Chapter 292
Alaric was still feeling the aftereffects of the alcohol. His head swam, and the dizziness seemed relentless. Stellan, seeing him so uncomfortable, couldn’t help but feel regret.
Cormac wasn’t an outsider, so not drinking wouldn’t have been a big deal, but she had indulged Alaric, and now he was suffering. He was so unwell that Stellan couldn’t bring herself to sleep the entire night. She stayed up, worried that if Alaric had a sudden episode, she wouldn’t be able to hear it while asleep.
By dawn, when Alaric finally stirred and opened his eyes, Stellan quickly asked, “How are you feeling? Still have a headache?”
“Better,” Alaric replied, but as he noticed Stellan hadn’t slept a wink, his guilt deepened. “You didn’t sleep at all last night?”
“What do you think?” Stellan replied, clearly exhausted. “You know I’m like a log when I sleep. If you’d had an episode while I was asleep, I wouldn’t have heard it.”
Her words made Alaric feel even worse. He immediately apologized, “I’m really sorry, honey. I’m fine now. You should get some rest.”
Stellan shook her head. “No, you’re not going anywhere today. Stay home and behave.”
“Okay, I won’t go anywhere, and I won’t see anyone. I’ll stay home with you all day,” Alaric promised, already feeling the weight of responsibility.
“If you don’t, I’ll cripple you,” Stellan joked with a tired smile, then yawned. “I can’t hold on any longer. I need to sleep.”
“Yeah, go to sleep.” Alaric tucked her in carefully, still feeling guilty. As he looked at her, he realized just how much he needed to focus on his treatment, so Stellan wouldn’t have to worry like this again. The aftereffects of his condition couldn’t continue.
After a little rest, Alaric got up and prepared a simple breakfast. By noon, he had made Stellan’s favorite dishes.
“Awake?” Alaric asked softly as he saw Stellan slowly waking up.
“Yeah, I’m awake.” Stellan glanced over at the table and noticed the food. “You cooked again. You’re too nice.”
“I drank too much last night and made you take care of me all night. I have to make it up to you,” Alaric said with a smile. “Come eat.”
“Okay,” Stellan responded lazily, rubbing her eyes before heading to the bathroom to freshen up. When she returned, she sat down at the table. The food was exactly to her taste.
As they ate, Stellan couldn’t help but tease him. “It’s fine if you cook occasionally, but if you do it every day, I’ll become a fatty.”
“You’d still be beautiful even if you were a fatty,” Alaric said sweetly. Then, more seriously, he added, “Honey, you’re right. I can’t delay any longer. I’ll go to the office tomorrow to arrange my work and start the treatment.”
Stellan put her utensils down, her expression turning serious. “This time, you have to follow through. Go to the office tomorrow and make sure everything is arranged.”
“Yeah, but you said the treatment course takes about a month. A month is a long time, and it can’t be hidden,” Alaric said, his worry creeping back. He knew it wouldn’t be easy to hide his symptoms from the kids for that long.
“I know. Last time, Caspian came to the lounge to find me, and he was really scared. Elisa’s even more timid. She cried when you were unwell last time. Let’s find a way to keep them at school for as long as we can. We can’t let them see you suffer.” Alaric’s voice was filled with concern for the children.
“Maybe we can tell them we’re going on a honeymoon. That should work,” Stellan suggested with a smile.
“We never had a honeymoon after we got married. That excuse should be good enough,” Alaric agreed, relieved to have an idea.
Stellan gave him a quick glance, but her face turned slightly serious. “Actually, if it could be delayed, I wouldn’t want to rush your treatment. Last time, after two injections, you couldn’t eat for days and lost a lot of weight. You still haven’t regained all of it. This time, it’ll be a month, and you’re definitely going to lose more weight.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’m in great shape. I’m a medical miracle who woke up after three years in a coma,” Alaric said confidently. “Once the treatment is over, I’ll gain the weight back in no time.”
Stellan nodded, though she still looked a bit concerned. “Yes, you were a special forces soldier, after all. You’re in great shape. Maybe you’ll be cured after one course of treatment, and you’ll gain back all the weight you lost.”
“Exactly!” Alaric agreed, trying to reassure her.
“Let’s do it at home this time. In the company’s lounge, you’re always thinking about work, even when you’re supposed to be lying down,” Stellan suggested, looking for a more peaceful setting for his treatment.
“Okay, whatever you say,” Alaric agreed.
“Alright, let’s eat. We’ll rest today, then after breakfast, we’ll go out for a walk. I need to buy some supplements for you,” Stellan said, trying to make the most of their day.
“The treatment hasn’t even started, and you’re already buying supplements? You’re thinking ahead,” Alaric said with a chuckle.
“Of course, we need to be prepared,” Stellan replied with a wink. “Hurry up and eat, then we’ll go shopping.”
“Okay,” Alaric agreed, amused.
They had been together for so long, and honestly, Alaric had never gone shopping alone with Stellan. Today, he would accompany her properly. As she mentioned, her purpose for the shopping trip was clear. She didn’t look at anything else, just a bunch of supplements for him.
Once they were back home, they hid the supplements, then went together to pick up Caspian, Harry, and Elisa from school.
Today, they had a test. Caspian had gotten a perfect score, but Harry had missed one question. This gave Caspian the perfect opportunity to find a weakness and take advantage of it.
“You couldn’t even get a perfect score on elementary school questions, and you still call yourself a genius,” Caspian teased Harry mercilessly.
Harry, clearly embarrassed, tried to save face. “I was just a bit careless. How could I not know such simple questions?”
“Well, whether it’s carelessness or not, you didn’t get a perfect score,” Caspian said smugly, clearly relishing the moment.
“I admit I didn’t get a perfect score this time,” Harry finally admitted. “But I haven’t said anything about you, Caspian. You really can’t take a loss.” He pointed at Caspian’s shoes and added, “Just because Aurora said you’re shorter than me, you secretly wore height-increasing insoles. That’s too much.”
“These aren’t height-increasing insoles. The shoes just have a slightly higher sole, that’s all,” Caspian explained, trying to justify himself.
“If they’re not height-increasing insoles, then they’re definitely height-increasing shoes. Can’t take a loss!” Harry countered.
“I didn’t,” Caspian replied stubbornly.
“Alright, enough,” Stellan interrupted their bickering with a raised hand. “I have something to tell you three. Your dad and I are planning to go on a honeymoon, so we won’t be able to take care of you for a while. How about you stay at school?”
“You two are going on a honeymoon?” Elisa asked, her eyes wide with surprise.
“Yes,” Stellan confirmed, trying to keep the tone light.
“But last time you two went on a trip for a long time. Will this one be just as long?” Elisa asked, her concern evident.
Elisa didn’t know about Stellan’s car accident, but Caspian and Harry did. As soon as they heard Elisa’s question, the two exchanged a worried glance. They both knew what that question truly meant.