บท 54: Claire's inquisition (part 1)

"I don't get it…" I muttered when the silence following Claire's statement grew to be unbearable; a reality that came all the sooner with her as close as directly sitting down on my lap. 

And those four words of mine turned out to be good enough to break the silence, but not good enough to avoid putting a frown on Claire's face. 

"Is it really that weird to dedicate your everything to follow the woman you love?" she asked, her voice a mix of apprehension and slight anger. 

'How did she…?' I shook my head before hurrying it up to clarify the meaning of my doubts. 

"That's not the part I was talking about. When it comes to your father's dedication, I believe it's perfectly commendable and worth admiration," I added, honestly expressing my stance on those things in order to soothe Claire's slighted feelings. "In fact, I wish this kind of approach would be the norm, but I believe the society is too far gone for it to be a standard anymore."