Chapter 77: Chapter 77
Inside the hospital examination room, the doctor carefully inspected the wound before delivering his assessment. The injury would need to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before Robin received both a tetanus shot and a rabies vaccination.
The bite was located on his lower leg. Fortunately, Alexander and the dog’s owner had reacted quickly and intervened before the situation spiraled further out of control. Had they arrived even a few seconds later, the damage could have been far more severe.
Mrs. Lander had already informed Dylan about what had happened. The incident was far too serious to conceal, and she would never have dared keep it from him.
Knowing that Dylan was on his way, Elise asked Alexander to take Lily home first.
Dylan treasured Robin more than anything. Even though the attack had been an accident, she worried that his fierce protectiveness might cause him to direct his anger toward Alexander and Lily once he arrived.
When Robin had first been bitten, his terrified cries had echoed through the park. Now, however, seated quietly in the examination room, he stubbornly refused to shed another tear.
The sight of the little boy clenching his jaw and fighting back tears made Elise’s heart ache.
He was only five years old.
Yet when danger struck, he had rushed forward without hesitation to shield her.
And when she thought about the way she had treated him before...
A crushing wave of guilt washed over her.
As if sensing her thoughts, Robin forced a brave smile despite the tears shimmering in his eyes.
"Pretty Miss, I’m not hurting anymore. Don’t worry about me."
His attempt to comfort her only deepened the ache in her chest.
The black dog had originally been charging toward Lily. Robin had been several meters away from them at the time. In that terrifying moment, all she could think about was protecting Lily. She had not spared a single thought for Robin’s safety.
What she never expected was that he would be so fearless.
He had been injured trying to protect both her and Lily. Even while enduring pain that would have made most children inconsolable, he was holding back his tears and comforting her instead.
The child was kind beyond his years. So thoughtful and selfless that it hurt to witness.
Elise gently ran her fingers through his hair, her voice soft and warm.
"Robin, thank you for protecting your new friend and me. You were incredibly brave, and I’m truly touched. But promise me something. If something like this ever happens again, your first priority must be protecting yourself. Do you understand?"
Robin immediately looked up at her.
"But Daddy says I’m a man. Men are supposed to protect girls."
His brows knitted together with determined seriousness, the expression so strikingly similar to Dylan’s that it caught Elise off guard.
Before she could respond, hurried footsteps echoed from outside the room.
Elise turned instinctively toward the sound. The moment she looked up, her gaze collided with Dylan’s.
Mrs. Lander lowered her head at once.
"Sir, I’m sorry. I failed to take proper care of the children."
Dylan did not acknowledge her apology.
Without breaking stride, he walked straight toward Elise and Robin.
His dark eyes settled on Elise first. He studied her from head to toe with alarming intensity, his brows drawn tightly together.
"Are you hurt?"
The question caught her completely by surprise. She had expected concern for Robin, anger, perhaps even blame.
Not this.
Not concern directed at her.
A flicker of surprise crossed her face before she answered calmly.
"I’m fine. But Robin was bitten on the leg while trying to protect me."
For a moment, Dylan pressed his lips together. A quiet sigh seemed to escape him before he crouched beside Robin to examine the injury himself.
The wound had already been cleaned and treated, but two deep puncture marks from the dog’s teeth remained clearly visible.
A shadow passed through Dylan’s expression.
Beneath his composed exterior, unmistakable heartache flickered in his eyes.
He gently stroked Robin’s hair, his usually commanding voice softened by rare tenderness.
"It’s okay, Robin. Daddy’s here now."
Instead of appearing frightened, the boy puffed out his chest proudly.
"Daddy, I was really brave today! The big black dog wanted to bully Pretty Miss, and I used my sword to chase it away!"
Standing nearby, Mrs. Lander silently sighed.
Chase it away?
That was hardly what had happened.
If the adults hadn’t stepped in when they did, Robin’s injury would have been far worse than a bite to the leg.
Still, Dylan smiled faintly and cupped his son’s cheek.
"You did very well. You protected someone today. That makes you a real little man."
After receiving praise from both Elise and Dylan, the lingering fear and anxiety that had been hiding behind Robin’s brave facade finally melted away.
Only then did Dylan turn to the doctor and carefully inquire about every detail of Robin’s injury, from the treatment he had already received to the precautions and recovery process that would follow.
The doctor explained that the wound had been properly treated. The dressing would only need to be changed once a day starting the following day, though Robin would still need several injections.
And injections were the one thing Robin feared most.
When the doctors had cleaned and disinfected the bite earlier, he had managed to endure the pain without crying. The moment he heard he needed shots, however, his little face froze. Panic flickered visibly in his eyes.
Dylan lifted him into his arms and turned toward Elise, his expression grim.
"I’m taking Robin to get the injections. Wait here."
Elise glanced at the boy. Robin was staring at her with wide, pleading eyes, as if silently asking her not to leave.
She pressed her lips together before saying quietly, "I’ll come too."
A hint of surprise flashed across Dylan’s eyes, but he said nothing. He simply gave a slight nod and carried Robin toward the nurses’ station.
...
In the end, the boy cried.
One of the injections had to be administered near the wound itself. The pain was so sharp that even many adults would have struggled to endure it.
As Robin buried his face against Dylan’s shoulder and sobbed, Elise reached into her bag and pulled out a piece of orange candy.
After unwrapping it, she held it in front of him.
"Robin, have a piece of orange candy. It’ll make the pain go away."
His trembling lashes fluttered.
The moment he saw the candy, another tear rolled down his cheek. Yet his crying gradually subsided.
"Go on," Elise coaxed gently.
Robin sniffled and looked at her curiously.
"Pretty Miss, why do you have orange candy too?"
Elise didn’t mention that she liked it herself. Instead, she smiled softly.
"Lily loves orange candy too. I still have plenty left in my bag. I’ll give them all to you later."
His eyes immediately lit up.
"So Lily likes them too?"
"She does."
A bright smile spread across his face.
"Then next time I visit her, I’ll bring lots of orange candy for her!"
"Okay."
Elise laughed softly and placed the candy into his mouth. The sweet citrus flavor melted across his tongue.
Looking at her, Robin suddenly felt warm and happy inside.
"Pretty Miss, thank you."
Elise gently ruffled his hair.
"No, I should be the one thanking you. If you hadn’t rushed over to protect me today, I would’ve been the one getting those injections."
The boy immediately straightened his little back.
"Daddy says boys should protect girls. You’re a girl, and I’m a boy, so protecting you is what I’m supposed to do."
Elise looked at the earnest little face that resembled Dylan’s so closely.
A complicated ache stirred in her chest.
After the injections were finished, Mrs. Lander went to handle the payment and collect the medication.
Meanwhile, Dylan carried Robin to the hospital lobby to wait.
Elise turned toward him.
"I’ll cover all of Robin’s medical expenses, including any follow-up care and nutritional costs during recovery. If you think additional compensation is necessary, you can tell me directly."
Dylan’s gaze darkened.
"Robin put himself in danger to save you, and this is how you intend to repay him?"
Elise’s brows knitted together.
She had expected this. She had known he would seize the opportunity to make an issue of it.
Mindful of Robin’s presence, she took a slow breath and forced herself to remain calm.
"Dylan, that’s an entirely separate matter."
His expression remained cold.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Mrs. Lander returning with the medication and receipts.
Lowering his head, he spoke gently to the child in his arms.
"Robin, why don’t you go wait in the car with Mrs. Lander while Daddy finishes talking, alright?"
Robin looked from Elise to Dylan.
Even at his age, he could sense the strange tension hanging between the adults.
Obediently, he nodded.
Mrs. Lander carried him toward the parking area.
The moment the boy disappeared from sight, Dylan dropped all pretenses and got straight to the point.
"Since Robin was injured because he was protecting you, then until he’s fully recovered, you’ll be responsible for taking care of him."
Elise had expected something like this.
That didn’t make it any less infuriating.
Still, she kept her emotions hidden, allowing only a faint, cold smile to curl her lips.
"Dylan, want to know something?"
His eyes narrowed.
"What?"
Elise held his gaze steadily.
"Hearing you say something like that suddenly makes me feel that Robin is actually quite pitiful."
A crease formed between Dylan’s brows. His expression hardened instantly.
"What exactly is that supposed to mean?"
