IBTHM Chapter 27

It was the handkerchief I'd given Abel before leaving. The very one I'd just finished this morning...

As I quietly examined the handkerchief, Hades said, "You gave it to Abel, didn't you."

"...Pardon?"

"When you came to the ducal castle, the first day we ate together."

"The first day?"

"You dropped it in the dining room."

"Ah!"

Startled, I rubbed my eyes again and checked the handkerchief on the table.

Indeed, seeing Abel's face with hair sparsely missing, it was the handkerchief I'd lost while it was still incomplete.

I'd wondered where it went...

'This man had it?!'

As I panicked, Hades stared at me and added, "When I asked Abel today, apparently this was something you were making to give to Abel."

"...Yes."

For some reason, Hades's tone sounded accusatory, making me unnecessarily nervous.

"You'd been preparing it even before coming to the North."

He gazed at me with sharply gleaming eyes, as if deducing something.

"For Abel, going that far."

My terrible constitution that sweats when nervous began sounding alarms. My back felt hot.

"Thinking about it, the sword you sent as a gift—you gave that to Abel too. You probably thought if you sent something that valuable to me openly it would look suspicious, so you deliberately sent it to Abel..."

"..."

"And though it was anonymous, this is something you wrote, isn't it? The letter you sent together. I read it again and it's really..."

Hades pulled an envelope from his breast pocket and tossed it onto the handkerchief.

The letter I'd sent with the sword, full of my feelings.

Our Abel Young Master is so cute and lovable and wonderful and so on—clear evidence filled with a fan's embarrassing sincerity.

Plop—a drop of sweat fell onto the back of my hand resting on my thigh.

I could feel it instinctively.

This time, really.

I'd been 'caught.'

"Y-Y-Your Grace..."

I needed to prepare an excuse for following his son around.

But whether Hades would believe me was uncertain.

The feelings Hades must be experiencing right now were easy to understand if I reversed positions.

If Hades followed wherever the female lead Deborah (age 6) went, stalked her, showered her with gifts full of ulterior motives, sent letters densely filled with comments about how cute and pretty and lovable and adorable Deborah was...

And in the end, followed her to where she lived with nothing but the clothes on his back?

'Ahhh! Worst case scenario!'

What would a normal person suspect upon discovering such a Hades? Just imagining it from my position was disgusting.

Someone who likes young children...

'A pervert... is the only conclusion.'

...Right?

That had been my reason for working hard to maintain my cover even after coming to the duchy.

Because I didn't think Hades would understand 'fangirling' as a pure act with no romantic implications.

"A woman going this far for my son—it's absurd, ridiculous, incomprehensible."

Hades let out a hollow laugh, his eyes gleaming sharply.

For some reason, my throat felt cold. I had the feeling I might be executed at any moment.

Though he seemed softer than I'd thought when I actually met him, this was still Hades Ruvermonte. The scary male lead's father, after all.

I immediately made excuses.

"Y-Your Grace. You really won't believe this, but please believe me. I have absolutely no impure intentions. Nothing is purer than my feelings."

"I know."

"...You know?"

"Do you think I'm an idiot? I've been watching you from right in front of my nose for days now—do you think I can't sense that much?"

He understood my pure feelings toward Abel, my fangirling without impure intentions?

"I know you're sincere. That it's pure affection without other motives."

"Ah, y-yes... Th-thank you for understanding."

Though it was a somewhat surprising reaction that left me dazed, it was fortunate. With the tension released, my seated body went limp.

"Phew..."

"Since when was it?"

"Wh-what?"

"Since when have you started liking?"

Hades asked with a half-resigned face, sighing deeply.

Even out of gratitude to him for generously understanding the woman who'd stalked (?) his precious son, I decided to tell the truth.

I closed my eyes tightly and recalled that first moment of becoming Abel's fan.

It was right after closing the last page of the novel Persona published as a physical book.

"Five years... it's been."

Since I died in my second year of fangirling in my previous life...

Hades's eyes widened.

Looking quite shocked, he uncrossed his arrogantly crossed legs, sat up straight, and asked again.

"Fiiive yeeeears?"

"Yes."

"Ha..."

He quietly tilted his head back.

Seeing him rub his forehead as if tired, this act called 'fangirling' seemed completely incomprehensible by his standards.

Of course, I understood. Even in my previous life, I'd met countless people who couldn't understand my blind fangirling.

The beings that made me live in hiding.

"I've been thinking."

"About what?"

"To be honest, if I said I didn't feel a bit unpleasant this afternoon when I suspected the relationship between you and your sponsor, that would be a lie."

"Oh, of course. You could feel that way."

"But thinking about it carefully, I felt like a really pathetic and petty man. Isn't that the complete opposite of you?"

"No, no! It's okay, really."

As I waved my hands, Hades watched me with a peculiar expression.

After staring at me like that for a while, Hades said, "Doesn't it bother you? How can a person... be foolishly kind to this extent?"

"What? Me? No, well... I just understand you, that's not necessarily being kind, is it?"

"You don't ask me anything. Aren't you at all concerned about Abel's birth mother?"

"The Young Master's birth mother?"

"Yes. I'm mentioning it because I'm suspicious you might have forgotten, but Abel is illegitimate. Yet you unconditionally love Abel."

What was he saying? That children without mothers don't deserve to be loved?

I couldn't understand the flow of this conversation. I answered indignantly.

"Your Grace, why would you think that? What's the problem with Abel Young Master being illegitimate? The Young Master is a beautiful and lovable child just as he is. There's absolutely no reason he shouldn't be loved just because he's illegitimate."

"Ha... You really..."

Hades seemed at a loss for words, raising both hands to cover his face.

I could hear his long sigh as he covered his face.

Soon, Hades looked directly at me again and said, somewhat hesitantly, "You might be curious... about who Abel's birth mother is. If I were you, I think I could be upset enough. Are you okay with it? Really?"

I was the one who knew best that Abel's birth mother never even appeared in the story.

"Why would that matter?"

I'm fangirling because Abel himself is beautiful and lovable—why should I care about other factors?

Watching me answer as if it were obvious, Hades continued to look incomprehensive.

He seemed like someone who wanted to hear 'That's right. Abel isn't a child worth liking.' from my mouth.

It seemed he was subtly trying to get me to stop fangirling...

If these feelings could be given up that easily, would I have fangirled for five years and come all the way north single-handedly?

As I firmly resolved never to give the answer he wanted, Hades said, "Let me be clear—there are parts I can't compromise on. My thinking hasn't changed that I'll make Abel the successor of this Ruvermonte. Abel is precious to me. To the extent that I could probably do anything for that child."

"Of course. I know that too."

Boy, do I know. If someone told me to die instead of Abel right now, I wouldn't have the courage to do so without hesitation.

Even though I've liked Abel for a whole five years...

But Hades is a straight-ahead man with no reverse gear, true to his 'wonderful and devoted father' character setting.

For Abel, who isn't even his biological son, he tried to save him even knowing he'd die.

Who else could do that? It would be difficult unless you're a protagonist in a novel.

"If there's anyone with impure intentions toward Abel, I plan to chase them to the ends of hell and eliminate them. You never know when they might become a future problem if left alive."

"R-r-right."

Watching Hades's eyes gleam sharply, I trembled despite him understanding my fangirling.

If Hades hadn't understood my fangirling...

'Ugh, horrifying.'

Watching me shudder, Hades added, "But one thing I can say for certain is that separate from Abel being precious to me, regarding Abel's birth mother, I can be confident before you."

"Ah, yes..."

What's there to be confident or not confident about? He doesn't know Abel's birth mother's face or name either...

My head started aching from this conversation that seemed to go in circles. I frowned and asked, "B-but Your Grace. Why are you saying all this? No matter what you say, I'm... going to keep liking the Young Master."

"Yes, thank you."

Hades rubbed his face several times with both hands, then spoke again.

For some reason, he looked resolute.

"First of all, really... thank you. This is my first time meeting someone who pours out unconditional affection like this..."

"Ahem, it's nothing."

"I'm grateful, and there are parts I feel sorry about, so I've become a bit worried. Don't you get tired sometimes? This kind of blindly giving love is pitiful."

I was a bit surprised. And moved.

That Hades, of all people, tried to understand the psychology of my 'fangirling'?

Somewhat excited, I said, "Your Grace, no. You don't originally love something expecting something in return. I don't mind just giving. I've lived like that until now..."

"No, I can't accept that. I'll return what I've received."

What? Was he saying he'd compensate me for fangirling over Abel?

As I stood there bewildered, Hades suddenly rose from his seat and stood before me.

Without warning, he reached out his hand. Hades's hand placed on top of my head was warm.

He slowly ran his hand down my head, and I was surprised to feel my rain-dampened hair dry instantly.

"Oh my."

Hades's hand that had been stroking down my head lightly grasped the ends of my hair. He brought it up and kissed it lightly.

For some reason, in the dangerous atmosphere, I couldn't even ask what effort he was talking about—I just swallowed.

"So I'll try too."

Candlelight created flickering shadows across Hades's face.

He really was handsome, and indeed resembled Abel to an excessive degree, just as I'd imagined.

In that mysterious atmosphere, my heart pounded—thump thump.

"So I can reciprocate your feelings toward me..."

But the moment I heard Hades's next words.

I had to admit I'd thought too lightly of his never-ending narcissism.

"I'll try to genuinely like you too."

...What?