Shadow Slave novel Chapter 2800

In a different memory, Effie was staring at the fire dancing in her fireplace with a distant expression. Her usual cheerfulness was gone, and instead, a sense of doubt and unease had taken root in her hazel eyes. Soon, there was the sound of an opening door, and she glanced toward the entrance. She sighed heavily, and then forced herself to smile.

A few seconds later, her husband walked into the room and looked at her in surprise. “Oh? You're home early today. I thought we'd be barely seeing you in these next few weeks."

Effie scoffed.

“Don't sound so disappointed."

Her husband laughed and walked over to hug her.

“Never. I'm beyond happy that you're here. Ling will be beyond himself, too, once he gets back from his lessons... oh, are you hungry? I can cook something up if you are." Effie smiled.

“You know me. I am never not hungry."

As he went to prepare dinner for them, the smile faded on her face, and she studied his back with a complicated expression.

As they ate and chatted, Effie kept glancing at her husband when he glanced away. Eventually, she asked:

"By the way... did you hire a new tutor for our dumpling?"

Her husband took a sip of tea and nodded. "Yes, a history teacher. Why?"

Effie hesitated.

“Why does he need a new teacher? What's wrong with Julius?"

He laughed.

"Why, nothing is wrong with Teacher Julius, of course! It's just that our son is quite energetic, and Teacher Julius is not a young man. Plus, he can't be a specialist in everything.”

Effie remained silent for a while, then frowned.

"Still. Who is that new tutor? What are his credentials? Was his background checked? Most importantly, why would you just go and hire him without discussing it with me first?"

Her husband seemed taken aback.

“What? You were just busy, that's all.”

Effie's frown deepened.

"l am never busy when it comes to our son. You know that."

It might have been a simple case of miscommunication. Her husband might have just made an impulsive decision, thinking about what was best for Little Ling.

Or...

It might have been something else.

Could it have been?

Effie had been tense and alarmed as of late. She was especially anxious because the Dreamspawn had already expressed his interest in her son. So, she was sensitive to everything that had to do with Little Ling. She wouldn't have even known that Ling had a new tutor if Sunny had not told her. Her husband would have never made a decision as important as choosing a teacher for their son without her — especially not when the plague of Asterion was spreading across the two worlds like a wildfire.

He knew how perilous things were at the moment.

That was not alright at all.

That was...

‘Suspicious?’

But no, perhaps... maybe she was just being paranoid. Perhaps she was wrong, and there was a perfectly reasonable explanation for all of this.

Her husband looked at her silently. Eventually, he said:

“That is not true."

Effie was confused.

"What?"

He sighed.

"It's not true that you're never busy when it comes to our son. In fact, you are quite busy too often for him... or for me. I get it, I do. You are an important person. Your duties often keep you away from home, and sometimes, you have to leave for entire weeks to fight for humanity on the frontline. l am not blaming you for that."

He shook her head.

"But it's unfair to say that you always have time for us."

Effie stared at him, aghast.

A sharp sense of guilt cut across her heart. But, at the same time...

She couldn't help but notice that he had avoided answering any of her questions. Was it a coincidence, or a tactic? Could she...

Could she still trust her husband?

That question was maddening.

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