Rebirth Revenge Is Everything (Ariana) novel Chapter 480

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As soon as Ariana returned home, she came down with a fever.

Everyone assumed she had caught a chill outside, which led to the fever. Lambert even skipped work to stay by her side for two full days until her temperature finally subsided. During that time, the two younger children were sent to stay with Old Mrs. Stone, leaving only the eldest, Lucian, at home. After all, he was older and had a stronger immune system, making him less likely to catch a cold.

The little ones, however, weren’t so resilient.

When Ariana finally regained consciousness, the sight that greeted her was a quiet scene: the older one calmly peeling an apple by her bedside, while the younger one sat seriously munching on a slice.

Ariana: "..."

Lucian was the first to notice she had woken up. His face instantly brightened as he exclaimed, "Dad! Mom’s awake!"

Lambert immediately moved to her side, pressing a hand to her forehead. "The fever’s gone," he murmured. "How do you feel now? Any discomfort? Need some water?" Even as he spoke, he reached for a glass of water and held it out to her.

Since he had already brought it over, refusing wasn’t an option.

Ariana’s lips twitched slightly before she obediently took a few sips from the glass. The cool water soothed her throat, and she instantly felt better.

Her gaze first drifted to Lucian before she turned back to Lambert. "Why isn’t he in class?"

Lambert lifted his eyes. "Him?"

Ariana sighed inwardly. 'Who else would I be talking about? Is there anyone else in this room who should be in school right now?'

Lucian, quick to catch on, realized his mother was referring to him. "I wanted to stay with you," he explained earnestly. "I was waiting for you to wake up."

Hearing her son’s sweet words, warmth instantly bloomed in Ariana’s chest.

Her hand instinctively reached out to tousle her son's hair as she said with a smile, "Thank you, Luci."

Lucian shook his head earnestly, replying in a serious tone, "No need to thank me."

Ariana couldn't help but chuckle at his adorable response. However, her laughter was interrupted by a sudden coughing fit.

Almost imperceptibly, Lambert edged his way between them, gently nudging Lucian aside as he moved closer to Ariana. His large hand came up to pat her back soothingly. The displaced little boy blinked in confusion, glancing between his parents before asking hesitantly, "Daddy?"

Lambert's expression remained impassive as he stated matter-of-factly, "Mommy's sick. If you stand too close, you might catch it too."

To this, the fearless child simply shook his head, his wide eyes blinking innocently. "But Daddy, you're close too. Won't you get sick?"

"I'm an adult. I won't," came the deadpan reply, leaving Lucian utterly bewildered.

Ariana immediately recognized her husband's playful teasing. She shot him a warning glare, though she knew he had a point - her cold was contagious after all. Choosing not to expose his little game, she instead said gently, "Luci, Daddy's right. Why don't you go downstairs and read for a while? Mommy just needs some rest."

The little boy's lips immediately puckered into a pout. His eyelashes fluttered as he pleaded, "But I want to stay with Mommy."

Warmth flooded Ariana's eyes as her smile softened. "Mommy would love that too," she murmured, "but if you get sick, who's going to take care of your baby brothers?"

This gave Lucian pause. Though barely two and a half years old, the boy had already begun embracing his role as the eldest brother with surprising gravity. Somewhere along the way, he'd learned that "big brother" was an important title to live up to. Whenever he saw his twin brothers still struggling to walk, a sense of responsibility would swell in his small chest. These days, he spends most of his playtime carefully stacking blocks with his younger siblings.