I Woke Up from Hibernation and Found a Husband - Chapter 33

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

Chapter 33
‘His gaze burns.’
I found Theodore’s piercing stare unbearable—those violet eyes seemed intent on boring through my very cheek. At first, I had planned to ignore him and continue watching the performance, but once I became aware of it, I found it impossible to dismiss.
‘Just watch the play.’
Feeling oddly self-conscious about turning to look at him, I stubbornly kept my attention fixed on the stage, ignoring his gaze.
The moment the curtain fell and thunderous applause erupted, the Raccoon Siblings seated on either side of me simultaneously thrust their heads forward.
“What did you think? Did you enjoy it?!”
“Claire, was the play good?”
Before I could even linger in the afterglow, they descended upon me. Two pairs of bright blue eyes, brimming with anticipation, were fixed entirely on me—my reaction was clearly their greatest concern.
‘I should have seen this coming.’
I exhaled softly and nodded obediently.
“Yes, it was enjoyable. The direction was far more impressive than I expected.”
At my words, both their faces lit up instantly. It appeared they had already known the entire plot of the play.
“Thank goodness! This is actually one of my favorite plays.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
I laughed lightly at the two of them making such a fuss. Though their incessant chatter made my ears ring, strangely, my mood felt lifted.
‘Is this what ordinary joy feels like?’
The curtain had fallen. The actors on stage, intoxicated by applause, bowed deeply. The audience in the seating area cheered with lingering fervor. The siblings beside me chattered excitedly. It was chaotic, yet not unpleasant. In fact, it was rather pleasant. The fact that I existed in the midst of this commotion. The way I had seamlessly blended into this ordinariness—I found that good.
‘But is this truly acceptable?’
The noise I would have avoided not long ago had now become familiar. The clamor of the crowd and the friction of countless movements had become my daily reality.
‘If this continues…’
As I gazed down at the actress taking her bow, my eyes were fixed on something far more distant. A remote forest. My small, quiet Cabin.
The world was loud, yet the Cabin in my memory was frighteningly silent.
‘It was always a place I wanted to return to. So why…’
Just as actors belong on the Theater Stage and audiences in the Audience Seating, solitude had always been my natural state.
Everything was easier alone. I had never truly learned how to properly blend with others in the first place.
‘This is not my place.’
This was a kind of fear—a rational defense mechanism born from someone who had once lost tenderness and understood the weight of loneliness that follows such loss.
But what terrified me was that I was gradually becoming accustomed to kindness.
‘Leaving is the right choice.’
When I awoke from hibernation, there would be many problems to resolve. After sleeping and waking, the confusion would fade, and I would be able to think and move independently once more.
Escaping all suffering and sinking into the world of song. That hazy boundary between death and life was my only sanctuary.
Perhaps.
* * *
“So the Lloyd Family has taken in an adopted daughter?”
“Yes, sir. Her name is Rozina. She is eighteen years old, a distant relative, and was adopted at age twelve when her purification-type ability manifested.”
In Ludwig’s Study, Emilia set down the file folder she had been holding before him.
Rozina Lloyd. The Lloyd Family’s adopted daughter with golden hair and light brown eyes. After Ian’s healing ability disappeared, she was presented by House Voltier as his replacement.
“What is the scope of her purification ability?”
“She appears capable of purifying toxins and alleviating severe illnesses, but her power does not seem to be as exceptional as true healing.”
Eliminating the poison that rots the body doesn’t erase the damage already sustained—it simply prevents further deterioration. Moreover, for external wounds and injuries, its only practical application was preventing infection.
“The Lloyd Family must find this disappointing.”
The wealth they’d accumulated through a single healing ability was astronomical.
‘They’ll definitely try to confirm whether Claire possesses an ability.’
If the genuine article existed, there was no reason to cling to counterfeits. A family that maintained their fortune by keeping substitutes on standby wouldn’t simply overlook Claire, who was presumed to be Ian’s bloodline.
‘Well, even knowing the situation, I have no intention of letting her be taken.’
What they would do once they discovered Claire’s ability was painfully obvious.
‘I cannot allow that child to be stolen away for their mercenary schemes.’
A bizarre and abhorrent structure where a single ability sustained an entire house. Ludwig had absolutely no intention of sending the family’s precious benefactor into such a hell.
‘That child will become the mistress of House Voltier.’
Emilia, who had returned to her desk on one side of the office, spoke while organizing a stack of documents.
“I’ll do my best to conceal the fact that Claire is a beastkin, but perfect silence will be difficult. Information that’s already leaked cannot be controlled.”
“Hmm, if we held an engagement ceremony, it would be easier to protect her officially. Theodore needs to do his part well, though.”
At those words, Emilia shrugged and spoke.
“Don’t you think it will work out? The Young Master is quite the specimen—handsome and lacking nothing.”
The age difference and height difference were favorable, and he possessed a striking appearance. Emilia thought Theodore was more than capable of making the attempt. But Ludwig leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes as he spoke.
“But he lacks experience. Both of them lack sufficient experience with people.”
The Claire he observed appeared indifferent at first glance, but in matters of human relationships, she was surprisingly cautious.
There are those who interpret unfamiliar emotions as fear. Once they exceed their threshold for adaptation, even the old count couldn’t predict how that cautious child would react.
“One misstep and she’ll slip away in an instant.”
Emilia nodded and turned her gaze away. Autumn leaves were dancing outside the window.
* * *
A letter arrived from Angela.
[Mission Extended / Return Delayed / Expected Return in Spring]
Claire, dressed in her nightclothes, clicked her tongue.
‘There was so much I wanted to ask.’
Dolph appeared quite exhausted from his long-distance flight. Claire provided him with water and provisions, then opened the window slightly to allow him to leave freely.
“You worked hard.”
Her disturbance was minimal. Given the nature of mercenary work, return dates slipping had happened countless times since childhood.
‘Actually, it might be better to meet after I wake from hibernation.’
Reconsidering it, things seemed to have worked out well. Angela knew Claire’s habits well enough that she’d come straight to the Cabin once her mission was complete.
Claire, who had been contemplating simply going back to sleep, changed her mind and stepped out into the Garden. Her chest felt tight, and she wanted to breathe in the cool air.
“This feels nice.”
As the season rushed toward winter, the night breeze was cold, but to the skin of a bear beastkin, it was pleasantly cool. Claire walked slowly. Her destination was the small Flower Bed she had created herself.
“Hm?”
Upon arriving near the Flower Bed, Claire discovered she had a visitor. Theodore, draped in a thick cardigan, was sitting on a Bench in front of the Flower Bed.
“Young Master?”
“Claire?”
His eyes widened—he hadn’t expected to encounter Claire at this hour. Realizing at once that she wore only thin nightclothes, Theodore rose and removed his coat.
“It’s cold out.”
Claire declined the cardigan he offered and replied.
“Thank you, but I’m not cold, so it’s fine. You should wear it if you’re cold.”
“Ugh.”
Theodore turned away his flushed face. Now it felt awkward to put it back on. He chose instead to lay the cardigan on the bench.
“Then sit here. You came out for some fresh air?”
“Won’t you be cold?”
“…It’s fine.”
Claire sat obediently on the bench and watched Theodore settle beside her. His muscles were tense—he was clearly enduring the cold.
‘Some things never change.’
A stubborn raccoon. Just when I thought he’d grown up, it seemed only his body had. Watching him clench his teeth and pretend he wasn’t cold, I felt my lips curl upward without thinking.
“By the way, Cla….”
Theodore froze mid-sentence as he turned to look at Claire. She was laughing silently. Her eyes narrowed into crescents, her lips curved upward, her breath held in quiet laughter—the image burned clearly into his vision.
“Young Master?”
Claire tilted her head at Theodore’s vacant stare. Snapping out of his shock, Theodore found himself blurting out words he’d been swallowing all this time.
“Why are you trying to leave?”
When you can laugh like that. When you enjoy being with me.
It was a question tinged with childish petulance. Yet it was also the one thing he most wanted to ask. Claire met his gaze directly without flinching.
She was aware that those lake-blue eyes had been pursuing her relentlessly of late. But defining the emotion contained within them—that remained difficult for her.
Claire decided to answer his earnest question with nothing but the truth.
“Because I need to hibernate.”
A deep sleep from which I can escape this sweet dream.

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