Chapter 311: Lies aren’t always bad.
A small sense of nervousness crept up Adelyn’s spine.
But then she steeled herself.
The lifespan of a lie was never long. Sooner or later, it would always be exposed.
No lie could remain hidden forever.
If it were to be revealed today —then perhaps this was the opportunity she needed to end it all once and for all.
That way, starting tomorrow, she wouldn’t have to keep lying or continue living behind a façade for even one more day. She would be completely free.
Thinking that, Adelyn finally made up her mind. She parted her lips, ready to tell him everything.
However—
Before she could utter a single word, Dylan slowly lifted his hand.
With the same gentleness he had used while tending to her wound, his fingers reached up and lightly brushed through her hair.
"I trust you," he said.
His voice was calm yet deep —almost magnetic enough to draw Adelyn into a spellbinding trance.
"Huh?" she asked, her brows lifting in confusion. "You trust me? In what?"
Dylan looked at her quietly.
Then, a subtle smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"I trust ... you wouldn’t lie to me."
His fingers continued to smooth over her hair, almost as though he were cherishing something precious.
Adelyn’s eyes widened.
The weight pressing against her heart suddenly became even heavier.
What did he mean ... he trusted her?
Trusted that she wouldn’t lie to him?
Why would he trust her so completely?
She had been lying to him from the very first day.
Every absurd excuse ...
Every fabricated explanation ...
Every carefully woven story ...
She had told him countless lies.
He simply couldn’t distinguish the truth from the lies.
And yet ...
Here he was, saying he trusted her.
Really?
Couldn’t he make her feel any guiltier than she already did?
First, there were the lies...
And now ...
She felt like she was betraying the trust he placed in her.
The burden on her chest grew heavier with every passing second.
This man had treated her with nothing but sincerity.
He had cared for her.
Protected her.
Believed in her.
Yet out of everyone, she felt she had wronged him the most.
And still, he said he trusted her.
He shouldn’t.
He really shouldn’t.
"Mr. Warren, I—"
"Does it hurt?"
Once again, before she could continue her words , Dylan interrupted her naturally.
The transition was so smooth that it almost seemed coincidental, as though he hadn’t intentionally changed the subject at all.
His eyes settled on the fresh bandage around her hand.
"If it’s uncomfortable," he said gently, "I can loosen it a little."
As he spoke, his fingers were already reaching toward the knot. But Adelyn instinctively reached out first.
Her hand caught his before she even realized what she had done.
Only after feeling the warmth of his skin beneath her fingertips did she come back to herself.
Flustered, she hurriedly pulled her hand back.
"I—I don’t think that would be necessary," she stammered softly. "The bandage feels fine. It’s not uncomfortable at all."
Dylan looked at her for another quiet moment before giving a small nod. Then he calmly closed the first-aid box.
"Then be careful," he reminded her. "Don’t let the wound touch water. Let it heal soon."
Adelyn responded with a soft hum and nodded obediently.
A brief silence followed.
Then she suddenly looked at him again. "Do you really trust me, Mr. Warren?"
Dylan’s hand paused in midair for the briefest moment before continuing its movement as though nothing had happened.
"Isn’t it only natural for me to trust you unconditionally?"
Adelyn immediately shook her head. A trace of urgency slipped into her voice. "You really don’t have to trust me that much."
She looked down at her hands.
"After all ... how long have you even known me? I—"
Dylan suddenly looked up at her.
The moment their eyes met, the rest of her words disappeared. She couldn’t even remember what she had been about to say.
"I ..."
She swallowed softly.
"I’m only saying this so ... you won’t regret it someday."
"There has never been anything I’ve regretted." His voice remained calm. "Especially anything about you."
He spoke with such certainty that Adelyn almost forgot how to breathe.
She stared at him blankly.
And in that instant ...
Something inside her shifted.
Something old.
Something buried deep beneath countless forgotten memories.
It felt as though it was about to rise to the surface.
She waited.
One second.
Then another.
Another minute quietly slipped by.
Yet ...
Nothing came.
Nothing at all.
"Mr. Warren, I—"
"Mama." Little Eira’s soft voice interrupted her.
The tiny hand wrapped around hers wasn’t strong enough to give reassurance. Even so, the little girl still squeezed it with all the strength she had.
When Adelyn lowered her eyes toward her, Eira looked up earnestly.
"Lying is a bad thing." Her little voice was soft. "But Mama wouldn’t lie. Eira believes Mama too."
Adelyn felt the weight in her heart sink even deeper.
Dylan’s trust had already left her feeling guilty. And now, even this little girl had unknowingly tightened those invisible chains around her heart.
"You sounded so sweet when you said that, Baby." Adelyn smiled gently as she stroked the girl’s hair.
"But ..."
She paused.
"What if Mama really did lie?"
She had lied.
No matter what reason she had, a lie was still a lie.
She didn’t know how those lies would be judged once everything came to light.
But she also couldn’t erase what had already happened.
Little Eira tilted her head thoughtfully.
For a brief moment, Adelyn expected the little girl to tell her that lying was wrong ...
That if Mama lied, she wouldn’t like her anymore.
Instead, Eira gave an answer that caught her completely off guard.
"If Mama lied ..." She blinked her big eyes. "... then Mama must have had a reason. Eira would still trust Mama."
Adelyn blinked in surprise.
"A reason?" she asked softly.
Eira nodded enthusiastically.
"Mhm ~"
Humming, she smiled proudly.
"Didn’t Mama tell Eira that lies aren’t always bad? If someone has a good reason, they can be understood."
Adelyn froze.
She remembered saying those words. But she had only said them casually, almost on a whim.
She had never imagined this little girl would remember them so clearly, or believe them so wholeheartedly.
Her heart softened instantly.
Unable to stop herself, she reached out and gently touched Eira’s soft hair.
A warm smile slowly spread across her lips.
Just then—
Click.
The quiet sound of the first-aid box closing pulled her back to reality.
Turning toward Dylan, she saw that he had already packed everything away.
She looked at him quietly before speaking.
"Thank you, Mr. Warren."
She had only intended to thank him for treating her wound.
Nothing more.
Yet ...
What happened next left Adelyn completely frozen.