Aaron, who seemed like he would grab her hair at any moment, surprisingly did nothing. He just glared at Amelia as if he was frustrated and left. Only Louis, who returned, put her hand on her head as if she had a dark future ahead of her.
“What were you thinking?”
The voice that spoke with a resentful tone was still clear even after several days had passed.
“Did you want to kill us all?”
“Louis.”
“Do you know how many lives are tied to you?”
Louis screamed and blamed Amelia. If things had really gone wrong, the Skipper family would have been ruined.
“Even if you lose your mind, you still have a lot to learn. Even if you say you’re fearless! Isn’t it natural for a child to resemble their parents?”
By this time, Louis had forgotten to even use honorifics toward Amelia. How could she have thought of spending the night with a man with blond hair instead of brown hair? How could she have given birth to that son and hidden him as a girl? Louis criticized every single one of Amelia’s actions.
“The kid is blond, and he’s a boy! You should have just told me and asked for my help, and I would have lied and said he was dead and given him away! What the hell is this!”
Louis cried out in agony. She had barely managed to survive, but she seemed to be suffering from a sense of crisis that if she continued to watch Amelia with the same lax attitude as before, she might really lose her head.
“You know what? It’s not just us who got screwed. You don’t get to enjoy the freedom you used to have anymore, either.”
Even a simple walk would require someone to follow her, and meeting someone would become impossible alone. There would be someone watching her when she took a bath, and perhaps even watching eyes when she spent the night with someone else.
“You will know how far your childish efforts can lead when you experience it for yourself.”
Louis had been threatening Amelia out of habit. Amelia was no longer afraid of such threats. The people she cared most about were all beyond this wall, out of Aaron's reach. There was nothing that made Amelia feel more relieved than that.
“...”
However, there was one thing that bothered her about what Louis said.
“Do you trust the Emperor?”
Ivan was the Emperor. That being who seemed immortal because he had come back to life so many times was the master of Escliffe.
“The Emperor hates us terribly.”
“...”
“Will he take proper care of your children? He might end up thinking it would have been better if he had died.”
In fact, it was a lie from the first time she met Ivan. So was there any truth in what he said? Was it true that he loved her? Was it true that he wanted to protect the child?
"Stop."
Amelia sighed and buried her face in her hands. Knowing that Ivan was alive and that he could save Ian's life, she would be suspicious. There was no way Ivan would do that. He was the one who came running to save his child.
She wanted to believe that. Amelia tried to ignore the uneasy feeling amidst the confusion of everything.
The guest room door opened with a squeak. A middle-aged woman with her back to the door turned her head to look behind her.
"Your Majesty."
Mrs. Howard, who discovered that the person who had entered was Ivan, stood up from her seat, holding the child in her arms.
“Enough of the greetings. It’s been a while, but you look familiar with the child, Mrs. Howard.”
Mrs. Howard smiled quietly at Ivan's words.
“Yes. I raised Your Majesty with these arms.”
“I wasn’t the only one who raised it.”
While Ivan was talking about pointing out the wrong facts, Mrs. Howard was putting Ian, who was fast asleep, into his crib and patting his chest.
“When I hug Rodan once, I hug Your Majesty twice. You must not forget that.”
And she naturally responded to Ivan. In fact, Mrs. Howard was only a Viscountess by title. Naturally, she was not on a comfortable level with Ivan. However, Mrs. Howard was Rodan's mother and Ivan's nanny, so she was like a mother to him.
“Rodan would cry with sadness if he heard that.”
“Rodan now flinches at the touch of my hand. Raising a son has never been more rewarding.”
Mrs. Howard turned in the crib, talking gleefully.
“In case Ian wakes up at any moment, why don’t we move, Your Majesty?”
Ivan nodded. Mrs. Howard and Ivan headed to the side room of the guest room.
“I’m sorry for calling you in so suddenly.”
“Stop saying things you don’t mean. Wouldn’t it be more in line with Your Majesty’s personality to say that you will give me a lot of money instead?”
Mrs. Howard replied sharply. Ivan couldn't deny it because she was right, so he just laughed briefly.
“It’s true that I feel sorry. Mrs. Howard is not old enough to have children anymore.”
“If I think about seeing my grandchild, there’s nothing I can’t do.”
Mrs. Howard smiled fondly. That was the first thing that came to Ivan's mind when he thought of the word 'mother.'
“It’s cute because he resembles Your Majesty when you were young.”
So, even the act of saying things that should not be said became acceptable without any problem.
“...Does he look like me?”
However, he could only respond nonchalantly. From what Ivan had briefly seen, Ian didn't seem to have much in common with him other than the color of his hair.
“He has a particularly bad case of insomnia before he falls asleep. Just like Your Majesty, who can’t fall asleep without me by your side.”
She couldn't bring herself to tell him that he was a thief. Mrs. Howard brought up the story of how Ivan was particularly fussy in bed, and said indirectly that Ian was just like that.
“It will take some time to adjust, but you will adapt well.”
Whose blood is it?
The omitted words were clear. It made Ivan realize that Mrs. Howard was already convinced that he was Ian's father.
“That’s fortunate then.”
He didn't really want to deny it. He didn't think Mrs. Howard would notice in the first place, and he didn't want to be sharp and thorny to someone who didn't need to be.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of him.”
“Don't worry.”
Ivan answered firmly. The reason Ian had Mrs. Howard as his nanny, above all, because she was a trustworthy person.
“It is an honor.”
Mrs. Howard looked at Ivan with a proud face. She couldn't help but feel proud when she saw the masterpiece she had created right in front of her.
“You must be tired, so stop...”
But she didn't intend to hold on for long, knowing how tiring the position of Emperor was. Mrs. Howard was about to send Ivan away, telling him to rest easy. She would have done so if Ian hadn't suddenly burst into tears.
“It seemed like he was sleeping well.”
Mrs. Howard clicked her tongue and stood up. She then hurried to the room where Ian was sleeping. Instead of returning to the main palace, Ivan followed Mrs. Howard went to the guest room in the western palace.
“Why did he suddenly open his eyes?”
Mrs. Howard held Ian in her arms and comforted him. The hand that was stroking his back seemed very comforting.
“Maybe it’s because he's hungry.”
“It hasn’t even been an hour since he last breastfed. He probably shouldn’t be hungry.”
But Ian didn't stop crying easily. He kept crying so loudly that it seemed like he was anxious and didn't know what to do.
“Your Majesty, could you please give me the quilt on the bed over there?”
At Mrs. Howard's request, Ivan moved his body coolly and picked up the sheet spread on the bed. Mrs. Howard covered the child's body with it and comforted him. Then, Ian's crying gradually subsided, and his eyes began to close slightly.
Mrs. Howard put Ian back in his crib and turned to Ivan. Ivan was looking at the baby as if he were the strangest creature in the world.
“I should call a wet nurse in advance just in case.”
“Now? If I ring the bell...”
“Then Ian will wake up. Just watch for a moment.”
Mrs. Howard pushed Ivan's body down beside the crib, and before he could say anything in return, she hurried out of the guest room.
Ivan, who had been left to guard the crib, let out an uncomfortable sigh. His gaze naturally turned to Ian. Something made him so sad that small water droplets were forming in the corners of his eyes. Maybe it was because the sunset was red, but they looked like bloody tears for no reason. Ivan reached out his hand without realizing it and tried to wipe them away.
“...”
The whining child grabbed Ivan's index finger that was resting on his eye. His dark pupils were revealed between his half-open eyelids. Ivan was nervous that he would wake up and start crying again, but he felt relieved when he felt his father's presence and fell asleep.
My child.
Amelia's stomach was full, and he had no doubt that Ian was not mine, even though he had never seen him born with my own eyes.
“What were you thinking?”
The voice that spoke with a resentful tone was still clear even after several days had passed.
“Did you want to kill us all?”
“Louis.”
“Do you know how many lives are tied to you?”
Louis screamed and blamed Amelia. If things had really gone wrong, the Skipper family would have been ruined.
“Even if you lose your mind, you still have a lot to learn. Even if you say you’re fearless! Isn’t it natural for a child to resemble their parents?”
By this time, Louis had forgotten to even use honorifics toward Amelia. How could she have thought of spending the night with a man with blond hair instead of brown hair? How could she have given birth to that son and hidden him as a girl? Louis criticized every single one of Amelia’s actions.
“The kid is blond, and he’s a boy! You should have just told me and asked for my help, and I would have lied and said he was dead and given him away! What the hell is this!”
Louis cried out in agony. She had barely managed to survive, but she seemed to be suffering from a sense of crisis that if she continued to watch Amelia with the same lax attitude as before, she might really lose her head.
“You know what? It’s not just us who got screwed. You don’t get to enjoy the freedom you used to have anymore, either.”
Even a simple walk would require someone to follow her, and meeting someone would become impossible alone. There would be someone watching her when she took a bath, and perhaps even watching eyes when she spent the night with someone else.
“You will know how far your childish efforts can lead when you experience it for yourself.”
Louis had been threatening Amelia out of habit. Amelia was no longer afraid of such threats. The people she cared most about were all beyond this wall, out of Aaron's reach. There was nothing that made Amelia feel more relieved than that.
“...”
However, there was one thing that bothered her about what Louis said.
“Do you trust the Emperor?”
Ivan was the Emperor. That being who seemed immortal because he had come back to life so many times was the master of Escliffe.
“The Emperor hates us terribly.”
“...”
“Will he take proper care of your children? He might end up thinking it would have been better if he had died.”
In fact, it was a lie from the first time she met Ivan. So was there any truth in what he said? Was it true that he loved her? Was it true that he wanted to protect the child?
"Stop."
Amelia sighed and buried her face in her hands. Knowing that Ivan was alive and that he could save Ian's life, she would be suspicious. There was no way Ivan would do that. He was the one who came running to save his child.
She wanted to believe that. Amelia tried to ignore the uneasy feeling amidst the confusion of everything.
***
The guest room door opened with a squeak. A middle-aged woman with her back to the door turned her head to look behind her.
"Your Majesty."
Mrs. Howard, who discovered that the person who had entered was Ivan, stood up from her seat, holding the child in her arms.
“Enough of the greetings. It’s been a while, but you look familiar with the child, Mrs. Howard.”
Mrs. Howard smiled quietly at Ivan's words.
“Yes. I raised Your Majesty with these arms.”
“I wasn’t the only one who raised it.”
While Ivan was talking about pointing out the wrong facts, Mrs. Howard was putting Ian, who was fast asleep, into his crib and patting his chest.
“When I hug Rodan once, I hug Your Majesty twice. You must not forget that.”
And she naturally responded to Ivan. In fact, Mrs. Howard was only a Viscountess by title. Naturally, she was not on a comfortable level with Ivan. However, Mrs. Howard was Rodan's mother and Ivan's nanny, so she was like a mother to him.
“Rodan would cry with sadness if he heard that.”
“Rodan now flinches at the touch of my hand. Raising a son has never been more rewarding.”
Mrs. Howard turned in the crib, talking gleefully.
“In case Ian wakes up at any moment, why don’t we move, Your Majesty?”
Ivan nodded. Mrs. Howard and Ivan headed to the side room of the guest room.
“I’m sorry for calling you in so suddenly.”
“Stop saying things you don’t mean. Wouldn’t it be more in line with Your Majesty’s personality to say that you will give me a lot of money instead?”
Mrs. Howard replied sharply. Ivan couldn't deny it because she was right, so he just laughed briefly.
“It’s true that I feel sorry. Mrs. Howard is not old enough to have children anymore.”
“If I think about seeing my grandchild, there’s nothing I can’t do.”
Mrs. Howard smiled fondly. That was the first thing that came to Ivan's mind when he thought of the word 'mother.'
“It’s cute because he resembles Your Majesty when you were young.”
So, even the act of saying things that should not be said became acceptable without any problem.
“...Does he look like me?”
However, he could only respond nonchalantly. From what Ivan had briefly seen, Ian didn't seem to have much in common with him other than the color of his hair.
“He has a particularly bad case of insomnia before he falls asleep. Just like Your Majesty, who can’t fall asleep without me by your side.”
She couldn't bring herself to tell him that he was a thief. Mrs. Howard brought up the story of how Ivan was particularly fussy in bed, and said indirectly that Ian was just like that.
“It will take some time to adjust, but you will adapt well.”
Whose blood is it?
The omitted words were clear. It made Ivan realize that Mrs. Howard was already convinced that he was Ian's father.
“That’s fortunate then.”
He didn't really want to deny it. He didn't think Mrs. Howard would notice in the first place, and he didn't want to be sharp and thorny to someone who didn't need to be.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of him.”
“Don't worry.”
Ivan answered firmly. The reason Ian had Mrs. Howard as his nanny, above all, because she was a trustworthy person.
“It is an honor.”
Mrs. Howard looked at Ivan with a proud face. She couldn't help but feel proud when she saw the masterpiece she had created right in front of her.
“You must be tired, so stop...”
But she didn't intend to hold on for long, knowing how tiring the position of Emperor was. Mrs. Howard was about to send Ivan away, telling him to rest easy. She would have done so if Ian hadn't suddenly burst into tears.
“It seemed like he was sleeping well.”
Mrs. Howard clicked her tongue and stood up. She then hurried to the room where Ian was sleeping. Instead of returning to the main palace, Ivan followed Mrs. Howard went to the guest room in the western palace.
“Why did he suddenly open his eyes?”
Mrs. Howard held Ian in her arms and comforted him. The hand that was stroking his back seemed very comforting.
“Maybe it’s because he's hungry.”
“It hasn’t even been an hour since he last breastfed. He probably shouldn’t be hungry.”
But Ian didn't stop crying easily. He kept crying so loudly that it seemed like he was anxious and didn't know what to do.
“Your Majesty, could you please give me the quilt on the bed over there?”
At Mrs. Howard's request, Ivan moved his body coolly and picked up the sheet spread on the bed. Mrs. Howard covered the child's body with it and comforted him. Then, Ian's crying gradually subsided, and his eyes began to close slightly.
Mrs. Howard put Ian back in his crib and turned to Ivan. Ivan was looking at the baby as if he were the strangest creature in the world.
“I should call a wet nurse in advance just in case.”
“Now? If I ring the bell...”
“Then Ian will wake up. Just watch for a moment.”
Mrs. Howard pushed Ivan's body down beside the crib, and before he could say anything in return, she hurried out of the guest room.
Ivan, who had been left to guard the crib, let out an uncomfortable sigh. His gaze naturally turned to Ian. Something made him so sad that small water droplets were forming in the corners of his eyes. Maybe it was because the sunset was red, but they looked like bloody tears for no reason. Ivan reached out his hand without realizing it and tried to wipe them away.
“...”
The whining child grabbed Ivan's index finger that was resting on his eye. His dark pupils were revealed between his half-open eyelids. Ivan was nervous that he would wake up and start crying again, but he felt relieved when he felt his father's presence and fell asleep.
My child.
Amelia's stomach was full, and he had no doubt that Ian was not mine, even though he had never seen him born with my own eyes.
“Your Majesty, the audience with the Duke of Russell is at 7 p.m. today.”
However, it wasn't like he felt any special affection for him. He had no intention of truly acknowledging the child as his child anyway. Ivan, who was staring at Ian with an indifferent face, just pulled his hand away. He had work to do.
Ian, who had lost his warm body temperature, burst into tears again as he looked for his father. However, Ivan did not hesitate to leave the room, leaving the crying child alone.
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