Because I Love You✔️

Chapter 146: Mistake after Mistake

Chapter One Hundred and Forty Six: Mistake after Mistake

Xaphile spent all of his time with Adariel over the next few days.

Near the end of the first, Vordt had once again enshrouded everyone with the illusions to mask their identities. But it wasn't exactly necessary since nobody really left to do much after Amelia ordered Adariel's new clothes, just an added precaution, to be safe.

Ella had taken to reading the books they'd brought along, Gus chose to mingle with others down at the tavern, Vrael had been using the calm streak to meditate and practice using his wind magic, and Vordt simply kept to himself in the farthest corner of the room.

His watchful eyes, for the most part, remained trained on Adariel and Xaphile.

Sinmir didn't waste a second of their time doing fruitless activities.

He exercised every single day for several hours at a time.

Push-ups of many varieties... the regular basic method, and then alternating one-armed push-ups, and even incredible-looking handstand push-ups. Xaphile was particularly amazed by the last one whenever he saw it since the rugged prince had perfect strength and balance.

Xaphile relished the calmness because it gave him time to reconnect with his little brother.

Each day was basically spent with Adariel sitting on his lap, or clinging to his arm, or sitting in the crook of his elbow. The child never left his side for more than thirty seconds, and even when he did, he never strayed a footstep beyond a meter.

Not that Xaphile minded, of course, since he was perfectly content to shower the kid with the eleven years of love he'd never been able to give back on earth, and then some.

During their time in the hotel room, he'd noticed that Adariel had put on a bit of much-needed weight, and his ashen skin had taken a less deathly pallor.

It was a change for the better.

The kid by no means at all looked healthy, but it was visibly better than the state he'd been in when he'd arrived, and best of all, with food and water in his system he was more animated.

It was primarily because of this that he realized just how adorable Adariel really was.

Each day, the child would eagerly tell him fantastical stories of when they'd been younger, memories from his life on Atlas that he still couldn't remember.

A lot of what he'd heard didn't sound like him at all, since he'd apparently been a very optimistic and happy-go-lucky person before waking up as his current self.

Even at his best, he had never been extroverted or cheerful, but Adariel seemed to really enjoy talking to him about everything they'd done together, and recounting those hidden memories made the kid's eyes sparkle with delight and fondness.

It was during these moments that Xaphile could tell there was truth to what Ella had said.

The kid adored him, perhaps even idolized him, and it was a high bar to overcome since he didn't want to be a disappointment and he didn't really know what to do in order to avoid being one. So, he began walking on eggshells, trying his hardest to be the awesome big brother Adariel remembered.

Forcing smiles, acting cheerful and optimistic even when he was worried, laughing a little.

It wasn't him, but his brother was in better spirits when he acted like that, so he kept it up.

Then came the evening of the fourth day, when Gus came back in from downstairs with a tired expression.

Everyone looked up when he sat down at the table with a sigh, green eyes tired.