I Woke Up from Hibernation and Found a Husband - Chapter 28

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

Chapter 28
It had been peaceful days. Yet Claire left her room with a somewhat vacant expression.
“Miss Claire, were you not cold during the night?”
When Meian, an apprentice butler she encountered in the corridor, adjusted his glasses and asked, Claire bowed her head in greeting before responding.
“Please, there’s no need for such formality. I’m merely a maid, after all.”
“How could you say such a thing! You are someone truly special, Miss Claire.”
At his guileless, cheerful smile, Claire simply bit the inside of her cheek.
‘Something is terribly wrong.’
With Ludwig’s return, the Mansion’s entire staff had been replaced wholesale, creating an atmosphere that was strange in an entirely different way. Everyone I encountered smiled warmly at me, and their words were kindness itself—almost uncomfortably so.
‘Even my room and clothes. They keep getting better, bit by bit.’
The luxurious bedroom where I had awakened had become my new lodging. Unlike my previous cramped quarters with sparse furnishings, this was a grand, opulent room complete with a canopied bed and a terrace.
‘How is this a normal maid’s room!’
The same was true of my clothes. The design was unmistakably that of a maid’s uniform, yet the fabric was noticeably finer. Though such transparent favoritism was foreign to me, the most unbearable part lay elsewhere.
“It’s Claire.”
“Yes, come in.”
I entered Theodore’s room carrying the wash basin, then froze. Though it was still early morning, he had already finished dressing and was fastening the last button of his shirt.
“…You’ve already washed, I see.”
“Ah, I woke early. Sorry—I’ve made you come for nothing. You don’t need to come at dawn from tomorrow onward.”
Theodore meant it kindly, suggesting I could sleep peacefully in the early morning, but to me, it sounded entirely different.
Clang.
At those words, the wash basin slipped from my hands and rolled across the floor.
“Claire?”
I stared at Theodore with a hollow expression. I envisioned the little raccoons in my care packing all their belongings and leaving home to live independently.
‘Am I useless now?’
The routine the two of us had shared to manage his madness had long since shattered. Theodore was recovering at a pace so rapid that he seemed different each day, becoming increasingly capable of doing things himself. Even little Isabella was gradually adapting to her relationships with the new staff.
‘It’s a good thing, but somehow it feels so hollow.’
Empty nest syndrome—something most people only experience in old age. I had tasted it, if only briefly, and my shoulders sagged under the weight of it.
“I understand. I’ll clean it up right away.”
Just as I bent down to retrieve the basin, unable to completely hide my dejection, Theodore lowered himself and picked it up before me, looking up at me from below. My reflection shimmered in his blue eyes.
“You’re not hurt, are you?”
He reached out as if to stroke my cheek, but then hesitated, his hand trembling near my face. There was a desperate, pleading expression in his eyes—as if seeking permission. Coming to my senses, I quickly stepped back, snatching the basin from his hands.
“I-I’ll go put this away!”
I fled the room before he could even say a word of dismissal.
‘This is really strange. Even the way he speaks has become so… soft.’
As I walked briskly down the corridor, my ears burned crimson. I brushed my cheeks with the back of my hand. After Gregory’s departure, the raccoons had changed. The sharp, prickly demeanor they’d shown until recently had vanished entirely, and now every time I saw Theodore or Isabella, they behaved in a way that made me uncomfortable—ticklish, even.
‘Claire! This is a gift for you.’
‘Claire, I’ve been waiting for you.’
The Voltier Siblings would rush toward me like cats spotting fish the moment our eyes met.
‘At least Miss Isabella is cute about it. But the Young Master…’
Theodore, whose growth had been suppressed until now, was exploding with development, growing taller by the day. His fingers had lengthened noticeably. Muscle was gradually filling out his frame. As I became increasingly aware of his transformation from someone I’d once thought small and fragile, my heart grew restless and uncomfortable in ways I couldn’t quite name.
‘Maybe it’s because he keeps calling me a raccoon. A grown man acting childish all the time.’
It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling. Yet even as I found myself drawn to him like a trap brimming with honey, I kept wanting to flee.
‘This is frustrating. I wish I could just let loose and exert some strength.’
My hands itched from the long period without hunting since leaving the Cabin. Moreover, the time spent away from duties due to recovery had left me with excess energy that was beginning to manifest as stress.
‘If I could just smash everything to pieces, I’d feel better.’
As I was thinking this while turning down the Corridor—
Thud.
The moment I spun around, I collided with a wall.
“Oh.”
When I lifted my head, the wall’s identity came into view. Ludwig in light combat attire was looking down at me.
“My apologies, Count Voltier.”
“Never mind. These things happen.”
The Count appeared unbothered, but when I noticed the sword at his waist, my eyes gleamed with renewed interest.
‘Is he heading to train? That firm physique, so at odds with his age, certainly wasn’t built by chance.’
Ludwig gazed at my amber eyes, bright with youthful fervor, with genuine delight. For an old warrior, watching a young person hungry for strength was always a pleasure.
“Would you care for a sparring match?”
The words tumbled out before he could stop himself. But my eyes widened.
“Really? That would be wonderful!”
I clenched my fists with barely contained excitement. Ludwig momentarily lost for words. This was the child who had remained unmoved even when offered gold and jewels. Yet the pure joy radiating from her at the prospect of a single sparring match was so innocent that he couldn’t help but laugh aloud.
“Then let’s go.”
Watching my figure hurry away, muttering something about changing clothes, he touched his raised lips.
Deceived by cunning sorcery, he had lost his child and endangered his grandchildren. Had it not been for me, he might have lived until his dying breath without ever knowing the truth.
‘You. All of you, I will protect no matter what.’
The faces of the smiling Voltier Siblings and me were etched into his heart. Once he confirmed that my figure had vanished from the Corridor, the man turned away.
* * *
The Training Ground flooded with brilliant daylight. Ludwig and I stood facing each other.
“Attack freely.”
The moment permission was granted, I rushed at Ludwig with eyes blazing with competitive spirit. Pure unarmed combat—not even a wooden sword in hand. Yet with the strength and speed of a bear infused into my strikes, my bare fists became formidable bludgeons.
“You have impressive strength.”
Ludwig deflected a fist aimed at his throat with a casual sweep of his wooden sword, raising one eyebrow. My combat sense was far sharper than he’d anticipated.
‘She still relies heavily on instinctive sensation, but there’s no hesitation in her movements, and the speed backing them is considerable.’
Recognizing something familiar in my fighting technique, his mouth opened.
“Have you trained in mercenary combat?”
Techniques optimized for practical battlefield fighting, the kind mercenaries used rather than traditional knights. I answered briefly.
“Yes, in my childhood.”
Sparring with Ludwig felt similar to fighting Veronica. A formidable opponent I could strike with full force without danger, eyes calm and fearless. I found myself slipping into nostalgia.
“Don’t twist your waist so much. You’ll expose your back and leave yourself vulnerable to a sniper’s strike.”
The man who had rolled across countless battlefields was seasoned, and every piece of advice he offered was invaluable. I spoke with genuine curiosity.
“Even without an ability, it seems few would be able to defeat you, Count Voltier.”
“There’s nothing easier to catch than an Awakened who relies solely on their ability. An ability is merely one weapon among many. Ultimately, the human wielding that weapon must be strong.”
Claire nodded vigorously in agreement, then bolted forward like lightning, driving her small frame toward Ludwig’s left thigh.
‘He’ll have to drop his sword to defend himself. This is my opening.’
But the veteran had already anticipated even this. His left hand shot out, pressing down hard on Claire’s shoulder. The impact was solid, yet neither of them yielded an inch.
‘I’ll push through.’
Just as Claire was about to ignore Ludwig’s restraining hand and drive forward, his wooden sword clattered to the ground—and she froze.
“Is something wrong?”
She stopped mid-movement and looked up at Ludwig with confusion. He stared back at her, cold sweat beading on his brow, his brow furrowed deeply. His massive hand remained pressed against her shoulder.
“Claire, where is that strength coming from?”
“Strength?”
Claire met Ludwig’s bewildered gaze directly, unaware that her amber eyes were now shimmering with a subtle golden light.

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