When a Well-Raised Son Grows Up - Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Despite the confusion, Abella decided to continue with her daily routine. She put on a brave face and got ready to head out to the store. As she reached for her coat, she noticed Carlisle was already prepared.

She asked, “Are you ready?” and offered her hand with a gentle smile. Carlisle blushed and took her hand, his innocence shining through as always.

* * *

As winter approached, the market was busy with people. People hurried to gather firewood and food before the snow fell, while vendors made their last sales before the cold weather set in.

Abella’s herb shop had a surge in customers, keeping both her and Carlisle busy all afternoon.

The bell’s cheerful sound signaled the arrival of more visitors. Abella warmly greeted them.

However, she noticed that these newcomers were unfamiliar faces. They were likely travelers passing through from the nearby border region. Despite her familiarity with most of the villagers, these strangers brought an air of novelty to the shop.

She could recognize the villagers, even if she didn’t know their names or where they lived.

“Are you searching for any specific herbs?”

Abella approached the customer with a smile. The customer listed the healing herbs they needed. Abella realized the border knights were right and provided the requested herbs.

However, when they paid for the herbs, they spoke in their native language and used even more insulting words.

While tending to his herbs, Carlisle perked up his ears and turned to them.

As he listened, it appeared that he was flirting with Abella. He asked her a couple of times if she would like to go to the inn with him tonight.

As Carlisle worked on his herbs, his excitement turned to disappointment. He disliked the use of archaic, unintelligible language by the nobles.

Despite Abella’s rejection of their offer, they did not back down. Carlisle, who was in a bad mood, finally stood up from his seat.

“Honey.”

Carlisle’s hands easily flowed around Abella’s waist. He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly, calling her by a name she had never heard before.

“I’ve finished chopping all the herbs,” he declared, his bloodshot eyes glaring at the knights. Carlisle sneered, revealing his sharp fangs, while Abella reacted with awkward flailing.

“That’s it, you’re done! That’s it!” Abella exclaimed, trying to regain her composure.

“What else needs to be done?” Carlisle asked the knights, who were smaller than him. He then playfully rubbed his face against the nape of Abella’s neck.

When Carlisle approached, the knights quickly apologized and left. Abella was left behind, stuttering with surprise and relief.

“That was unexpected,” she sighed heavily once they were out of sight.

“Did I surprise you?” Carlisle asked.

“A little,” Abella admitted.

“I’m sorry, I just thought it might be a good idea since you seemed unsure of what to do,” he explained.

Abella laughed and gently pushed Carlisle away, who was still holding on to her, while his whispered words of endearment lingered in her ear. She couldn’t help but feel tense.

However, Carlisle was frustrated, unaware of Abella’s true emotions. He hesitated to push her away and avoided eye contact.

It seemed like she was putting distance between them, creating a subtle barrier.

“Why the sudden change?” he asked but got no answer. Abella pushed her away and Carlisle stared at the back of her head as she focused on her work.

‘Did I do something wrong?’ he wondered. ‘Was it too bold to call her ‘honey’ without her consent, or did I unintentionally upset her?’

Abella’s heart raced as she observed Carlisle, her nerves causing her to break out in a cold sweat.

Carlisle struggled to contain his anxiety, swallowing nervously. But it was a challenging task.

Abella’s behavior changed as the Nephra herb lost its effect, and other males began to seek her attention.

Carlisle felt overwhelmed by the looming deadline for her transformation. He grimaced and ran a hand over his face in frustration.

At first, he believed that being by her side would make him very happy as if he owned the world.

However, greed has no limits, and that’s precisely what he demonstrated.

“Uh, Mom…….”

“Huh?”

Unintentionally, Carlisle called out to Abella, causing her to pause and meet his gaze.

Her eyes, clear and transparent, held a hint of pink.

In a strange twist, his desire surged when their eyes met, like a flame fueled by oil.

Carlisle hesitated. Then he spoke, his face expressionless as always.

“I love you deeply.”

Abella smiled in response.

“Out of the blue?”

“Not quite. I’ve felt this way for a long time.”

“I’ve loved you for a long time,” Carlisle admitted, his voice catching in his throat. He sensed that telling Abella might be too much for her to handle.

To lighten the mood, he quickly flashed a smile. Fortunately, Abella did not ask for any further details.

They worked silently, avoiding any further conversation.

* * *

As they walked back to the shop at dawn, the early setting sun signaling the onset of winter, the usually lively conversation between Carlisle and Abella was absent.

Carlisle kept stealing glances at Abella, wondering if she was lost in thought. She was silent until they were almost home. Then, she tried to make small talk about the weather.

As Abella spoke, Carlisle became more and more anxious. He felt that something was troubling her, but he couldn’t identify what it was. However, Abella’s behavior appeared to be the same.

“Um, Abella,” Carlisle began, breaking the silence abruptly.

“Earlier, I called you ‘honey’ in front of the customer without your permission. Did that bother you?”

Abella’s eyes widened in surprise at the question, and she shook her head gently.

“I didn’t feel uncomfortable.”

“But… you have barely spoken to me since then.”. Carlisle protested with a somber expression.

Abella smiled warmly and ran her fingers through Carlisle’s hair. She seemed to understand his concern.

“I’m sorry, darling. I see you’ve been worried.”

“No. You don’t need to apologize.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve been quiet today because I needed time to think.”

Carlisle’s racing heartbeat was a growing worry. At first, it wasn’t as strong…

As he explored his emotions, they surged uncontrollably, like a wild young horse.

Due to his towering stature and strong physique, Carlisle was an imposing figure. Abella couldn’t help stealing glances at him, feeling a dryness in her throat.

‘I need to control this before it gets worse,’ Abella scolded herself. She chewed on her lip to calm her nerves.

‘We need to get it together,’ she scolded herself. She was mindful of Carlisle’s well-being and knew they shouldn’t be getting into this.

Abella couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt for having such emotions towards a child she had known and raised since infancy. She reached a point of self-resentment while lost in her thoughts.

After a long pause, Abella spoke up, addressing Carlisle by his name instead of her usual term of endearment.

“Carlisle, if you don’t mind, I mean, I don’t want to pressure you, but… would you consider meeting a nice girl… someone your age?”

Abella asked with a forced smile, trying to appear casual despite the gravity of her words.