Investing in My Crippled Wife: Every Return Makes Me Stronger

”Who are you, and what have you done with my friend?”

”Your friend... simply grew up and found the person she wants to spend her life with,” Ethea responded calmly, unaffected by Zura’s dramatic reaction. ”Is that so hard to believe?”

Zura nodded vigorously. ”Yes! You’re like a whole different person! Even when you two came to the restaurant the other day, you weren’t like this. What changed between then and now?”

Ethea fell silent for a moment, considering the question. Then it hit her.

’...Right. That was before we confessed.’

Until then, there had always been a barrier she couldn’t cross, a fear that kept her from showing him how she truly felt. But now that everything was out in the open, there was no longer any reason to hold back.

Perhaps she had always wanted to show him how much she loved him, but the moment had never felt right. Now that it finally was, she found herself saying and doing things she never imagined she would, bold enough to surprise even herself.

”I think... I was just waiting for the chance to finally be more honest.” She looked up at slightly confused Zura. ”Fortunately, I got that chance.”

”...Let me guess, it happened yesterday on your date, right?” Zura asked, a knowing grin spreading across her face.

Ethea confirmed it with a nod.

”Hehe, good. I knew it,” Zura said, tapping her chin proudly. ”He asked so many questions back then, so I made sure to give him the best recommendations. It must have turned out amazing.”

”It was,” Ethea replied, her tone soft and earnest. ”Thank you for the help, Zura.”

”You’re welcome,” Zura grinned before her playful expression sobered, giving way to a streak of concern. She leaned in slightly and lowered her voice. ”Though... is it really alright to send him in there alone? Wouldn’t it be better if you went together? You know the Vice Principal well, after all.”

”It’s alright. He can handle it himself,” Ethea answered. ”And I don’t want to reveal my existence that openly yet.”

”I see.” Zura nodded in understanding, knowing they must have their own circumstances, especially considering how Soren is supposed to be seriously injured right now. ”But the Vice Principal is a powerful Sovereign. She must have recognized your presence the moment you entered the academy, right?”

”She probably has,” Ethea agreed. ”But she won’t come looking for me as long as I don’t go looking for her.”

”Right... Then do you want to tour the academy while we wait? A few things have changed since you last visited.”

”...Let’s wait till he comes out,” Ethea answered after a pause. ”I want to tour it with him.”

”Ah, I almost forgot how attached you’ve become,” Zura teased, letting out a soft laugh as she shook her head. ”Fine, fine. I won’t force you to go without your beloved husband.”

”I simply want to experience it together with him. And you will still be with us to show the way, won’t you?” Pausing briefly, she brought the playful banter to a close. ”While we wait, though... can we talk about his sister?”

”...Of course. I have uncovered a few things related to her too.”

With that, Zura sat down on the bench beside Ethea, and the two of them began to converse in lowered voices.

───────

Meanwhile, in a spacious office on the top floor of the administration building, Soren lounged on a sofa that was both luxurious and comfortable, his expression calm and his posture relaxed. Across from him sat an elderly woman with silver hair pulled back into a neat bun. She wore a monocle on her left eye and a dark, high-collared dress that gave her an air of strict authority.

Soren waited patiently as she drank her tea, the silence between them stretching comfortably. She set the cup down with a soft clink and looked at him, her sharp green eyes holding a warmth that reminded him of a grandmother he never had.

”I have considered your offer,” she said. ”And I have decided to accept it.”

Soren smiled and nodded respectfully. ”Thank you, Lady Ramona. The academy won’t regret this.”

”I’m sure we won’t.” She nodded, a faint smile touching her lips. ”The Etenia Academy is happy to cooperate with you, Mr. Everly. On behalf of the faculty and students, I thank you for your generosity.”

”The pleasure is mine.” Soren stood up and gave a slight bow. ”I should take my leave now. I don’t want to take up more of your time.”

”Of course.” Ramona rose from her seat and walked him to the door. She opened it for him and stood at the threshold as he stepped out.

”Mr. Everly, don’t forget to send my regards to your wife,” she said.

Soren paused mid-step. He turned back to look at her, but her expression gave nothing away. After a brief moment, he nodded.

”I will.”

Vice Principal Ramona watched him leave, her expression unreadable.

’...Has what Lady Herald prophesied already begun?’ She thought as her senses landed on a familiar presence outside the building. ’...She certainly has changed a lot too.’

With a sigh, she then closed the door and returned to her desk. Her fingers tapped against the polished wood as she stared at the window.

’...The wheels of fate are turning faster than I expected.’

She then turned to the holographic monitor on her desk and tapped it twice. Two profiles appeared side by side. Nura, a special student with a sealed constitution and a tragic past. And Ryan, a lucky young man who managed to survive a Golden Gate together with Soren Everly and came out of it with a potential that rivaled the academy’s top talents.

She narrowed her eyes, studying the two images in silence. Then she let out a long, helpless sigh.

’Well... I’ll just have to wait and see what happens next,’ she muttered, closing the monitor. ’There’s no point interfering now. Lady Herald always said the path would reveal itself in time.’