Chapter 22
“It’s not fighting. You don’t have to be scared.”
Without hesitation, Lucian lifted the child who was curled up tightly. He gently rubbed her back to soothe her.
“It’s just that we haven’t seen each other for a long time, and a lot of misunderstandings piled up. That’s all it was. You don’t need to be so afraid.”
Melissa stared at Lucian Leander comforting Chloe as though she were witnessing something utterly bizarre.
He comforted Chloe as if it were second nature.
The way he held the child, the way his hand stroked her back—it all seemed unnaturally practiced.
“It’s okay, Chloe.”
“But… you were fighting.”
What was even stranger was Chloe herself.
Melissa, looking completely baffled, saw Chloe quickly calm down in Lucian’s arms.
As if it were natural, Chloe clung to Lucian, wrapping her arms around his neck, whining like a child seeking comfort.
“You and Mom were fighting. Really loud. I saw you fighting with magic stones and swords.”
“That’s because… I didn’t recognize Melissa. And the magic stone—I never actually intended to activate it. I only wanted to keep her from leaving.”
No. This can’t be right.
The way I pictured the two of them—it shouldn’t look anything like this.
Melissa’s bewildered eyes met Chloe’s, who had her chin resting on Lucian’s shoulder.
Sniff. The moment their eyes met, Chloe reached her arms toward her mother, rubbing her reddened nose.
Mom, come here. Come and comfort me.
That’s what her bloodshot eyes seemed to be saying.
Melissa felt almost entranced as she approached the child.
Yes. No matter what, right now the most important thing was to comfort this frightened little girl.
Standing by Chloe’s side, Melissa gently stroked her flushed cheek and spoke carefully.
“I’m sorry we fought in front of you, Chloe. Mommy’s sorry.”
At her apology, Chloe only looked up at her in silence.
Melissa had thought Chloe would say something like, That’s not why I cried.
That she hadn’t cried out of fear of the fight itself.
So it really was that seeing me and Lucian fight—that was what hurt her most.
It wasn’t just because she had seen a battle.
After all, having grown up in wolf territory, Chloe had often seen bloody sparring matches since she was little.
So Chloe cried because it was me and Lucian, not strangers, who fought.
Melissa’s heart ached at the sight of her child’s clear eyes.
Come to think of it, she had never properly explained anything to Chloe, always hiding behind excuses of her own wounds.
And so, what Chloe saw was nothing less than her father suddenly appearing, then her mother suddenly showing up, and both of them immediately fighting right in front of her.
How shocked she must’ve been. How confused.
How… terrified.
“Mommy’s sorry, Chloe. I really am.”
Unlike her earlier half-hearted apology, this time the words came from deep in Melissa’s heart.
“I wasn’t thinking. I should’ve thought about how you would feel first. I should’ve realized how frightened you’d be… I’m sorry, Chloe. Truly sorry.”
At her flustered, earnest apology, Chloe glanced down for a moment before looking back at her.
“Really…? You’re really sorry?”
“Yes. Of course I am.”
“Then, as an apology… can you give me a kiss on the cheek?”
Melissa, as if worried Chloe might change her mind, quickly pressed a kiss to her soft cheek.
“Here too.”
After getting a kiss on her left cheek, Chloe turned her head sharply, offering the other side.
“Here too.”
Melissa’s lips landed again with a soft smack.
What the…
And Lucian, watching the scene from right in front of them—
…What am I even looking at right now?
He was at the point of doubting his own eyes.
He wanted to gouge out both eyes, wash them clean, and put them back in, just to be sure. That’s how unbelievable the sight was.
No. This shouldn’t be happening.
According to the spy, Chloe feared Melissa most of all.
That she was so abused, she would wet her pants just from seeing her face.
“Why did you kiss my right cheek twice? Now it’s not symmetrical!”
But the scene before him showed no trace of abuse. No trace of fear strong enough to make her wet herself.
“Oh no, Mommy made a mistake! I’ll kiss your left cheek again to make it even!”
If anything, they looked like a normal mother and daughter—no, even closer than that.
“It’s hard to kiss while someone else is holding you, isn’t it, Chloe?”
Lucian was still reeling from the endless kissing sounds when—
“Come on, let’s go to Mommy.”
Melissa subtly reached out to take Chloe.
Suddenly, Lucian felt that pale hand reaching toward the child leaning against his chest.
His whole body tensed as though touched by fire. He instantly pulled Chloe tighter against him.
“Don’t.”
“Mmph.” Chloe, her cheek squished against Lucian’s solid chest, made a strange noise.
“I won’t give her up.”
Patting Chloe’s back, Lucian locked eyes with Melissa, who was glaring at him.
“As I said before, Chloe is my child too.”
Melissa’s golden eyes, warm as spring when looking at Chloe, turned cold as though submerged in an icy lake.
“Your child? Did you just say she’s yours?”
“Yes. My child. I have every right to claim responsibility for her—”
Sniff. Lucian’s words stopped dead at the sound of Chloe’s little sniffle.
The fierce stares between Lucian and Melissa dropped down to the girl in their arms.
Her shoulders slumped, Chloe wore a wilted expression, like a drooping flower.
Seeing her about to cry again, Lucian quickly apologized.
“I’m sorry, Chloe.”
“M-me too, Chloe. Mommy’s sorry.”
“No… it’s fine… You can fight. Go ahead, fight.”
Chloe sighed so deeply it seemed the ground would cave in, then tapped Lucian’s chest with her tiny fist.
“Please put me down. I want to get down.”
“Huh?”
“That way you won’t fight over who gets to hold me. Please put me down.”
Lucian hesitated.
But when Chloe sniffled again, he couldn’t resist the silent plea and set her down.
Tap. Her feet touched the floor. She wiped her nose with her sleeve, then looked up at them.
“It’s okay! You two can fight. I’ll just cover my ears over there!”
To prove her point, Chloe scurried back to the spot where she’d been crying before and crouched down.
She clamped her little hands over her ears, squeezed her eyes shut, and shouted:
“See? Now I can’t hear anything! It’s fine! You can fight!”
“C-Chloe.”
“I just cry when I’m scared! But if I get used to it, I’ll be fine!”
“Chloe!”
Lucian and Melissa both called her name in unison, their faces pale.
But Chloe acted as if she couldn’t hear, pounding her little fists on the floor and yelling.
“Stupid Chloe! Cowardly Chloe! Why are you scared of something so small? If you want to be a good girl, you can’t cry like this!”
Banging her head against herself like a drum, Chloe’s actions finally made Lucian and Melissa exchange looks—not of hostility, but of something else.
Their eyes were full of shock and guilt.
“Stupid crybaby coward! Hmph! I hope you catch a summer cold!”
“Chloe, stop that.”
Lucian, regaining his senses first, rushed to block her soft little fists.
“We’ll never, ever fight in front of you again. So don’t say things like that.”
At his words, Chloe’s trembling voice lowered slightly.
“Only in front of me…?”
“No! We won’t fight in front of anyone.”
“That’s right, Chloe!”
Melissa knelt beside her, gazing desperately at her daughter.
“So please, please take back what you said about being a coward and a crybaby. Take back the summer cold too. When you say things like that, it hurts Mommy so much.”
Looking into her mother’s eyes filled with worry and regret, Chloe lowered her head with a sulky face.
“But Chloe really is… a stupid crybaby coward.”
“No, you’re not!”
Lucian and Melissa shouted at the same time. Chloe glanced sideways at them, her eyes watery.
“Then… can you promise me you won’t fight?”
“I promise.”
“Of course, Chloe. We promise.”
“Then… hold hands.”
“What?”
“See? You won’t. I knew it.”
Tears welled in Chloe’s eyes again as she raised her little hands to cover her ears.
“It’s fine. You can fight. I can’t hear anything like this anyway. I’ll just keep my ears covered.”
“Got you!”
