“I’ll be there soon, Diana.”
Diana, who had been sleeping on Noah's shoulder, slowly opened her eyelids. The car carrying them drove past the endless green plains. The road to meet Ayla and Renier was immersed in vibrant greenery. Just as a flock of sheep leisurely grazing in the pastures came into view, they arrived at a village about a thirty-minute drive from the capital. Standing before a house as ordinary as the village itself, Noah tilted his head.
“If I had inherited that much money, I could have bought a mansion.”
"It's a matter of personalities. I guess she's frugal. She's looking for a house near the store, hoping to move soon."
Diana answered and got out of the car.
The small, cozy house resembled Ayla a lot. The village children and people were wide-eyed at the sight of the luxurious car and the string of security vehicles following it. They had arrived quietly, not wanting to make a fuss, so people, unaware of the visitor's identity, kept glancing around curiously.
"Princess, Commander Rotsilt. We should have gone to see you, but thank you for coming in person. Oh my! Boaz is here too."
“It must be hard to move around with a baby. How are you?”
Ayla and Renier, holding the baby in a swaddle, greeted Diana, Noah, and Boaz with joy. Diana, who was led to the guest room and sat on the sofa, raised her teacup, savoring the scent of the flower-blend tea, and recalled the tea she and Ayla had enjoyed together in the past. Noah looked at the baby, his face slightly surprised.
“Is this the reincarnation of Mastiff?”
“Do they look alike? I don’t remember him very well.”
Diana, observing the baby, was struck by a different kind of admiration. With emerald eyes that matched her light brown hair and distinct features, the baby was so beautiful and lovely that she could easily be called an angel. Boaz, who adored the baby, kept wagging his tail.
“It’s pretty. What did you name him?”
Ayla smiled shyly at Diana's question.
“I named him Michael.”
“I guess you named him after an angel because he’s so pretty.”
"Yes, I want him to be as gentle and kind as an angel to someone. Would you like to hug me? I'm not shy and gentle."
Diana awkwardly held the baby. Its small, chubby limbs twitched in discomfort. A look of confusion crept onto her face.
“Is it okay to hold him like this? Even I can see that he looks uncomfortable.”
“Yes. You can support his head with one hand. You’re really good at it.”
Ayla taught her how to hug properly.
Michael, who had been looking uncomfortable, finally looked up at Diana and smiled brightly.
Noah, holding a teacup, looked at Diana, holding a baby. Renier leaned forward and made a suggestion to Noah.
“Commander, would you like to hug him, too? I’ll have plenty of opportunities to hug him later.”
Noah put down his teacup and nodded slightly.
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to train him in advance as Mastiff’s son.”
As Noah skillfully cradled and soothed the baby, Michael's expression relaxed. With his small hand, Michael tugged at the decorative pin on Noah's lapel.
"Dada!"
“I’m not your father.”
Michael smiled broadly as he slowly rocked him like a cradle. He seemed to have a talent for parenting, even if he lacked humanity. Diana looked at him with amazement.
“You’re really good at it?”
“Yeah, I know how to do it.”
"I think you'll be a good father. Your baby will be coming to visit you both soon."
It was Renier's gentle voice. Diana looked down at Michael, who was laughing heartily, with a strange feeling.
“I haven’t been feeling well, so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to have a baby...”
“Are you still feeling unwell?”
“No, I’m almost fully recovered.”
"You've lost weight compared to before. You should eat well, for your health's sake. You'll have leftovers."
"Princess, you shouldn't skip meals. You have to eat well. There's always something left over."
Diana looked at Renier and remembered Eileen's kind smile.
“Renier, have you heard anything about Eileen?”
Renier, who was like Eileen's older sister, though they were not related by blood, lowered her eyes with a lonely smile.
“I heard that she died honorably while fulfilling her duty as a knight.”
"Eileen was such a good friend. It's my fault for not cherishing her. I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault, Princess. It's the greedy, violent ways of those who are greedy. I'm concerned that I couldn't tell her that I'm alive and well."
Ayla sat with her hands on her knees, her eyes downcast, as if thinking of Mastiff. Diana carefully took her hand.
"Ayla. I told you so before. Just forget it."
“Yes, that’s right.”
"I think I said it too easily back then. It's not about forgetting, it's about suppressing it and living with it."
"No, Princess. Thanks to you, I've become much stronger and have become a strong mother."
Ayla smiled brightly. The sorrow and grief that once filled her sky-blue eyes had been completely emptied. She no longer seemed intimidated or afraid of being hurt.
"Some people looked down on me for having and raising a child out of wedlock, but it's okay. Michael is a gift to me. I've gained many precious people, whether they're by my side or not."
In an age rife with war, where the cycle of exclusion and loss of life was rampant, the contradiction of pointing fingers at women who gave birth and raised children without marriage. Yet, despite this, she considered her child a gift and wanted to protect it. Diana suddenly felt a pang of bitterness. She stared at the teapot on the table, then, with difficulty, parted her lips.
“Are you saying you didn’t receive a marriage certificate? He even gave you an inheritance.”
“Yes. He only designated me as the heir.”
Hiding her marital status would have been difficult due to the many restrictions on her activities, and given the cramped nature of the area, it was highly likely that rumors would have spread through the submitted documents. A bitterness spread across Ayla's lips. Noah's down-to-earth answer offered comfort.
"I think he told you to marry another man. With that much inheritance money, there are plenty of men who would offer to be fathers."
Diana, Renier, and Ayla's eyes widened at the unexpected news. Ayla blinked slowly and shook her head.
"I'm not getting married. My sister Renier and I will raise him well together. I'm confident I can handle the role of father well."
Ayla clenched her fists and made a powerful face. Diana looked at her and smiled faintly.
“I hope Michael finds a good family.”
“The Princess and the Commander will be good parents too.”
The family of Michael, Ayla, and Renier seemed peaceful and happy. Perhaps it was because they valued the happiness they had received rather than dwelling on the misfortunes of the past. Diana thought to herself, then smiled as she stroked Michael's cheek.
“Grow up quickly and protect your family.”
“Oh.”
Diana, who had been sleeping on Noah's shoulder, slowly opened her eyelids. The car carrying them drove past the endless green plains. The road to meet Ayla and Renier was immersed in vibrant greenery. Just as a flock of sheep leisurely grazing in the pastures came into view, they arrived at a village about a thirty-minute drive from the capital. Standing before a house as ordinary as the village itself, Noah tilted his head.
“If I had inherited that much money, I could have bought a mansion.”
"It's a matter of personalities. I guess she's frugal. She's looking for a house near the store, hoping to move soon."
Diana answered and got out of the car.
The small, cozy house resembled Ayla a lot. The village children and people were wide-eyed at the sight of the luxurious car and the string of security vehicles following it. They had arrived quietly, not wanting to make a fuss, so people, unaware of the visitor's identity, kept glancing around curiously.
"Princess, Commander Rotsilt. We should have gone to see you, but thank you for coming in person. Oh my! Boaz is here too."
“It must be hard to move around with a baby. How are you?”
Ayla and Renier, holding the baby in a swaddle, greeted Diana, Noah, and Boaz with joy. Diana, who was led to the guest room and sat on the sofa, raised her teacup, savoring the scent of the flower-blend tea, and recalled the tea she and Ayla had enjoyed together in the past. Noah looked at the baby, his face slightly surprised.
“Is this the reincarnation of Mastiff?”
“Do they look alike? I don’t remember him very well.”
Diana, observing the baby, was struck by a different kind of admiration. With emerald eyes that matched her light brown hair and distinct features, the baby was so beautiful and lovely that she could easily be called an angel. Boaz, who adored the baby, kept wagging his tail.
“It’s pretty. What did you name him?”
Ayla smiled shyly at Diana's question.
“I named him Michael.”
“I guess you named him after an angel because he’s so pretty.”
"Yes, I want him to be as gentle and kind as an angel to someone. Would you like to hug me? I'm not shy and gentle."
Diana awkwardly held the baby. Its small, chubby limbs twitched in discomfort. A look of confusion crept onto her face.
“Is it okay to hold him like this? Even I can see that he looks uncomfortable.”
“Yes. You can support his head with one hand. You’re really good at it.”
Ayla taught her how to hug properly.
Michael, who had been looking uncomfortable, finally looked up at Diana and smiled brightly.
Noah, holding a teacup, looked at Diana, holding a baby. Renier leaned forward and made a suggestion to Noah.
“Commander, would you like to hug him, too? I’ll have plenty of opportunities to hug him later.”
Noah put down his teacup and nodded slightly.
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to train him in advance as Mastiff’s son.”
As Noah skillfully cradled and soothed the baby, Michael's expression relaxed. With his small hand, Michael tugged at the decorative pin on Noah's lapel.
"Dada!"
“I’m not your father.”
Michael smiled broadly as he slowly rocked him like a cradle. He seemed to have a talent for parenting, even if he lacked humanity. Diana looked at him with amazement.
“You’re really good at it?”
“Yeah, I know how to do it.”
"I think you'll be a good father. Your baby will be coming to visit you both soon."
It was Renier's gentle voice. Diana looked down at Michael, who was laughing heartily, with a strange feeling.
“I haven’t been feeling well, so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to have a baby...”
“Are you still feeling unwell?”
“No, I’m almost fully recovered.”
"You've lost weight compared to before. You should eat well, for your health's sake. You'll have leftovers."
"Princess, you shouldn't skip meals. You have to eat well. There's always something left over."
Diana looked at Renier and remembered Eileen's kind smile.
“Renier, have you heard anything about Eileen?”
Renier, who was like Eileen's older sister, though they were not related by blood, lowered her eyes with a lonely smile.
“I heard that she died honorably while fulfilling her duty as a knight.”
"Eileen was such a good friend. It's my fault for not cherishing her. I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault, Princess. It's the greedy, violent ways of those who are greedy. I'm concerned that I couldn't tell her that I'm alive and well."
Ayla sat with her hands on her knees, her eyes downcast, as if thinking of Mastiff. Diana carefully took her hand.
"Ayla. I told you so before. Just forget it."
“Yes, that’s right.”
"I think I said it too easily back then. It's not about forgetting, it's about suppressing it and living with it."
"No, Princess. Thanks to you, I've become much stronger and have become a strong mother."
Ayla smiled brightly. The sorrow and grief that once filled her sky-blue eyes had been completely emptied. She no longer seemed intimidated or afraid of being hurt.
"Some people looked down on me for having and raising a child out of wedlock, but it's okay. Michael is a gift to me. I've gained many precious people, whether they're by my side or not."
In an age rife with war, where the cycle of exclusion and loss of life was rampant, the contradiction of pointing fingers at women who gave birth and raised children without marriage. Yet, despite this, she considered her child a gift and wanted to protect it. Diana suddenly felt a pang of bitterness. She stared at the teapot on the table, then, with difficulty, parted her lips.
“Are you saying you didn’t receive a marriage certificate? He even gave you an inheritance.”
“Yes. He only designated me as the heir.”
Hiding her marital status would have been difficult due to the many restrictions on her activities, and given the cramped nature of the area, it was highly likely that rumors would have spread through the submitted documents. A bitterness spread across Ayla's lips. Noah's down-to-earth answer offered comfort.
"I think he told you to marry another man. With that much inheritance money, there are plenty of men who would offer to be fathers."
Diana, Renier, and Ayla's eyes widened at the unexpected news. Ayla blinked slowly and shook her head.
"I'm not getting married. My sister Renier and I will raise him well together. I'm confident I can handle the role of father well."
Ayla clenched her fists and made a powerful face. Diana looked at her and smiled faintly.
“I hope Michael finds a good family.”
“The Princess and the Commander will be good parents too.”
The family of Michael, Ayla, and Renier seemed peaceful and happy. Perhaps it was because they valued the happiness they had received rather than dwelling on the misfortunes of the past. Diana thought to herself, then smiled as she stroked Michael's cheek.
“Grow up quickly and protect your family.”
“Oh.”
Michael babbled as if in response. She doesn't know if he understood. When Boaz licked Michael's toes, he squeaked and laughed, ticklish. He was a lovable child, a gift from life.
***
“So that’s it. The reason why Mastiff wanted to get rid of Medea.”
Noah looked down at the dishes Ayla had brought out, as if he were curious. Chocolate-covered roasted eggplant, haggis (beef stomach stuffed with barley and spices), sardine pie, and more.
Diana's face turned pale from the visual shock.
“Was this made by slaughtering the animal while it was still chewing? That’s unconventional.”
After Noah's words, Ayla couldn't even look him straight in the eye.
“I thought you would like it since it’s the food from your hometown, Princess...”
Yes, if you think of it as a sundae...Diana was tormented by a sharp internal conflict. 'I must eat it, even if it means giving it my all.' Or, 'I absolutely cannot eat it, so I will tell you the truth.' The latter was more likely.
"If I had to be specific, I'd say Belford. It's a country of gourmets, where even in the midst of battlefield fire, they wear napkins and eat pasta as combat rations. Diana wouldn't be able to eat it, just like foreigners."
"Ayla. You seemed so excited earlier that I couldn't tell you, but Princess Medea doesn't really like cooking. Even when I was a maid in the mansion, she hired a chef from another country."
Fortunately, Noah and Renier, sensing Diana's confusion, opened a path for her to escape. Seeing Ayla's characteristically gloomy expression, Diana felt a pang of pity and picked up her fork. She avoided the imposing sardine head, biting the edge of the pie and smiling as she tasted it.
"I tried this. Thanks for thinking of it. It was hard to prepare, Ayla."
Only then did a smile return to Ayla's face. Boaz, sitting beneath the table, was engaged in a staring contest with a large codfish in a dog bowl. Finally, seemingly defeated, he groaned and scratched the floor before turning around and sitting down.
After dinner, Ayla brought out oven-baked cookies and fragrant coffee. Diana, holding the cookies, asked.
"Ayla, why don't you hire a maid or a nanny? It'll be hard to raise a baby, work, and manage the household."
"Yes. Maybe it's because I've been a maid for so long, but I feel more comfortable doing things myself, and Sister Renier helps me out, so it's fine. The house is small, and I'm not used to ordering things around. However, when I go out to the store, a sitter comes to look after Michael."
Ayla answered, trying to soothe the whining baby. Suddenly, as if remembering something, Renier clapped her hands and jumped to her feet.
"Princess, would you like to come for a moment? I have something I'd like to show you."
"Is it so?"
Diana disappeared upstairs, following Renier. Ayla cautiously asked Noah, who was savoring the aroma of coffee.
“Did he have anything to say to me?”
Noah lifted his eyelids, holding the teacup to his lips.
“Nothing was said to me separately.”
“Is that so...”
“He asked me to create a world where you and your child can live well.”
Ayla's aquamarine eyes rippled faintly, like ripples. She nodded, rubbing her eyes with her sleeve.
“I wanted to be meaningful to him.”
"He's the same. That's why he treated you well. Even though his methods were strange."
Amidst the silence, a loud knock on the front door rang out. Ayla hesitantly got up and handed Michael to Noah.
“Excuse me, could you please look at this for a moment?”
"Yes."
After Ayla went out the front door, Noah looked down at Michael, who was squeezing his finger. The baby began to babble, his mouth agape, but he couldn't understand a word.
“Yeah, I see.”
He was good at pretending not to understand, so he nodded and let out an exclamation of sympathy.
Michael smiled broadly. He pressed his chubby cheek and asked.
"When will you be able to speak like a human? You need to know how to say 'thank you' before I can buy you a toy car."
“Ah-woong.”
“Don’t lick his face. When he gets bigger, he’ll come lick you.”
As he was gently pushing away Boaz, who was trying to lick the sweet-smelling baby's cheek, a sharp male voice came from the front door. Noah strained his ears, but couldn't hear clearly what was being said. Noah stood up, holding the baby in his arms, and headed toward the front door. Florence and the two knights waiting in the hallway tried to follow, but he waved them off.
“Please go back now, I have a guest.”
“I told you to explain who that is. I need to see what kind of man he is.”
Ayla's back was visible at the door. A red-haired man stood outside the open door, casting a menacing aura. His face twisted into a fierce grimace as he spotted Noah, cradling a baby behind her. His warped gaze scanned Noah's sophisticated attire: a double-breasted suit made of breathable, luxurious fabric, a silk tie, expensive leather shoes, and a watch. The biggest factor that aroused the man's inferiority complex was Noah's good looks. The man snorted and quipped.
“Was this gentleman dressed as Medea a guest?”
Noah lifted his chin and glanced over the man's attire.
An expensive, wrinkled linen shirt, unmatched, drab trousers, and a shirt collar undone without a tie. Noah, who strives for neatness and gentlemanliness, felt a sense of discomfort.
“Who is this homeless man?”
"Oh, he's the eldest son of Mr. Drake, the town's largest landowner and factory manager. Go inside, I'll take care of everything."
As Ayla stood between them, not knowing what to do, the red-haired man pushed her away and shouted.
"Homeless? What do you think I am?! I heard the baby's father is dead. Who are you?"
Noah, who had given Michael to Ayla, answered dryly, stroking his neatly parted silver-white hair.
"Guest."
“So, what are those cars parked in front of this house? And what kind of relationship is there between you, the flashy-looking guy, and Ayla?”
"The guest-host relationship. My wife's friend and my friend's wife."
“If you’re in that kind of relationship, what on earth are you doing here? Is this something you’ve kept secret?”
The man raised his pinky with a frivolous expression. Noah maintained a relaxed demeanor.
“Are you stupid?”
“What? Do I look funny?”
"You seem to like the landlord, but no one likes a man who comes in sloppy and harassing. You don't even know basic manners. How ungentlemanly."
The man, who was very angry at the gentleman who was gently scratching his insides with a smiling face, rolled up his sleeves and grumbled.
"Gentleman? You just need to know that real men hate hothouse-grown young masters like you."
In fact, it was a bit of a stretch to call Noah a well-bred gentleman. He was much taller than him, with a solid, imposing physique. It was like trying to force him into a position of superiority by nitpicking his sophisticated attire and appearance.
The man snorted as he saw the bodyguard waiting in the car open the car door and get out, perhaps sensing something strange.
“It seems like you’re not very manly, so you’re carrying around a bodyguard.”
Noah muttered with a pitiful expression as he signaled the bodyguards to stand by.
“Is it manly to yell and throw a tantrum like a child?”
“Shut up! If you don’t want to get a scratch on that pretty face!”
“Stop it, Mr. Drake!”
As Ayla stood in front of Noah with an angry expression on her face, the man called Drake grabbed her shoulder tightly and started shouting.
"Hey. Do you think I'm funny? You should be grateful for the favor I give to a child I don't know, but why are you acting so arrogantly? Do you even know who my father is? Do you want to get kicked out of here?"
Michael, who was being held by Ayla, burst into tears. Ayla curled up to protect the child and cried out.
"Do whatever you want! You were already a burden by coming every day, and you followed me everywhere, so I was about to leave."
"Oh, really? I guess your dirty rumors are true. So you're that man's secret mistress? He just happened to come here to lend you some money for moving. If you can refuse my money and gifts, how much did you take?"
Soon after, a cold voice was heard from behind Noah.
"You only think like yourself. Treating someone like a shallow woman because they don't accept your feelings? It seems like there are pathetic people everywhere who try to protect their pride in that way."
The voice belonged to Diana, standing with her arms crossed and a cold expression on her face. Renier quickly ran over, wrapped her arms around Ayla's shoulders, and sharply questioned her.
"Ayla politely declined several times. What exactly do you expect?"
"Wait a minute, that little Medea girl back there. What the hell did she say? Are all Medea girls this arrogant?"
“Do you know who this person is? Watch what you say!”
Renier was furious at his rudeness.
Noah's face grew increasingly expressionless as he heard the harsh insults directed at Diana. He lowered his eyes and unbuttoned his sleeves. He took off his watch and handed it to Renier, muttering softly.
“It’s so shallow that I can’t stand it.”
His eyelids slowly lifted, revealing three eerily sharp eyes.
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