Chapter 312: Dangerously natural.
Before Adelyn could even see it coming, Dylan leaned in and gently pressed his lips against her cheek.
It was a brief kiss.
Unexpected.
Yet incredibly gentle.
Adelyn froze.
For a second, her mind went completely blank as she tried to process what had just happened.
Beside her, Eira merely blinked innocently, as though nothing unusual had occurred.
Karl, on the other hand, gasped in utter disbelief. He was still kneeling on the floor.
"Brother, you ..."
"Mr. Warren ..." Adelyn instinctively pulled back a little, trying to put some distance between them—and perhaps regain her sanity as well.
"W-What are you doing?"
Her heart pounded violently inside her chest.
Not simply because something had happened that she hadn’t expected ...
But because she had felt no resistance toward it.
Instead, it had felt strangely natural.
That ...
That shouldn’t feel natural.
A lie shouldn’t slowly become something that felt real.
Yet somehow, it was slowly and gradually feeling like turning real.
Dylan’s expression remained as calm as ever. Meeting her eyes, he simply reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"I was only rewarding you," he said matter-of-factly, his expression not once faltering under her gaze, but rather appearing true.
Adelyn’s brows knitted together even tighter.
Rewarding her?
For what exactly?
She looked at him blankly, questioning herself internally.
Even Karl looked thoroughly confused. His brows furrowed as he replayed everything that had happened over the last few minutes.
He had been here the entire time.
Had he somehow missed something important?
Just as he was wondering that, Dylan calmly answered.
"Didn’t you say good girls deserve rewards?"
He looked at Adelyn naturally.
"You behaved well while I was treating your wound, so you deserve it too."
His gaze then shifted toward Eira.
The little girl immediately nodded enthusiastically.
"Yes, Mama. You were a good girl just like Eira. So Dada rewarded you."
Adelyn slowly turned to look at Eira, still completely bewildered.
Fine ...
She understood the logic.
She had behaved well.
She deserved a reward.
But ...
What did any of that have to do with him suddenly kissing her?
Just as she was trying to make sense of it all, Karl suddenly chimed in, helping her understand what he also understood just then.
"Sister-in-law, Big Brother was only following your example."
She frowned and looked at him.
Karl explained earnestly, "Didn’t you reward Little Eira with a kiss for being such a good girl all day?"
"You gave her the kiss. And my brother simply did the same. He rewarded and kissed you too."
Adelyn blinked before instinctively looking back at Dylan.
He ...
Rewarded her with a kiss?
But ...
Wasn’t that something people only did with children?
How could he treat her the same way?
Her cheeks instantly flushed red.
Was he really just following what she had done?
The first time it had happened was before her audition.
And now ...
He had done it again.
Why does he have to follow her actions in such inexplicable ways?
"Mr. Warren ..." She took a small breath before trying to explain patiently. "Rewards change as people grow older."
"Kissing a child affectionately is perfectly normal. But ..." She hesitated slightly. "You can’t casually kiss another woman like that."
"They ... they might misunderstand your intentions."
She deliberately kept her explanation vague.
Surely ...
The meaning behind her words was obvious enough.
Dylan should understand.
And indeed, he nodded.
But then—
"Don’t worry."
His expression remained perfectly straight.
"My rewards are very exclusive. No one receives them except you."
Adelyn was rendered speechless once again.
Did ...
Did she accidentally say something that made him misunderstand her?
Why did it suddenly sound as though he was reassuring her that there would never be another woman between them?
She parted her lips, intending to explain herself one more time.
But ...
She slowly closed them again.
For some reason, she no longer trusted her own words.
What if she tried explaining again ...
Only for him to misunderstand her in an entirely different way?
Wouldn’t that only make things even more complicated?
Realizing it probably would, she wisely decided not to continue the topic. Instead, she gently took Little Eira’s hand and stood up.
"Mr. Warren ..." She offered him a polite smile. "I think I’ll head upstairs first and freshen up. I’m not feeling very comfortable in these clothes."
Dylan quietly looked at her before giving a small nod.
"Dinner will be ready soon. Come downstairs when you’re finished."
She nodded almost immediately.
"Alright."
Then, without lingering another second, she turned around and walked away with Little Eira, their hands clasped together.
Dylan silently watched the mother and daughter disappear upstairs.
Only after they were completely out of sight did the corners of his lips lift ever so slightly.
It wasn’t quite a smile. But it was unmistakably satisfaction.
Karl had been secretly observing his brother the entire time.
At first, he had thought he was imagining things.
But after seeing that faint upward curve at the corner of Dylan’s lips ...
Every last trace of doubt disappeared.
Although it still felt unbelievable, he finally accepted the truth that he was finding too unreal to accept.
His Old Demon Brother had actually been flirting.
His innocent sister-in-law might not have realized it at all.
But he had witnessed everything from beginning to end. Not a single detail had escaped his eyes.
What truly stunned him, however, was just how naturally his brother had done it.
Since when had Old Demon learned to flirt so effortlessly?
It didn’t even seem practiced.
It felt ...
Dangerously natural.
"Waiting for your punishment?"
Dylan’s sudden voice instantly jolted Karl out of his thoughts.
He stiffened immediately.
Blinking rapidly, he hurriedly defended himself.
"Punishment? Big Brother, why would I be punished? I ... I didn’t do anything."
"And didn’t Sister-in-law already explain everything to you? You even said you trusted her. Did you not?"
Surely ...
His brother couldn’t possibly be planning to deal with him now that Sister-in-law had gone upstairs.
If that really happened ...
Who would save him?
"Sister-in—"
He had just opened his mouth, intending to call Adelyn back for help—
"Leave."
Dylan’s single word cut him off completely.
Karl blinked.
He didn’t dare hesitate for even another second.
Immediately scrambling to his feet, he turned around and hurried toward the door.
However ...
Just as he reached it—
Dylan’s voice sounded from behind him once more.
"Learn to reflect on your mistakes." His tone remained calm. "You’re not getting any younger."
Karl slowly turned around.
Dylan’s eyes met his.
This time ...
There was a deeper meaning hidden within them.
"And ..." His voice remained even. "Just because she protects you doesn’t make her your shield."
"Try using her the next time, and you’ll see what the worst regret looks like."