Chapter 192: Idiot
"Because..."
Soren paused, feeling the moment press down on him.
For a split second, the words I love you almost escaped his lips, but he caught them at the last moment and held them back. It didn’t feel right to say it now. Dropping a confession like that while she was struggling to breathe felt less like a comfort and more like an emotional trap, forcing her to process his feelings when she barely had the strength to manage her own. Honestly, he wasn’t sure he was ready to cross that line yet either.
So, he settled on the one truth he could give her right now.
"Because... you’re the only reason I keep pushing forward."
Ethea’s eyes widened slightly, her breath catching as she stared up at him. She shook her head faintly, a fractured whisper escaping her lips before she could stop it.
"B-But... you always... get hurt... because of me..."
"Ethea." Soren tightened his grip, cutting off the rising panic before it could take root. He leaned in closer, his physical presence crowding out her doubts and forcing her to focus entirely on him.
"You need to understand something too," he spoke, his voice softening. "Seeing you in pain hurts me just as deeply, and the thought of failing you is the only thing that genuinely terrifies me. Because at the end of the day, all I want, more than anything, is to see you healthy and happy. So please don’t ever look at what happened and think you’re a burden to me."
"..." Ethea looked at him, her lips parting slightly, but no words came out. Something in her chest eased, and her grip on his hand softened before she even realized it.
Sensing the shift, Soren leaned in a little closer, ensuring she heard every syllable.
"In fact, it’s the opposite. Protecting you is just something I do, without hesitation, and I would choose it again every single time, because... a world without you in it isn’t a world I want to be in anyway."
"..."
The room fell quiet.
Neither of them spoke; their eyes locked as the silence stretched between them. Ethea found herself staring deeply into his gaze, her heart beating wildly against her ribs before the intense rhythm slowly began to calm, settling back into a steady pace.
She was also the first to break the contact, looking down at where his hand still covered hers.
"Soren..."’
"Hmm?"
"You... You are an idiot."
"W-What?" Soren blinked, completely thrown off.
Ethea’s lips curled up faintly, a trace of her usual self returning. "I said you’re an idiot."
"O-Oh." Soren sat there, completely dumbfounded. He quickly replayed his entire confession in his head, trying to figure out which part of it had been stupid, but he couldn’t come up with a single answer. Giving up on trying to understand her logic, a helpless smile broke through. "I guess I am one."
"...Pfft."
A soft giggle escaped Ethea, and a few more tears spilled over her eyelashes, tracing down her cheeks. The sight only made Soren’s smile widen. He didn’t mind the insult at all, glad that he had at least managed to break her dark mood and make her laugh.
’...She’s beautiful.’
The thought surfaced naturally as he became engrossed in the sight of her genuine expression, his focus narrowing entirely to the warmth returning to her face.
Eventually, Ethea’s laughter tapered off. She blinked away the remaining moisture and looked up to meet his eyes again.
"...Soren."
"Yeah?"
"...Thank you."
Soren’s gaze softened as he held her hand a little tighter.
"Don’t thank me yet," he murmured, "I’m not done keeping you safe."
"..." Ethea stared at him, stunned into silence for a second, before uttering another quick, "Idiot."
She immediately turned her head away from him, trying to hide her face. However, Soren still noticed the tip of her ear go red.
He grinned to himself, thinking, ’She’s cute too.’
With that thought lingering in his mind, Soren kept his eyes on her, watching the flush slowly recede from her ear as she stared intently in the opposite direction. She looked determined to ignore him, but the faint twitch of her fingers against his palm gave her away.
"Ethea, are you tired?"
Ethea kept her gaze fixed on the wall for another moment before letting out a soft sigh and moving her head back toward him. The stubborn look on her face had melted away, leaving only exhaustion in her eyes.
"...A little," she admitted, her voice dropping to a faint whisper.
"Then you should sleep," Soren said. He adjusted the blanket, pulling it up slightly to cover her shoulders, ensuring she stayed warm. "I’ll be right here."
"...Goodnight."
"Mm, sleep well," Soren replied. ’Because we have a lot to talk about once you wake up.’
He kept the thought hidden behind his gentle expression, knowing the questions about her father, her enemies, and the secrets buried in her past could wait until she had her strength back. For now, she just needed to rest.
Within minutes, Ethea’s breathing slowed, her features relaxing completely as she finally drifted off into a deep sleep.
Only after making sure that she was truly asleep did Soren then close his eyes, leaning his head back against the chair while keeping his fingers anchored to hers, and let his consciousness sink inward to resume his cultivation.
───────
A few hours later.
[Ding!]
"!"
Soren’s eyes snapped open at the familiar sound, the dark hospital room immediately coming back into focus. Hovering directly in his field of vision was a glowing text interface.
───────
[The Authority Advancement has been successfully completed.]
[Initiating ...]
...
....
───────
Before Soren could even register the words on the screen, a sudden pressure slammed into the center of his mind. His vision went completely dark, and his consciousness cut out instantly, pulling him into the void.
───────
’...Hmm?’
When Soren’s consciousness finally began to return, he had no way of knowing how much time had actually passed.
Yet, the sensation hitting him was entirely undeniable. It defied simple description, bringing a profound clarity that vibrated through his entire being. He felt completely whole, as if a vital piece of his soul had finally slotted into its proper place.
Slowly, his eyes fluttered open.
The bright morning light filtering through the window forced him to blink, adjusting to the sudden clarity of the room. As his focus sharpened, the very first thing he saw was a pair of mesmerizing ice-blue eyes, silently staring at him from the bed.
"...Good morning," Ethea whispered softly.
"...Good morning," Soren replied, his voice a bit raspy from sleep. "Did you sleep well?"
"Mm," Ethea murmured, her gaze steady. "And you?"
"Me too." Soren grinned. "In fact, it’s been ages since I’ve slept this well."
"..." Ethea squinted and looked down, gesturing with her eyes toward his awkward position in the chair and their still interconnected fingers. "...Wasn’t it... uncomfortable?"
Soren shook his head immediately. "No, I’m not lying. It was truly one of the best rests I’ve had in a long time."
"...That’s good then," Ethea said, a small smile of relief brushing across her lips.
"But, when did you wake up?" Soren asked, his brow furrowing slightly. "You didn’t wait for me for a long time, right?"
Ethea shifted her gaze away, avoiding his intense stare. "...I woke up just a while ago, too," she replied.
In reality, her mind was drifting back to the last hour she had spent simply watching his calm face, thinking, ’I just wanted you to rest a bit longer without any worries.’
"If you say so," Soren said. He chose not to press her further on it and slowly released his fingers from her grasp, giving them both a moment to adjust. "Anyway, are you hungry yet? What do you want me to make for breakfast?"
"The hospital should have food," Ethea said softly, her voice still quiet from the lingering morning silence. "You don’t have to cook by yourself again."
Soren firmly shook his head. "No, it’s better if I handle it. I want to make sure you’re getting exactly what you need to recover, and hospital food just isn’t the same."
Ethea opened her mouth as if to argue that hospital food was perfectly adequate, but she caught the stubborn determination in his eyes. Reluctantly, her shoulders relaxed, and she nodded, her gaze softening. "Anything is fine, then."
"Good, but let’s wash up first, shall we?"
Ethea gave a small nod, and they smoothly transitioned into their usual routine.
Before getting started, Soren pulled out his phone to check the time. Seeing that it was already mid-morning, he quickly sent a message to Aunt Clara, asking if she had some free time soon to stop by. He set the phone back down on the bedside table and went to fetch a basin of warm water and a fresh towel.
Just as he finished helping Ethea and was about to wring out the towel, a knock resonated through the door, making him pause mid-motion.
’Auntie?’ Soren thought, his mind automatically jumping to the message he had just sent.
He focused his senses on the doorway, but the presence waiting outside felt entirely different. However, Soren recognized it instantly, his brow knitting together as his expression grew heavy and dark.
’...Is he finally making his next move?’
