Free Web NovelChapter 199: Your husky.
It was early evening, and the guard hadn’t yet switched on the lights properly. The corridor remained dim, shadows pooling in the corners.
Still—
Adelyn could already make out the figure crouched near her door.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, her brows furrowing, exhaustion already seeping into her tone.
Hearing her voice at last, the man lifted his head. He blinked once, as if confirming he wasn’t mistaken —and the moment he did, his face lit up like a child who had been wronged and come to find comfort from the only person who wouldn’t accept seeing him wronged.
"Sister-in-law, you’re finally back!"
He crawled toward her and wrapped his arms around her legs. "I’ve been waiting for you since eternity."
If this had been the first time of him clinging to her like that, Adelyn might have flinched.
But it wasn’t.
She simply stood there, looking down at him —calm, unreadable —almost as if trying to see through whatever intention had brought him here.
"I left this place only in the morning," she said lightly.
When he looked up at her, she met his gaze and added, "How did a few hours turn into eternity in your watch?"
Karl immediately pouted, his lips trembling as if he might cry at any moment.
"Sister-in-law, how could you not understand my deep words? I meant to say I missed you ... missed you a lot."
Adelyn pressed her lips into a thin line.
Just as he was about to cling tighter, she lifted a finger and pressed it against his forehead, pushing him back —away from her.
"If I ignored your words the first time, I’ll ignore them the second time too. So don’t waste your effort."
The push wasn’t rough enough to hurt him —but it was enough to make him let go.
Without another glance, she walked past him and moved toward her apartment door.
Karl, unfazed, got up immediately and followed after her like a puppy that had learned nothing except how to trail behind its master. freeweɓnovel.cѳm
"Sister-in-law, did you not miss me at all?" he asked.
Adelyn unlocked the door. Pausing, she turned her head slightly to look at him.
"Was I supposed to?"
Karl froze.
He blinked, clearly unprepared for that blunt response.
When he didn’t answer, Adelyn simply walked inside. She didn’t invite him in —but she didn’t close the door either —giving him a silent permission to enter.
Karl didn’t hesitate. He stepped in, head lowered, hiding whatever storm was brewing inside him.
Adelyn noticed the shift in him. It was simply too ... obvious. She turned, crossing her arms as she studied him.
"What is it?" she asked. "Speak. Don’t stand there mute. Why did you come here like this?" fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
Karl slowly lifted his head and looked at her.
"Sister-in-law ... do you really love my brother?"
Adelyn paused.
The composure she held just moments ago faltered ever so slightly.
Was this a trap?
Trap of making him speak her real heart?
"W-What do you mean?" she almost stuttered —before quickly firming her tone. "Of course I love your brother. How can I not? His looks, his charm —everything about him is perfect. Any woman would fall for him. Why would I be an exception?"
Karl stared at her intently.
Not casually. Not playfully. But in an analyzing manner.
"Then why haven’t you made your relationship public yet?" he asked seriously.
So seriously that his seriousness made Adelyn tilt her head slightly, trying to understand what weighed so heavily behind that question.
But she couldn’t grasp it.
After all —she had never even considered making it public.
It was a façade. A lie she had created to escape a situation. And making it official would only entangle her deeper in it.
"There’s no need to go public," she said. "We’re fine like this."
That answer made Karl frown immediately.
"How can you be fine with it, sister-in-law?" he insisted. "If you’re my sister-in-law, everyone should know. Being hidden like this —it’s tormenting, don’t you think?"
Adelyn shook her head.
"It is," Karl pressed on. "You might not feel it now. But later —you will. When you see someone else getting close to big brother. You know he’s a catch. Everyone has their eyes on him."
"..."
Adelyn almost said it didn’t matter.
That she wouldn’t care even if his brother fell for someone else.
But—
To maintain her lie, she stepped closer instead and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, patting it lightly.
"You’re overthinking," she said gently. "I trust your brother. He’s not that kind of person."
"He won’t betray me."
Karl’s lips trembled at her words.
His brother might not be that kind of person—
But how was he supposed to tell her that someone was actively trying to push him toward becoming one?
And if she didn’t secure her place soon—
His big brother might really end up betraying her.
"What’s wrong?" Adelyn asked, noticing his expression.
"Sister-in-law ..." Karl said slowly, "seeing you so kind and innocent ... I feel like staying loyal to you. Only to you."
Adelyn’s face twitched.
"No need," she replied flatly. "Just focus on your studies and behave well. That’s enough. I’m not fond of having ... puppies around me anyway."
Karl nodded, accepting it without any hesitation.
"Then I’ll be your husky."
"Heh—?"
Adelyn stared at him, dumbfounded.
Was this guy actually serious?
She had called him a puppy just to soften calling him a dog —and he, without hesitation, upgraded himself into one.
Did he have no sense of shame at all?
"Sister-in-law, huskies are loyal and adorable," he added proudly. "Since you don’t like puppies, you can have me."
He even patted his chest with confidence.
Adelyn stared at him for a second longer before pressing her lips together.
Fine.
A dog, then.
"Since you’ve decided that, I won’t argue," she said calmly. "Now tell me —what brought you here? Was it something important?"
Karl went silent again.
Of course, it was important.
He had come to tell her everything.
Everything that Jasper was trying to do behind her back.
That how his brother might in a way end up betraying him.
But—
He feared what would happen if he really told her?
Will his sister-in-law really leave her?
