263: [Bonus chapter]So, what happened to them?

[Bonus chapter]So, what happened to them?

"Would it be rude to ask about your family?"2

Such a simple question and yet, Heaven and Bear involuntarily held their breath. Their eyes were fixed on the little master, a bit taken aback at his question. 

Right.

Bear had a wife and before Hera died, she heard that his wife was pregnant. That was why Hera was relieved back then. She was relieved that even if she leave the world, there was someone who would take care of Bear, love him, and stay with him until the end of time. 

However, after seeing him in this lifetime, Hera automatically shut off questions she had about Bear's wife or child. She didn't want to hear anything about it and forced herself to forget about that particular area. 

Hera succeeded. Almost, but not quite. 

"Basti." Heaven smiled, planting her hand on Sebastian's shoulder. "You shouldn't…"

Heaven trailed off when Bear spoke.

"What do you want to know about my family, little master?" Bear maintained a smile, earning a quick glance from Heaven. He fixed his eyes on the little master, smiling warmly when Sebastian pressed his lips into a thin line. 

"I was just curious. Uncle Bear is not young anymore, but you're still working hard." Genuine curiosity swirled in the boy's eyes, holding the old man's gaze. "You don't seem you have a family as well since everyone always takes their day off, but you stay around. Don't you have a wife? Or a kid? At your age, shouldn't you have a grandchild?"

Bear chuckled at the little master's remarks. "Little Master, I got married late."

"So you have a wife?" Sebastian perked up, warranting a quick chuckle from Bear.

"Yes. We even had a son."

"Oh…" Sebastian's lips formed an O shape, rocking his head. Meanwhile, Heaven pressed her lips into a thin line and pretended to focus on her food, listening. 

"My son is probably about your age." The usual stern look on Bear's face softened, staring at Sebastian's adorable face. 

"He's that young. Where are they?" the little master cocked his head to the side, curious. "Don't they get angry because you don't go home?"

Heaven slowed down, forking out a piece of pea on her plate upon her son's question. 'I don't want to hear his answer,'she told herself, secretly clenching her teeth as her heart started to feel tight. 

"They're okay, young master." Bear smiled warmly at the little master. "They understand my line of work, so it's okay. The reason I extended my vacation is that I spent time with them."

"Ohh…"

"Moreover, there are phones now. Back in the day, there was no way to contact your loved one unless they come home. But I can always contact them now," Bear continued in a soft tone. "So, I don't worry about them that much."

"Is that so?" Sebastian pouted as he hummed a long tune. "But isn't that lonely? Even if you can call them, it can be very lonely. For instance, I don't want my mommy to work far away from me for a long time."

"It is, but I've grown used to it."

As Sebastian and Bear conversed, Heaven couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief. She didn't want to hear Bear's answer because she might not like the answer she would hear. However, after Bear's answer, she felt like a pipe was plucked out of her throat.

However, this relief was short-lived. 

When Heaven lifted her eyes to Bear, smiling, her heart instantly sank. Bear was carrying a subtle smile in front of her son, but his eyes were filled with longing, pain, bitterness, and regret. 

'Liar,' she whispered in her sinking heart. 'How I wish I didn't know you well. If only I don't, I wouldn't have known most of the things you said were nothing but lies.'

"So, how was your kid like?" Sebastian raised another question, obviously intrigued by Bear's family.

"Well." Bear cleared his throat as he pondered. "He was very cheerful and naughty. He looks like his mother…"

Bear described his son to Sebastian while the latter listened attentively. Sebastian made a few short comments, sharing a good laugh with Bear. Meanwhile, Heaven just went totally quiet.

Heaven had her head hung low, eyes soft. 'This is why I didn't want to ask,'was what she had in mind. 

'Because at the back of my head, I knew something happened with him,' she thought. 'He wouldn't be in a foreign country, working as a bodyguard if he still had a wife to come home to.'

What happened to Bear's wife and child was something Heaven wasn't sure of. 

Did they die? Or did his wife leave him with his child?

At this point, Heaven could only wish it was the latter. After all, even though Bear got married, his priority was still Hera. It was the reason she usually scolded him as well. But Bear was stubborn when he set his mind to something. 

********

Their meal ended quite peacefully with Bear and Sebastian mostly talking about certain things. The little master's perspective of the old man had grown better because Bear was easy to get along with. Sebastian could confidently say Bear was better company than Axel because Bear could hold a proper conversation with him. 

Meanwhile, Bear's perspective of the little master also changed. He realized the little master wasn't that of a snob or anything like that. He realized the only reason Sebastian had treated Axel the way he did was because of Axel's own doing. 

Heaven, on the other hand, just remained silent throughout the meal. She would smile and leave a terse comment from time to time, but that was it. 

On their way home, Bear couldn't help but glance in the rear mirror. 

'She's been quiet,' he thought, staring at Heaven who was staring at the window while Sebastian napped on her lap. 'Well.'

Bear set his eyes back on the road, throwing unnecessary thoughts at the back of his head. Talking to the little master distracted him from the ridiculous thoughts and ideas that had been invading his mind. 

Until…

"So, what happened to them?" Suddenly, Heaven broke her prolonged silence with a quiet and vague question.

Again, Bear gazed at the rear mirror, only to see her still staring at the window. Before he could ask her an additional detail to that question, she added;

"Your family," she said, bearing a complex look on her face. "What happened to them?"

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