Chapter 336: Who is Eira’s mother?

Adelyn’s head remained lowered as she continued reading her script, but when she heard Karl speak, her eyelashes lifted slightly to look at him.

Just her lashes.

And somehow, that brief gaze was enough to warn Karl instantly.

He didn’t dare utter the third word of his sentence.

Swallowing immediately, he practically shoved whatever word had been there back down his throat before looking away as though he had suddenly found something very interesting on the other side of the room.

Adelyn stared at him for a few seconds.

But when she saw that the guy clearly didn’t dare bring it up again, she simply returned her attention to her script.

Time started passing slowly ...

Adelyn didn’t realize how long it had been, but when she finally lifted her gaze from the script, Karl was still sitting in his place —quietly, like the obedient kid he wasn’t at all.

And Eira ...

Adelyn’s gaze shifted toward the little one, only to see that she was almost done, carefully finishing her coloring. Her crayons were scattered, yet neatly arranged on the table.

Seeing her like that, Adelyn’s lips simply curled up into a warm, gentle smile.

The girl was just too ... too adorable not to be loved wholeheartedly.

Although Adelyn had never planned to get too involved or attached to her, she had finally realized that she was bound to love her.

Perhaps it had happened without her noticing.

Perhaps it had started from the very first time she had seen those bright, tear-filled eyes staring at her.

Or maybe it had begun when that little girl had innocently called her Mama as though there had never been any doubt in her heart about who Adelyn was.

Whatever the reason, Adelyn knew that by now, she had already grown attached.

As she quietly adored Eira’s petite, doll-like face from the side, she couldn’t help but remember what the girl had told her earlier.

She had been missing her mother in the past ...

Even in her sleep ...

Could her biological mother have been missing her as well?

Her brows furrowed slightly.

She wasn’t sure what that woman had been thinking when she abandoned her own daughter like that, but she believed a daughter as beautiful and adorable as Eira wasn’t someone a person could simply forget.

Even if there had been some unavoidable reason behind the separation, how could a mother completely forget a child like her?

Then ...

Why had her mother...?

The question resurfaced in her mind again, leaving an uncomfortable feeling in her chest.

Just as she was about to sink deeper into her thoughts, her eyes purposefully turned toward Karl.

Karl initially thought it was only a brief glance.

But when her eyes lingered on him, he nervously blinked and shifted slightly in his seat.

"Sister-in-law, I didn’t do anything. I didn’t say a word. Why are you looking at me like that? I—"

"Shh ..." She shushed him, frowning slightly. "You’re getting too noisy."

Karl immediately pouted when he heard her.

He was getting noisy?

Really?

She was looking at him like she was searching for a way to deal with him, and she was still saying that he was being noisy.

She was simply being too unfair to him.

Why did he have to take it lying down?

He wanted to cry his tears out and complain to her properly.

But in the end, he held himself back and slowly said, "Sister-in-law ... I didn’t mean to be noisy. I just wanted to tell you that I haven’t done anything to upset you."

His voice grew quieter with every word, becoming almost inaudible toward the end.

"I was just sitting here ... quietly accompanying you."

The way he went silent the next second almost made him look like a puppy that had just been scolded too harshly.

Anyone would have felt pity for him looking at him like that.

However, Adelyn seemed quite immune to his act.

Without bothering to coax him, she simply said, "There’s something I want to ask you."

Karl looked up at her and blinked again.

But this time, his eyes carried a hint of suspicion.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at her for a second longer before saying, "Don’t you think you have quite a lot of things to ask me today, sister-in-law? Even this morning, you asked me something. And now again, you want to ask me something."

Adelyn folded her script and set it aside.

"Why? Are you refusing me?" she asked before reminding him, "Didn’t you say you’d be more than happy to tell me anything I want to know?"

Karl parted his lips, feeling misunderstood again.

He wasn’t saying he wouldn’t tell her.

As long as his sister-in-law wanted to know something, he would more than happily tell her everything.

But ...

"Sister-in-law, I’m your favorite brother-in-law, yet you treat me like this. Shouldn’t I refuse you?"

Adelyn looked at him and smiled, raising her brows.

"You’re sure you want to refuse me?"

Karl was immediately dumbfounded.

Did he make it sound like that?

"Of course not, sister-in-law. You are my one and only sister-in-law. How can I refuse you for anything? It’s just that ..." He hesitated before looking at her with an almost pitiful expression. "Can’t you coax me a little? Just ... a little."

He showed her the tiny measure with his fingers.

Adelyn briefly gazed at his fingers before looking back up at him.

She didn’t say anything, but her answer was already delivered.

Karl only pouted.

"Fine, don’t coax me. I’ll still tell you. But there’s something you need to promise me first."

Adelyn would have refused.

But seeing him already looking like that, her heart finally relented toward him, and she nodded.

"Fine. I will."

She said it so casually that Karl looked genuinely surprised, as if he hadn’t really expected her to accept so easily.

"You ... you accepted?"

"You didn’t want me to?" Adelyn countered.

Karl immediately shook his head.

"No, I mean, I thought after yesterday, you wouldn’t agree to anything I said so easily."

After all, he had put her in a difficult position.

His brother had let him go, and even if his sister-in-law hadn’t blamed him, he still blamed himself.

Especially after knowing that Adelyn had gotten hurt because of it.

He knew that what happened yesterday had been reckless.

And although he had tried to laugh it off, somewhere inside, he still felt guilty whenever he remembered that she had been dragged into the mess because of him.

Adelyn could read his thoughts.

However, she didn’t react dramatically.

She simply shrugged and said, "After what happened yesterday, I believe you won’t act recklessly again so soon. So promising you something wouldn’t be a disaster."

Karl sniffled lightly.

"Sister-in-law," he cried. "I was wrong. You don’t treat me unfairly at all. You’re actually very good to me."

He sobbed quietly.

Adelyn let him continue for a few seconds longer before finally cutting him off.

"Fine. Are you done now?"

Karl looked up at her and nodded.

She nodded back approvingly.

"Good. Now tell me."

"Ask me, sister-in-law." Karl composed himself again, straightening his expression. "As long as I know it, I’ll tell you everything."

"Who is Eira’s mother?"

She asked directly without beating around the bush.