The Reason Why She Wanted To Leave - Chapter 33
As soon as my grandfather finished speaking, my eyes began to burn. Tears quickly welled up, making my vision blur.
I already knew in my heart about my grandfather’s condition. When Dr. Watt suggested I visit him recently, it felt like my heart had dropped.
‘No way, it can’t be…’
Negative thoughts raced through my mind, and the worry for my grandfather made my fingertips feel icy.
On the other hand, I was grateful I had come to see him today. Attending the banquet would have been enjoyable, but I realized there weren’t many who would welcome me there, and my time with my grandfather was limited.
If possible, I wanted to cherish the moments with the man who had become my family.
“Cecil,” my grandfather called softly. I blinked several times to clear my blurred vision, and tears began to flow down my cheeks.
“Viscountess, here,” Rachel said, noticing my distress and handing me a handkerchief. I took it and slowly wiped my tears away.
Only then could I see my grandfather clearly.
“I’m sorry. You must be feeling worse, Grandfather.”
“No, my dear,” he replied, looking at me with pity. He reached out and gently held my hand, which was clutching the handkerchief tightly. The warmth of his grip enveloped me.
I lowered my gaze to the hand he held and then met his eyes. His wrinkled face always wore a kind smile.
“Thank you. And I’m sorry,” he said, his voice filled with regret and guilt.
“Cecilia, I think I was too selfish toward you. My desires for you caused you too much hardship.”
“No, as I’ve said before, I’ve endured thanks to you, Grandfather. If you hadn’t saved me after I lost my parents, I wouldn’t be who I am today.”
With each breath, sadness welled up inside me, making it feel as if not breathing at all would be better.
“I’ll stay until evening today,” I said, wanting to be with him a little longer.
“You don’t have to. Aren’t you feeling unwell too? I’ll manage dinner on my own, so don’t worry about me and go back early to rest. What’s enjoyable about being with an old man?”
My grandfather suggested cautiously, perhaps remembering the last time I had coughed up blood. I shook my head in refusal.
“I didn’t plan on leaving early today. Don’t worry.”
“…”
He couldn’t refuse any longer and nodded. “Alright. Then go back whenever you’re comfortable. But please don’t stay late just because of me.”
“Of course. I’m an adult too.”
When I shrugged in response, my grandfather chuckled.
“Then why don’t you sit down instead of standing?” He pointed to a chair, and I gladly took a seat beside him. Although he had suggested I leave early, he seemed relieved I insisted on staying longer.
Understanding that my grandfather, despite his strong demeanor, was tender-hearted, I quietly smiled while sitting by his side.
My grandfather was a lonely man. He lost his wife during childbirth, dedicated himself to raising his only son, but then lost his daughter-in-law to illness and his son in an accident.
Ains blamed my grandfather for Alex’s death, harboring hatred and resentment, yet he couldn’t grasp the pain of a father mourning his son.
Despite my attempts to encourage Ains to reconcile with my grandfather after our marriage, he never listened. He saw me as aligned with my grandfather, which made it natural for him to dismiss my suggestions.
In this moment, I felt resentment towards Ains. Couldn’t he at least try to understand my grandfather’s feelings and mend their relationship? Didn’t he realize how painful it was for my grandfather to be rejected by his only remaining grandson? He would regret this.
“By the way, does Ains know about your illness?” my grandfather asked during our conversation.
I paused, and he continued, “Didn’t Ains see you coughing up blood the other day? He must have guessed something was wrong.”
I hesitated before responding, “He knows everything.”
“All of it?”
“Yes. The day after that incident, he came to see me. I had accidentally dropped a bottle of sedative in the dining room. He brought it back and confirmed my illness. I gave him a brief explanation, and afterward, it seemed he looked into it further.”
“I see…” my grandfather replied, his tone turning bitter. “Even so, it’s really heartless of him not to help you. He was once your husband.”
“No!” I quickly interjected, realizing my grandfather misunderstood the situation. He looked at me in surprise.
“In fact, he offered to help.”
“Ains did?”
Seeing my grandfather’s disbelief, I chuckled softly. “Yes, the Duke did. But… I refused. Right now, I only need to manage the mana surging within me. I still have plenty of sedatives, and most importantly, I’m learning to control my mana from Master Cesare at the Magic Tower. So, I didn’t see the need to accept the Duke’s help.”
“As I heard before, Master Cesare is assisting you. I don’t understand what that fickle man is thinking.”
I sensed my grandfather’s concern and felt the need to clarify. “Until I got the Tieria flower for treatment, I had been receiving mana stones from the Magic Tower. After absorbing high-quality mana stones for over six months, Master Cesare seems interested in seeing if someone like me can learn mana more effectively.”
“Haha… So, are you seeing results?”
“Yes. According to Master Cesare, I sensed mana in the shortest time possible.”
Recalling his encouraging words, I smiled. My grandfather looked at me with satisfaction and nodded.
“I’m glad to hear things are going well. Now I feel a bit relieved. I thought you might need Ains’ help, but it seems that’s not the case.”
“Yes. I’m managing well on my own, so you don’t need to worry too much.”
“Of course, Cecilia. I believe in you. And if you ever need my help, don’t hesitate to ask.”
His kind words seemed to give me strength. Hearing my grandfather’s reassurance lifted my previously slumped spirits.
Yet, my heart ached at his mention of the end. I nodded at him with a bittersweet smile.
“Yes, I will.”
As our conversation continued, lunchtime approached. I pushed my grandfather’s wheelchair toward the dining room on the same floor.
To my surprise, Ains was already there. I thought he might have just stopped by briefly due to work, but it seemed otherwise. He was reading documents in the dining room and only looked up to acknowledge our arrival.
“You were here first, Ains.”
“Yes.”
Despite my grandfather’s cheerful greeting, Ains responded curtly.
“Didn’t you say you had work?”
At my grandfather’s question, Ains glanced at me briefly before shrugging and handing his documents to Jackson.
“I was preparing for work, and it just happened to be lunchtime. I’ll head to the capital right after the meal.”
Ains’ stiff tone lacked warmth. Although he was my only family, I felt he was being too cold towards my grandfather. Yet, I knew I had no right to intervene, so I stayed silent.
Once we sat down, the meal began to be served.
“Cecilia, make sure to eat well.”
Before we started, my grandfather encouraged me with a smile.
I responded gladly, but throughout the meal, Ains remained quiet. He ate with a stern expression, as if he were alone in another world. My grandfather occasionally glanced at him, likely disappointed by his grandson’s demeanor.
Should I say something to Ains? I pondered this when my grandfather suddenly spoke to me.
“Cecilia, now that you’re divorced and living alone, isn’t it lonely and scary?”
“What?” I was taken aback by the unexpected question.
“If you’re open to it, I can introduce you to someone nice.”