An Obsessive Man Raised Impurely - Chapter 5

“Milady!”

1STKISSNOVEL. DO NOT STEAL MY TRANSLATION!

“Don’t make a fuss. I came back before dinner, as promised.”

“That’s not the problem right now.”

“Then what’s the matter?”

“His Grace has been looking for you.”

The maid looked terribly nervous.

She was the one who was scolded, but it seemed like she was worrying more about me.

“Go tell him I came back in one piece.”

“I think you should see him in person, Milady. He was so worried…”

“What do you mean by ‘worry’? He’s not worried about me at all.”

“Milady…!”

In any case, those were concerns that had nothing to do with me.

They were worried about Lillian, the original owner of this body, not because of me.

I’m sure his anxiety comes from guilt about not being able to protect his wife.

Jeya paused, struggling to speak freely, before opening her mouth again.

“To think of that… His Grace truly cares about you.”

I’d had enough of those meaningless words of comfort.

Because I knew they weren’t even aimed at me.

‘Even now, I despise myself for knowing well that it wasn’t my place.’

A headache that had been buried deep emerged.

“Are you all right, Milady?”

“I’m okay, I’ll go alone.”

“Please let me accompany you…”

“I said, I’m fine!”

I pushed away Jeya’s hand.

“M-Milady…”

Jeya, taken aback by the outburst, cupped her aching palm over her chest. I was startled as well, but pretended not to be.

It was funny that I felt bad for her, but I didn’t want to show any signs of weakness.

The rigid pain had subsided.

The things that kept getting on my nerves gave me headaches as if it were a chronic sickness.

“Lillian Grey.”

A low voice rang through the beating rain.

Grand Duke Gray stood far away, his face rigid.

“…”

“You…”

Under the shadow created by the umbrella, he started speaking, but paused.

“I went out to meet someone I needed to see.”

“Is that person so important? Enough to give your father a fright by going out without permission?”

“Yes.”

“…”

“Then, please allow me to come home.”

As I said this in an unfriendly voice, Grand Duke Grey didn’t even glanced at Hadelion.

‘Will he recognize him? Can he know that the child in front of him is the wizard whom the Emperor he serves was obsessed with due to his power?’

I thought about it for a second, but the answer soon followed.

No. He won’t.

‘Because the symptoms of mana exhaustion manifests differently for Hadelion.’

It was a well-kept secret that his mana deprivation, rather than manifesting as a regular cold, actually returned him to the appearance of a kid.

The Emperor was the only person in the Empire who was aware of this secret.

Because he was the one who deliberately abused Hadelion’s mana.

Unless it was a notable day, the Emperor kept Hadelion locked up in the Northern Tower, where only the Emperor was allowed to enter and leave.

It was plastered to the brim with magic constraints.

The Emperor’s vassals were under the impression that no matter how good the mage was, he wouldn’t be able to conjure magic in places locked down with mana control stones.

Grand Duke Grey was no different.

‘You’re just thinking this kid has a creepy resemblance.’

Knowing Hadelion’s original appearance, I could imagine what the Grand Duke was thinking when he halted for a moment after he saw Hadelion’s face.

However, his mana potential greatly exceeded their expectations.

Their arrogance was what allowed him to escape that place.

Grand Duke Grey was among those who misjudged Hadelion.

So he won’t notice. What his daughter had taken into the house with her.

“I won’t allow it.”

“Why?”

“You can’t have strangers near you. We don’t even know his name or family.”

“Hadelion.”

“What?”

“If he really needs a family name, then I’ll lend him mine. Problem solved.”

“Lillian.”

Crimson eyes, as the color of blood, were enraged.

His forehead was wrinkled, yet he was sorrowful.

So I opened my mouth without thinking.

“He’s the one I need, Father.”

“…Lillian.”

“Please.”

“…”

“…I’m back home.”

Showing an awkward smile, I was sure I looked like the real Lillian.

“Lily.”

Grand Duke Grey, who stood stiff as a marble stone, threw down his umbrella and came forward, grabbing me in his arms.

‘…It’s wet.’

I got drenched as a result of him being wet in the rain.

I could feel both our heartbeats as I drew closer to his chest.

“Your Grace!”

Jeya approached us, astonished, and tried to hold up the umbrella over him, but he didn’t seem to mind being wet in the rain.

Anderson Grey, Grand Duke

I stared up at him as he held me in his arms for what seemed like an eternity.

His eyes were closed; water dripping down his transparent silver hair onto his pale cheeks.

The hands that were wrapped around my back were trembling slightly.

It seemed incredible that a man known as the Silent Executioner, who had conquered the North, couldn’t help but quiver in fear. I thought it was just my imagination, but he was actually trembling.

“I’m glad you came back safely. I’m so glad…”

“…”

“You have no idea how worried I was when I heard you awoke after a month and seemed to be a different person.”

“Did the maids actually say that?”

“That’s right. When I heard that, I feared I’d gone insane. The mere thought that I may lose you… I was frightened…”

…Fear.

It wasn’t just a figment of my mind.

Grand Duke Gray, drenched in rain, tenderly caressed my cheek.

“But it isn’t like that. You will always be my daughter. The maids must have misunderstood.”

His loving gaze pierced right through me.

‘Did I become insane after possessing someone else’s body?’

Grand Duke Gray’s sight made me ill to my stomach.

Grand Duke Grey, Hadelion, and Jeya the maid.

Strangers’ kindness probed into my thoughts, attempting to wear down the end of the hard reality that I had known my whole life.

So I did something that wasn’t exactly myself.

“I’m sorry for causing you worries.”

It wasn’t difficult to imagine what the actual Lillian would have said.

“Let’s go inside, Lily. You’re going to catch a cold.”

“What about Hadel, Father?”

“Bring in the child for the time being. I’ll let him stay at the estate until you find a guardian. It doesn’t matter now that you’ve returned safely.”

He didn’t allow me out of his arms after a few more “What a relief” statements, as if to reassure himself.

“The words “What a relief” seemed to be wearing out his lips.

Even though he wasn’t looking at me, I could feel his mind settle down.

“All right, Hadel, let’s go.”

“…Yes.”

When I reached for Hadelion, he hurried to grab my hand.

An unfamiliar peace settled upon the three people.

Their entwined shadows under the umbrella became closer than they were at the beginning.

The monsoon season was coming to an end.