Extra Story. Sometime in Their Future

They say marriage is reality.

Among the most realistic aspects, if there is one, it would be parenting.

“Your Grace. The first young master……”

“What? Did he destroy the stables again?”

Duke Van Carca replied indifferently while signing the remaining documents. Having been a parent for nine years now, he wouldn’t be surprised by such trivial(?) matters if he weren’t a veteran father. At his nonchalant attitude, his secretary Svein sighed softly.

“I see you don’t even raise an eyebrow unless it’s beyond that scale.”

“Raise four children yourself. You’ll naturally become magnanimous.”

With something between a sigh and a laugh, the duke shuffled through the pile of documents and picked up what he was looking for. Unlike his days as a bachelor, he now had short golden hair, a deeper gaze, and a relaxed, contemplative expression born of composure rather than the mischievous slickness of a rascal, all highlighted in the afternoon sunlight. Perhaps thanks to the famously harmonious marriage known throughout society, despite clearly aging, his face still looked like that of a fresh young man. However, now in his mid-thirties, he had developed a different maturity, a mature aura.

As a result, the number of noblewomen throwing themselves at this attractive young duke, now an untouchable fruit, had increased even more than before.

—He was already cunning, but now he’s gradually becoming crafty with age.

Though he seemed immersed in work, he would be perking up his ears to hear what Svein was saying. He was a devoted husband but also a doting father to his children. Though he grumbled that it wasn’t that extreme, all his acquaintances knew better.

“The first young master has burned down the vineyard in the western part of the estate.”

The fountain pen crossing the parchment snapped abruptly. Svein respectfully gazed at his lord, whose eye was twitching, in a state similar to the calm after a storm has passed. With a defense built from dozens of similar experiences, Van calmly set down the pen with its broken nib on the document. Then, after staring into space for a moment, he opened his mouth. Svein quickly pushed aside the paperweight and other heavy, valuable objects on the duke’s desk.

“That boy, Ryun…… what did he do?”

Facing the duke’s strangely twitching smile, Svein couldn’t bear to keep looking and turned his head away. One of the most valuable assets in the Carca duchy was the Sendeli vineyard that the duke cherished. Every year, delicious wines were produced from that not-so-large plot of land. When Duke Carca gifted his wife an expensive wine worth tens of thousands of gold for their fifth wedding anniversary, it became a major topic, and subsequently, Sendeli wine became hugely popular throughout the capital. As a result, the price of the wine rose even higher, and the Sendeli vineyard became a treasure of the Carca duchy.

Svein nodded as if he understood.

“Not all of it burned, about… one-third……”

The knight order’s payroll statement crumpled in Van’s hand.

“……to be precise, it’s closer to half……”

Finally, the expired fountain pen flew and broke in two. Svein, the capable aide to Duke Carca, quickly recited in a dry tone exactly how much property damage had occurred, that no one was injured, and which parts could be restored through subsequent work—efficiently organizing all the necessary information. Van, who had been pacing the room grinding his teeth, barked a question as soon as Svein’s report ended.

“Why on earth did that boy go there!? Did he cause the accident today?”

“Yes. About two hours ago.”

“It’s during his history lesson. Did that blockhead skip class again?”

“Not this time. His teacher, Sir Albert, took sick leave today……”

“Ha, what sick leave.”

The duke muttered crookedly.

Once in a strange relationship as rivals(?) for love, Van and Attorney Albert later became something like friends after resolving together a black market case involving a major noble from the aristocratic faction. Though they found each other quite disagreeable, somehow “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” led them to work together, and they developed a peculiar bond—whether it was grudging affection or camaraderie.

Van appreciated Albert’s lack of grudges, his intelligent handling of matters, and his surprisingly loyal nature, while Albert, originally gentlemanly and neat in character, unknowingly developed a liking for the powerful man’s pleasant personality despite his fox-like shrewdness, as he never crossed certain lines. Indeed, except for Sonya Chrisy, there had never been reason for the two men to be enemies. If Van had purely disliked him, he wouldn’t have given advice about Sonya in the past.

Working together, they surprisingly made a good team, and being capable people to begin with, they understood each other well. This led to sharing drinks and increasing collaboration, eventually resulting in Albert becoming the teacher for the duke’s troublemaking firstborn.

It was truly fortunate, as “Ryun Carca”—intelligent like his father but already sitting atop adults’ heads—had driven away more than a handful of teachers. Ryun somehow listened relatively well to this teacher, who was more perceptive and calmer than previous ones.

“He’s not sick; he’s probably on his honeymoon.”

The reason Sir Albert the tutor had taken leave was to care for a woman he rescued from the sl*ve market incident. At first, Van had thought him soft for sponsoring such a woman—pretty-faced but with uncertain background—but seeing her increasingly blooming complexion, well, it turned out to be that kind of relationship.

Indeed, it was time for him to settle down. After painful love comes spring with blooming flowers again.

“So, where is my son?”

“He’s quietly in his room.”

He must be scheming something again. Van frowned, then his eyes flashed.

“This,”

“Yes?”

“He ran away to Eurene’s room. Just like that, my son!”

Duke Carca slammed the desk and roared, then rushed out like a fire-breathing dragon. As the door swung like a swing and closed with a creak—BANG, Svein shook his head and habitually gathered the scattered document pieces.

Even a harmonious family had its share of turbulent days.

* * *

In a quiet, sunlit window corner sat a pink-haired noblewoman lost in an afternoon nap. Though her disheveled hair had been neatly braided with a maid’s help, she looked youthfully plump for a mother of four, seeming to embody all the leisure and peace in the world.

Eurene emerged from deep sleep into a half-dream state. Small hands were shaking her. Opening her eyes as she felt the rocking chair gently moving, she saw a familiar small blond head. She mumbled while yawning.

“Ryun? What is it?”

“Mom.”

“Yes.”

She mumbled with her eyes half-open. The firstborn Ryun (aged 9) shook out the blanket that had fallen to the floor and wrapped it around his mother. He showed a surprisingly mature demeanor compared to the mischief that gave his father headaches. These children—aged 9 (son), aged 8 (two sons, one daughter)—had a peculiar characteristic regardless of birth order: they showed remarkably adult-like behavior concerning their mother.

Whether because they took after their father, Duke Carca, or because their mother often appeared somewhat careless and in need of looking after, they rarely cried loudly or pulled her hair to get attention, except during certain periods.

From their early years, Eurene never got flustered or angry when they cried or threw tantrums. When they woke up crying at night, she was too busy sleeping to wake up, so they would eventually tire themselves out and fall back asleep. When they were stubborn, she would firmly say “No” and then ignore their crying. She treated all her children the same way, whether older or younger, firstborn or youngest.

Her indifferent nature—disliking personal inconvenience and not making exceptions for her children—inadvertently made her a strict and fair parent. Additionally, the children were conditioned from their crawling days by her moderate rather than excessive maternal affection. Having many siblings, they grew up well, jostling together. And the Carca children had a decisive reason to revere their mother.

“Dad’s trying to scold me. Please help.”

The firstborn, who inherited a healthy physique (from dad+mom), intelligence (dad’s share), and resilient mentality (mom’s share), was lobbying again today.

Fortunately(?), these bright children who took after their father were obedient to their gentle but uncompromising mother and even took it upon themselves to look after her. They quickly realized the household hierarchy: mom >>> dad > firstborn Ryun > second child Seia > third and fourth children. Van Carca’s children had already developed a shrewd sense of discernment.