I Woke Up from Hibernation and Found a Husband - Chapter 14

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 14
At first, everyone assumed he was simply a late bloomer. But the moment he turned fifteen, expectation transformed into disappointment in an instant.
‘Is that why I’ve been treated this way? But…’
“Are there cases where physical abnormalities appear when an ability doesn’t manifest?”
“There’s no precedent. However, I’m the only one in House Voltier with grey hair who lacks an ability, so it’s certainly worth suspecting.”
It sounded plausible enough on the surface.
If a grey-haired Voltier truly possessed a formidable ability that simply hadn’t manifested, it was conceivable that problems could arise from its accumulation.
Yet even considering this, something felt off.
“But if that’s the case, what about Gregory? He also failed to manifest an ability, didn’t he?”
I wasn’t the only direct heir in the family without an ability. No matter how severe the madness, I couldn’t fathom why the discrimination was so extreme.
But at my question, Theodore looked bewildered, as though he’d heard something absurd.
“Uncle doesn’t matter. He’s adopted.”
“…Pardon?”
“Hmm?”
I blinked. Theodore spoke hesitantly.
“You didn’t know? It’s a famous story. When Grandfather was isolated and nearly died, there was a deputy commander who sacrificed his life to save him. Uncle is that man’s son.”
It was entirely new information to me.
‘Wait. I think I saw something like this in the preliminary research materials Angela prepared for me.’
I regretted having stopped reading after just a few lines. If Angela found out, I’d deserve whatever scolding came my way.
‘So that means the only legitimate heirs are the raccoon siblings?’
My head throbbed.
Power struggles, family affairs, external factions—all those sorts of things.
For someone accustomed to solitude, anything that couldn’t be resolved by force had always been difficult. Yet no matter how I thought about it, something remained inconsistent.
“Is Count Voltier aware of Young Master’s current situation?”
I was told that Count Voltier, Theodore’s grandfather, was the only one in the family currently possessing an ability.
‘So there’s no heir with an ability, yet they’re allowing the legitimate heir to suffer from madness without intervention?’
A leader of a group invariably becomes obsessed with the group’s survival.
Yet Theodore was confined and all but neglected, and the servants openly disrespected the siblings.
Why?
The answer came quickly.
“…Grandfather probably doesn’t care. He’s barely set foot in the Mansion since our parents passed away.”
I suppressed a sigh threatening to escape. Though I didn’t know the full details, the result was clear: the young raccoons had been abandoned.
“I see.”
I answered plainly.
Just as I had been isolated for possessing too strong a ‘nature’, he had been isolated for lacking an ‘ability’.
The circumstances were opposite, yet strangely similar.
‘Then is Gregory aiming for the position of heir?’
If the line of ability ended and its heir died young from illness, Gregory would likely inherit the title unless a suitable cadet branch appeared.
I resolved to pay closer attention to the siblings’ wellbeing.
Meanwhile, seeing my expression grow serious, Theodore calmly added to his words.
“The reason I’m telling you this is so you know that whenever you wish to leave, you may do so without hesitation. I harbor no resentment toward you.”
At those words, Claire regarded Theodore with an expression of complete exasperation.
“Is that story still not finished?”
Theodore let out an awkward cough at the weariness evident in her voice.
“I’m simply saying that’s how it is.”
Claire nodded with a skeptical gaze and rose from her seat. Breakfast time had arrived without her noticing.
* * *
Contrary to the tension that had gripped us upon Gregory’s return, the quality of life for the young raccoon siblings improved noticeably.
“Hmm.”
The meals became abundant, and the furnishings transformed into luxury items.
I observed the changed circumstances with narrowed eyes, then slowly nodded to myself.
“This is how it should be.”
After attending to Theodore’s meal and finishing my service to him, I made my way directly to Isabella. Since Gregory’s return, her room had been moved from the Annex to the Main House, so the journey required far less time.
I found it strange not to climb the Tree and enter through the window, so I knocked on Isabella’s door instead.
“Miss. It’s Claire.”
A loud commotion erupted from within the room, and the door swung open with considerable force.
“Claire?!”
The little red-furred raccoon bounced out from the doorway.
The wariness she had displayed not long ago had vanished entirely; her round eyes were innocent and trusting, as though she had come to believe me completely her ally after that day’s events.
“You came!”
I lowered myself to meet her eye level and spoke gently.
“I apologize for not coming sooner.”
“No, I’m just happy you’re here.”
I followed Isabella into the room and surveyed my surroundings.
Well-fitted, quality clothing and shoes, delicate lace bedding befitting a child, and small furniture arranged thoughtfully.
‘Thank goodness.’
As I took comfort in the improved conditions of the room, Isabella spoke shyly.
“The food today was delicious too. Even though my room location changed, I got all my things back.”
Having eaten a hearty breakfast, Isabella appeared pleasantly drowsy.
I gazed at the child with affection—she had escaped her nightmare overnight and now seemed almost giddy—and lowered my voice to speak.
“Was everything well during your time at the Convent?”
“Hm?”
“When you were with Gregory, was there anything that troubled you?”
At my direct question, Isabella looked momentarily flustered before nodding.
“Yes, it was fine when I was with my uncle. I just hated being alone so much that I asked to come home.”
‘So Gregory hasn’t directly harmed the siblings yet.’
As I organized the situation in my mind, Isabella, reading my expression, reached up and gently grasped the hem of my skirt.
“Hey, Claire.”
“Yes, Miss?”
Isabella took a moment to compose herself, her cheeks flushed, before asking shyly.
“Can’t you call me Bella, like you did yesterday?”
Isabella recalled yesterday’s dreamlike events.
‘I was so terrified, but Claire came to me.’
Claire had burst through the storm and darkness, plucking Isabella from her terror in an instant.
‘Bella!’
That tender nickname, heard after so long. The warm embrace that enveloped her trembling body. Isabella longed to feel that warmth once more.
“Very well. Miss Bella.”
Isabella’s eyes sparkled with delight.
‘Good. But it’s still not quite right.’
It was touching, yet somehow less than yesterday.
‘I wish she’d drop the “Miss” part.’
Isabella didn’t hold back and spoke at once.
“Can’t you just call me Bella? Without the Miss.”
But Claire answered firmly.
“I cannot.”
“Why?”
“It would be disrespectful.”
Isabella’s expression went blank at those words. Claire decided to swiftly change the subject before the child could press further.
“But look at this instead.”
She withdrew a letter from her apron.
“It’s from Theodore.”
“From my brother?!”
Isabella accepted the letter without hiding her excitement.
“Please sit comfortably and read it.”
Seeing Isabella about to read while standing, Claire guided her to the couch.
‘A letter should be fine.’
I recalled what Isabella had told me yesterday.
‘I wanted to see my brother too. But he said I shouldn’t, so I held back.’
‘When I see him, his condition only worsens.’
‘He grows angrier, suffers more. That’s why I can’t see him. I promised Gregory I wouldn’t.’
This affliction was serious enough that even Theodore was aware of it, so I couldn’t recklessly orchestrate a reunion between the siblings.
‘For now, it’s best if I serve as their messenger. It will also prevent misunderstandings.’
“My brother doesn’t hate me after all.”
Isabella’s expression softened as she read the letter.
“Claire! Can you deliver my letter to my brother too? I’ll write it right now!”
“Of course. You may take your time.”
I watched the child hurriedly gather paper and pen with amusement, then turned my gaze toward the window.
‘That’s…’
A tree beside the building. Among its lush foliage, a small white bird was visible.
A bird slightly larger than a palm, with a small brown spot marked on its head. It was a familiar bird to me.
Claire pretended to gaze out the window while discreetly observing Isabella’s movements.
“Hmm, there doesn’t seem to be any pretty stationery.”
She appeared absorbed in writing her letter, utterly oblivious to everything else.
As I turned my attention back to the window and silently opened it, that was the moment—
Smack!
‘Ugh.’
A bird came hurtling through the air and rammed its body directly into my forehead.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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