“It’s not a cat or a fox. Uncle, you’re a dummy!”

Rian crushed the bubble creation and washed his hands in the water.

Lahart was flustered and pulled Rian into a hug. Rian sulked in his arms.

“Did Uncle not recognize it because Rian didn’t make it well?”

“No. No, it’s because Uncle is a dummy, just like you said.”

“Uncle’s not a dummy! Don’t call Uncle a dummy!”

But you just called me a dummy…

Lahart felt dizzy. He wished someone would tell him how to understand a child’s heart. It was still too difficult for him.

Rian, now silent, pouted with his lips sticking out like a duck. It was adorable, and it made Lahart feel sorry. He stifled a laugh and comforted Rian. Laughing now would make it impossible to console him.

“I’m sorry for not recognizing it. Don’t be too disappointed. I’m not good at these kinds of things.”

“…”

“The water’s getting cold. Shall we get out? You might catch a cold.”

Rian didn’t respond, turning away. This was bad. Rian rarely sulked, but when he did, it was hard to make him feel better.

Lahart clicked his tongue internally and made his best offer.

“Rian, let’s go to the library after we get out. I’ll read you a storybook.”

“…How long?”

It’s a tough question. Lahart wasn’t good at reading storybooks. Iren, Jane, and even Kaman were better at it than him. But there was no time to hesitate. Lahart answered immediately.

“As long as you want.”

“Really?”

Rian turned to him with a bright face. Lahart realized he had no choice but to nod. Otherwise, Rian might avoid him for the rest of the day, or even until tomorrow.

He nodded. Rian jumped up from the tub.

“Then let’s go quickly! Rian has a book I want to read with Uncle!”

* * *

Iren returned after dinner and immediately looked for Rian. Though it was a bit early for bedtime, Rian was already dozing off in bed. Apparently, Lahart had spent the entire day playing with him, leading to this.

Iren sat on the bed and stroked Rian’s head. He slowly opened his eyes from his light sleep.

“Mom…?”

“Yes, Mom’s here. Sorry for waking you. I just missed you so much.”

“Mom… hehe.”

Rian clung to her. Iren let him use her thigh as a pillow and patted his back.

Rian mumbled sleepily. His words were unclear to others, so others would have heard it as mere mumbling, but Iren understood and asked,

“Did Uncle play fun games with you while Mom was away?”

“Yeah. It was fun.”

“What did you play that was so fun?”

“Uncle taught me sword fighting, and we took a bath together… But Uncle didn’t recognize the bubble wolf I made.”

Did they play with bubbles? In fact, Iren thought Rian wasn’t particularly skilled with his hands. Besides, even if it were a drawing, it might be hard for him to recognize something made by shaping bubbles. She quietly laughed, thinking of Lahart struggling to guess the bubble wolf.

“Rian must have been disappointed.”

“He called it a cat and then a fox. It was a wolf… but it’s okay. Uncle read me a book.”

“A book?”

“Yeah. We went to a house made of big books like this!”

Rian spread his arms wide to express the largest size he could. A house made of books. Well, it wasn’t entirely wrong since the library was a place where books were gathered.

Iren smiled at the cute expression and patted Rian’s head.

“Rian, a place with lots of books is called a library or a study.”

“Library! That’s right. Uncle said that too. Rian went to the library today.”

“Did you? I’m jealous. What book did you read at the library?”

“The one with Daddy Bear, Mommy Bear, and Baby Bear.”

For a moment, Iren’s expression darkened.

Thinking about it, most of the fairy tales Rian had chosen to read did not feature families or family stories.

Was the child consciously avoiding them, or was it an unconscious manifestation? Either way, her warm heart turned cold. Iren pulled Rian up and hugged him to drive away the chill that seeped into her chest. The child was warm and soft, like hugging a ray of sunshine.

Rian, unaware of her thoughts, rubbed his face against hers.

“Is Mom a bear too?”

“Hmm?”

“I saw it in the book. Mommy Bear hugs Baby Bear like this.”

“Isn’t Mom too small to be a bear?”

“Really? But Uncle is big. Like Daddy Bear.”

Rian mumbled. For some reason, Iren thought of Lahart standing tall, looking at a snowy mountain. Lahart seemed more suited to being a wolf than a bear. Maybe it was because of his silver hair and blue-gray eyes. One of the many titles used to describe him was indeed a wolf.

But before Iren could speak, Rian opened his mouth first.

“Mom, Mom. Baby Bear is Baby Bear because there’s Mommy Bear and Daddy Bear, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Then where did Mommy Bear and Daddy Bear come from? Did they grow on a tree? Is there a bear tree?”

Rian tilted his head. Although it was a cute question only a child could ask, the sensitive Iren noticed Rian’s true feelings. Rian’s inner thoughts were one of the issues that had been troubling Iren recently.

Should she tell Rian that Lahart was his father? If she did, how should she say it?

In the past, she regularly dyed Rian’s hair black, but it had been quite a while since she stopped. The silver hair, a trait of the Cardius family lineage, and Lahart’s attitude towards Rian were solid evidence that Rian was their child.

Now, no one thought Rian was a child without a father.

No matter how careful and tight-lipped the servants were, rumors couldn’t be stopped from spreading. The servants still called Rian ‘young master,’ but those unaware of the circumstances often referred to him as ‘young duke.’ So it was natural for Rian to wonder what ‘young duke meant and to question the existence of a father.

Rian’s curiosity and questions were growing day by day. His interest and curiosity about family had increased for that reason. Rian liked and followed Lahart very much. Once, he even said he wished Lahart were his real dad.

Perhaps Rian had a vague idea that Lahart was his father.

The longer the truth was kept from him, the more confused and misunderstood Rian would become. Yet, Iren couldn’t easily bring herself to speak.

Her relationship with Lahart, in the past and at present, were complex, even for an adult like her. It wasn’t just one or two years, but a relationship that tangled for ten years. She was very cautious about how the young Rian would accept it and whether he would be hurt.

Lahart had firmly told Iren, who was struggling with this issue.

He said it was okay to never reveal it if it seemed like Rian would be hurt. He told her to prioritize her and Rian’s feelings above all else.

“Rian.”

Rian looked up at Iren with clear eyes. It seemed he had woken up fully while talking about the fairy tale. Iren sorted through the words that came to mind. As Lahart had said, the most important thing in this matter was that Rian wouldn’t get hurt.

At first, she couldn’t fully trust Lahart. Lahart had always been kind to her until he drank the poison. Misfortune piled up, and misunderstandings accumulated, turning him into a completely different person. But in truth, he was a very caring person. That fact made Iren even more anxious. It felt like he could turn cold again if misunderstandings piled up once more.

In the past, she was alone, but now she wasn’t. She had Rian. She couldn’t let Rian experience the pain of being ignored by him again. Rian had lived without knowing the existence of a father since birth. A second loss should never happen.

She knew. Lahart would never change again. He had risked his life and everything to save Rian and protect Iren. He regretted and reflected on the terrible things he had done every moment. It was sincere, not hypocrisy or pretense. That’s why she stayed by his side and accepted him.

But how would Rian feel… There was a big difference between a beloved uncle and a father.

“Mom, you know.”

Rian, who had called her, rolled his eyes as if he was hesitating about something.

Then, looking back at her, he made a face Iren had never seen before. Serious, calm, but with a hint of anxiety.

“Is Uncle Duke my dad?”

For a moment, she felt as if her heart had dropped with a thud. She knew Rian would have doubts, but she didn’t expect him to ask so directly, leaving her speechless.

Rian sat up and looked straight at Iren. His eyes, similar to hers in their navy hue, were calm and composed, unlike her unsettled ones.

It didn’t matter when he started thinking that way or if someone had told him. Rian was a quick-witted and smart child. She should have explained everything to him more clearly and earlier. The moment she decided to stay by Lahart’s side, she should have told Rian everything.

Regretting her foolish decision, Iren held Rian’s hand.

“Can Mom ask why you think that way?”

“Uncle and I have the same hair color. And, Uncle is a Duke, but people call Mom the Duchess. Duchess means Mom… so…”

Iren was surprised again by Rian’s answer. His reasoning for thinking Lahart was his father was quite logical. The child understood the complex situation very well, much more than Iren had anticipated.

“And also, Uncle is nice to Rian. He brought medicine when Rian was sick. At first, he was mean… but not anymore.”

“Uncle is kind to Rian because he likes you. He cherishes you because you’re precious to him. How about you, Rian? Do you like Uncle?”

Iren asked cautiously. If Rian showed even a slight negative reaction, she was ready to leave immediately. But Rian nodded as soon as she finished her question and smiled brightly.

“Rian wishes Uncle was Rian’s dad. Because, because Rian likes Uncle!”

Oh. I see.

Iren suddenly realized. The anxiety she saw in Rian’s eyes when he first asked the question was from the thought, ‘What if Lahart isn’t my dad?’

Rian had opened his heart completely to Lahart to the point of worrying about that. But the more he did, the more determined Iren became. The future was even more important than the past. There were many things she needed to explain and help Rian understand.

Especially the biggest question that remained for the child.

Why Lahart wasn’t there with him and Mom from the beginning like other dads. Why the two lived separately, and how they met again.