It’s Not Night - Chapter 208.2

“That’s a lie.”

Dustin replied firmly, as if he hadn’t forgotten any of his past sins. The chaotic memories of their previous life still lingered deeply in his heart, occasionally tormenting him. They were memories he would never forget, no matter how much time passed.

But Andra seemed completely unconcerned and shook her head lightly. She spoke with strength.

“That’s all in the past now. And I’m really happy. Because I have you, someone who cares and loves me more than I do myself.”

“…”

“Don’t worry, Dustin. Everything will be fine. The baby came to us to make us even happier. So stop crying. The baby will probably notice that the Dad is a crybaby already.”

Andra gently wrapped her hand around Dustin’s large hand that rested on her belly. The warmth was unmistakable.

Soon enough, Dustin had stopped crying and was looking directly at Andra. The woman he loved was smiling softly to reassure him.

“Andra.”

“Mm?”

“I’ll do better. I’ll give you all of me. I’ll live my life paying you back. Thank you, truly…”

Slowly, the once desolate world that had been filled with dark clouds began to be bathed in bright sunlight. Dustin had been trying to grasp that light for a long time. Even though he knew he couldn’t catch it, he wanted to hold onto it, especially because he had never had it before.

But now, he understood. He didn’t need to fight to grasp it. His world was already filled with the light of the sun.

“I love you, Andra.”

Now, no matter where he went, his world was always bathed in sunlight.

* * *

Throughout the pregnancy, not everything had gone smoothly, but after ten months, Andra gave birth to a beautiful daughter with black hair and blue eyes, a perfect mix of her and Dustin.

Although it was a smooth delivery, childbirth itself was an incredibly difficult process. Dustin immediately sought out skilled doctors and wizards, arranging for surgery on him that very day.

Andra, who suddenly found herself with a husband who had become like a watermelon without seeds, was horrified and asked if he was out of his mind. But, aside from her, everyone was satisfied with the surgery. This meant that officially, the Cetya couple would never be able to have a second child, a story that became widely known throughout the Ishur Empire.

“Mom, I hate you!”

Andra stared at her daughter, who ran away from her without the usual hug, with a shocked expression.

“Anna!”

She called after her daughter belatedly, but Anna, now six years old, didn’t look back and disappeared somewhere.

Watching her daughter walk away in disappointment, Andra anxiously paced. No matter how upset Anna was, she never forgot their morning hug and kiss. This was the first time she had seen Anna act this way.

“What should we do? She must be really upset.”

“She has every right to be upset. It was a promise she was really looking forward to.”

“…I must be crazy. I shouldn’t have forgotten, but I forgot.”

During her pregnancy, Andra’s book on ancient mythology and her paper from the unknown continent gained significant recognition, propelling her to the ranks of notable scholars. From there, her life got busier, and about a year ago, she received an offer from the Academy to become a professor and she had been working as one ever since.

However, once she became a professor, her schedule became so packed that she gradually spent less time with Anna. With Anna growing increasingly unhappy, Andra had forgotten a promise she had made, which led to Anna becoming very upset.

“I’ll go talk to her. Andra, you rest for a bit. You were busy all day yesterday too.”

Dustin gently guided Andra to the sofa and spoke softly. As she sat down, Andra responded with a worried expression.

“What if she gets even more upset? What if she says it’s because Dad came and not Mom… What if she ends up hating me?”

“Don’t worry too much. I’m closer to Anna, so I’ll go sort it out. Kids her age tend to get upset easily.”

“Still…”

“How about a warm cup of tea? Drink it, take a nap, and by then, I think Anna will have calmed down.”

Dustin smoothly changed the subject. Andra wasn’t sure whether she should be happy about this or not.

As Dustin took over the full responsibility of raising Anna, his character began to change gradually. The most notable change was his increased patience and softer tone. It was now hard to recognize the old Dustin Airak in him.

“Then I’ll leave it to you. It’s probably better if you go instead of me.”

“But just like that, without anything?”

“Who goes looking for a reward before solving the problem? Go now.”

At Andra’s insistence, Dustin gave a disappointed look but then leaned down to lightly kiss Andra on the lips. The sweet kiss made Andra let out a light chuckle.