Adelyn tilted her head slightly to the side and glanced down at the young man clinging to her legs like a koala wrapped tightly around a tree trunk.

Her expression scrunched faintly, unsure of how she was even supposed to react to this situation.

She tried to pull her leg away —however —

As she moved, Karl simply dragged himself along with her.

"Sister-in-law, I only have you left on my side. Don’t abandon me!"

He cried out again, his voice full of exaggerated misery, and Adelyn honestly felt the urge to smack him on the head.

Abandon him?

Had they even been together in the first place for him to talk about abandonment?

She almost lifted her hand to hit him —however, just then—

A pair of deep blue-amber eyes met hers.

And instantly, she curled her fingers, withdrawing her intent.

"Mr. Warren, I was just—"

Dylan didn’t seem the least bit concerned about what she had been about to do. Instead, he simply asked,

"You support him?"

Adelyn’s brows lifted slightly —momentarily failing to grasp what exactly he meant.

But then—

Realization dawned.

After all—

Just last night, she had already understood that this man had dug his own grave. And now, his fall into it was nothing but inevitable.

"Sister-in-law, only you can save me. Save me—"

Karl clung tighter, his voice turning more pitiful.

Adelyn glanced down at him.

He truly looked like someone holding onto the last fragile thread of hope.

However —too bad for him.

She had no intention of playing the role of his savior.

Trying to pry him off her leg, she lifted her gaze back to Dylan and shook her head without hesitation.

"Of course not, Mr. Warren. How could I possibly support him?"

Karl’s heart sank instantly.

It was as if his soul had just left his body.

"Sister-in-law ..."

He called out, his tone filled with disbelief, as though he had just been betrayed in the cruelest way possible.

"You’re abandoning me? How can you?"

Adelyn pressed her lips together as she looked at him.

Her intention was clear enough on her face.

Karl noticed it —and immediately shook his head, refusing to accept it.

"No, sister-in-law," he said quickly, tightening his grip around her leg even more. "You can’t abandon me. You simply can’t. I’m your dearest brother-in-law. How could you even bear to do this to me? Don’t you love me the most?"

At that—

Even before Adelyn could react —someone else spoke.

"Mama said she loves Eira the most."

Karl froze.

For a moment, he didn’t even move.

Then slowly, he turned his head —only to meet a pair of cold grey eyes.

Though her eyes were different from his brother’s. But at this second, the expression in them were strikingly similar to Dylan’s.

Eira stood there, her small arms wrapped possessively around Adelyn, openly claiming her presence.

After all—

She was her Mama.

And she couldn’t accept anyone else making the same claim.

Not even her own uncle.

Karl blinked, completely confused.

Did he ... offend his precious niece somehow?

Why was she looking at him like a tiny hedgehog bristling at an enemy?

Even Adelyn was slightly taken aback.

Not because of what Eira said—

But because of how she said it.

This was the first time the little girl had acted so openly according to her own feelings.

She didn’t try to suppress herself.

She didn’t try to act sensible.

She simply ... reacted.

And that—

That made Adelyn smile.

Because she had been hoping for exactly this.

Her hand gently lifted and came to rest over Eira’s head, softly caressing her hair.

When the little girl tilted her head up to look at her, Adelyn smiled warmly and reassured her, "You’re right, baby. I love you the most."

Only after hearing those words did Eira finally relax.

The coldness in her eyes melted away, softening into something warm and content.

However, she still glanced at Karl as though he had committed a grave offense.

It took him a moment —but Karl finally understood where he had gone wrong.

"Princess," he tried to explain quickly, "of course, Sister-in-law loves you the most. I never meant to take her away from you. But ... can’t we share her?"

He hesitated before adding,

"After all, I’m your favorite uncle."

Eira frowned immediately.

"My Mama isn’t an object to share."

Karl opened his mouth —ready to argue—

But then paused.

Because what she said ... wasn’t wrong.

But wait—

Wasn’t he being misunderstood again?

When did he ever objectify his sister-in-law?

A sudden sense of injustice rose within him.

He looked like he was on the verge of tears.

Clutching Adelyn’s leg again, he wailed, "Sister-in-law, even little Eira is misunderstanding me now. You have to understand me at least!"

Adelyn really wanted to shake him off.

However—

His grip was annoyingly persistent. Pushing him away without using actual force wasn’t going to be easy.

Karl continued dramatically, "I didn’t mean to steal you away. You love Eira the most —I understand that."

He looked up at her like a pitiful child who had just been unfairly neglected.

"But even with Eira ... can’t you love me too?"

Adelyn blinked.

For a moment —she was genuinely speechless.

Was he actually serious right now?

She had to love him the same way she loved Eira?

Why?

Was she his mother in a previous life or something? Was she supposed to repay some karmic maternal debt?

"Fourth Master Warren," she said, trying her best to remain polite, "I think you’ve misunderstood something."

Karl shook his head immediately.

Then, grabbing onto her arm, he pulled himself up to stand properly.

"I didn’t misunderstand anything, sister-in-law," he insisted, his voice full of desperation. "You slept with my brother, and Eira calls you Mama —that clearly makes you my sister-in-law. Where is the misunderstanding in that?"

Adelyn nearly lost it again.

She really wanted to smack him this time.

But—

Under a certain gaze watching them, she restrained herself once more.

"And as for loving me —why can’t you love me the same way you love Eira?" he continued, completely serious. "I’m the youngest in the family after her. Just like she misses her mother ... I miss mine too."

His tone softened slightly.

"And yesterday, when you scolded me ... I saw my mother in you."

Adelyn froze.

"Elder sisters-in-law are treated like mothers," he added earnestly. "So how can I not treat you the same way?"

Adelyn was completely speechless now.

With logic like this—

Could she even argue?

"And if I treat you like my mother," Karl continued, pushing further, "how can you not see me as your son?"

"I—"

Adelyn opened her mouth —then closed it again.

She truly didn’t know how to respond.

"Wait ..."

Karl suddenly paused mid-sentence, narrowing his eyes slightly as suspicion crept onto his face.

His gaze slowly shifted toward Dylan.

Then back to Adelyn.

"You can’t see me as your son ..." he muttered thoughtfully.

A beat passed—

And then realization struck him.

His eyes widened slightly as he looked at her again.

"... is it because you don’t see my brother as your man yet?"