The Incubus System Chapter 686. You Have Me... (Patreon)

The Incubus System Chapter 686. You Have Me...

Desperately, I racked my brain for something that could cheer her up, some way to chase away the gloom that had settled over her. Suddenly, a spark of inspiration hit me. "Come on, Celia. Let's do something fun," I said, my voice filled with a hopeful lilt. "We can go to the mall and buy you a new outfit, or we can go to the park and take a walk. Anything you want, just name it."

I could see a glimmer of interest flicker across her face as she considered my suggestion. But then, her expression fell once again. I knew she was still down because my mom and Mrs. Clea said everything directly in front of Celia. And yet, I couldn't bring myself to blame Mrs. Clea entirely; perhaps she had assumed that Celia was already aware of everything.

Before Celia could answer, I spoke again, a glint of mischief in my eyes. "Oh, right. I met Tiffany earlier and asked her to go to the theme park together. You just need to say when," I reminded her.

To my relief, a small smile bloomed on her face, like a delicate flower pushing through the cracks of a stone wall. She turned to me, her eyes brightening with newfound hope. "How about the day after tomorrow?" she said, her voice filled with a tentative excitement.

“Sounds good,” I agreed.

As if sensing my elation, Foxy leaned to me, her eyes sparkling with excitement, and her tails wagging back and forth like a metronome.

"May I come with you, Master?" she said, her voice filled with eagerness.

I looked at her. "Of course, Foxy," I said, patting her head affectionately.

But then, a chorus of complaints rose up around me, and I turned to see Buni and the others looking at me expectantly, their eyes shining with a pleading hopefulness.

"What about us?" Buni and the others said, their voices filled with a mix of curiosity and longing. "Can we come too?"

"Sorry, guys," I said, my voice tinged with regret. "I don't think they'll let me in with this many pets."

Immediately, Red let out a loud whine, and the other animals joined in, their voices mingling together like a chorus of lamentation. But then, Foxy stepped forward, her eyes glowing with calming warmth. She calmed them down for me as she knew my emotional state.

"Brother..." Celia's voice called out to me, drawing my attention away from the commotion.

I turned to her."Yes?" I asked, my eyes locked on her gloomy expression.

"How's mom?" she asked, her voice heavy with an unspoken sadness.

"She's fine," I replied, my smile dry. "Better than I thought."

Celia turned to me, her eyes searching mine as if trying to discern the truth hidden within. "Does she regret it?" she asked, her tone hopeful yet tinged with a hint of despair.

I hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to answer. I didn't want to give Celia false hope, but at the same time, I didn't want to crush her spirit with the harsh reality of our situation. "She said she was sorry," I said finally, my voice measured and careful. "But that's just a lie. She just wanted to escape the punishment and move on with her life. She doesn't regret one bit or think about us."

As soon as the words left my mouth, I could feel the bitterness rising within me like a raging inferno. It was unfair that my mother abandoned us. And yet, she wanted to live her life as if nothing had happened.

Celia's response was simple yet poignant, "I see," spoken in a gloomy tone that matched the dark clouds gathering overhead. We lapsed into a melancholy silence, each lost in our own thoughts and regrets.

I shifted closer to Celia, my hand reaching out to clasp hers in a comforting gesture. Our fingers intertwined, and I could feel the warmth of her skin against mine. As I looked into her eyes, I could see the pain and sorrow etched into every line and curve of her face. It was a heart-wrenching sight, and I longed to ease her pain.

"Hey," I spoke softly, my voice low and soothing. "Let's forget about her. We are fine. We don't need her. We don't need people who have betrayed us, betrayed dad," I tried to convince her, my voice growing stronger with each word.

A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she listened to me. She knew I was right, deep down. We couldn't let our mother's actions define us, couldn't let her betrayal dictate the course of our lives.

"Besides, you have me," I reminded her, my grip on her hand tightening. "No matter how I change, I'm still your brother. Your Ethan." I wanted her to know that no matter what happened, our bond as siblings would always remain unbreakable.

She responded with a dry smile and a nod, acknowledging my words. "I know," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. Then, she withdrew her hand from mine, a look of sadness crossing her face.

"Still...in my heart, I hope that we can go back to how we used to be," she admitted, her eyes flickering with a wistful longing. "But it looks like that's impossible." She closed her eyes briefly as if trying to hold back tears. "It was just my wishful thinking after all."

I wrapped my arms around Celia, I felt her body tense up before she slowly relaxed into my embrace. I held her tightly, feeling the weight of her sorrow and pain in my arms. Her hair tickled my nose, but I didn't mind as I gently rubbed her head with my hand, hoping to soothe her troubled mind.

At that moment, I closed my eyes, blocking out the world around us. All that mattered was this moment, this connection between us. It was a comforting gesture that we had shared countless times before, but now it held even more significance.

I could feel her warmth seeping into my body, and I hoped that I was giving her some comfort as well. "It's okay, Celia. Everything will be fine," I whispered softly into her ear, my voice barely audible.