
As Adeline had felt embarrassed, Lloyd had given her some cookies to eat while she waited.
Emma watched Adeline munching on the cookies for a moment before smiling softly.
“At least you look a bit better. Maybe because fainting from poison gave you some rest.”
There was a sharp edge to her words. Adeline set down the cookie, and Emma pulled out the chair across from her and sat down.
“You’ve never been ordinary, not since you were a child. You were always busy plotting something, never resting for a single day.”
“……”
“Whatever you did, we always thought you were just adorable, and that you should do whatever you wanted. Perhaps that was our mistake.”
It didn’t seem like the right time to chew on the remaining cookie. Adeline, sensing the mood, pressed her tongue to the roof of her mouth.
“By the time we realized something was wrong, you had become thin, avoiding us at every turn. Patrick and Jeff went through similar phases, so we just assumed it was growing pains for you too… We thought you’d come back eventually if we waited.”
“……”
“We believe we’ve waited long enough.”
“……”
“We’re not asking you to tell us everything. We’re not the kind of parents who need to pry into every detail of our grown children’s lives. But we needed at least one word from you about why you hid for five years, pretending to be dead—or at the very least, tell us that you’re okay now.”
“……”
“Shane Blanchard said he would do whatever it takes to keep you safe, so we decided to trust him when he brought you back. But it was under one condition.”
What could that condition be…
Adeline suddenly realized that her quiet days had never really been peaceful.
Gregory, Emma, Patrick, and Jeff—they had all been pretending to be calm. In reality, they were watching her closely, preparing for whatever she might do next, and ready for anything.
They had hidden their torn hearts, those of parents who had once lost their child.
Emma spoke again.
“If you ever become endangered again, or if he couldn’t keep you safe, we would take you away and lock you up ourselves.”
“Take me away and lock me up…?”
Am I some kind of goldfish, to be locked up?
Adeline’s head started spinning.
“In fact, Shane Blanchard was so confident that we thought he would get you pregnant right after marriage. We figured that if he could take in a child like the Saintess who he found on the street, there’s no way he’d abandon one of his own blood.”
“…That’s a bit…”
Isn’t that dangerous? Adeline wanted to argue that forced relationships had no place even in a marriage, but among aristocrats in this world, having an heir was considered a given.
“But even after waiting, there was no news of a pregnancy. You only grew thinner, threw yourself into the Saintess’ place, and now even poison…”
Emma let out a small sigh.
“We wanted to be kind to you, Adeline.”
“Mother…”
“But we had no choice. We couldn’t lose you twice.”
Her voice was gentle and kind, but her eyes did not smile at all.
*
As evening fell, Patrick and Jeff arrived.
Adeline, having lost her appetite after her not-quite-argument with Emma, greeted them reluctantly.
Seeing her sitting there in silent protest, without touching the dinner Lloyd had prepared, Patrick spoke up.
“You’ve only just recovered. You should eat something.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Come on, don’t be like that.”
Patrick’s large hand gently patted Adeline’s head.
Then, he knelt in front of her.
