My dry lips quivered as I spoke absentmindedly.
"Your Highness, just now..."
Tap, tap.
I could hear footsteps approaching urgently from beside me. The louder I heard them, the louder my crying became. I found the swaddling blanket that Sophie was holding and held my breath.
"The baby is safe."
Dante, who had received the swaddling blanket from Sophie, leaned over to me. Thanks to this, I could see inside the swaddling blanket.
'... Ah.'
My mouth opened but I couldn't say anything.
"You're safe. You and the baby, everything."
Dante smiled brightly.
"They said it was a miracle."
Only then did I let out a breath and sob.
"Hold him, Ariana."
Dante said in a gentle voice.
"My baby."
I stretched out my trembling arms. A warm, soft, tiny, and fluffy being came into my arms.
"Sob..."
I let out another sob. The baby was incredibly small. Yet, it had an incredibly huge presence. That presence, like an anchor, pulled me back to reality. For the past few months, I felt like I was floating in a fantasy. My newfound happiness was so perfect, like a fairy tale...
I was afraid that if there was even a crack in this perfection if there was even the slightest scratch, it would all burst like a soap bubble. But now...
"Oh my, the baby stopped crying as soon as you held him."
"He must recognize his mother. How clever."
I gently stroked the baby as I listened to the servants' exclamations. The soft-touch blew toward me with extreme realism. Now I knew. This was not a fantasy or a daydream. From now on, this was my new daily life. Where happiness and fear coexist.
And you. Oh, and now you too. I looked at the baby who had started sucking my fingertips and smiled brightly.
'Hello, baby!'
I was caressing the baby when my eyes suddenly widened.
"Ah."
The baby was a boy. I looked up at Dante and smiled triumphantly.
"It was Louis, not Luise. I was right, right?"
"Yes."
Dante bent down and kissed my forehead.
"You were right."
Strong arms came out and hugged the baby. The warmth that embraced us was as warm as a fortress. I smiled brightly and closed my eyes.
***
An elegant and lovely salon. Two noble ladies, wearing flowing clothes like priestesses, held each other's hands and sang.
"Under the golden sunlight..."
"The fruits are dancing. Hmm..."
"Ah! Stop it!"
One of the ladies sitting threw a cushion.
"Really, do you think people who didn't see the performance yesterday would be sad?"
The other two ladies who were dancing along to the aria laughed out loud.
"Oh my, how pitiful. You didn't see it?"
"That's too bad. The three hours I spent sitting in that theater yesterday were some of the happiest moments of my life!"
"I'm telling you. Ariana is a real genius..."
As if recalling yesterday's memory, the Young Lady clasped her hands together and made a dreamy expression.
Another young Lady, who had thrown the cushion, made a sullen expression. It didn't seem like her friends were overreacting to tease her.
Yesterday, the opera performance held at Paradise caused a huge stir in just one performance. Everyone unanimously said, "It was like walking through a dream," "It was a fantastic experience."
Needless to say, the headlines of major newspapers, including <Empire Morning>, were adorned with Paradise. It was the first time since the death of Eduardo Lopez, who was called the "music master," that so many newspapers had their front pages filled with music stories.
"Lady Ariana will follow in the footsteps of the music master and make her mark on the music world.
"I am confident after today's performance."
"She will be remembered in music history as someone with a presence greater than that of a musical master."
Even the nobles of the Kingdom of Ende, who were unrivaled in art, had given such reviews.
Young Lady, who had not been able to get a ticket on her own, was gripped by a sense of foreboding. '
'If this continues, I will fall behind the trend!'
"I will definitely get a ticket to the next performance...!"
As she firmly resolved, another young lady spoke with an anxious expression.
"But, will the next performance be held?"
"What? What is that ominous sound?"
The young ladies jumped up.
"No, I heard a rumor. That Lady Ariana was attacked right after the performance yesterday...."
"What?"
"Didn't the Duke suppress the last rebellion? There is a rumor that the family of the traitor took revenge because of that."
"What? Are you crazy? If your own family did something wrong, you wouldn't be able to atone for it, but how could you do something so ridiculous!"
"So that's why the after-party was canceled yesterday?"
"What are we going to do, Lady Ariana!"
Amidst the commotion, Yong lady opened her eyes wide and said,
"What I heard is completely different?"
"What?"
"I heard that the after-party was canceled because Ariana gave birth earlier than scheduled."
"Oh, is that true?"
"I hope so. A child who resembles you both. He'd be so, so cute!"
The salon was filled with excitement once again.
***
"Wow..."
A small nose. Big eyes, long eyelashes even for a baby, and a closed mouth. I absentmindedly muttered as I observed the sleeping face.
"He really looks like the Duke."
The baby looked incredibly like Dante. Even though he was a newborn, he looked so much alike, so he would grow up to be a toddler who resembled Dante, a child who resembled Dante.
'It would be so much fun.'
I could watch him for a long time. Just thinking about it made my heart race.
"Whew!"
At that moment, a strange sound was heard from behind. When I turned around, I saw Butler Oren burying his face in his handkerchief and sobbing.
"I'm sorry."
The butler took off his glasses and wiped his eyes.
"The little master looks so much like the master when he was young..."
"Oh my."
I opened my mouth slightly. It was the first time I saw the usually calm butler look so emotional.
"Well, the butler said you took care of Dante since he was young."
Dante had once told me that the butler was the only one who protected him when Dante, who was an illegitimate child, was abused by the former Duchess and her forces.
"What do you mean, similar?"
I was lost in a strange sense of emotion when I heard a snort.
"I was this squeamish?"
"Of course. The master was squeamish too."
As the butler said while wiping his eyes with a handkerchief, Dante let out a hollow laugh. Even so, his eyes were fixed on the child. He was a step away from the crib.
"Duke."
I smiled and gestured to Dante. Then I held out the swaddle to him who came over obediently.
"Hold it."
Dante flinched and looked down at the swaddle. Dante had never properly held Louis. As far as I know, that was true. I hadn't seen Louis in those arms since the moment he handed me the baby. But it didn't seem like he wasn't interested in the baby.
Just a little while ago, when I came back from a brief absence, I saw Dante staring at the baby for a long time as if he had encountered something mysterious.
"..."
The red gaze fixed on the baby wrapped in the swaddle wavered. I couldn't understand why he was always a step away when he was so interested.
"Duke."
I whispered to Dante, who was staring at the baby with a stern look.
"My arm hurts."
Dante flinched and finally took the baby from me. With very careful hands, as if he were handling a sugar doll. Dante, holding the baby between his arms, blankly looked down at Louis.
"It's so... small."
A faint sound escaped his lips.
"It looks like it'll break if I apply even a little force."
My hand, which had been absentmindedly reaching for the baby, wandered in the air, unable to touch it.
"It won't break."
I whispered with a small smile.
"So you can touch it."
Only then did Dante slowly move his hand. His careful hand patted the baby's forehead. Then, his chubby cheeks and small nose. It was the moment when his long fingers touched his soft lips. The baby, who had been sleeping soundly, suddenly opened his mouth and bit his finger.
"Oh my."
Louis, who opened his eyes wide, grabbed Dante's finger with both hands and began sucking it until it made a sucking sound. In an instant, his long finger was covered in saliva. Dante laughed in vain as he looked down at his own hand.
"He's so vicious, even though he doesn't even have teeth."
As he spoke, the corners of Dante's mouth formed a soft curve. The eyes that held the baby shone with the utmost affection.
'Ah.'
As I looked at that sight, I suddenly lowered my head. For some reason, tears welled up in my eyes.
'Why is this happening? How dare you.'
Even though I strained my eyes, tears inevitably welled up. Then, I heard a voice from behind me.
"Keuheuk!"
... Maybe I couldn't help but overreact because the butler kept swallowing his tears behind me. Fortunately, Dante didn't seem to hear the commotion and just looked at Louis.
I smiled as I took in the two of them. I prayed fervently that every day would be just like today.
***
But of course, that prayer would not be completely answered. Louis was a quiet baby. As I had expected, he never cried out of the blue or anything. The servants were always amazed at how amazingly quiet he was. But that didn't mean there weren't any problems...
One late morning, I absentmindedly turned my gaze to the baby's crib and was startled.
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