“You shouldn’t say that, mo…!”

Oops, I shouldn’t call her mom.

Lily, who almost blurted out a word she should never say due to her shock, quickly shut her mouth. Fortunately, her mother’s condition seemed fine, as if she hadn’t heard.

“Why shouldn’t I say that?”

Instead, she troubled Lily with a different question.

“Is it wrong to call a handsome person handsome?”

“That’s not it…”

How should I explain this? Lily inwardly groaned and rubbed her forehead, facing a question that would be difficult to explain even if her mother’s mental age wasn’t 8 but her actual age. The troublesome questions didn’t end there.

“Do you perhaps think that brother is ugly?”

Of course not. Even setting aside personal feelings, Herald was on the handsome side. Gossip magazines even praised him as the continent’s most handsome man, so that part was undeniable.

“…”

Nevertheless, Lily couldn’t bring herself to say no, to say that he was handsome. It felt like the emotions she had barely suppressed might burst out. Fearing she couldn’t handle it if her feelings poured out like a flood, Lily chose to keep her mouth shut.

“She says you’re ugly.”

When Grace Benjamin tattled to Herald, interpreting her silence as agreement, Lily was even more surprised and grabbed her mother’s arm.

“I told you not to say such things!”

“…Am I not supposed to say someone is ugly either?”

Grace Benjamin grumbled that this was too much, but Lily paid no attention. More accurately, she had no time to do so, as all her nerves were focused on the man laughing behind her.

So Lily, who couldn’t say anything and was just hesitating, took a deep breath as heavy footsteps drew closer. When a large hand rested on her shoulder, she exhaled all at once. The moment her greatly swollen chest deflated, a low voice pierced her ear.

“You shouldn’t trouble your elder sister.”

“…”

At those words, Lily stole a glance at Herald’s profile, rolling only her eyes. Even in her bewilderment, his handsome features pierced her eyes, making her heart pound. Where his hand touched felt as hot as if burned.

“Hold my hand.”

Grace Benjamin, whose mental age had regressed due to a major accident, was afraid of strangers, especially men. But she seemed to like Herald, reaching out her hand first. However, as this could appear somewhat rude to others, Lily tried to stop that hand, but Herald prevented her instead.

“Is this how I should hold it?”

And he took Grace Benjamin’s outstretched hand. Even afterwards, when her mother pestered him with questions about his age and name, Herald answered everything with a smile.

Even Fredrick, who pretended to be kind, couldn’t hide his disgust when he first saw her mother. When her mother asked something, he reluctantly answered while watching Lily’s reaction.

At least Fredrick was a gentleman. Other people’s reactions were worse than his. It was basic for them to flinch or frown at the sight of her face with vivid, hideous burn scars, and some even pointed fingers. There were even people like Samantha who openly cursed her as a monster and a lunatic.

Lily had expected Herald to be the same. Of course, she thought that since he was a kind and good person, he wouldn’t openly show disgust, but she expected him to keep his distance or show a similar reaction, but he didn’t.

“Do you perhaps like candy? I have strawberry flavored ones.”

“I like it! I want to eat it!”

“…”

As this was completely unexpected, Lily stood still, taking in the sight of the two people she loved in a different sense. It should be normal to be happy when expectations are wrong, but she wasn’t happy at all. Rather, it was painful, as if stabbing her heart with something sharp like a needle, and her vision gradually became blurry.

“…”

As hot tears were about to pour out, Lily bit her lip and turned her gaze away. In her slightly cleared vision, she saw Margaret looking at Herald with eyes full of curiosity.

“Caregiver.”

Both disliking that gaze and having something she wanted to ask Margaret when they met, she called out to her.

“Around the end of visiting hours, I’d like to meet Dr. Dudley… would that be possible?”

Charles Dudley. He was the doctor in charge of Grace Benjamin. Usually, they only met the attending physician when there was a problem with the patient, so Margaret asked back curiously when Lily suddenly said she wanted to meet him.

“Why do you want to do that?”

“It’s about going out.”

Lily glanced at her mother, who was chatting innocently with Herald, and continued.

“I’d like to go out together, so I want to ask the doctor if it’s possible.”

“Ah, I see.”

Relief spread across her face as the question was resolved.

Was she worried I might ask the doctor to change the attending caregiver? Lily inwardly mocked Margaret.

“Alright. After I escort the lady back to her room, I’ll check right away…”

“No, I’ll take her back, so please check right away.”

“Ah, yes.”

When Lily firmly requested, Margaret nodded somewhat reluctantly. Lily watched Margaret’s retreating back for a moment before approaching her mother.

“Shall we go too?”

“Yes!”

Her mother smiled brightly, holding Lily’s arm with her right hand and Herald’s arm with her left. Surprised by the slightly strange arrangement, Lily flinched and looked for Herald’s reaction. Herald smiled when their eyes met.

“This feels like we’re family.”

“…”

Lily was bewildered by the unexpected remark, but Grace Benjamin smiled even more brightly and tightly gripped both their arms.

“Wow, we’re family. Family! Then I’ll be the daughter, elder sister can be the mom, and the handsome brother can be the dad!”

Lily’s eyes widened like saucers as she suddenly became Herald’s wife.

“Would you like that?”

“Yes! I really want you to do it!”

“Since my beautiful wife wishes it, I suppose we must.”

Meanwhile, Herald agreed without the slightest surprise, completely calm.

How can he be so composed? Is he okay with being tied to me under the name of a couple?

It’s normal to be flustered when associated with someone you like, but he was too calm, which was strange. Equally confused, Lily kept glancing at Herald even after arriving at the hospital room. Very briefly, so he wouldn’t notice.

That method seemed to work, as Herald didn’t ask anything.

More than that, how long does he intend to stay here?

It’s not that she disliked him being here. Rather, she was worried. Herald said he came to the nursing home because he wanted to find out about various things. Since outsiders could only be in the hospital during visiting hours, Lily felt very guilty about taking up his time.

So she was about to ask if it was okay, if he should be leaving now, but Margaret returned. She must have run here in a hurry, as her neatly pinned-up hair was slightly disheveled and her cheeks were flushed.

“The doctor says it’s possible, and to bring the lady now.”

“Right now?”

“Yes. Let’s go quickly, madam.”

I said I wanted to meet around the end of visiting hours, but having to go right away means he must have other schedules.

I guess I have no choice but to go now. Even if I’m going, I should at least say goodbye, so Lily turned to Grace Benjamin.

“I’m going to see the doctor, so wait just a bit. And…”

As she turned her gaze, Herald met her eyes and smiled.

“I’ll wait cozily with your wife.”

“…”

Lily had intended to ask him to leave together, but as he preempted her, she closed her mouth, at a loss for words. Deep down, she also hoped Herald would stay. She was uneasy about leaving her mother and Margaret alone. Lily inwardly chuckled at the thought of having such concerns now after things had gone well for a week.

“Are you really okay? You can go if you have business to attend to.”

“It’s fine. My business can be taken care of later, so don’t worry and go.”

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

I should be back soon. I just need to ask if mother is in a condition to go out, so it shouldn’t take long. Lily repeatedly asked Herald to take care of things before hurriedly leaving the room.

As soon as the door closed with a thud, the smile on Herald’s face faded. He looked at Margaret with eyes like those of a languid predator and ordered.

“I have an urgent matter to discuss with the lady, so could you leave us alone for a moment?”

Margaret frowned at his words.

“I’m sorry, but that’s not possible. If something happens while she’s with someone who’s not family…”

“Nothing will happen.”

Herald said firmly, pressing a few gold coins into Margaret’s hand. Margaret’s eyes sparkled at the heavy, cold, yet pleasant sensation.

“Oh my. It’s not usually allowed, but since you insist, young master… I suppose it can’t be helped. But only for a moment.”

After emphasizing ‘only for a moment’ several times, Margaret put the gold coins in her pocket and went outside.

To think a caregiver would be so easily swayed by money. Herald laughed hollowly, finding it absurd. Well, I suppose that’s why she’d take the hand of someone like Fredrick.

Herald turned to Grace Benjamin. Her green eyes, identical to Lily’s, caught his attention first. Thinking that those innocently sparkling eyes might soon be filled with shock and fear made his chest ache. It was even more painful because it reminded him of Lily.

But I have to do this. Herald held both her shoulders, prepared in case Grace Benjamin had a seizure, and asked.

“Do you remember what happened two years ago?”

If Grace Benjamin didn’t remember anything, there was no point in asking anything else. So he started with the most basic question, but her innocent eyes suddenly became empty.

She knows something. As Herald was about to take the next step, Grace Benjamin covered his mouth with both hands.

“Shh.”

Her eyes, now focused, were no longer those of a child.

“You mustn’t know. If you know… that man will come to catch us.”