Investing In My Crippled Wife Every Return Makes Me Stronger Chapter 199

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[ … words ]

’Where was I? Ah, right, I remember now.’

He mentally cleared his throat before continuing.

’As I was saying, the family’s retaliation never actually stopped, meaning both of us constantly bore the brunt of their malice. Yet, even with all that hostility, my days finally became bearable, because for the first time in my life, I had someone in that house who actually looked forward to seeing me. We always clung to each other because we had no one else to rely on. As a result, we ended up incredibly close, eventually becoming closer than any real siblings could ever be.’

’And, just like that, many years passed.’

’As we grew older, I began to realize that things couldn’t stay this way forever. We were getting by, but survival isn’t the same as living. I wanted a better life for both of us, a way to lift us out of the dirt. And soon enough, the perfect opportunity to change our lives for the better arrived.’

It was none other than the awakening ceremony.

’As I mentioned earlier, awakening determines one’s fate in our family. I knew that if I could awaken a strong enough affinity or ability, the family would be forced to acknowledge me. I would finally have the leverage to demand a decent life, a proper education, and most importantly, protection for my sister.’

Ethea watched him, holding her breath as she felt the shift in his thoughts. She could feel the ghost of the desperate hope he had held back then.

’I started planning everything. I spent months preparing my body, studying whatever books I could find, and counting down the days. I genuinely believed that this was our way out. And soon, the awaited day finally came.’

Soren paused, a heavy silence falling over their mental link. When he spoke again, his voice was flat, devoid of the hope he had just described.

’But… I ended up being unable to awaken. No matter how hard I tried, or how long I stood at the awakening platform, nothing happened.’

Ethea felt a sharp pang of sympathy, her chest tightening further as she listened.

’Naturally, the treatment at the manor became even worse after that. Before, I was just an unwanted, ignored child. Now, I was officially labeled as the embarrassment of the Valmere name. But I refused to give up. I endured the sneers, kept my head down, and tried the following year again. I trained, I pushed myself, and I prayed. But the results never changed. I remained a dud.’

Soren finally finished preparing the ingredients, setting them aside with a slow, deliberate movement.

’By the time I turned seventeen, the family decided they had tolerated my useless presence for long enough. Without a shred of hesitation, they cast me out of the manor, forcing me to leave the estate and survive entirely on my own.’

’…’

’In a way, when they threw me out, I should have been happy,’ Soren continued, his mental voice carrying a grim, mocking edge. ’I was finally free from that suffocating house, and I no longer had to look at their faces or take their beatings. But the moment those heavy gates slammed shut behind me, all of that temporary relief vanished, because the cold reality hit me that I was never actually free.’

He reached for a pan, setting it on the stove with a quiet clink.

’I couldn’t just walk away and start a new life, because my sister was still trapped inside that place. So, I turned right back around and tried to take her with me. I practically begged them to let her leave, arguing that she was just as useless to them as I was, but my pleas were coldly refused. The guards didn’t even let me past the courtyard before throwing me back onto the street.’

Ethea watched him light the burner, the small flame casting a warm glow over his sharp features, though his expression remained completely blank.

’It was obvious what the family was doing. By keeping her, they were keeping a leash on me. More than anything, they were waiting for her own awakening ceremony to see if she possessed any value.’

His fingers tightened slightly around the pan’s handle.

’If she awakened with enough potential, they would keep her in the family. However, they would use me, the brother she adored, to control her. They would probably promise her that they would treat me better, or even let me back into the family, if she complied with their demands. And what if she failed as I did? The best possible outcome in that scenario would be for them to kick her out, so I could finally take her in and protect her. But there was no way they would let her go that easily. If she had no power to offer, they would simply use her as a political tool, marrying her off to whoever offered the highest price.’

It was a cruel calculation, but one based on a very obvious truth.

Even as a child, his little sister had been incredibly cute, carrying an innate charm that made people stop and look. Anyone could see that she would undoubtedly grow up into an exceptional beauty. The Valmere family knew this, too. That realization was precisely why they had begun watching her more closely, viewing her as a valuable asset to be preserved for the future. Her appearance made her far too profitable to simply cast aside.

Soren adjusted the heat on the stove, his focus remaining on the rising steam. The terrifying certainty of her future was what finally pushed him to act, even when he had nothing left to offer.

’So, there I was. A powerless outcast with nothing to my name. All I could do was work myself to the bone, doing whatever jobs I could find to scrape together every single credit. I had to build some kind of foundation, to find enough money, so that perhaps one day… I might finally have the power to buy her freedom and save her.’

’But things rarely go as planned.’

Soren let out a bitter chuckle.

’I spent four years working myself into the ground, saving every scrap I could, constantly watching the calendar. I was naive enough to think I had time…’