Chapter 213.

Translator: Lili

Weekly Chapter 4/7

“Did you get jealous that I’ve been with other women?”

Henriad’s peculiar expression matched the thoughts Shushu had been having about the ‘good-looking trash’ that Carrot had once described.

“No.”

Shushu replied firmly, her tone resolute.

But Henriad smirked, as if her denial was absurd.

“You seem like you are.”

“Stop it. You’re making me want to put my head in the pie instead.”

Shushu grumbled briefly. Setting the knife aside, she reached to close the pie box. But Henriad was faster. His long hand, holding a fork, reached into the box without hesitation, stabbing the pie and messily cutting off a piece before raising it to his mouth.

“What are you doing?!”

Shushu shouted in alarm, but Henriad shoved the piece into his mouth nonchalantly. The crunch of walnuts breaking echoed, their aroma filling the air. Shushu looked down at the pie in dismay, only to see that the central portion had been the part mutilated—impossible to salvage.

“Whether it’s a head or a pie, there’s no need to bother with something for someone who’s already dead.”

At his indifferent comment, Shushu glared at him with a mix of anger and incredulity. How dare he treat her mother, who was alive, as if she were dead? Her face paled as she stared him down, both furious and embarrassed. Henriad, it seemed, had already learned about her family situation, though that wasn’t surprising given the circumstances.

“Don’t say things like that. My mom is alive. She’s the only mom I have…”

“Everyone only has one mom, you know.”

Henriad’s flippant tone made her flinch, and before she could respond, he continued, casually voicing something grotesque.

“If you can’t see her or talk to her, she might as well be dead. And for the dead, what you need isn’t a walnut pie—it’s a coffin and a shovel.”

“You’re saying I should treat her as dead just because I can’t see her? Could you say the same thing to Mini Cat?”

Shushu’s voice grew serious, her expression hard. As much as Henriad’s remark about her mother stung, she couldn’t overlook the implication that Mini Cat’s imprisonment made her nonexistent.

“It’d be awkward to say, but if I had to, sure, I could.”

The reply was utterly unhesitant, delivered with a casual indifference that left Shushu feeling pity for Mini Cat. She had never imagined a day would come when she genuinely pitied her. With a brother like this, it was no wonder Mini Cat’s personality had turned out the way it had.

“… I suppose that’s why you have no reaction to your sister being repatriated.”

Henriad said nothing, but his expression betrayed him. Shushu saw it—a silent acknowledgment.

‘Thank goodness. No matter how terrible his personality might be, he hadn’t sunk that low.’

Feeling slightly guilty for the judgmental thought, Shushu calmed her rapidly beating heart and asked cautiously,

“… Do you know where she went?”

Henriad nodded vaguely. Seeing that, Shushu, filled with hope, momentarily forgot her earlier resentment and leaned in closer.

“Where? Her house? Or another prison?”

Henriad looked down at Shushu’s hand, which was now gripping his shoulder. She was so close, her eyes sparkling with urgency. If he didn’t speak, she looked ready to shake him until he did.

“How strange.”

Despite the weight of her expectant gaze, Henriad didn’t react much. He simply lifted her hand off his shoulder and leaned in himself, his face now close to hers.

“Why is this so important to you?”

“What?”

“You’ve got bigger things to worry about right now.”

Shushu’s face twisted in confusion. Her expression seemed to say, ‘What could possibly be more important than this?’

Her resolute attitude made Henriad click his tongue softly. Then, to her shock, he pinched her nose.

“Ah! Let go!”

“The more I see you, the more amazed I am. Here you are, with your own house on fire, and you’re busy worrying about someone else’s shoes. What’s next? Have you already given away your liver and gallbladder, too?”

“Ow! That hurts! Say it without grabbing my nose!”

“No. Maybe plugging this hole will make your ears work better.”

It was utter nonsense—what did her nose have to do with her ears? But with her nose pinched, Shushu couldn’t articulate a proper rebuttal. Though the grip wasn’t unbearable, it was just painful enough to make her squirm.

Henriad, watching her struggle like a fish out of water, spoke calmly,

“Listen carefully. You’re in no position to be curious about that right now.”

“What are you talking about?”