Divorce Manual

Chapter 67

Leo grips with both hands as if he's trying to break my finger.

"..."

I lift my head and look around.

However, both Pope and Lejan are looking like they don't know what I'm trying to do.

It looks like making a promise with your pinky finger is not something that they do here.

Then, you might not know what I'm doing now.

Since I was very young, it was an act that meant to be a promise, so I vaguely thought that its origin might be quite old.

Come to think of it, I honestly don't know when this gesture became the meaning of a promise.

Was it just from my mother's days? I want to—

"Well. That's not it."

I release Leo's hand on my finger and hook my little finger onto his.

When I was a child, I told my mom.

'Mom, I'll only sleep for five nights.'

I remember hooking my mother's finger on my pinky then pressed our thumbs firmly together.

I press my thumb against Leo's little thumb.

"Doing this is called a promise."

I explain the meaning of our fingers again.

With watery purple eyes that are filled with wonder, he looks at me then at the hand that holds his little finger alternately.

"Promise."

I recite what I said in a quiet voice.

"This is the promise."

"Yes, I promise."

"Hang on the ring of your little finger and make a promise."

The little voice of the child who imitates my inner words—

"Yes."

I nod and pat the child's head.

"Promises are very scary, so you shouldn't do them carelessly."

"Why?"

"If you make a promise like this, you should never break it."

"No?"

"No."

I nod firmly at Leo's words.

It's a burden to myself as well as to Leo.

I will never break the promise that I made just now.

A commitment to yourself.

The promise that I will let this child my eyes in the future.

Let's close and open our eyes tightly as if engraving that pledge.

"Then, I promise too."

"Huh?"

The child loosens his hand, hooks it back up, and then presses the thumbs together.

"I promise you with a pinky ring."

"What?"

"I'll protect you. I will never hurt you. I will always protect you. Promise."

Then, Leo removes his thumb then sticks it back.

"Sigh—"

I turn speechless, feeling like I couldn't breathe at the same time.

So cute.

He's too cute to be troubled by. Really, very, very lovely, with a pretty heart—

"Yes, thank you."

I chuckle.

I don't know what you're talking about, but it's a promise because I wanted to do the best I could anyway.

"But Leo is too young, so even if you don't keep this—"

"You must keep your promise."

As if repeating what I said, his eyes brighten. His resolute way of speaking and puffy, flushed cheeks—

Oh, how lovely.

He's so cute.

Plus, a tail that moves smoothly as it hits the floor of the sofa.

I barely manage to suppress the urge to hug and rub those cheeks. Otherwise, Leo might see me as a pervert.

If that happens, I'm worried that I may not be able to see this child often.

"Then, once our Leo is a little bigger, please protect me. Since I am bigger than you right now, I will protect you."

I clench my fists tightly as if suppressing my urge to touch the cheeks.

However—

"I've grown up."

He gets up from his seat and grabs both of my hands with his strength. Above my head, his ears pop out with a sound.His gray ears in the shape of a triangle—

"Oh my god."

He's so cute that I smile like a proud mother.

"You're so lovely, Leo."

"Not lovely. I'm really going to grow up very soon, and I'll protect you."

It seems that he does not like my childish smile toward him because he puffs out his chest.

How much can Leo, who seems to be about 4-5 years old, exaggerate the size of his chest?

However,

"Yes, I see."

Such a pretentious look is so cute and lovable that I couldn't help but agree.

Because he's too cute, I can't imagine how he'd look as an adult.

Even those clumsy ears that stood straight up.

So cute!

Like a person in love, I watch Leo with my chin resting on my hands.

"Your Grace?"

"Yes, Dr. Lejan?"

He coughs and steps closer.

"If you keep looking at the child with that expression, I think you could be taken away."

"On what crime will I be arrested for?"

"Child abuse or attempted kidnapping."

"... "

Those crimes do not sound good at all.

"So, can you stop drooling and let me give him medical treatments?"

Unlike his polite tone, he obviously is teasing me.

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

"Sure, Dr. Sebastian."

Sweetly calling his real name, I stand up from my seat.

What could be the reason for hiding his name?

Maybe he doesn't like it?

So, I pledge to call him by that name even more.

"Dr. Renoa Sebastian."

"Haha—Damn it."

Lejan, giving up convincing her from calling his name, bends on knee in front of Leo.

"I am Dr. Lejan."

Lejan corrects the title I sang, and once again introduces himself to Leo.

"Yes, hello."

Leo bows his head down—

"Leo, call him Sebastian."

I tell Leo, pointing my finger at Lejan.

"Doctor Sebastian."

Leo laughs when he sees me smiling over Lejan's shoulders, then says, "I'm sorry."

He has such a lovely smile that Lejan couldn't say anything to the child.

"What's wrong with you?"

Lejan laments his fate to me before he laughs awkwardly and says to the child.

"Ah—go ahead."

.

.

That evening, Charles asks for a meal together so I stop playing with Leo and go down to the dining room.

"Hmm."

Instead of Leo's pretty face, it's Evangeline's deathly face and Charles, who's sitting across from the empty seat.

Neither of these faces look very welcoming to me, and I'm not even happy to be here.

"Why don't you guys have a nice meal together?"

I sit down on the empty seat as I subtly ask about why I'm called.

However,

"I was wrong, Your Grace."

Before I could even sit down, Evangeline lowers her head to me.

Hmm? What's wrong with her?

I take a suspicious glimpse at Charles. With his arms folded, I could see from his side profile that he's looking at Evangeline.

I feel like he's angry, but why is he angry?

Don't tell me—

Are you upset about today?

Let's just look at Evangeline.

"I really didn't know he was a child that you loved. I was just trying to follow the rules... In any case, I was wrong."

"..."

"Please forgive me with generosity in your heart."

Her voice asking for forgiveness sounds mechanical as she bows her head. It happened so fast that I couldn't figure out if it either happened, if she even bowed her head at all or she's being forced to.

"You have nothing to apologize for."

I take my eyes off Evangeline and place a napkin on my thighs.

"The wrong wasn't done to me. It was done to Leo."

"Look at what I'm doing right now!"

"Evangeline."

At the moment that Evangeline's about to blow up at my words, Charles interrupts.

"Isn't that right?"

I smile coolly as I look at her.

Seeing my expression—

"I'm sorry. If you wish, I'll apologize to Leo."

She swallows a breath and keeps her head lowered.

I see.

It seems the apology is forced by Charles.

No, it seems that she isn't doing this to treat him as a person. It's terrifying to imagine how she might hurt Leo again after apologizing to him.

"However, it might be difficult for Leo to receive the apology directly because he's still very shocked by the situation. I'll deliver it to him instead, Lady Evangeline."

"Oh, thank you." Evangeline vaguely says, raising her chin slightly.

She's still arrogant while she tries to save face.

I try to get up from my seat in case I might have to play pretend as well.

"Let's sit down. The food hasn't come out yet."

He looks at me, attempting to dissuade me from leaving.

"I have no appetite."

Charles looks at me with his handsome face and a softened gaze.

"I think that I'll be interfering with your time together. Isn't that right, Lady Evangeline?"

Hurry up and say yes.

I mean, drive me out like you've tried to do so in the past..

Let's stare at Evangeline as if I'm trying to force an answer from her.

"No. I'm fine, Your Grace."

Evangeline, being unhelpful, smiles and asks me to take a seat.

"That's right. Sit down."

Both of them reach for my chair at the same time.

"Well, if you don't mind..."

I won't be eating comfortably today.

Do I have any digestive medicine in my room? I think Lejan did give me some before.

I put the napkin back on my thigh and turn my head.

"Now, then, shall we eat then leave, Ergel?"

I smile, calling out to her, with my eyes full of desire to get out of here.

.

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T/N: Charles really out here trying to be a mediator lol Also I love that Abella's circle has grown quite a bit. Lejan was hilarious. I really thought I was gonna get some drama from a new character named Sebastian before knowing that Lejan was Sebastian. I was dead wrong.