Some announcements:
- WHY DID NOBODY TELL ME CHAPTER 30 WASN’T POSTED!!!! It’s posted now, so if you want to go back and read it to see what you all missed out on, go for it! 😉
- I reedited ALL previous chapters and this reedit includes a few changes. Nothing to the plot though, just minor things. If anyone does happen to go back and reread everything, if you could let me know if I made any errors, that would be fantastic.
- Some of the names will be changing moving forward. Nothing too dramatic, you’ll be able to tell the difference and may not even notice. The changes have already been made to the previous chapters.
- I’ve been working really REALLY hard the last few weeks. I was being lazy because the webtoon was on hiatus, but now that its being published again, I had A LOT of work to do to catch up (I’m a natural procrastinator). That being said, I think/hope you’ll all appreciate my efforts with all the new chapters.
- A new season of the anime Solo Leveling is going to be coming out, so I hope all the new chapters that are being released make up for my potential lapse in publishing since I’ll have to binge season 1 pretty soon 🙂
Anyways, thanks for sticking with me and I hope you all enjoy!
P.S. If you are ever wondering about what novels I’m working on or release schedules, I’ve posted a link in my bio for that.
-Scrappy
***
After taking a bath and changing into their pajamas, Lizelle and Raphel both drank a glass of sugared milk.
“Ahhhh!”
Raphel made a loud sound, satisfied, and wiped the milk off his lips. Lizelle wondered where he’d learned something like that from.
She laughed, put the empty glasses on the table and dried Raphel’s hair with a towel.
A glass of sugar milk after a bath was part of their daily routine.
It felt natural at this point.
It was a reminder there was a sweet reward after bath time, and a glass of sugar milk was also the perfect way to wash away the fatigue of the day.
The warm water made her tired, but the sugar revitalized her.
Just like the refreshing feeling of drinking banana milk after a bath in the bathhouse.
“Where did you learn to drink milk and go ‘ahhh’?”
Raphel closed his eyes and spoke quietly while Lizelle’s hand brushed his hair.
“Miles does it!”
Miles was a man with a sturdy physique who worked in the kitchen.
“Raphel, only do that when we’re alone. You shouldn’t do this in crowded places. Got it?”
She had to point it out to him since he could get scolded for doing it in public as it was considered to be against the dignity of a noble.
When it was revealed that Raphelion was a direct descendant of the dukedom, he would be educated on noble etiquette and duty.
Then he wouldn’t be able to act as freely as he does now.
His every move would be restricted.
It’s fortunate that Chase’s views on education weren’t too strict, but it’s better to be careful or else he might end up getting criticized by the other nobles.
“Yes! It’s our secret!”
Raphel was happy to have a secret shared only between the two of them, flapping his arms in joy.
Lizelle smiled softly at Raphel and began drying his hair again.
Even though her arms were getting tired, she didn’t stop.
It was her last day with Raphel in this mansion, she’d wanted to dry his hair herself.
As the sun set and the moon overtook the sky, complete darkness came and the two lay down on the cozy bed.
Raphel pursed his lips, leaning his face on Lizelle’s shoulder.
“…Can uncle sleep with us tonight?”
Raphel mumbled in a low voice.
Perhaps because he only spoke after hesitating for a long time, he spoke in a tried voice.
It was also a request that had been rejected by Lizelle several times before.
Nevertheless, the reason he asked Lizelle again was because he’d enjoyed the day they’d slept in the same bed so much.
It was to the point where he wished he could repeat that night over and over again.
In Raphel’s mind, the day the three of them slept together was remembered as the happiest day out of all the ones they’d spent together so far.
He couldn’t forget the arms of Lizelle and Chase, warmly wrapped around him tightly.
Especially since they were his two favorite people.
The day when his head felt like it was going to explode and the days he spent curled up in a pile of trash had long since disappeared from Raphel’s memories.
Before he knew it, happy memories with Lizelle and Chase replaced all the bad memories.
“Let’s sleep together next time.”
Lizelle responded, poking Raphel’s soft, squishy cheek.
She felt uncomfortable every time she rejected him but couldn’t help it.
Everything just happened that day, but since they were not real family, it was impossible for the three of them to continue sleeping together.
“When?”
“Um, in two nights?”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Really.”
“Yay! Hehehe.”
Raphel seemed happy Lizelle agreed and snuggled into her arms.
The small body was snuggly tucked up against hers.
Lizelle’s throat constricted, and her mouth went dry at Raphel’s excited response, she felt like her heart had been pricked by thorns.
There would be no next time.
Because tomorrow she would be leaving this place.
But she was able to lie so calmly…
Raphel believed the lie.
No matter how good her intentions were when she told the lie, the child would realize sooner or later and be greatly hurt.
Knowing this, she felt uncomfortable with herself for telling a lie so blatantly.
“In two nights!”
Her heart ached even more as she watched the child counting with his little fingers.
Raphel had no doubt that if he just woke up two more times, he’d be able to relive the best day ever.
“Raphel, you should go to sleep now.”
“Okay!”
Lizelle tried her best to ignore Raphel’s expectant look and hugged his delicate body even tighter.
She felt sorry that she wouldn’t be able to meet his expectations, and sad that she wouldn’t be with him anymore.
Raphel quickly fell into happy dreams in Lizelle’s arms.
She felt his small, soft heart beating rhythmically in her arms.
Whenever she hugged Raphel, it felt like she was hugging a warm and cozy little bird.
A small, precious being that is too delicate and weak to be hugged tightly. A child who has become more important than the reward she coveted.
Although he was much younger than her, he was the first friend she made here.
‘Goodbye, Raphel. Thank you, and…’
“…I’m Sorry.”
Raphel did not hear her farewell because he had already fallen deep into dreamland.
Only her trembling voice filled with guilt lingered around the room.
Lizelle pressed his forehead against Raphel’s in her arms and closed her stinging eyes.
Finally, the next day dawned.
***
“Has the antidote arrived?”
Wilhazelle, who had already arrived in the living room, looked at Chase as he opened the door and entered, questioning him.
Raphel was sleepy as he had come right after breakfast, so he was sleeping with his head on Lizelle’s lap.
“…”
Chase’s brow was slightly twitching as he kept silent.
He felt sad that she was asking about the antidote as soon as she saw him, as if she wanted to get out of this house as quickly as possible, but at the same time, he felt bitter that it was his fault.
Of course, this was not her home.
If it was revealed that Raphel was of House Halos, it would only be natural that she would return to Baron Frosier’s residence.
Even though he knew this, why did his heart feel so unsettled?
His emotions seemed to shift unpredictably every day, leaving him deeply confused.
“Here it is.”
Rohan, who entered alongside Chase, put down the glass cup he was holding on the table in front of Lizelle.
The transparent glass contained an orange-colored drink. It was a drink pre-mixed with the antidote they received early in the morning.
“Is it okay for people to drink? Are there any side effects?”
Lizelle looked at the glass cup in front of her with suspicion.
The color of the drink resembled orange juice, which was harmless to the human body.
However, since it contained the antidote, she was worried that if he drank it, something might go wrong and harm Raphel.
“There are no side effects.”
“Are you absolutely sure?”
Lizelle, who was stroking the head of the sleeping Raphel, looked at Chase and checked again.
“Yes. You have my word.”
Seeing her attitude of doubting him until the end, Chase pushed back his bitter feelings and looked straight at her.
The more he learned about Wilhazelle, the more he could clearly see how much she truly cared for Raphelion.
He regretted his past foolishness for doubting and accusing such a person, and he was sorry that he had looked at her with prejudice. He truly regretted everything.
“Raphel. Raphel, your uncle is here.”
Lizelle gently shook Raphel, who was sleeping soundly, to wake him up.
“Uncle?”
Raphel rubbed his eyes with his small hands and made a mumbling sound.
“Yes. You should say hello.”
“Huuam.”
His little mouth opened and yawned.
Raphel raised his head and looked at Chase, blinking his heavy eyes.
“Morning.”
“Good morning.”
“Raphel. Would you like a tasty drink?”
Lizelle lifted the cup from the table.
Raphel was still half-asleep, so he blinked his eyes and held out his hands towards Lizelle.
“Yes! I want to drink.”
Even though he was sleepy, he felt thirsty and wanted the drink, so he opened and closed his outstretched hands, urging Lizelle to give it to him.
Lizelle put the glass cup in Raphel’s hand and supported the bottom in case he dropped it.
As Raphel gulped down the drink with half-closed eyes, Lizelle’s anxious gaze wavered.
Chase said there were no side effects, but Lizelle, worried that Raphel might get sick, watched at him with an anxious gaze.
“Aaa… Hmmm!”
Raphel quickly clamped his mouth shut. He’d begun making his ‘ahhh’ sound out of habit, like when he drank sugar milk.
He promised last night that it was a secret and he wouldn’t do it in crowded places…
His bright eyes looked at Lizelle.
“You did well to not finish and hold it in.”
Lizelle gave him a thumbs up as she carefully inspected Raphel’s condition.
Were there any signs of discomfort, any red spots or hives on his skin?
Her gaze was more intense than ever as she examined Raphel’s condition.
“Yummm!”
Raphel, in a good mood, kicked his feet.
His lively red eyes were sparkling more than usual, and his soft black hair was flowing more beautifully than ever.
“Is it over?”
Lizelle asked Chase.
She had expected something dramatic, like a sudden transformation or a loud noise when he drank the antidote, but nothing happened.
Everything was the same as usual.
