IBTHM Chapter 21

"Aisha."

I squeezed my eyes shut tight.

Yesterday I'd trusted Hades and acted however I wanted with Agatha, so why was I so worried today about what might come out of his mouth?

Perhaps in just one day, my desire to stay by Abel's side had deepened even further?

If I got thrown out now, it would be a permanent goodbye to Abel.

I should probably make some kind of excuse, so I steeled myself and opened my mouth to speak.

"Um, Your Grace!"

"You did well."

When I looked up, Hades was smiling as if he'd never been stern at all.

I felt somewhat dazed.

"...Pardon?"

"And thank you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have known this boy was hurt. He absolutely never tells me when something's wrong."

Hades narrowed his eyes playfully and looked at Abel in his arms.

Then he turned back to me.

"I'm truly glad you're here."

"I-I... look. You haven't met with the Countess yet, have you? I have a confession. Yesterday I went to the Countess and..."

"I know."

"What?"

He knows?

I looked at Hades suspiciously, but decided to come clean just in case.

"Yesterday I went to the Countess and was incredibly rude. I spoke down to her and just..."

"I told you I know. I said you could do that. Act however you want."

"W-well yes, you did say that. But still, I should have kept to reasonable limits, and honestly I was so angry that I went a bit over..."

"You did wonderfully. Keep doing that. If anyone offends you, never hold back. You're allowed to do that."

"...Really?"

"I told you I'm not a man who says one thing and means another. You're allowed."

Smiling, Hades extended his hand to me. It seemed he wanted me to take it.

I felt somewhat overwhelmed.

Because somehow, if I took that hand, it felt like I could stand beside that father and son clinging to each other and look like part of their happy family...

After hesitating, I took Hades's offered hand.

His hand was surprisingly warm, just as I'd felt before.

"Do whatever you want. By my side and Abel's."

He lightly kissed the back of my hand as I stood up feeling dazed, and added:

"I'll make you into a woman who's allowed to do that."

It was the most peaceful and happy day since arriving at the duchy.

We left the dining room and went for a walk, then returned to my room where Abel and I had snacks together.

I actually disliked sweets, but the madeleines, butter cookies, and chocolate I ate with Abel were surprisingly delicious.

See, it's not about what you eat, it's about who you eat it with.

Because I didn't want to ruin the good mood, I deliberately didn't ask Hades how things had ended with Agatha.

A day so happy I wondered if it was really okay to be this carefree and content. But that wasn't even the end.

Over snacks, Abel said he had a wish, and I'd promised to grant whatever it was, so now I was...

"Young Lady! I washed up clean and changed my clothes!"

...in Abel's room.

Abel, who'd changed into comfortable pajamas with short sleeves and pant legs, came sprinting at full speed toward where I sat on his bed...

"Huk."

"Y-Young Lady?"

A sharp pain struck my heart and I clutched my chest and curled up.

Startled, Abel floundered around in front of me with a worried expression.

Wanting to tease him, I kept clutching my chest and pretending it hurt.

"Haah..."

"Y-Young Lady? Wh-where does it hurt? What's wrong?"

"My... heart..."

"Your heart?! H-how, how does it hurt? Why, why..."

"It went... thump..."

"Th-thump? W-wait just a moment. Wait here. I'll, I'll go get Father and the physician right away. J-just wait. Ah..."

I grabbed the arm of Abel, who was about to rush out of the room in a panic, and he turned back to me, stamping his feet anxiously.

"...It fell out. Because you're too cute, Young Lord."

"...What?"

Abel wore a blank expression for a moment, then realized I'd been joking and pursed his lips as he shouted.

"Wh-what was that?! You scared me!"

"Aww, I'm sorry. Were you very scared? But it's true that my heart just went thump and fell out because of you..."

"D-don't tease me. I was really, really scared!"

Finally relaxing, Abel collapsed onto the bed and climbed up.

"Don't get sick. You have to stay here for a long, long time."

"Ah..."

It had been a thoughtless joke, but the atmosphere suddenly turned serious.

Even so, Abel was adorable as he immediately snuggled into my arms when I opened them.

"Of course. You too, Young Lord."

"And... thank you for granting my wish even though it must be bothersome."

I'm the one who's grateful...

My ultimate bias—not just anyone, but my ultimate bias—said he had a wish and asked, 'Could you sleep with me?' What otaku in their right mind could stay composed?

Thank you, thank you so much, I thought, clamping my mouth shut before I could make a fool of myself, and simply smiled gently.

"It's not bothersome at all. I'm so happy."

"Hehe..."

"If you were lonely sleeping alone, why didn't you ask His Grace to sleep with you sometimes?"

"Mm... Father is busy."

Of course I knew Hades was extraordinarily busy, but from what I'd seen, he was someone who would drop everything and come running if Abel asked.

Abel probably knew that too, but he was too mature for his age...

"Still, today..."

"Today?"

"Ah! It's nothing. Hehe..."

"What, don't leave me hanging."

Abel laughed playfully and snuggled back into my arms.

I hadn't realized it, but Abel really loved holding hands or hugging.

When holding hands, he'd grip tightly as if afraid I'd disappear somewhere, like someone terrified of loss—and I'd heard somewhere in my past life that this kind of behavior was a symptom of affection deprivation, which made my heart ache for Abel all over again.

Holding Abel's hand tightly as he nestled against me, I patted the pillow.

"Come on, it's late so let's go to sleep now? I'll keep holding your hand even after you fall asleep."

"...Really?"

"Of course. Here..."

Abel immediately lay down.

I stroked his plump cheek once and tucked him in, and he grinned so happily that this humble fan's heart went thump and dropped again.

Haah...

You okay there, heart?

I'd probably never get used to this adorable existence, not if I lived forever. Hang in there, heart.

"Mm..."

Suddenly, Abel's gaze swept over my wrist as I tucked him in.

His face, which had been smiling so brightly, turned glum.

"Hm? Why the expression?"

"Young Lady... that thing on your wrist..."

"Ah."

I'd been openly displaying the core jewel I always hid when going outside, so seeing it must have made him worry.

"You have to keep it well hidden when you're outside..."

"Yes, of course."

"And you can't tell just anyone."

"Yes, I won't."

I answered dutifully each time, but Abel still looked worried.

Lying down to face me, he kept fiddling with the core jewel on my wrist with his fern-like fingers.

"Um, Young Lady."

"Yes."

"Since you told me your secret, I'll tell you one of mine too."

For some reason, Abel spoke with a determined expression.

Abel's secret?

As if I wouldn't know it.

I was a devoted fan who knew not just Abel's height, weight, and physical characteristics that the author had casually revealed on social media, but also his growth process, relationships, and even extremely private details like when and where he'd have his first kiss with the female lead Deborah.

What Abel was about to tell me as a secret had a hundred percent probability of being about his core jewel.

For Abel at this age, that would be his only secret.

Novel protagonists are always special, as a rule.

Naturally, the author had given Abel a unique setting.

A setting as unusual as my inability to hide my core jewel inside my body.

Of course, while we shared the fact of being unusual, I'd be a symbol of powerlessness while Abel would become a symbol of being the empire's only ability holder.

Had I mentioned Abel's attribute before?

Abel was...

"Young Lord."

"Yes!"

"Didn't His Grace tell you that your secret must be kept hidden?"

At my question, Abel hesitated and then nodded.

"...Yes."

"Then is it okay to casually tell just anyone such a secret? Won't His Grace scold you later?"

"But Young Lady, you're not just anyone."

Ah, he's turning my own words back on me.

Smart kid. That's my Abel.

Abel blushing shyly and saying 'Young Lady, you're not just anyone' was shockingly lovable, but I couldn't just smile foolishly and let him reveal his secret.

There were at least three episodes I could think of off the top of my head where Abel got backstabbed by villains.

He was the trusting type, and that character trait had cultivated frustration in the novel in one way or another.

I needed to start educating him now to prevent Abel from growing into a diligent farmer of aggravation.

"I'm grateful you trust me, Young Lord, but what's not allowed is not allowed. It's a sad reality, but there are far more scheming people in this world than trustworthy ones."

"But Young Lady isn't a scheming person, right?"

"Well, of course not. But anyway, not now. If you really want to tell me your secret, how about we give it time to grow closer? About... a year should be good. On your birthday next year..."

By then, this secret won't be a weakness anymore.

"Mm... but Young Lady already told me your secret..."

"Go get permission from His Grace. When His Grace allows you to tell me, then you can."

Of course, the doting father Hades would never permit it.

"Ah! Then..."

Abel was about to say something when it happened.

Suddenly the door opened, and Hades appeared out of nowhere wearing comfortable pajamas.

...What?

He looked completely natural, as if entering his own room to sleep.

The instant I jumped up in shock, Hades's eyes went wide when he spotted me.

"...What?"