Thought It Was 'The End', Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 229
Epilogue III:
A Villainess Daughter, Simply Unbelievable
By the time they passed through the capitalâs gates, it was already the dead of night.
Ashad, Jeffâs young aide, finished speaking with the gate guards and knocked on the carriage window. Half-asleep, Jeff awoke and pulled back the curtain.
âIs there a problem?â
âNot at all, sir. But we do need to inform the coachman of our destination now.â
Only then did Jeff recall that heâd merely told them their destination was the capital, Delmuz, without specifying where to go next.
âIâd like to go to the Blanchard manor, but they wonât open their gates at this hour. Take me to the Parmite Hotel instead. My parents are at home, so I donât have much choice.â
âUnderstood, sir.â
Ashad responded politely, turned, and relayed the instructions to the coachman.
Ashad, a sixteen-year-old from the Brubewein Kingdom, was sharp with numbers and meticulous by natureâtraits that made him a reliable protĂ©gĂ© for Jeff to mentor.
Jeff massaged his stiff shoulders and stretched languidly. It had been two years since his last return.
He had been so preoccupied with his business ventures that he hadnât been able to visit Delmuz even once. He had longed to return, but there was simply never enough time. Whenever he finished one task, something unexpected would arise, and by the time he dealt with that, months would have flown by. Two years passed in the blink of an eye.
Even during those busy days when he only exchanged letters with his parents, there was one reason he had desperately wanted to come back to Delmuz.
He wanted to meet Lisa, Adelineâs daughter.
âHas it really been two years already?â
Thinking back to that summer, Jeff shook his head.
*
Two years ago, in early summer, Adeline gave birth to a beautiful daughter.
It had been a tumultuous and unusual pregnancy.
Jeff had never before witnessed a case where the husband experienced morning sickness in place of the wife.
Heâd heard it was possible, but he never thought it could actually happen.
Watching Shane, a man who looked like he had never suffered so much as a cold in his life, turn pale at the mere scent of food was a sight to behold.
It wasnât just food smells that bothered him. Fresh floral scents, the smoke from torches, even the metallic odor of knightsâ armorâeverything made him nauseous.
For nearly four months, Shane struggled with severe morning sickness, while Adeline remained perfectly fine.
In fact, her appetite grew, and her cheeks became delightfully plump.
âWhen I was carrying the three of you,â their mother had said, âI ate so well it became a problem. When I was pregnant with Patrick, I craved whipped cream. With Jeff, it was apples. And with you, Adeline, I couldnât stop eating meat.â
âI just think everything tastes amazing,â Adeline had replied, happily nibbling on snacks throughout the day.
Meanwhile, Shaneâs complexion grew paler by the day.
He described his condition as if someone were banging a spoon against his head on a violently rocking boat, with his stomach and skull half-filled with swirling water.
âThat sounds roughâŠâ
âI feel bad, ShaneâŠâ
Even Emma, who had given birth herself, and Adeline, the one carrying the child, couldnât fully empathize with Shaneâs plight.
Despite having no physical cause for his suffering, Shane Blanchard endured four months of agony on behalf of his wife.
Yet, even while dealing with this bizarre condition, Shane wrestled with a deeper concern.
One day, he called Jeff over and confessed.
âIâm not sure Iâll be able to love the child.â
âWhat?â
Shaneâs voice was strained as he spoke, occasionally interrupted by dry heaving triggered by passing odors.
âAdeline said you were happy about the news.â
âI was happy. Of course.â
âYouâre happy, but youâre not sure you can love the child?â
What kind of nonsense was this?
Shaneâs face was marked with anxiety.
Jeff tilted his head, staring at him closely. Being four years older, Jeff and Shane shared a somewhat odd friendship.
Jeff, who had always found the young Shane endearing as he trailed after Adeline, was the only one in the Bertrand family who occasionally sided with him.
If Adeline had truly hated Shane, Jeff wouldnât have helped him no matter what, but that wasnât the case. So, he often spent time with Shane and relayed updates.
Even trivial details like the brand of tea Adeline had for breakfast earned Jeff substantial rewards.
Shane Blanchard, who showed no regard for anyone else, spoke politely and restrained his temper in front of Jeff, purely because he was Adelineâs older brother. That alone revealed his sincerity.
While Gregory and Patrick disapproved of Shaneâs obsessive tendencies, calling them unhealthy, Jeff had a different perspective.
âWho are they to call someone else unhealthy?â
Jeff scoffed internally.
Pretending to have a sense of morality, are we now?
