A Reversal of Unrequited Love - Chapter 74

The more she tried not to think about it, the more the thoughts came. Unable to stop her recollection, Hyce bit her lip hard. Though Ethan was now taking care of her with utmost tenderness, she suddenly felt an urge to slap him hard.

As if she had fallen back to that time. A whirlwind of emotions surged. Hyce clutched her collar tightly.

The injustice of no one believing her. The twisted desperation of praying for the child’s safe birth. The resentment towards the man who never returned. The despair and fear from the severe cold and hunger, and the fear towards her deteriorating body. The days she cursed herself for making such a choice, unable to believe her life’s worst failure.

Now she was warm, loved, completely beautiful, and had not failed.

Yet, Hyce felt incredibly sorrowful. She felt unbearably sorry for her past self. Even now, she wanted to meet ‘her’ and give her a tight hug.

“Hyce?”

“…”

“Hyce!”

A voice filled with shock. Only after a hurried hand wiped her eyes did Hyce realize she was shedding thick tears. Ethan pleaded with a dazed expression.

“Hyce, please…”

“Why? Why didn’t you come?”

“……”

“I waited so long back then…”

Ethan, momentarily frozen, suddenly hugged her tightly. It was gentle, yet strong enough to be recognized as a hug.

“I’m sorry.”

“……”

“I’m sorry, Hyce. I won’t leave you alone again.”

“You were so bad.”

“Yes. It was all my fault.”

As the sound of the fierce wind beyond the tapestry reached them, Hyce burrowed deeper into Ethan’s embrace. She hoped the strength with which he held her would travel back in time to comfort her past self.

On that snowy, bitterly cold night, perhaps because her emotions were particularly tumultuous, Hyacinth would stop crying, then start again, only to stop and start once more. Just like the snowstorm outside that would rage, then pause, only to rage again.

When they finally took a hot bath together, Hyce had stopped crying. But as Ethan began to wash her meticulously, she silently wept once more. Ethan gave her several cups of water to drink. Even as his expression looked like his heart was being torn apart, he didn’t tell her to stop crying. He just held her hand tightly, as if it were his lifeline. Occasionally, he would kiss her temple soothingly.

Hyacinth, who was splashing her feet in the warm water, pulled Ethan’s arm. Signaling him to come in, Ethan slowly undressed and entered the tub. He carefully hugged her from behind, making sure not to touch her belly.

Hyce tilted her head back to rest it on her husband’s chest.

“Ethan.”

“Yes.”

“Can I tug your hair just once?”

“You can do it as many times as you want.”

But HycHyacinthe didn’t tug his hair. She just leaned back and rested her head on his chest, and Ethan hugged her shoulders even tighter. In that painfully sweet embrace, Hyacinth sniffled like a child.

Still, she had a feeling she wouldn’t cry anymore.

She wouldn’t cry on snowy days anymore.

“I’m sorry, Hyce.”

“Yes.”

“It was my fault.”

“……Yes.”

His embrace was so warm that Hyacinth shed just one more tear.

“Ethan.”

“Yes.”

After wiping her eyes, she fidgeted with her fingers, feeling a surge of guilt. The water in the tub rippled, revealing her anxiety.

“I had such gloomy thoughts. Do you think it might harm the baby?”

“No, you needed to cry. Keeping it in would have been worse.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

At Ethan’s reassurance, Hyce finally relaxed her furrowed brow.

Exhausted from crying, Hyce fell asleep in the tub. Before the water turned cold, Ethan carefully lifted her out and dried her thoroughly. After drying her hair, he dressed her in her favorite pajamas and gently laid her in bed.

As a pregnant woman, Hyacinth had been sleeping a lot more lately. Once she fell asleep, she slept deeply, which was a good thing.

Before putting socks on her, Ethan checked her toes again. As usual, he also checked her fingertips and carefully bent her arms to ensure she was comfortable without waking her. Only after completing this routine did Ethan sigh in relief and cover her with a blanket.

Outside, the snowstorm raged, but every part of Hyacinth Erentis was safe.

……The Duchess of Trisel was perfectly safe.

After tucking her in snugly, Ethan looked at his wife’s round belly. He recalled the wish he had made when he first felt the baby’s movements. He had asked the baby not to trouble their mother, who was such a good person.

Even though he knew he had no right to make such a request.

Despite being the one who had caused Hyacinth the most pain, he had dared to hope for that.

Ethan took a deep breath in and out. Like Hyacinth, he too was anxious. Sometimes, the fear was so overwhelming that he would wake up in the middle of the night, heart pounding. Memories of the moment he had returned from burying their child in the frozen ground would come flooding back.

Looking down at the monotonous tombstone, he thought about hitting his head with the shovel he was using to dig the ground. If he had to repeat that terrible act in this life… Please. Please.

Ethan stammered a single word.

Though his sin was undoubtedly deep—he couldn’t deny that truth—Ethan prayed that such a thing wouldn’t happen in this life. The feelings of a father who lost a child were indescribably terrible.

He was also very afraid of how his wife would react if, indeed, they lost the baby. Hyacinth would greatly blame herself. Even a single sentence like that made Ethan feel as if he had swallowed a burning iron.

He couldn’t help but shudder in agony.

Whenever he imagined the worst-case scenario, his whole body felt as if it was freezing to death. It felt like the last moment of his previous life was repeating. From his fingertips to the top of his head, he froze completely, unable to escape the reality of his impending death. Such. Hell.

Anxiety surged again. Ethan desperately swallowed his emotions. His pregnant wife was right next to him, and he couldn’t afford to waver while taking care of her. If he showed his anxiety, Hyacinth might feel even more anxious.

That couldn’t happen. Absolutely not.

Ethan carefully placed his hand on his wife’s belly. The baby was probably sleeping, as there was no movement.

Hoping both his wife and child would have a peaceful night, Ethan quietly whispered to himself. It was a promise and a vow he often recalled while lying next to the sleeping Hyacinth.

Be born safely.

Your mother is a good person.

She always claims she’s not that virtuous, which makes her even more so. She is my light and my world. Your mother has been waiting for you for a long time and will love you very much. She will be a wonderful mother.

After a brief hesitation, Ethan quietly continued.

I am not such a good person.

I don’t really know what it means to be a great father. But I’ll try my best. I will do my utmost not to disappoint you…

Let’s definitely meet safely.

The baby, whom he thought was asleep, moved slightly. Ethan clearly felt the feather-light movement.

He felt relieved.

* * *

The young duke of the Trisel Ducal House was born safely with the blessings of Bremlin and Tyche. As the eldest of three siblings, he inherited his father’s appearance and his mother’s personality.

* * *

Looking at the newborn baby with silver hair and ash-gray eyes, Ethan and Hyacinth realized the truth that the child they had lost long ago had given them a second chance. The baby had chosen them again in this life, presenting them with a brilliant miracle.

The baby, who was born with a loud cry, seemed to particularly dislike his father during the first few months. As soon as he had the strength to grasp, instead of holding a bottle, he would grab his father’s hair. Whether he found his father’s silver hair fascinating or was expressing long-held grievances, Ethan guessed it was the latter.

The baby, who used to firmly grasp and shake his father’s hair, gradually corrected this habit after about a year. Whether it was due to his mother’s advice that his father’s appearance might become sad if he continued, or because he got tired of it, he started to follow his father well. Sometimes he would wrap all five fingers around his father’s thumb, and occasionally, he would fall asleep like a fairy on his father’s chest, drooling. There were times when he would throw a tantrum, refusing to sleep unless his father put him to bed.

When the baby started to toddle, the ducal family often enjoyed outings. Although they worried about the cold, the baby, true to his northern bloodline, was strong against the cold. Unlike his mother, who would burrow into her husband’s arms whenever it snowed, the baby would laugh gleefully and leave footprints in the snow until his nose turned red.

The baby was full of love. He was kind and lively.

In winter, he built snowmen with his father; in spring, he wore wreaths made of wildflowers; in summer, he napped in the shade; and in autumn, he picked the prettiest leaves to give to his mother. In every season, he filled Bremlin with happiness and laughter.

The baby showed what kind of childhood his father could have had.

<End of Side Story>