Chapter 164
The words had tumbled out unexpectedly.
After saying them, Cheshire was startled herself.
But it was a thought she’d harbored for a long time.
As a baby, she’d worried she might never grow up.
So when she first became a child, it had been a huge relief.
But gradually, a shadow crept into her heart.
She was leaping ahead by years, growing at her own whim.
It would be nice if she could become an adult like this, but she wondered if things would flow smoothly in the direction she wanted.
She hadn’t yet asked the fairies about her abnormal state, but she already had a rough intuition deep down.
Among the fairies she’d met in the fairy kingdom, there were no young ones.
Not even among those who were half-human.
Realizing she possessed the ability to traverse time through the Fairy Tree also played a part.
No matter how much the Basilians cherished each other as family, in the end, they were different races.
The gap between humans and fairies would only widen as time passed.
How long would their affectionate feelings last eternally?
Even right now, how would they react to seeing her leap from baby to child…
While believing in the Basilians’ love, on the other hand, she distrusted it.
‘I’m thinking just like Kierne.’
In the midst of it, the suspicious Kierne came to mind, and Cheshire found herself smiling weakly without realizing.
It seemed she’d picked up only these traits from living together.
Even though they shared no blood.
“I thought you’d be shocked if you saw me. My appearance changed, and I lost most of my powers. That’s why I couldn’t return to the Basilians.”
Cheshire continued quietly.
“But if you’re okay with me like this…”
She couldn’t finish the sentence properly, so she just let her mouth close softly.
The meaning would have gotten across anyway, so it didn’t matter.
All her strength drained away, and her body slumped.
In the brief moment waiting for the response that would come, Cheshire thought blankly.
‘They probably prefer a bright and cheerful child.’
Instead of the planned fireworks display, she’d spilled her gloomy true feelings.
The Basilians must have loved the cute baby who made them smile and brought joy.
She didn’t want to recall it, but memories from her orphanage days resurfaced.
The old past where she’d been adopted by a wealthy family but sent back because she couldn’t act cute.
Even knowing clearly that the men of the Basilian family weren’t like that, bad thoughts kept creeping in.
‘Maybe I shouldn’t have acted pitiful and just pretended I knew nothing?’
It was the moment she regretted perhaps choosing the wrong approach.
“Cheshire Basilian.”
Belzeon called her name in a cold voice.
“Step back.”
Cheshire’s shoulders twitched, and she hugged her rabbit doll, stumbling backward instinctively.
And shortly after.
Bang!
Belzeon smashed the wooden door with his fist.
Wooden splinters showered down as light flooded in from outside.
The dimly lit lab, where she hadn’t properly turned on the lights, brightened.
Belzeon unwrapped the cloth from his hand and looked at Cheshire.
Isuel wrapped golden magic around Cheshire’s body, pulling her out.
Karha caught Cheshire in mid-air and gently set her down on the floor.
Cheshire looked up at the three men.
Their gazes were fixed precisely on her.
The moment she met those red eyes, her chest stung as if pierced by an arrow.
Just like that day in the past when she’d first seen the three brothers of the Basilian family…
The straight, sharp stares hooked into Cheshire’s heart like claws.
For some reason, breathing felt a little difficult, so Cheshire parted her lips.
They stared at each other in silence for a long while.
Finally, those who had been gazing intently at Cheshire let out a sigh.
“Beautiful.”
Karha murmured shortly, then cautiously extended his hand toward Cheshire.
“You’re not a baby anymore… I should call you Cheshire now.”
He stroked Cheshire’s hair.
Not to be outdone, Isuel quickly touched Cheshire’s hand.
“Don’t we look weird too? We’re huge now. Adults, real adults.”
Receiving their touches, Cheshire quietly shook her head no.
Belzeon lifted Cheshire into his arms.
She’d grown a lot compared to when she was a baby, but since they were in adult bodies too, he hoisted her up even more easily.
Cheshire nestled in with utter familiarity.
It was only natural, since she’d spent her time with the Basilian men being carried around without her feet ever touching the ground.
“Look closely.”
Belzeon lightly pinched Cheshire’s cheek with one hand.
Pressing her cheeks so her lips puckered out like a fish, he asked.
“Do we look normal to you?”
Cheshire met each of the three brothers’ eyes one by one.
The vivid red pupils, with their high saturation, were eerie.
They were eyes that couldn’t even charitably be called human.
Belzeon continued in a low but firm voice.
“Even if the whole world points at you and calls you a monster, we won’t. We’re just as abnormal as you.”
There wasn’t a single trace of falsehood in his words labeling himself a deviant being.
“But others surely won’t understand or accept you. Just like they see us as alien.”
Isuel rested his chin on Cheshire’s shoulder from behind.
Thanks to being held by Belzeon, their heights matched roughly.
In a soft, velvety voice, Isuel whispered to Cheshire.
“So it’s only the Basilians.”
The only humans qualified to be your family.
“What’s the big deal if you’re a monster? We’ll become even weirder. We can be monsters together.”
Isuel planted a smacking kiss on Cheshire’s hair.
“Oppa can do at least that much for you, sibling.”
Karha sidled up close and casually echoed Isuel’s words.
“Has anyone said something to you? Tell me. I’ll kill them.”
Cheshire clenched her hands tightly as she listened to the three calmly spouting their words.
Belzeon’s clothes wrinkled, but she didn’t care.
Calling themselves monsters and persuading her that everyone else is normal so only abnormal us suit you—clearly, they weren’t in their right minds.
Yet Cheshire liked the affectionate threat.
Perhaps, as they said, it was because she was abnormal that she found this appealing.
Her small nose tingled with a sharp ache as she sniffled and mumbled.
“I want to go home…”
The moment she uttered the tiny whisper, the three brothers enveloped Cheshire in a fierce hug.
“Eek!”
With three large men squeezing from all sides, her breath caught in her throat.
But Cheshire smiled happily.
She burst into loud laughter.
How long had she laughed?
Suddenly, Isuel began to sob.
“I missed you so much…”
His beauty, which had been stunning even in boyhood, was dangerously alluring now as an adult.
The sight of him crying, lashes soaked, even looked pure.
As Isuel sniffled, Karha and Belzeon wrinkled their noses fiercely.
Both had reddened eyes, as if holding back tears.
“We really can’t go on without you.”
Isuel whined, planting kiss after kiss on Cheshire’s cheek.
Cheshire used her small hand to pull her sleeve and wipe Isuel’s tears.
Despite the twists and turns, it seemed to have wrapped up well somehow.
Having shared a touching reunion with the three brothers, only one remained.
‘Kierne.’
Thinking of the one she’d worried about most, she asked.
“But where’s Dad?”
“…Ah.”
Belzeon made a short sound and looked at the twins.
After exchanging glances, he finally answered.
“He’s in the capital. The Palen Emperor’s birthday banquet is soon.”
“Then if we contact him saying I’m back and head straight to the capital now…”
“Well.”
Belzeon gently interrupted Cheshire and said something odd.
“Maybe we should tell the Count a bit later?”
“Uh… Why?”
In her heart, Cheshire wanted to use magic right now to fly to the capital.
But Belzeon, who knew Kierne’s state better than anyone, opposing it like this left her flustered.
“Well, obviously.”
Suddenly, the three brothers broke into radiant smiles.
Even though they weren’t fairies, it was a smile so brilliant it seemed flowers might bloom around them.
Sharing the same thought, the eldest, Belzeon, spoke on behalf of them the reason.
“Because it’d be nice if he suffered a little.”
