Chapter 110: Like a Pryster (3)

 

It was a long while before the situation calmed down.

 

Throughout it all, Keirsey’s gaze never left me.

 

Helen, Thein, the other servants, even Grandma, whatever they said, Keirsey’s eyes were fixed solely on me.

 

It seemed like she couldn’t believe I was still alive. Even though she must know every detail of my appearance, she looked as if she was trying to etch me into her memory.

 

By now, she didn’t even open her mouth. Knowing well that she could only make unintelligible sounds, she refrained from making herself look pitiful.

 

I was still reeling from the shock that Keirsey had developed aphasia.

 

According to Helen, the doctor said it could heal. It’s a condition that might improve over time... but the key is that the cause of the trauma must be removed.

 

Now that I’m alive, the cause of her trauma has disappeared, so she should naturally recover.

 

In other words, if I had truly died, she might have lost her ability to speak forever.

 

Despite the doctor’s reassurances, I was consumed with fear.

 

The anxiety was so overwhelming that my mind was filled with the worst-case scenarios.

 

If she never recovers... I might never have a proper conversation with her again.

 

The sister who used to follow me around, parroting “Oppa! Oppa,” might be gone forever.

 

Of course, I had once left her behind, giving up on everything, but I didn’t want to lose her like this.

 

“...We need to calm down for now.”

 

Gathering information from all the servants, Helen, Thein, and Grandma, I roughly concluded the situation with Keirsey.

 

I shifted my gaze to Keirsey.

 

She was still staring intently at me.

 

Though she looked frail, her eyelids barely lifting, her eyes were piercingly focused on me.

 

“Keirsey, I am alive, really... Please, stop staring and get some rest.”

 

Keirsey blinked weakly but seemed disinclined to heed my words. She watched me as if she was reading a book, her gaze solely on me.

 

She still didn’t spare a glance for anyone else.

 

...Somehow, even without words, I could feel her intense love through her gaze alone. It felt like I was being overwhelmed by the weight of her love.

 

But that didn’t make me want to escape this moment or flee from her sight.

 

How could I leave? Especially with my sister in front of me, having lost her ability to speak.

 

“...Sigh.”

 

With a heavy sigh, I turned to face the next problem.

 

Despite the chaotic events, Asena hadn’t opened her eyes.

 

“...Asena...”

 

Before I could finish, Helen understood and responded.

 

“...She can’t eat. Even trying to feed her thin porridge, her mouth won’t open, as if it’s locked... and even when we manage to get food in, she coughs it up without swallowing.”

 

“...She’s not eating at all.”

 

“...Yes. She can somehow manage water, but no food at all.”

 

I heard that she had barely eaten since I left. When she did eat, it was only a bite or two, and after hearing of my supposed death, she stopped eating altogether.

 

She locked herself in her room, refusing meals and avoiding people.

 

Then one day, she left her room, entered my bed, and... just fell asleep, never waking up since.

 

It’s been nearly fifteen days since I left the Pryster mansion. The attack happened about eight days ago... so it’s been about seven days since she last had a proper meal, and around seven or eight days since she stopped eating altogether.

 

My heart felt heavy.

 

I wanted to be angry, but there was no one to direct my anger towards.

 

Her refusal to eat wasn’t a protest against me. She believed I was dead, so who was she refusing to eat for?

 

She was simply withering away in solitude, believing in my death... it just made my heart ache.

 

Once again, I let out a deep sigh.

 

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts.

 

There’s no point in worrying now.

 

“...Helen, prepare some rice porridge. For Asena and Keirsey to eat.”

 

“......”

 

Helen paused for a moment, likely feeling the same way I did - recalling old memories.

 

When I first came to the Pryster household, the twins had refused to eat, and it was that rice porridge that they first accepted.

 

“...Yes, Cayden.”

 

“...Ah. The kids didn’t like it too bland... Can you, somehow, take care of that part too?”

 

“Understood.”

 

Despite Helen’s previous remarks about the impossibility of feeding Asena, we couldn’t just give up because it was difficult.

 

Perhaps the silver lining was that Keirsey was still awake.

 

I said to Keirsey.

 

“...You need to eat.”

 

Keirsey was still gazing intently at me.

 

“...Got it?”

 

“.......”

 

She weakly nodded her head.

 

As Helen issued orders to the servants, the chaotic atmosphere began to settle.

 

Grandma, who had been watching us, moved away with the help of Thein and Max.

 

As everyone left, one person emerged from the crowd.

 

“…Judy.”

 

- Flinch.

 

At the mention of Judy, Keirsey flinched.

 

Looking at Keirsey, I noticed her eyes finally shifting from me to Judy.

 

Judy asked me.

 

“...Cayden, is there anything I can help with?”

 

Regret swirled in her expression. She must have been equally shocked, perhaps by the same things that had jolted me.

 

Seeing the twins, who were able to converse until just before coming to find me, now collapsed like this, must have shaken her.

 

Beyond everything, she might be mostly worried about whether they would be able to recover or not.

 

I smiled at her, trying to reassure her.

 

“...It’s okay.”

 

Suddenly, Keirsey’s hand touched the back of my hand.

 

“......”

 

“...Why?”

 

I gently focused on her, trying to understand her intent.

 

Keirsey’s eyes moved back and forth between Judy and me.

 

Like Grandma, she seemed confused by Judy’s presence.

 

If it had been Asena, who conversed with us, she might have understood why Judy was here, but Keirsey wouldn’t know.

 

“...Ah. Judy..?”

 

Keirsey weakly nodded her head.

 

“...Judy saved me.”

 

Keirsey inhaled sharply. Her mouth opened, her eyes widening and trembling.

 

Confused, Keirsey tried to sit up.

 

Seeing her condition, Judy, who had been waiting outside the door, hurried in.

 

I moved to help Keirsey sit back down, trying to calm her.

 

“Keirsey, don’t get up. You need to rest.”

 

Soon, Judy was standing beside me, speaking to Keirsey as well.

 

“...Just rest for now.”

 

Keirsey looked back and forth between me and Judy, who was now next to me.

 

After a moment of dazed expression, she shuddered slightly and then began to bow her head deeply, showing her gratitude to Judy.

 

Judy, steadying Keirsey as she leaned forward, said, “It’s okay, you don’t need to thank me. I did it because I wanted to.”

 

“...Keirsey, just rest for now. Let’s not overdo it today.”

 

As I helped Keirsey to sit up straight, she looked at me and nodded.

 

This was how we could communicate now, with nods and head shakes from her.

 

It was a significant change for us, who used to share so many conversations.

 

“...Judy, thank you. There should be a room where you can rest. Get the servants to show you, and take a break there. I’ll come to see you later.”

 

“Okay. Cayden, take your time.”

 

“Will do. See you later.”

 

Judy offered one more greeting to Keirsey, paid her respects to the sleeping Asena, and then turned to leave.

 

Now, it was just the twins and me left in the room.

 

I adjusted my posture and looked at Keirsey.

 

The blank expression she had earlier while staring at me was now revealing a variety of emotions.

 

Just Judy’s arrival and departure had brought significant change to her.

 

“...Uh... Ah...”

 

After being silent since her earlier outburst of tears, Keirsey finally made a sound, as if she had something she desperately wanted to say.

 

But the incomprehensible words that followed only deepened Keirsey’s frustration, making her furrow her brows in despair.

 

Watching her struggle, I called out loudly for a servant outside, requesting paper, a quill, and ink.

 

After a short wait, Keirsey, now with the writing materials, dragged her frail body to the bedside table and began to write.

 

I had to support her waist and shoulder to prevent her from collapsing as she wrote.

 

Once she finished, she handed me the paper.

 

“Please tell Judy thank you again, Oppa. Really... I will definitely repay this kindness.”

 

I read her message and nodded in understanding.

 

“...Is this what you wanted to say?”

 

Keirsey shook her head. Her eyes flickered uneasily before she started to write again.

 

“But... I thought your relationship with Judy worsened after the broken engagement. Is everything okay now?”

 

Pondering how to respond, knowing her romantic feelings, I cautiously replied. It wouldn’t be right to say I had plans to accept Judy now.

 

If there was something safe to say...

 

“...Things with Judy... they’ve improved.”

 

Then I saw it.

 

At my words, Keirsey shuddered like a fragile animal, but barely bit her lip.

 

...It was clear to me now.

 

Jealousy.

 

Even in this state, her body weakened, there was a faint trace of jealousy. Paradoxically, her every action started to make sense. Such a profound love explained her shocking actions.

 

It seemed, for everyone’s well-being, what I needed to focus on wasn’t why they had taken those actions, but the depth of their love.

 

Lost in thought, watching Keirsey, she relaxed her bitten lip and softened her expression.

 

Then her face turned woefully sorrowful.

 

What was she feeling? Without her words, it was impossible to know. Even if she could speak, she might not have told me.

 

She attempted to rise again, moving towards the paper.

 

“...Keirsey, that’s enough. Rest now.”

 

I naturally supported her, but I wished for her to rest now.

 

Despite my concern, Keirsey continued to dip the quill in ink and wrote diligently on the paper.

 

She then held up her final note for me to see.

 

“Happy for you. Glad you’re getting along better.”

 

“...?”

 

I couldn’t comprehend her words. Knowing her unspoken affection, I understood why she had been so harsh and sensitive towards Judy and Daisy all this time.

 

Every time I grew closer to them, Keirsey expressed her displeasure to me, acted coy, or got angry.

 

But now, her congratulations felt awkwardly out of place.

 

I looked at Keirsey.

 

Her mouth was hidden behind the paper, but her eyes looked incredibly sad.

 

It was clear she wasn’t happy about this situation, nor was she genuinely congratulating me.

 

Noticing my expression, Keirsey adjusted hers.

 

Struggling, she forced a smile, her eyes quivering pitifully.

 

“...Ehehe.”

 

She forced out a laugh. Since it wasn’t words, she could mimic the sound of laughter.

 

“...Just rest until the meal comes, Keirsey.”

 

Realizing I was unintentionally pushing her too hard, I decided to conclude the situation.

 

Keirsey didn’t resist any further. She nodded weakly and lay down powerlessly on the bed.

 

Then, she pulled the blanket over her head, covering herself completely.

 

She remained motionless like that for a long while.

---  End Of The Chapter ---

 

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