Hi Ex, Your Uncle Is My Hubby Now - Chapter 48: Chapter 48

"My grandmother used to be a village doctor," Irene explained. "She started learning medicine from my great-grandfather when she was a child—she knows a bit about healing. Behind our house, there's a stretch of untouched forest where she often finds wild herbs.
"When she heard about your condition, she made this aromatherapy oil for you."
Irene placed the aromatherapy oil beside Jeremy's hand, her voice warm and sincere. "Uncle Jeremy, it's worth a try. If it works, great. If not, you can just go back to whatever you're using now."
Jeremy had never accepted medicine without knowing exactly where it came from.
Who could say whether it was a remedy or a poison?
But when he looked into Irene's smiling eyes—so open, so genuinely concerned—he hesitated. Then slowly, he reached out and hooked a finger through the drawstring of the aromatherapy oil.
He brought it to his nose and took a whiff. A subtle, earthy fragrance of herbs wafted up.
"Thank you," he said simply.
Then he handed the sachet to Aiden. "Take it upstairs."
"Oh, right—there's a recipe inside," Irene added. "My grandma said if it works, you can make more using the same formula."
"Got it."
Aiden left with the aromatherapy oil. Just then, Dorian returned from his phone call.
He spotted Irene standing close to Jeremy, the two of them unusually near, and raised an eyebrow. "What are you two up to?"
Irene felt a flicker of guilt. She hadn't figured out how to explain, but before she could say a word, Jeremy replied calmly, "Irene needs the restroom."
Dorian pointed toward the hallway. "Go through the corridor behind the stairs."
Just as Irene was about to head that way, Jeremy added, "The ladies' room is on the lower level. Take the stairs down and turn left."
Irene paused mid-step.
This villa was designed as a private recovery retreat for Jeremy. There was no real need for gender-specific restrooms.
As far as she knew, the only other woman living here was Ivy, the cook and housekeeper.
Which meant—the only restroom stocked with feminine hygiene products would be Ivy's.
'So how does Jeremy know I am on my period?' she wondered.
Irene turned back and gave him a quick, grateful glance, then quietly made her way downstairs.
Once she was gone, Dorian pulled out a chair and sat down, then asked cautiously, "Uncle Jeremy… do you have something against Irene?"
He was genuinely confused. Irene was exceptional—by any standard. Smart, capable, beautiful.
'What could Jeremy possibly find fault with?' he thought.
"Is it her background?" he pressed. That was the only explanation he could think of.
But Jeremy's eyes took on a puzzled look. "What makes you think I disapprove of her?"
"Well, she's my girlfriend. She's a guest in our home. And yet… you told her to use the housekeeper's bathroom. Isn't that a bit telling?"
Knowing how much Irene meant to him—and how she was connected to Amaris—Dorian added seriously, "Uncle Jeremy, she's really important to me. I hope you'll accept her."
Jeremy's gaze darkened, his tone unreadable. "You want me to accept her?"
Dorian didn't think anything of it. He nodded. "Yes. If all goes well, I'll marry her. Even if you don't approve, I'd still appreciate it if you didn't make things harder for her."
"…I'm not making things harder for her," Jeremy said firmly. But to Dorian, it sounded like he just didn't want to continue the conversation.
Then, all of a sudden, Jeremy looked up, his eyes locking on Dorian's face.
He studied it for a moment—that face that looked so much like Mike's—and said, "I remember eight years ago, you brought a girl named Amaris to my house for dinner. You said the exact same thing back then.
"And now? Just a few years later, she's completely gone from your life. As if she never existed."
At the mention of Amaris' name, Dorian stiffened instinctively.
"Dorian."
Jeremy rose from his chair, clearly done with the conversation.
As he passed behind Dorian, he lightly patted him on the shoulder.
Feeling how tense he was, Jeremy said, "When you say something for the second time… it doesn't hold the same weight."
Dorian slowly looked up and met Jeremy's gaze—a gaze sharp enough to cut right through him. For the first time, he felt a flicker of unease.
Without another word, Jeremy turned and walked toward the coffee room, leaving Dorian alone with his racing thoughts.
He thought, 'Why bring up Amaris now?
'Is it a warning? A test?
'Does Jeremy already know about the plan Amaris and I are hiding?'