Thought It Was ‘The End’, Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 215 - An Obsessive Husband, Persistently Following

Epilogue I:
An Obsessive Husband, Persistently Following

Shortly after Adeline had confided her secret—

Shane called for Lucian and entrusted him with a task—to find a man.

“Adeline wanted him kept alive, but… leaving loose ends isn’t quite .”

“And who exactly are you planning to kill?”

Shane responded with nothing but a chilling smile.

“Just find him and keep watch, Lucian. Don’t touch him. I’ll take care of it myself.”

“What a dull job.”

“Adeline might get suspicious if she notices anything unnecessary, so stay away.”

“For your information, I’m quite strict about maintaining client confidentiality.”

“Do you think I don’t know you make an exception only for Adeline?”

“……”

“Get lost and just watch from a distance, the way you always do.”

Adeline believed everything had been resolved, so Shane didn’t want to cause her unnecessary worry.

The cleanup was his job alone.

‘People don’t change easily, after all.’

Adeline must be crazy to love someone like this guy. Despite Lucian’s warnings and the opportunities he’d given her, she chose to stay beside that maniacal glare. She must be out of her mind.

Lucian clicked his tongue and left Delmuz.

Several months passed that way.

For months, Adeline wandered aimlessly, like a teenager going through a belated rebellion.

This isn’t it.

This isn’t it, either!

Finding something she truly wanted to do turned out to be much harder than she thought. Like an artisan smashing their finished pottery, she tried and quit countless hobbies.

“What exactly is it that you want to do?”

Even when Lloyd asked her with a look of pity, Adeline refused to give up.

How hard had she fought to get her life back?

She couldn’t just live an empty, barren existence without a single hobby!

“I don’t even know what I want to do.”

You have to try playing to get good at it.

For Adeline, who had spent her life making survival plans to avoid the murderous intent of the world, leisure was an indulgence she’d never allowed herself.

While in seclusion, she hadn’t even had the energy to attempt anything.

She tried learning musical instruments.

Piano, violin, flute, harp—she tried them all but found none enjoyable.

Shane bought her the most expensive and luxurious versions of every instrument she wanted to learn. When he handed her a grand piano, even though she couldn’t even play beginner pieces, Adeline felt defeated before she even began.

“Isn’t this a bit too much for me?”

“There’s no such thing as ‘too much’ for you, Adeline.”

“No, this really feels excessive.”

“If you don’t use it, it’s just a noisy wooden board.”

“……”

It was probably the worst misfortune for the craftsman who made the instrument.

The violin, whose sound was said to deepen with age, surely cost millions in her previous life’s currency. The guilt of producing screeches on such a priceless instrument was overwhelming.

I’m sorry, violin…

An instrument that old might even be capable of cursing someone.

Adeline decided to enjoy music solely with her ears.

The expensive instruments Shane had purchased were donated to talented but impoverished musicians.

She also tried cooking, baking, embroidery, watercolor painting, oil painting, wood carving, knitting, needlework, and bead crafts. None of them resonated with her.

Adeline had to finally admit it.

‘I’m terrible with my hands!’

She realized she had no talent whatsoever for crafting anything with her hands.

Even if one lacked talent, hobbies could still be enjoyable. But unfortunately, Adeline found no interest in any indoor activities.

Why should I have to do something indoors? If I’m home, I should be lying down. Why leave the bed when there’s nothing to do?

Her skepticism began at that point, so it was no wonder she couldn’t engage in anything productive.

Moreover, indoor activities didn’t require her involvement. The Blanchard estate had skilled chefs and artisans working as servants, creating masterpieces effortlessly.

Adeline turned her focus to outdoor activities.

Morning physical training with Shane had become part of her daily routine. She could now go for a run for about fifteen minutes without stopping completely. However, since it wasn’t enjoyable, she couldn’t consider it a hobby.

Horseback riding was the same.

Ultimately, Adeline settled on gardening.

Specifically, cultivating a vegetable patch.

It was spring, the season of blooming flowers, and Adeline discovered an empty section of the garden, left barren as the estate’s landscaper planned renovations. It reminded her of the time she lived alone with Lloyd.

From her third year onward, Adeline had grown vegetables in a small garden. Potatoes thrived, and the vegetables and herbs she cultivated were a modest yet helpful addition to their household budget.

Adeline planted potatoes and scattered various seeds with her own hands.

Seeing the sprouts emerge, Adeline made a decision.

I shall become the absolute monarch of vegetable gardening!