Chapter 77
Chapter 77
The entire process flowed smoothly, but I was the only one who felt uncomfortable, a tightness in my chest. It felt like my heart was sinking into quicksand. The thought of having to go through this elaborate procedure every wedding night filled me with a sense of dread.
“Then, we shall wait here.” For some reason, the maids were to stand guard outside the bedroom tonight. The thought made me nervous, and I let out a deep sigh.
When I entered the bedroom, Cesar was already lying on the bed, waiting for me. He smiled brightly when he saw me.
“Ren!”
“Ahaha…” Seeing his face, I finally felt at ease. It felt strangely formal to have someone’s confirmation before entering the bedroom, even though we saw each other there every day. I felt so awkward that I almost itched all over.
“What were you doing?”
He showed me the book he was holding.
“This.”
It was the story I had read to him before: The Ugly Duckling. We had been reading together before bed every night, and Cesar was now able to haltingly repeat my words, so he would often read more advanced books on his own when I wasn’t around. Such books were scattered around the bed.
“Read it to me.” He insisted on this book every night with surprising stubbornness.
“This one again? Let’s read a different book today.” It was too simple for him now, and I had read it to him countless times, so I thought he would be bored of it.
I reached for another book on the bed.
But Cesar shook his head and pushed The Ugly Duckling towards me again.
“I like this one.”
It seemed I was destined to read this book again tonight.
“Oh, how can I ever win against your stubbornness?” I picked up the book. He scooted closer, ears perked, and the sight was unbearably endearing. Seeing him like this made this now-routine moment feel incredibly precious.
“Hmm, let’s see. Once upon a time, there lived a pair of very loving ducks by a pond. As a fruit of their love, they laid several eggs.”
I began reading calmly, as usual. Suddenly, Cesar pointed to a passage in the book and asked, “What is love?”
“Huh?”
“Love.”
What is love? Was there a more philosophical and complex question? The unexpected question caught me off guard, and I groaned inwardly.
Love. What was it, really?
“Um… well, it’s…” I hesitated for a moment, unsure what to say, my eyes darting around. Then, an idea struck me, and I answered brightly, “Love means liking someone a whole lot.”
“Liking?”
“Yes, liking them a tremendous amount.” I nodded emphatically. This explanation had to be correct.
Cesar’s face lit up. “I like Ren a lot!”
“Yes, I know. I like you too.” I replied with a reflexive smile. Cesar grinned, his teeth showing.
“Ren, I love you.”
“Oh…” This second ambush was even more powerful than the first. I couldn’t help but be surprised by this love confession that came without any warning.
I squirmed, feeling shy, but seeing his expectant face, I had to respond.
“I love you too.” I managed to answer, stifling a laugh. Cesar crinkled his nose in satisfaction and mirrored my smile. It was so cute that I could hardly stand it.
Watching him, the feeling of being stuck in quicksand began to dissipate. It was as if I had a sweet candy melting in my mouth. We spent a long time smiling at each other.
“Fruit of love.”
“Huh?” He suddenly said something rather odd.
“As a fruit of their love, they laid eggs.”
“Um…” His innocent, unclouded face then asked, “When will you lay them?”
A deeply unsettling premonition washed over me, but I had to ask. “Lay… what?”
“The fruit of love.”
“The… fruit… of love…?” My palms suddenly became sweaty. Was he thinking what I thought he was thinking? No, I shouldn’t jump to conclusions. Cesar was innocent, after all. And the “fruit of love” could be interpreted in many ways.
For example, our studies. That could be considered a fruit of our love. Yes, it could be called a fruit of love. Or perhaps my grand plan to make Cesar more human. If that succeeded, maybe that could be called the fruit…
Just as I was about to lose myself in such absurd delusions, Cesar added, as if driving the final nail into the coffin, “Lay them soon.”
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