My Unrequited Love Is an Absolute Secret - Chapter 114

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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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Side Story Episode 9

Robin and Nick had chosen taco salad from the menu.
Tacos generously laden with the pungent spices their parents rarely permitted them to indulge in.
The dessert was a sundae ice cream heaped with every conceivable topping, chocolate included.
“What we ate today stays between us and your parents, understood?”
At Aemerus’s words, the boys—drowsy as contented cats—nodded enthusiastically.
Both were at that perfect age to savor small rebellions behind their parents’ backs.
And so a secret was born among the men.
Aemerus dropped Nick off first, then headed toward Robin’s house.
“Robin, did you have fun today?”
“Yeah.”
Robin, gazing out the window from the passenger seat, asked hesitantly.
“Will you come again next time?”
“If you ask me to come, I’ll always be there.”
At his words, Robin broke into a radiant smile.
Unlike Jessie, who spoke as though he’d do anything but never followed through, Robin knew Aemerus truly meant it.
“No matter what happens, you must never part from Lili. Do you understand?”
“I understand.”
“Even if Lili acts poorly sometimes, I need you to be understanding.”
“Lili would never act poorly.”
Seeing Aemerus burst into laughter, Robin’s expression grew indignant.
“What? So you’re only mean to me? My sister does nothing but nag whenever she sees me.”
Watching Robin pout as though he had two mothers, Aemerus chuckled softly.
“That’s because you’re family. Living under the same roof, the things worth nagging about become more visible.”
“Still…”
“Even if I lived in the same house with you, it would be the same.”
“Would you nag me too?”
“If necessary, yes.”
“Ugh…”
Robin groaned in dismay.
He seemed to be imagining encountering Aemerus at home and receiving endless lectures.
“When you marry Lili, you two will move out and live separately, right?”
“Who knows? Real estate in New York is expensive. Living at your house might be nice too.”
“Absolutely not! I’m moving out!”
As Aemerus teased the panicked Robin, they arrived at the house.
“Robin, the car is high up, so be careful getting down.”
“I’m not a little kid.”
Robin spoke with a huff and hopped down from the passenger seat.
Aemerus shook his head as if to say there was no stopping him, and took Robin’s bag instead.
As he picked up the heavy bag filled with hockey equipment for the first time in a while, a peculiar nostalgia washed over him.
Robin’s path would be different from mine, he thought.
Aemerus watched Robin’s retreating figure and reflected.
Looking back on his own school days, they weren’t entirely unpleasant.
It was because Harry was there.
The mere fact that he could see her made going to school endlessly enjoyable.
But he hoped Robin would have a far better school experience than he had.
It could be called compensation for the childhood he himself had never enjoyed.
“Aemerus, aren’t you coming in?”
“I’m coming.”
Aemerus locked the car door and quickened his pace.
Robin, who had been waiting while holding the entrance door, tilted his head curiously.
“Is no one home?”
That couldn’t be right.
After all, Harry had been suffering from a severe cold just this morning, complaining constantly.
With new song composition work and university midterms overlapping, she’d pulled several consecutive all-nighters and finally fallen ill.
“Robin, wash your hands first.”
“Okay.”
As Aemerus turned on the lights, Robin changed into indoor slippers and headed straight to the bathroom.
After setting Robin’s bag down in front of his room, Aemerus climbed to the second floor.
Unlike before, his steps toward Harry’s room were remarkably confident.
Knock, knock.
He waited after knocking on the door, but no answer came.
“Excuse me.”
He asked permission of the empty air and opened the door to step inside.
As light from outside entered the darkened room with its blackout curtains drawn, the blanket on the bed stirred.
“Lili, how are you feeling?”
“…Aemerus?”
Harry peeked her face out from between the blankets.
Her hair was disheveled from sleep, and her face was puffy.
Yet to Aemerus, she looked only pitiful.
“It doesn’t seem like you have much of a fever.”
He reached out without hesitation to her forehead, damp with cold sweat, to check her temperature.
His hand, carrying the cool evening breeze from outside, was cold.
As she closed her eyes and savored the coolness, Aemerus spoke to her gently.
“You can’t just keep sleeping. Get up and have dinner with me.”
“Dinner?”
Awareness returned to Harry’s drowsy eyes as the last traces of sleep faded.
“Robin! I was supposed to pick up Robin!”
They took turns riding with Nick’s parents, and today it was Robin’s turn.
As I thought of Robin staying alone at school until evening, the world spun before my eyes.
This was no time to panic.
Aemerus stopped me as I rushed to scramble out of bed.
“Calm down. I brought him.”
“…You did?”
“Yeah. You said you weren’t feeling well, so I picked Robin up from outside and fed him dinner.”
I pressed my forehead and sank into thought.
The low fever seemed to be slowing my comprehension of his words.
“So… Robin is at home right now?”
“Yeah.”
“Phew…”
The moment my anxiety lifted, I collapsed into Aemerus’s embrace.
“You startled me.”
I was nuzzling my head against his broad shoulders when I suddenly lifted my gaze.
“Wait, but why are you here? What about school?”
“You’re only noticing that now?”
Aemerus chuckled softly and cupped both my cheeks in his hands.
They were warm from the fever.
“How could I just sit around when my girlfriend isn’t feeling well? Besides, I’ve been thinking you’ve been pushing yourself too hard lately.”
“Aemerus…”
His words were so sweet that I melted like a marshmallow.
Aemerus patted my back, then simply lifted me up into his arms.
“I brought chicken soup. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Let’s go eat.”
“Don’t talk to me like you do to Robin.”
The way I grumbled about being treated like a child was unmistakably similar to Robin.
Aemerus chuckled and carefully made his way down the stairs.
My eyes hurt from the sudden brightness, and I grimaced.
“Were you home the whole time?”
“I never even left…”
Robin, who had even brushed his teeth on his own, came padding after us.
“Did Aemerus pick me up from school today? He even showed up as a coach during hockey practice.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Nick said Aemerus’s car was the one his dad wanted to have.”
“Oh.”
“Nick kept saying he was jealous because I have such a cool older brother.”
Robin seemed to have had quite an eventful day without me.
Aemerus cut him off as he was about to enumerate every ingredient in the taco salad he’d eaten for dinner.
“Robin, your sister isn’t feeling well, so let her rest for a bit.”
“Are you very sick?”
Only then did Robin pause and glance at Harry’s expression.
‘Right, I was supposed to keep today’s taco meal a secret.’
He’d been so excited bragging about it that he’d momentarily forgotten it was supposed to be confidential.
But seeing Aemerus’s composed expression, it seemed Harry didn’t mind him knowing.
Harry didn’t appear to blame them either.
“Don’t forget to tell me about the dessert tomorrow, okay?”
“Got it.”
“And stay away from me—you might catch my cold.”
“No way.”
What kind of contrary streak was this?
When Harry nagged, he’d dodge and weave to avoid her. But the moment she told him to keep his distance, he clung to her.
He stuck to her like glue.
“You said you’re not a baby anymore.”
“Adults hug too.”
“Well, that’s true…”
I didn’t have the energy to peel him off, so I just sat there. Then Aemerus brought over chicken soup he’d warmed up.
He’d stopped by a restaurant on the way home earlier and picked it up.
He’d deliberately avoided Harry’s parents’ restaurant.
He didn’t want to disturb them while they were working.
“Can you eat something?”
“Yeah. I like this soup.”
Harry spooned up some of the clear broth and finally looked like she might feel better.
The tangy broth awakened my appetite.
“I should eat this with rice.”
“Should I get it for you?”
“No, I’ll get it myself.”
Only after confirming that Harry was eating well did Aemerus turn his attention back to Robin.
“Robin, do you have homework? If you have something to do, bring it here. Let’s work on it together.”
“Okay.”
With Aemerus offering to help, Robin retrieved his homework from his bag without complaint.
“Write down one behavior that shouldn’t be done at school.”
“When multiple people gather in one space, establishing rules is essential. What kind of rule would you like to make, Robin?”
“I wish we could bring hockey sticks into the classroom.”
Harry, overhearing the conversation, stifled a laugh.
Aemerus, meanwhile, didn’t smile at all and listened to Robin’s words seriously.
“Why would you need a hockey stick in the classroom?”
“So I could practice hockey during break time.”
“What if you accidentally hit another student while practicing?”
“Um…”
Robin’s eyes darted around.
I was certain I had never thought that far ahead.
“It would be better not to bring the Hockey Team stick to the Classroom, wouldn’t it?”
“Yeah.”
“Then let’s write ‘not bringing the Hockey Team stick to the Classroom.'”
Watching the two men, I felt laughter bubbling up uncontrollably.
It was as if I were glimpsing Aemerus helping our child with homework in some distant future.
‘Aemerus would surely make a wonderful father.’
I could easily imagine him as a parent.
Just as he cared for me today when I was ill, he would tenderly look after our child in my stead.
‘I think marrying Aemerus would be wonderful.’
It was such a small, ordinary moment that had led me to decide to marry him.

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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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