Chapter 005
Ronshka desperately listed his good qualities, even counting them on his fingers.
Watching his pitiful attempts, Adele clutched her chest. The stabbing pain in her heart made her feel like she might collapse.
“It’s okay to cry,” Adele said, trying hard not to cry herself.
“If it hurts, you should cry.”
“But… but you don’t like it when I cry,” Ronshka mumbled.
“No, I don’t mind.” she said gently.
Hearing that, Ronshka gave his usual shy smile.
“You can eat more food too,” Adele added.
“But—”
“Ronshka, you’re still small. You need to eat more to grow big and strong. That way, you can help me with work one day,” she explained calmly.
After hearing the reason, Ronshka’s confused expression softened.
Adele wondered why this child couldn’t understand love without reason. She blamed herself for it.
Even though she couldn’t remember her past life, she knew that in this life, she was responsible for everything that had happened to him. The guilt weighed heavily on her.
“But you know,” she added, “you don’t have to help with the work.”
“I think I could do it, though,” Ronshka said, trying to be helpful.
“I’m better at it, though,” Adele teased, gently pinching his nose.
‘I can’t let go of this child,’ Adele thought.
Her resolve hardened. If there was a better path for Ronshka, she would have to let him go. But how could she ever give up this child, who was so lovable and looked only at her?
With determination in her eyes, she turned to Lucas.
“I’ll raise Ronshka myself,” she declared.
Raising a child as a single mother would be challenging, but she was determined to give him a happy life. She wanted him to live like other children, carefree and loved.
Ronshka, overjoyed, buried his face into Adele’s arms, making strange little noises of happiness. He didn’t know how to express his feelings, so he just laughed shyly, making Adele’s heart ache with affection.
Lucas, however, raised an eyebrow. “So, you’re a single mother? How do you plan to raise him alone?”
Ronshka wasn’t just any child—he possessed incredible talent as a spirit mage. Lucas doubted if a single mother could handle raising such a child.
Adele bit her lip. Lucas wasn’t wrong. Her life had been hard so far, and the future wouldn’t be any easier.
“Besides, weren’t you the one who neglected him?”
Adele flinched at his words. They were true. She had never laid a hand on Ronshka, but she had turned a blind eye to the abuse he suffered outside and had failed to protect him.
Seeing her reaction, Ronshka glared at Lucas, and small flames started to flicker around him.
“Ahhh!” The doctor in the corner screamed in panic. Lucas, however, calmly waved a hand, snuffing out the flames with ease.
Lucas sighed internally. Why was he even getting involved? He could’ve just left the boy with the doctor and moved on. But now that he was in this deep, there was no turning back.
He didn’t feel particularly attached to Ronshka, but he didn’t want the child to suffer either—not like he had in his own childhood.
“Ronshka,” Adele called softly, trying to calm the child.
The flames subsided a little as Ronshka’s fiery red eyes turned to her. His eyes, full of pain and longing, made Adele’s heart ache even more.
She held back her tears and spoke gently, “You can’t do that, my dear.”
Lucas, watching from the side, realized something: this boy’s flames could only be stopped by someone who truly cared for him.
“B-but I tried!” Ronshka stammered, his voice trembling with frustration. He flailed his arms helplessly, but the flames only spread further, leaving charred marks on the doctor’s house.
“Ahhhh! My house.”
As the doctor screamed about his burning house, Lucas grew impatient. Striding over to Ronshka, he grabbed the boy’s small shoulders.
“Ronshka, focus. Think of the flames as part of your body,” he said firmly.
But his words didn’t reach the frightened child. Adele, despite her injuries, crawled closer and gently took Ronshka’s hand.
“My sweet Ronshka,” she said, her voice soothing. “What’s in your hand? Look, you have fingers, right? How do your fingers move?”
Ronshka wiggled his fingers hesitantly.
“Think of the flames like your fingers. Try moving them.”
“My… my fingers?” Ronshka’s wide red eyes blinked in confusion.
“Yes, your precious fingers. Now, tell the flames to go away,” she encouraged him.
Slowly, the wild flames began to settle, disappearing one by one. Adele smiled, tears brimming in her eyes.
“You did it, Ronshka. You did so well,” she said, wrapping him in her arms.
Lucas watched, still unsure if Adele could truly protect Ronshka. But seeing the child’s trust in her mother, he decided to intervene.
“Alright, here’s the deal,” Lucas said, drawing their attention. “You both will come with me.”
“To where?” Adele asked cautiously.
“To my home,” he replied, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Adele hesitated. “Why should I trust you?”
“I’m a noble,” Lucas said bluntly. “Taking care of two people is no burden to me. Besides, do you have anywhere else to go?”
“Fine,”
Adele hesitated but agreed. She had no other choice. She had no home, no money, and no clear plan for the future.
“We’ll go with you.”
For now, she would trust Lucas and do her best to give Ronschka a life filled with love and safety.
