AHEIAID Chapter 53: The Invincible, Super Enduring You
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The homeless Joey moved back into its castle.
But before entering the castle, it first went into the operating room for a surgery that lasted seven hours, saving both of its legs and its precious little goose.
The doctors were also from the Biological Bureau.
They had failed to take the tiny human from the iron grip of the man holding onto him.
All they could do was perform the treatment at the Heine family’s private estate, under the piercing gaze of the man behind the glass wall, sharp enough to cut through their flesh, sweating profusely the entire time.
At first, they could vaguely feel the stinging sensation on their backs, but after examining the human’s wounds, the doctors fell silent at the sight of the raised, tree-like scars crisscrossing his skin.
“Oh my god…”
The female assistant, also an elite in her field, pressed her tongue hard against the roof of her mouth.
This was—
If she hadn’t been certain that the man outside the door genuinely cared and wasn’t just exuding a terrifying aura, she would have thought this rare and ancient endangered species had survived a brutal hunt.
“Hurry up. He’s been pregnant before.”
“What?! Pregnant?!”
“Yes. Although I would say that given the severity of the situation back then, separating the fetus to cultivate it independently was a brilliant idea, but—
The doctor who performed the separation was so incompetent that I want to freaking kill—cough, sorry. There are internal injuries and residual traces.”
Hearing the doctor’s urgent and frustrated tone, the female assistant’s eyes widened, barely stopping herself from asking who the beast responsible was.
Fortunately, she was sharp—brilliant, even.
A bit of thinking quickly connected the dots between the red-eyed ruler outside the door and the human’s wounds, even tying it to the turmoil from a few days ago.
Assistant: …
Sigh.
No wonder.
Not knowing what to say, she could only push away her emotions and focus entirely on her work, doing her best to minimize the human’s pain.
The entire time, Garius stood behind the glass wall, his upright posture never faltering.
Yet every time he saw a blood-stained surgical tool being removed from that small, frail body, the vertical pupils in his golden-green eyes would contract into a thin line, then loosen, contract, and repeat over and over again.
At the same time, he pressed his right hand firmly against his left wrist behind his back, stopping himself from touching the glass.
He recognized that they were doctors.
He understood that Joey was receiving treatment.
But the seemingly strong and rational Garius was at this moment filled with an overwhelming, uncontrollable urge—
The urge to pounce forward like a mindless, raging beast and make all the bloodstained reality disappear!
Could I look away?
No, I must watch.
[This is my failure, my mistake!]
[I didn’t protect them. I let them go through all this.]
[My child, my wife… all of them, with my own hands… I sent them to hell…]
The man, radiating a terrifying aura, wore a face as cold as frost. Silent and grim, he stared through the glass wall. Though standing tall, he knelt as if accepting punishment, forcing himself to gaze at the bloodstains.
His tightly pressed lips stretched into a thin, taut line.
The taste of blood filled his mouth as his clenched jaw bit down too hard. Garius gripped his own hand, squeezing so tightly that the bones beneath his gloves turned white, nearly piercing through the thin layer of skin.
But Joey, lying unconscious on the operating table, knew nothing of this.
Because when he woke up, two days had already passed…
A hazy consciousness drifted toward a sliver of light.
A faint, elusive scent of grass lingered at the tip of his nose.
His eyes, carefully cleaned, opened to a narrow slit of black and white. In his blurred vision, a dark, patterned ceiling came into view, along with an IV bag dripping steadily overhead.
Seeing the hanging IV, Joey had a fleeting illusion that he was still living in the old Sunset City district with Hammond.
But soon, the sluggish gears in his brain creaked into motion. Awareness returned to every part of his body, one by one.
He felt the silky fabric of the sheets beneath his skin. He sensed the spacious brightness of the room. The tingling numbness spreading through his nerves. And—the warmth under his right hand, a temperature different from his own.
Where… am I again?
Oh, right! I found Garius! He brought me home!
Hmm…
Hmm?!
GARIUS!!!
Joey’s eyes rolled around rapidly, scanning his surroundings, but he froze abruptly. His mouth opened, ready to call out—only to be interrupted by the dry, painful scratch in his throat, forcing out a couple of coughs.
The very next second, the bed dipped with a soft creak.
A blurry white-and-gold figure rushed into his field of vision!
Then, Joey’s face was cupped by two hands. Someone leaned down, studying him closely, their usually cool and indifferent voice laced with hoarseness and urgency.
“Joey?”
Holy shit!
It really was Garius! Haha, I’m home!
Hearing the familiar voice, Joey excitedly opened his mouth. “Ga—cough, cough—”
Before he could finish coughing, cool fingers pinched his lips, squeezing them into a little fish mouth, before slipping in a soft, orange-flavored jelly. A low voice coaxed him gently, “Chew on this. Your mouth won’t be so dry.”
Joey quickly bit down.
He had no strength at all right now, but luckily, the jelly was incredibly soft—just a light bite, and it melted into liquid, its sweet freshness soothing his parched tongue and throat.
As he sucked on the jelly, Joey gradually regained some energy, and his vision cleared.
Happily, he turned to look at his man.
And in the next second—he froze on the spot.
What the hell… What happened to my man?!
In Joey’s memory, his daddy was always composed and noble, exuding an aura of ancient aristocratic refinement. Not arrogant, but superior beyond measure.
A ruler of an empire. A guardian of the law.
A man of unwavering will, unmatched strength, and devastating beauty—radiating a brilliance that could outshine the world itself!
But now?
Someone, please tell him—who the hell was this guy with bloodshot sclera, eerie golden-green eyes tangled with red, a face pale and shadowed with exhaustion, dark circles under his eyes, and an ominous, villainous aura rolling off him like a thunderstorm?!
Aside from his still-glossy hair, his entire presence had turned pitch-black!
Gulp.
Judging from his condition, that damn yandere must have told Garius that he was inside that mecha back then.
Joey swallowed hard and cursed Harry in his heart.
You unholy bastard! You turned my dad into this! One day, I swear, I’ll rip every last hair off your head!
You’ll go bald!
After venting his anger, Joey turned back to the man kneeling by his bedside. His face was emotionless, deep-set eyes shadowed, silently offering him another piece of orange jelly.
One glance, and Joey’s heart clenched painfully.
Garius had always given off the feeling of being invincible, an overwhelming force capable of standing against the entire world alone.
But now—he was deeply wounded. Unforgiving.
Even more terrifying, there was an unsettling shift in him, an indication that he might abandon the very beliefs he once upheld—dangerous, obsessive, teetering on the edge.
…Shit. Joey grew uneasy.
His dad wouldn’t really go dark, would he?
No. No way.
He couldn’t let that perverted bastard Harry become a shadow over Garius, warping his faith.
That lunatic didn’t deserve it!
Ignoring the discomfort in his body, Joey softened his voice and spoke.
“Garius, uh… where’s our son?”
Garius paused for a moment. His expression remained as cold and unreadable as Joey feared. After a long silence, he finally replied, “He’s fine. He’s in the newly built nursery next door.”
“Oh, oh…”
Joey let out a breath of relief.
Silence fell again. Joey scratched his head, struggling to find words.
Then, unexpectedly, Garius spoke first.
“Lucian is still alive.”
“…What?”
Lucian?
Joey’s eyes widened in shock.
“You’re serious?!”
“Yes. But he’s gravely injured. It’ll take about two years before he can return to the estate. His son will take over as the new steward.”
“No worries, no worries—haha! As long as he’s alive, that’s all that matters!” Joey wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.
But when his gaze landed on Garius’s strangely calm face, he hesitated.
After a moment, he lifted his IV-free hand, patted the bed beside him, and cautiously beckoned to the disturbingly changed man.
“Uh… Garius? Wanna lie down with me for a bit?”
“You seem really upset. But it’s okay, it’s all over now. Heh.”
“…”
Hearing that familiar chuckle, echoing every day in his dreams for the past two months—
Garius finally moved.
He stared deeply at the small human, whose face was still bright and clear, untouched by darkness. His throat tightened, his eyes swirling with unshakable shadows.
His lips, now paler, pressed tightly together before finally parting.
And he asked the question that had been corroding his insides.
“Don’t you hate me?”
“…Huh?”
“I saw it,” Garius said flatly. “The footage of me killing you.”
"………"
Joey was stunned.
In those deep, dark eyes, he finally saw beneath the man's surging emotions—an unbearable, self-condemning pain...
After speaking, Garius looked straight at Joey, his gaze lowered.
"Why don't you hate me? Why don't you question me? It was because of you. The child too. You were both killed by my own hands..."
"No!"
Joey snapped out of his daze and interrupted him, shaking his head in defiance.
"That was Harry's scheme! He just wanted to torment you! Even if it wasn’t me, anyone else would have forgiven you!"
"But the one who did it was me."
"……"
"And…" Garius raised his head, his blood-red eyes shadowed in darkness as he stared at Joey. "They all will. You will too."
"……"
No one could go through that—trapped in layers of despair, facing death at the hands of their own husband along with their child—and not feel resentment.
Why didn’t you recognize me?
Why did it have to be you?
Didn’t you say you would protect me, you liar? I hate you! You’re a monster who killed your own partner and child!
Why wasn’t it you who died? If you truly regret it, then kill those responsible and destroy the empire!
Garius… am I more important, or is the empire?
Tears filled his eyes, brimming with disappointment.
As Garius fell into pained silence and raised his head again, the small figure, dragging a bloodstained body, turned away choking on sobs—never wanting to see him again…
Garius, if you didn’t love me, why did you make that promise?
Night after night, he woke up from his dreams in a cold sweat.
Day after day, Garius grew more silent, and his once indifferent stance toward the court’s power struggles turned into ruthless, brutal intervention.
It was as if he had begun to challenge the empire itself—threatening the royal family.
…A once-radiant soul, now sinking into the mire.
Joey’s eyes turned red with heartache.
Without thinking, he reached out and forcefully pulled the man onto the bed, his voice trembling as he yelled:
"Who told you I would?! I wouldn’t!"
"You bastard—"
"Get up here!"
Originally, Garius had no intention of obeying.
But when he saw the clear veins on Joey’s thin hand, pierced by the IV needle, his heart clenched in fear. His hand trembled slightly, as if he were seeing fresh human blood all over again.
The stubborn man froze for a moment—then suddenly became obedient.
He climbed into bed, but kept his distance.
But how could Joey not cling to his long-lost man?
Like a little octopus, he latched onto him, baring his teeth in a fierce expression that said, I won’t argue with you—I’ll just fight you.
Almost instantly—
Garius wanted to pull away, to remind himself he was a murderer.
But his cold body and aching heart trembled as they surrendered, crying out to bury himself in those familiar curls, to hold his small, fragile partner.
…Actions speak louder than words.
…Emotions are more honest than reason.
Two hearts pressed together, whispering secrets their owners could not voice.
One said: I love you so much. Please don’t leave me.
The other answered: Hey, me too.
Feeling the tension melt from the man's body, Joey’s heart ached, but he was also a little smug.
Seizing the chance, he lifted his head and demanded, "Say it! Who told you I would hate you?"
Garius closed his eyes briefly, resisting the urge to hold the tiny human in his arms, and replied:
"You did."
"?"
"For the past two months… every night in my dreams, you said so."
"……"
Idiot. How can you be this heartbreaking?
That wasn’t real!
Joey fell silent for a few seconds, then buried his head in Garius’s neck, rubbing his hair against his Adam’s apple.
If Garius wouldn’t hug him—
Then Joey would hug Garius.
Softly, in a voice only the two of them could hear, he whispered:
"I don’t hate you. That day… my biggest fear was that you would be sad…"
"Garius, from now on, we’ll never be apart again, okay?"
"Oh, and one more thing."
He looked up, his eyes red at the corners, his voice thick with emotion—yet he smiled at those terrifying eyes.
"You know…"
"I adore you the most!"
The absolute most in the world, the universe, super-duper ultimate—
I love you!
T/N: Please give support on my ko-fi page, thank you🍊🍊🍊
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