IFAHWIPUTML Chapter 40

Verasielle, who'd received the sudden news about Raphel, hurried over in dismay.

"Raphel!"

Bursting through the door, she saw Raphel lying in bed and Chayston standing guard beside the child.

"What happened? Is he all right?"

"He just fell asleep after taking medicine."

Verasielle approached and examined Raphel's condition.

Moisture lingered beneath his delicate closed eyelids. Raphel's sleeping eyelashes sparkled with tears.

The child who'd been perfectly fine until just a while ago—why so suddenly...

"They say it could be pain from returning memories he'd lost."

"If it's not an illness, that's a relief."

Verasielle sighed in relief, stroking her chest. The worry that had filled her face also eased considerably.

Judging from the novel's contents, it wasn't yet time for Raphel's memories to return.

Which meant Raphel would have to suffer painfully from returning memories several more times.

Of course, before long the female lead would appear to watch over Raphel, but Verasielle's heart ached that she couldn't do anything while facing Raphel in pain.

She looked at Raphel with pitying eyes, then noticed the large hand holding the small one.

"..."

Verasielle looked at Chayston's face silently.

The darkness of evening had crept in and mingled with Chayston's face.

He was biting his lips hard, his expression heavy with some self-reproach.

His expression, which she'd never seen before, was very unfamiliar.

"Are you all right?"

Verasielle was the first to break the silence filled only with breathing.

If she didn't break the deepening darkness, something terrible seemed like it would happen.

Chayston slowly raised his head at Verasielle's voice.

The two made eye contact.

"I'm sorry."

"What?"

His words were unexpected. Verasielle asked back with a surprised face.

She must have misheard something just now.

There was no reason for an apology to come from his mouth.

"I apologize for the rudeness I've committed and for doubting you with my narrow-minded thinking."

But as if she'd heard correctly, Chayston bowed his head again and apologized.

Verasielle was momentarily stunned.

'Why is this man suddenly acting like this?'

Raphel was the one in pain, yet Chayston was acting as if he'd hit his head.

At Chayston's sudden behavior, Verasielle muttered without realizing it, her mind blown.

"Are you sick somewhere?"

They say when someone acts out of character, it's a sign they don't have long to live...

"No. I'm sincere."

Watching Verasielle make all sorts of expressions to herself, Chayston smiled faintly.

To think he'd suspected her even after seeing her face reveal everything so openly, emotions displayed as they were.

She had never once lied to him from the very beginning.

This child sleeping like an angel was Raphaleon Halos, and he'd lost his memory in an accident.

"You're not sick?"

"That's correct."

Verasielle narrowed her eyes, filled with suspicion.

She wanted to figure out his intentions, but there wasn't just one or two strange things.

Unlike usual, Chayston wore a faint smile, and his eyes were gently relaxed.

Truly, every single thing was strange. Especially those eyes.

That red gaze looking at her so intently was the strangest of all.

"This is strange. Acting like this so suddenly."

She couldn't figure out what he was thinking at all. Verasielle gave up trying to understand Chayston and shifted her gaze to Raphel with his eyes closed.

Chayston gazed at Verasielle silently.

It was only natural she'd be suspicious of his changed attitude.

Even he was surprised at the deepening emotions day by day.

"Veras..."

The moment Raphel, who'd had his eyes closed, lifted his eyelids, he looked for Verasielle.

"Yes, Raphel. You're awake."

Verasielle quickly lowered her head and drew close to Raphel. With long, slender fingers, she stroked Raphel's cheek, dried from tears.

"Are you feeling better now?"

"Hehehe."

Raphel nodded with a beaming smile. His clear face, perhaps due to the medicine's effectiveness, looked very peaceful.

"Veras, lie here too!"

Raphel patted the bed with his other hand.

"Raphel. Let's go to our room."

This room decorated with various stars was the room Chayston had made for Raphaleon.

Since he still didn't believe Raphel was his nephew, they couldn't keep staying in this room.

"It's fine."

"What? This room is for Raphaleon..."

"It's fine. I don't mind, so lie down next to him as Raphel says."

This man really must have something wrong with him today. Acting out of character multiple times.

At the unexpected permission, Verasielle looked dubious.

"Rather than letting him catch a draft, I think it would be better to rest in this room today."

Chayston spoke while pushing back Raphel's bangs with clumsy hands.

"Veras, hurry hurry."

Unable to refuse due to Raphel's urging, she had no choice but to settle on the left side and lie down.

The bed was so large that three more people could lie down with room to spare.

"Then rest. Call anytime if you need anything."

As Chayston tried to let go of the small hand he'd been holding to give the two their private time—

"No!"

Raphel grabbed Chayston's fingers firmly.

"Uncle lie here too!"

This time Raphel patted his right side.

"Raphel says to lie down?"

Chayston looked at Verasielle in confusion, but she just shrugged as if she couldn't help it either.

When Raphel was being stubborn, he wouldn't easily give up without a convincing reason.

"Hurry hurry, lie down!"

Raphel pulled at Chayston's sleeve.

Having missed the timing to refuse, Chayston ended up lying down next to Raphel.

Raphel felt the warmth of Verasielle and Chayston lying on either side of him and gazed at the stars drawn on the ceiling.

"Dat one's Uncle's star! Dis one's Veras's star! Dis one's Raphel's star!"

His chubby finger pointed at each star on the ceiling, naming them.

The last one he pointed to, Raphel's star, was relatively larger than the other stars.

"Raphel's star is the biggest?"

"Yeah! I hav to be big to protect you!"

Raphel puffed out his chest, acting solemn. Even that was cute, making Verasielle giggle.

Chayston gazed at the two quietly.

Verasielle and Raphel smiling at each other looked more like family than he did—they looked happy to anyone watching.

He found himself wishing there was a place for him between these two, wanting to be with them for life.

Chayston had turned completely on his side. To see Verasielle better.

Gentle moonlight was shattering and falling beneath Verasielle's face.

Skin transparent and sparkling reflected in the moonlight, and beneath her lively green eyes, red and plump lips.

Verasielle was stunningly beautiful, enough to make his head go blank.

He couldn't tear his gaze from Verasielle's rose-colored lips. Like falling into a swamp, he couldn't escape.

Thump thump thump.

His heart began to race.

His cool nape heated up. Some unknown desire kept welling up from within.

"You can sleep if you're sleepy."

Verasielle whispered to Raphel, whose eyes were slowly closing.

"Mmm..."

Raphel yawned long and closed his eyes.

Verasielle turned on her side and patted Raphel's chest. So he could sleep comfortably without pain.

In that moment, Chayston's hand reached toward Verasielle and stopped in midair.

"Hm? What are you doing?"

Verasielle asked, looking at Chayston's hand with puzzled eyes.

"Ah..."

He groaned softly.

Just now, without realizing it, he'd reached out to brush back her fallen hair.

Because he wanted to see her complete face without any obstruction. So he'd tried to push back the fallen hair...

"...It's nothing."

Chayston quickly corrected his posture and looked at the ceiling.

His fingertips throbbed as if his heart had moved there too. His heart was pounding as if it would burst.

In this quiet silence, it felt like his heartbeat would be heard. He was on edge, worried Verasielle might discover his feelings.

"Really?"

Verasielle thought nothing of it and swept the fallen hair behind her ear.

The three lay in one bed, each with different thoughts.

Raphel, sleeping soundly, held both their hands tight with a smile, looking happy.

Much later.

Knock knock.

No answer came even at the knocking sound.

"Master."

Rohan carefully opened the door and entered the room, but closed the door and left again at the sight before him.

The three people leaning against each other, fast asleep, looked like a family to anyone watching.

Rohan thought Verasielle suited the framework called Halos very well indeed.

"Meow."

Meanwhile, outside the window, the odd eyes of a cat staring intently at the three people gleamed in the moonlight.

The cat observed the three through the closed window for a long while, then leaped down below.

Despite the very high drop, the cat landed lightly without a single injury and disappeared into the grass.