I Sought the Villain But Ended Up with a Husband

Chapter 12

“Uncle...?”

“I thought it was a ball of cotton, turns out it’s the little one.”

“...But it couldn’t have been a ball of cotton in the first place.”

“Well, since you’re so tiny, you don’t look any different.”

“Tsk.”

Leciel’s lips twitched at the familiarly annoying voice.

For a moment, she let herself shed the tears she had been holding back, realizing that he truly had awakened.

A wave of relief washed over her as the emotions she had been suppressing burst out all at once.

“Little one?”

Kael was perplexed, caught off guard by the sudden tears as he looked at her.

But only for a moment.

Though he didn’t know why Leciel was crying, seeing the small child tearfully weeping made his heart ache.

He couldn’t help but feel sorry for the child, to the point where he doubted if he had ever been so affectionate before.

With that, Kael slowly rose and approached Leciel. Then he simply embraced her.

Nestled in his arms, Leciel cried even harder.

Hearing his voice already brought tears gushing out from her eyes like a broken faucet, and being held like this only made her feel even more sorrowful.

“Sob ... Uncle.”

Unaware of what was making her so sad, Leciel simply clutched onto Kael’s clothes with one hand and let out her sobs.

How terrified she was.

And how scared she was.

And how sorry and worried she was.

It all felt like her fault, and she felt terrible about herself.

“Ha. You said you’re not a kid, but I guess I can’t call you a baby either.”

Kael wasn’t very skilled at comforting.

Since his son, who had been surprisingly mature from birth, rarely cried, he hadn’t had many occasions to comfort a crying child.

But seeing the child clinging to him as if he was her only salvation, he wanted to console her somehow, even if it meant resorting to his usual snark.

“Huh, I’m not a baby.”

“Then I suppose ‘kid’ is accurate.”

“But I’m not a kid.”

“Well, you look like a kid to me.”

“Why do you think I’m a kid?”

Even as she cried, Leciel steadfastly countered Kael’s words.

“Well, I’ll have to take a closer look.”

Cael carefully lifted Leciel’s face buried in his chest.

And there, he saw her swollen, red eyes.

“You’re definitely not a kid.”

“Naturally!”

“Your puffy eyes look like steamed buns.”

Even her lips, tightly sealed to hold back her tears, had become plump.

Despite his teasing tone, Kael’s gaze held concern in it.

She had been a child full of laughter.

Occasionally, she would wear a gloomy expression, perhaps feeling regretful and disappointed at the thought of him leaving, but overall, she was overflowed with energy. Her clear smile and lively spirit were infectious to those around her.

Seeing her cry like this was unexpected.

What could possibly be so sad and heartbreaking?

Her hand, which seemed like it would detach with just a little force, held an intense longing and urgency.

“Heek, it’s not true.”

With her face held in Kael’s hands, Leciel shook her head in denial.

“So why were you crying?”

Was there something that had happened while he was asleep?

For it to make a child as resilient as herself cry like this, it couldn’t have been something trivial.

Leaving the child alone bothered him, but he hadn’t thought about it in detail.

He just thought she would have to stay here a bit longer, that it would be tough. That was all he thought.

But now, seeing the child burst into tears because he was sick, he couldn’t help but think about it even though he didn’t want to.

Kael knew.

The fact that the child was deliberately showing only a bright side in front of him.

She was afraid that if she showed even a slight hint of regret or disappointment, it would burden him. So, she tried not to show a dark expression in front of him.

The child had been suppressing her feelings to that extent.

But now, she was expressing her emotions without reservation.

That meant the depth of the child’s feelings was exceptionally great.

So, he had to make a decision now.

Whether to take the child with him or leave her here.

He couldn’t delay the decision anymore.

Now, it was really the time to leave.

Although he hadn’t checked yet, it seemed like his wounds from the monster had completely healed. That meant there was no reason to stay here anymore.

“It’s not good to trust people recklessly.”

Especially when the child didn’t know who he was.

What his real name was, and what his status was.

“I’m not trusting anyone, I’m trusting you. It’s not because you’re the first person I meet, but because it’s you.”

Of course, it was true that the fact that he was the first person she met in two years affected her emotions.

But would she have given her heart like this to someone else if it wasn’t him?

She couldn’t be sure.

She would comply every time he asked for something even though it was annoying to her.

She subtly drew a line as if he was a person unrelated to her, but she took care of him in her own way.

Even if it was just a little sympathy and compassion, he gave her what she wanted the most.

It meant a lot to her.

“...I trust you.”

Muttering Leciel’s answer, Kael looked at her seriously.

Despite the fact that she had been crying so hard just a moment ago, Leciel was looking at Kael with a gaze straighter than ever.

Her answer and gaze.

The meaning contained in them was by no means shallow or small.

It was a phrase full of meaning as if saying he was special.

Because it was Kael, because it was him.

Because it was himself.

So, he had to respond to the emotions the child sent him.

Sincerely and genuinely.

Lie for a lie.

Hostility for hostility.

Kindness for kindness.

Especially if that kindness was true kindness that didn’t expect any reward or compensation, if it was something granted only to him, how could he turn it away?

So, just as he became the only existence for the child, he decided to regard the child as the only existence for him.

Until now, and probably in the future, he was certain that Leciel would be the only one to receive such kindness from him.

He had no desire to extend such kindness to anyone else.

With that, Kael made a decision he had been postponing.

While Kael was lost in thought, Leciel, who had calmed her emotions in his embrace, got up as if nothing had happened.

Then, she naturally began to prepare a meal.

Although Kael tried to help her, Leciel refused.

Even though he had recovered, she didn’t want to ask something from someone who had been sick just a while ago.

Eventually, Kael reluctantly stepped back.

After a while, the meal preparation was completed. Leciel and Kael naturally sat facing each other and started eating.

As the meal was about to end, Kael slowly opened his mouth with a serious expression.

“Do you have any intention of leaving the forest with me?”@@@@