Thought It Was 'The End', Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 216
Emma and Empress Viola didn’t allow Adeline to rest quietly.
As soon as the weather warmed up and the season began, she had to attend numerous parties with Emma. After all, she couldn’t just sit idly by when it came to supporting Genevieve, who had become the pope, in every possible way.
Starting with acquaintances she had met through Emma and Rachel’s introductions, Adeline began maintaining connections, one by one. Before long, she found herself with several appointments each day. Together with these new acquaintances, she even began discovering young talents in the cultural and art worlds.
Spending money lavishly was enjoyable.
Because of that, Adeline had to carve out even more time to enjoy her newfound hobbies. She diligently tended to her small and precious vegetable patch to make sure its budding sprouts didn’t wither.
Tending to the growing green leaves gave her a sense of fulfillment, as if the life she had lost as ‘Adeline’ was slowly and fully coming back to life after being eclipsed by nightmares.
This satisfaction, this sense of fulfillment, the temperature, the humidity…
“It’s great that you’ve found a hobby, Adeline. But you still need to spend time with me, you know.”
Shane’s voice was sulky as he shaded Adeline’s head with his towering figure.
“You’re so focused on that tiny patch of grass that you’ve been neglecting your husband.”
“You could’ve said something when you arrived.”
When she spread her arms and hugged him, she could feel his broad chest expand and contract, as if purring in satisfaction. The sound of his breath even resembled a low rumble.
‘Am I living with a person, or a fox?’
He was getting slyer by the day.
Was this what they called ‘cuteness aggression’?
Adeline chuckled softly and rubbed her cheek against Shane’s chest. His previously sulky expression melted away like snow in the sun.
“You’re home early.”
“I wanted to see you.”
“If I’d known you’d come early, we could’ve gone out for dinner.”
She had originally planned to meet a young sculptor with Emma that evening. However, the appointment had been canceled due to the sculptor’s sudden injury, leaving her free to tend to her vegetable patch.
“True, that’s a shame.”
Shame, my foot. You knew all along.
Shane pouted playfully, lightly pressing his nose against hers. Then, as if he couldn’t hold back anymore, he began planting kisses on her cheeks and lips.
Adeline let him kiss her face and neck while she removed her soil-stained gloves.
Shane’s habit of showering her with kisses, regardless of time or place, was something she had grown used to.
She had asked him to refrain from doing so in front of others, and he managed to restrain himself around older adults. But in the presence of Patrick, Jeff, Edwin, or Genevieve, he never stopped smothering her with kisses.
Still somewhat self-conscious, Adeline would sometimes offer him one of her hands instead. If she held it out and told him to kiss it, she could save face with just a single hand’s sacrifice.
Holding Shane’s face with both hands, Adeline asked him,
“Shane, you did finish your work before coming here, right?”
“Hmm…”
Shane didn’t respond immediately, only closing his eyes and smiling. It was clear he was trying to brush the matter aside with a grin.
“It wasn’t urgent.”
It wasn’t urgent, but it was obvious that he had abandoned his duties to come to her. By now, Edwin was probably fuming with anger, demanding to know how long they planned to act like newlyweds.
There was no need to ask how Shane had found out her appointment was canceled. He must have figured it out somehow. It was no surprise anymore that Shane always seemed to know where Adeline was.
Wherever she went, Shane would appear.
Like a mole in a whack-a-mole game.
When it was time for her to finish tea with Genevieve, he would show up to escort her home. At any gathering he didn’t accompany her to, he would be there by the time it ended.
‘He does work… doesn’t he…?’
To be honest, he seemed so idle that she couldn’t help but worry about the empire’s future.
According to Lucian, the earrings, rings, and bracelets Adeline wore were all extraordinary items.
‘No wonder he was smiling suspiciously when he gave them to me.’
One day, she muttered absentmindedly, “I feel like drinking wine tonight!” Lloyd looked at her like she was crazy, but that very night, Shane appeared in the bedroom with a bottle of wine.
He didn’t even try to hide his intentions. Adeline found it amusing rather than troubling.
“You actually live with someone like that? Wouldn’t it be better to run away?”
“If I ran away again, I’d probably lose at least an ankle.”
Considering how often Shane dropped by, she wondered why he even bothered relocating his base of operations.
“Well, that’s none of my business.”
“You’re truly insufferable. Do you think I’d die alone? At worst, I’d lose an ankle, but you’d lose your head.”
“……”
Lucian once commented that anyone who could laugh while knowing all this was also not in their right mind.
Whether it was family or friends, everyone around her acted like a kidnapper, so it seemed ridiculous to think she was the only sane one. Adeline accepted, humbly, that she wasn’t normal either.
“My love, my light, my angel.”
“Don’t call me that in front of other people… Lloyd looked so miserable.”
She worried that Lloyd might declare his independence soon.
“Shall we go out for dinner now?”
“Yes, if that’s what you want.”
But despite his words, Shane kissed her palm and gently nibbled on her wrist. He showed no signs of wanting to leave.
If he had truly wanted to eat out, he would’ve taken her to a restaurant before she returned home. The fact that he had waited until she came back made his intentions obvious.
‘The sun’s still high in the sky.’
Adeline looked between the bright sky and her clingy husband before letting out a deep sigh.
