Chapter 40

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: Chapter 10. Happiness is a Sandcastle (1)

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Edelaine sprang out of bed with renewed vigor.

It was the most refreshing morning she'd had since being born into this world. Her body felt light, and her mind was crystal clear.

The morning sunlight was dazzling.

The early winter sun streaming through the glass window—beautiful!

Even the heavy velvet curtains draping down looked like works of art! The thick tassels cascading beautifully!

"Fuck, the world is so goddamn beautiful...."

While she was at it, she flung open the window to take in the clear birdsong ringing through the crisp air.

"It's cold!"

No matter how beautiful the world was, it didn't beautify the chill. That was the limit of the brain chemicals called happiness.

Edelaine couldn't become some romantic who felt no cold, heat, or hunger because of happiness.

But inhaling the cold air deep into her lungs brought a sense of reality to her fingertips and toes.

Did breathing clear air improve eyesight too? That must be why adults went hiking early in the morning....

The world sparkled.

Because Edelaine had truly been liberated!

Liberation, freedom—what sweet words they were.

Now, she no longer had to obsess over how she must live, worry about being chased out of this world, force herself into any role, or fear that none of this was truly hers.

Genevieve wasn't in danger just because Edelaine had returned. The real villain hadn't appeared, and the protagonists were walking their own paths. Even she, the villainess, had survived unscathed.

The very fact that nothing happened even with the protagonist and villainess together was proof of her safety.

If she'd met the predetermined happy ending, Edelaine would have lived in constant anxiety. Because in that perfect happiness, she was supposed to be dead.

She might have fretted endlessly, wondering if her deception of fate and her hidden survival would be exposed, forcing her to pay the price.

But since it wasn't the fixed ending, it wasn't strange for Edelaine to be alive.

Even in life, days like this came around.

"Life... was worth living after all......"

Ah, hold on. Tears were welling up....

Without any special abilities like the protagonists, with a fragile body that could drop dead from a single stab, she'd run and scrambled just to survive—those years of hardship, sweat, and tears....

Standing by the window, Edelaine pinched the bridge of her nose. She'd thought her tears had dried up from crying so much yesterday, but reliving the emotions made her eyes sting again. I worked my ass off. I lived hard...

"You're awake?"

"Shane!"

Shane entered, pushing the door open with his shoulder while carrying a tray laden with food, and gave her a puzzled look.

"Why'd you open the window?"

"It's refreshing!"

"Not cold?"

"Freezing my ass off."

Edelaine roughly closed the window and approached Shane, reaching for the tray. He lifted it above his head and instead bent down to kiss her cheek.

"Sit. Let's have breakfast."

"Give me one."

"Nah, it's heavy."

Shane strode to the table by the window and set the tray down. He carefully closed the window too.

The tray held creamy soup with a savory aroma, perfectly golden morning rolls, jam, milk, and the like.

It was an ordinary breakfast menu, but to today's Edelaine, it looked perfect.

The morning rolls looked so appetizing. Their round shape and sheen made her mouth water, and her empty stomach growled fiercely. Come to think of it, she hadn't even had lunch properly yesterday before falling asleep.

"Eat the soup first. Your eyes aren't stinging?"

"Yeah. They're fine. I thought they'd hurt."

"I put a cold damp cloth over them at dawn. Glad it's okay."

Edelaine was startled.

"And you didn't wake me?"

"You don't wake easily."

"I wasn't that heavy a sleeper though...."

If anything, she woke too often—that was the problem.

Only after crossing the border and holing up alone did the nightmares stop, but her broken sleep habits didn't recover overnight. Even after barely escaping, she couldn't fully relax, so there were many nights she couldn't sleep deeply.

Anxiety was like a swamp lurking in the depths of her unconscious. Edelaine curled up like a shrimp to sleep, and Lloyd said she talked in her sleep a lot and often frowned.

Shane tilted his head.

"No matter what I did, you didn't wake."

"...What did you do...?"

"You like potato cream soup, right? Eat it before it cools."

Shane deftly changed the subject and placed a spoon in front of her.

'It's not like he did anything big...'

He hugged her to sleep every night, and nothing ever happened. Even if she slept soundly, it wasn't like she'd taken medicine—if something had gone on, she'd have woken up by now. As Edelaine eyed him suspiciously, Shane said,

"Want me to feed you?"

"No. I'll eat myself. You eat too."

"Too bad."

Despite his words, Shane just smiled brightly. And he seemed intent on only eating after confirming she did.

Edelaine obediently picked up the spoon.

The warm potato cream soup was as savory and smooth as it smelled. As it slid warmly down her throat, every cell in her body felt alive.

"Damn, it's good...."

"You're really in a great mood today."

"I was reborn today, Shane."

"Really? Should we make today your second birthday?"

"I'd love to."

Edelaine picked up a morning roll. As she spread butter into the halved bread, she noticed Shane staring at her in wonder, not having taken a single bite.

'Is it the beauty of the world, or does his beauty just shine brighter today...?'

It was a beauty that made her squint, like facing the morning sun.

Her eyesight felt like it had dropped to 0.2. Staring straight at light wasn't good for the eyes.

Why were even the veins on the back of his hand pretty? His long fingers surprisingly had prominent knuckles, giving a rough feel. A sharp, urbane face paired with rough, rugged hands—what the hell....

Edelaine munched on her bread while admiring Shane.

Sapphire-blue eyes sparkling under long lashes, a sleek straight nose, deep-set eyes, bold facial lines, and sharp, delicate features in perfect harmony.

He was beautiful even purely sculpturally, but Shane had a unique aura. The precarious calm covering an unfathomable ocean like a single eyelid made it impossible to look away.

She understood why people were drawn to him.

Anyone would covet such a beautiful man.

'He's been angelic since childhood—how could they not?'

And if he deliberately smiled with his eyes to seduce, no one could resist. Edelaine offered him the halved butter roll.

"Don't just look—eat."

"I already ate."

"How am I supposed to finish this alone? What time did you even wake up to be done eating?"

He'd put the cold cloth on her eyes at dawn too.... Shane said,

"I got up ages ago, filled my stomach, worked out. Had to burn it off somehow to sleep next to you."

"......"

"But I'll take this."

Shane leaned in and took the bread straight into his mouth. Edelaine startled and tried to pull her hand back, but he grabbed her wrist to stop her.

He swallowed the bite in one go and licked his lips with his tongue.

"I'll wait, so eat slowly, Edelaine."

"......"

"We have to go to the palace after, but rest if you're tired."

"You can guard the house alone...."

This crazy 19+ guy.... Who eats bread so seductively? Thought he was gonna bite my fingers too...

Edelaine pressed her flushing cheeks with the back of her hand and said,

"No, I'll come too. I want to see Genevieve. Gotta soothe her after startling her with my sudden crying."

"What about me?"

Shane grumbled.

"Huh?"

"I was startled too. Won't you soothe me?"

"......How should I?"

She nearly bit her tongue.

Shane rested his chin on his hand, gazing at her and lowering his voice like a spoiled child. He chuckled softly.

"You must really be in a good mood, Edelaine."

"Y-yeah...."

"I want to know why... but I don't want to ruin it."

"......"

"Touch me."

"Huh? Wh-where?!"

"......I meant pet my head."

"......"

"What did you think?"

"Your head di—"

Edelaine set down her spoon.

Shane spread his arms wide from his seat and grinned. A big guy looking at her with expectant eyes, waiting for a hug—how was that cute without being insane......

Edelaine stood from her chair and pulled Shane's head firmly into her embrace.

His eyes widened briefly before he let out a short laugh and closed them.

To think something this simple satisfies him... Edelaine reflected as she stroked his glossy hair.