After that day, the surrounding situation gradually stabilized.
I returned with my baby to my mansion downtown in the northern capital.
While I was taking a late rest, many mixed-race demons visited the mansion.
It was to welcome my return and at the same time celebrate the birth of the baby.
As a result, my mansion was overflowing with wreaths and gifts from mixed-race demons.
“Lucas... It's a very nice name that symbolizes light. It suits him very well.”
Devon, the chief of Gray Village and the head of the welfare foundation smiled kindly and said.
My guests and I were sitting across from each other at a round table next to the window.
Anton, who still works at my investment agency, also chimed in.
“It’s a name given by His Highness the Grand Duke himself, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
I looked down at Lucas sleeping in my arms and smiled softly.
Devon, who was watching this with satisfaction, spoke.
“By the time Lucas becomes an adult, the empire will become a place where humans and mixed-blood demons can finally live together without discrimination. The welfare foundation that Rebecca created will bring that day even closer.”
A soft smile spread across Devon's lips as he stared out the window at the Welfare Foundation.
“While Rebecca was away from the empire for a while, there were a lot of mixed-blood demons who came to the human world through the welfare foundation. Most of them are looking for jobs outside of the Twins House and working alongside humans.”
“...”
“The perception of the people of the empire toward mixed-race demons is also becoming much more friendly than before.”
"Yes... I’m so glad.”
When I heard those words, a smile naturally spread across my lips.
While I was staying at Norman Castle in the Demon World, the Welfare Foundation was not the only one that achieved great results.
“Did you see the article published this time? The stories of people who made great profits through our investment agency made headlines! It’s all thanks to Anton.”
Mina, who was standing next to Anton, spoke in an excited voice.
She seemed to be happy about her lover's success as if it were her own.
Anton actually touched the back of his neck as if he was embarrassed.
"No. I was just doing my job.”
I smiled at Anton and shook my head.
“Without Anton, our investment agency would not have been this successful. Anton has grown so much while I was away for almost a year.”
“Your Highness...”
“Is that all? Thanks to this, I made a lot of money without even realizing it.”
Anton and Mina laughed slightly at my words.
I looked at them happily with Devon and then slowly opened my mouth.
“So now I’m thinking of resigning from my position as general manager of an investment agency.”
"Yes? Why...”
“Of course, that position suits Anton better.”
Anton could not hide his surprise as I spoke softly.
Mina looked equally surprised, but she soon raised her voice in joy.
“Then Your Highness, are you saying you will give that position to Mr. Anton?”
"That's right. I will step down as a shareholder.”
Anton seemed to come to his senses belatedly and quickly waved his hand away.
“Oh, no, Your Highness... I'm the general manager. It’s not even possible.”
“There is no one more suited to the position than Anton. Besides, now I...”
I looked down at Lucas in my arms and smiled slightly.
“I just want to stay for the sake of our Lucas for the time being.”
Lucas was fast asleep, not knowing anything.
It was a time when he gently kissed the child's small hand.
Devon, who was looking at this with satisfaction, slowly opened his mouth.
“We, the mixed-race demons, not only owe Your Highness the welfare foundation and the investment agency. You even gave us such a precious gift...”
A smile spread across Devon's lips as he looked at Lucas.
“Everyone is truly blessed and happy about the birth of a new life in the Twins family.”
“...”
“On behalf of the mixed-race demons, I would like to thank you so much for protecting this precious baby. Thank you for your hard work, Your Highness.”
Devon's words still moved me.
I smiled somewhat mischievously at him.
“Yes, for it to be worthwhile, my remarriage with Cedric must be successfully established. If Lucas is safely granted the title of Prince Twins, he will receive more love from the mixed-race demons.”
“Haha, I see.”
Devon smiled kindly and then let out a long breath.
“Don’t worry, Your Highness. I guarantee that you two will become a couple again. And even if by chance you are not recognized in the human world...”
“...”
“Your Highness and Lucas are our eternal twin Grand Duchess and Prince.”
“...Thank you, Devon.”
I nodded softly and turned my gaze to the window.
Outside the window, children who appeared to be mixed-race demons were happily running around the streets.
“Things are really starting to settle down now, Your Highness.”
"I know, right. I guess all the hard times have finally come to an end.”
I fixed my gaze outside the window and smiled.
‘Is everything really over now...?'
It was only for a moment that I finally exhaled comfortably, and for a brief moment, a man's face passed through my mind.
'...Ah, Duke Bold. How was that person doing all this time?'
A faint curiosity arose.
But that thought soon dispersed like fog as I resumed my conversation with the guests.
***
At the same time, Duke Bold of the South.
“I told you to buy it back right now!”
Clink!
The silver candlestick thrown by Duke Bold made a metallic sound and rolled noisily on the floor.
Seeing him breathing heavily with his face red, the servant stamped his feet, not knowing what to do.
“Oh my, Duke! Please calm down!”
Even if you ran up to him and grabbed his shoulders, it was difficult to stop the tall, excited man.
Duke Bold pushed the servant, exhaling heavily.
Then he glared at him fiercely.
“I told you to buy the highest quality snacks, the highest quality!”
His appearance was a mess when he shouted like that.
His graying hair was unruly and his beard had grown bushy.
The area under his eyes was dark, and his complexion was equally dark.
For a moment, he was running wild along the street looking gaunt as never before, and the snack he was holding in his hand was repeatedly pushed by something in his arms.
“Why aren’t you eating, huh? After all, it’s less tasty, right? It's clear that he bought you some cheap snacks that don't suit you. Of course....”
Duke Bold's voice as he said that was extremely gentle.
The servant, who had been watching quietly as if he was already familiar with the sight, soon let out a long sigh.
The thing in Duke Bold's arms was just a pillow.
However, Duke Bold held it as if he were a beloved child and spoke to it repeatedly.
He had been in that state ever since he returned from the North.
Although it had already been almost a year, his condition showed no signs of improving.
'Oh, I should have left when the other employees left. I guess I should at least take that silver candlestick and leave before it's too late.'
The servant who was scratching the back of his neck immediately picked up the silver candlestick that had fallen on the floor.
Then he forced a smile as if to appease Duke Bold.
“Duke, I’ll quickly go out and get some snacks again, just for a moment, just a moment... Please wait?”
The servant who said that left Duke Bold's bedroom as if running away.
Duke Bold, who was left alone, let out a series of excited breaths, but then his expression became gentle and he looked down at his pillow.
In his imagination, there was his daughter Rebecca as a child.
The child, with her long red hair, smiled brightly, making her white cheeks bulge.
“Is it so good to be held in your father’s arms?”
Duke Bold looked down at the child in his arms and smiled.
Then he tried to feed the child candy again, but for some reason, the child became tearful again.
At some point, when the child in his arms laughed, thr father laughed along with her, and when the child cried, the father's eyes also became wet.
Duke Bold's face gradually became impatient.
“Why aren’t you eating? I’m worried because you didn’t eat anything yesterday or the day before.”
He shook his pillow a little as if soothing a crying child.
However, the sad sound of the child crying in his head did not stop, and tears soon began to flow from the corners of Duke Bold's eyes as he hugged the pillow a little more tightly.
'I won't kill my father.'
It was just as his dead daughter said. The Duke of Bold would now live with her and admire her for the rest of his life.
'Instead, will you have to live with me for the rest of your life? You gave me the love you couldn't give me until now, did you know?'
In his mind, the voice of his daughter, who had longed for his affection in the past, lingered clearly.
‘Father, I received praise from my tutor, Mrs. Jenna. He said I was smarter than other kids... But...'
'Study hard, grow up beautifully, and someday I will become a useful daughter to my father! I will definitely do that, Father. Therefore...'
The child never properly finished her sentence.
What did the child really want to say in front of me?
The heartless father never once wondered about that.
Nevertheless, she always smiled in front of him, watched him, and did her best to be loved.
Even though everyone in the world laughed at her for being a shallow miser, she looked up to her father as if he were a God.
The child constantly forgave her poor parents.
“Baby, stop crying. This father did everything wrong. I say sorry, sorry...”
Only then did the man sincerely ask for forgiveness.
And in his own imagination, he continued to shed tears as he was held in the small, wide arms of his daughter.
'Instead, will you have to live with me for the rest of your life? You gave me the love you couldn't give me until now, did you know?'
In his mind, the voice of his daughter, who had longed for his affection in the past, lingered clearly.
‘Father, I received praise from my tutor, Mrs. Jenna. He said I was smarter than other kids... But...'
'Study hard, grow up beautifully, and someday I will become a useful daughter to my father! I will definitely do that, Father. Therefore...'
The child never properly finished her sentence.
What did the child really want to say in front of me?
The heartless father never once wondered about that.
Nevertheless, she always smiled in front of him, watched him, and did her best to be loved.
Even though everyone in the world laughed at her for being a shallow miser, she looked up to her father as if he were a God.
The child constantly forgave her poor parents.
“Baby, stop crying. This father did everything wrong. I say sorry, sorry...”
Only then did the man sincerely ask for forgiveness.
And in his own imagination, he continued to shed tears as he was held in the small, wide arms of his daughter.
Comments
Post a Comment