I Woke Up from Hibernation and Found a Husband - Chapter 36

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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 36
“Claire!”
The moment the door swung open, Isabella rushed forward with tears streaming down her face. I instinctively scooped the child into my arms, offering a faint smile.
“Miss.”
“Hehe. I missed you.”
Isabella’s warm body heat felt strangely unreal against me. Then again, it had been that way ever since I’d awakened from my winter sleep.
‘You’re overwhelmed right now. Rest first, and we’ll talk later.’
Taking the opening Theodore had graciously provided with his knowing smile, I washed away the grime, filled my stomach, and caught my breath. The room I’d used during my time at House Voltier remained immaculate, as though I’d only stepped away yesterday.
‘Though the bedding has improved, and the furnishings have grown subtly more ornate.’
I heard the sound of my plan to stay only briefly crumbling to dust. The cozy, luxurious room now appeared to me as an enormous trap laid to ensnare a bear.
“Fortunately, you appear to be in good health.”
“Count Voltier.”
Ludwig, seated at the head of the Lounge, set down his coffee cup with a smile. Still cradling Isabella, I bowed lightly in greeting.
“It’s been a long time since we last met.”
“Indeed. Your muscles and body seem to have suffered no ill effects.”
“No, I’m perfectly fine.”
The winter sleep of beastfolk differed slightly from that of actual animals. Where true animals slowly consumed accumulated nutrients during hibernation, beastfolk entered a frozen state by consuming their wildness, creating a comatose condition that merely mimicked the form of winter sleep.
Ludwig noticed me surveying my surroundings and spoke.
“Theodore will arrive soon. He’s become quite busy learning the duties of succession.”
While I slept through winter, Theodore had headed toward the Border. The most effective way to swiftly reclaim honor tarnished over long years was to accumulate merit.
‘I must grow stronger to protect Claire.’
With that singular purpose, he had honed his abilities until he’d grown capable of subjugating monsters entirely on his own.
‘And with that strength came an avalanche of marriage proposals.’
Ludwig recalled the letters that had accumulated on his office desk. Those who had once ignored Theodore’s very existence when he was weak now showered him with flattery in countless forms the moment his abilities manifested.
‘But the position’s rightful owner has already been decided.’
“Claire.”
Theodore pushed open the slightly ajar door and stepped inside. As though I’d been waiting, I set Isabella down and approached him. My hazel eyes gazed steadily at him, and his lips curved upward in a broad grin.
“I’ll tell you everything.”
He ushered Isabella out of the room and closed the door behind her. The three of us—myself, Theodore, and Ludwig—stood in silence until I broke it first.
“First, I’m curious how you discovered my Cabin. Did you have me followed?”
Ludwig denied it swiftly and firmly.
“No. I won’t lie and say we didn’t narrow down several regions through investigation, but we weren’t certain it was that location.”
A densely forested area not far from Voltier Territory. From the moment I’d recognized my bloodline, predicting my whereabouts had been no difficult feat.
“Among those areas, there was one region where pursuers kept appearing. If that forest had been entirely within Voltier’s domain, we could have prevented anyone from entering, but the problem was that it straddled the boundary ambiguously.”
Ian and Veronica, who had concealed themselves twenty years ago, had never revealed a trace of their whereabouts since. In such circumstances, it was inevitable that everyone would pursue the trail of Claire, presumed to be their daughter, now that she’d emerged into the world.
“So you moved our entire house….”
“Ahem, we brought the foundation along as well so we can restore it someday—don’t be too upset with us.”
“At least you brought it at night, so no one would have seen.”
I spoke while deliberately ignoring Theodore, whose face bore a strangely satisfied expression.
“Have you identified who the pursuers are?”
“I couldn’t pinpoint them exactly. They weren’t a single group. But I confirmed with certainty that Lloyd has operatives among them.”
Lloyd.
My expression hardened. My father’s house was searching for me. I harbored no illusions about their intentions being benign, yet the feeling that stirred within me was peculiar nonetheless.
Ludwig seemed to understand my turmoil well enough, offering me a moment to settle my thoughts. As I quietly pieced together the facts, something suddenly occurred to me, and I lifted my head sharply.
“Wait. Even if moving the Cabin was for that reason…”
My gaze snapped toward Theodore.
“Then what in the world is this marriage nonsense?”
‘She finally said it.’
Ludwig’s hands, hidden beneath the table, clenched until his knuckles turned white. It was only yesterday that I had told him to wait until I could organize the situation and explain it properly.
But my grandson, now that his health had returned and his vigor with it, had clearly charged forward without considering the circumstances.
“Claire, let me explain.”
Theodore stepped forward, oblivious to the despair flickering in Ludwig’s eyes.
“You’ve become a target for many people. Just look at the pursuers who came after you this time.”
Claire narrowed her brow suspiciously as his words flowed forth smoothly.
“Most of them are tracking your parents—Veronica and Ian. Do you know what Ian’s ability is?”
“I’ve heard it’s healing.”
“Right. So there’s a high probability they’re searching for you because they covet that healing ability.”
“But I don’t possess a healing ability.”
At those words, Ludwig rose from his seat. He tapped the table lightly to draw attention, then spoke.
“Enhancement. That’s the real problem.”
He recalled the ability that erupted like waves from the depths the moment he made contact with Claire.
‘A power so pure it made my fingertips tingle—a new realm I never expected to encounter in my lifetime.’
In a world where only a select few possessed the special power called ability, it was only natural that anyone with the opportunity would wish to transcend their limits.
“Status changes according to the importance of one’s ability and the magnitude of its power. A noble who loses their ability can plummet into ruin overnight, while a street urchin from the back alleys can suddenly rise to prominence like a bolt of lightning.”
If your enhancement ability were exposed, the entire Empire would be thrown into upheaval.
“In a situation where your Cabin has already been discovered by people, it’s nearly impossible for you to spend your entire life fleeing alone.”
The obsession of those who coveted abilities—like Gregory—transcended imagination. Theodore swallowed hard and spoke carefully.
“But if you come to House Voltier, I can protect you. That’s why I’ve grown stronger.”
“And marriage is the method for that?”
“Yes.”
Ludwig and Theodore watched for my reaction, tense with anticipation. My expression was far calmer than they expected, and I even seemed somewhat indifferent, like someone casually flipping through a magazine.
A brief silence fell, and I exhaled a short sigh.
“Then I must respectfully decline.”
“What?”
“I’ve already received all the compensation I needed for stopping Gregory before I entered hibernation. I require nothing more.”
I had been paid far more than the work was worth, and I had accumulated many pleasant memories. My promise to visit them again was a small gift in return for that joy.
‘I never wanted to incur further debt.’
Perhaps I would have stayed longer if offered a new position instead. House Voltier had been quite a significant stimulus for my life, which had been nothing but desolate. But marriage of this sort was not the direction I desired at all.
“And marriage should be with someone you truly love, not with me.”
As I spoke those words, my thoughts naturally turned to Veronica and Ian. Marriage was a sacred bond where two people stake their lives and futures on each other. It was not something to be used lightly for the mere sake of providing backing.
“May I take my leave now?”
Ludwig clicked his tongue at Theodore’s expression of resignation and detachment. He had miscalculated his approach. Just as he was about to speak again to smooth over the situation—
“But.”
Theodore’s face as he pressed Claire to stay was pitiful. His eyebrows drooped with the melancholy of a lover betrayed, and he stepped forward, his voice rising with desperation.
“But you promised that when I wake from my winter sleep, you would spend the next winter with me.”
“Pardon?”
Cracks formed across Claire’s expression.

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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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