Side Story 3.5

On a weekend evening, when Ella vomited the few grapes she had managed to eat, Adolf’s patience finally snapped.

“Can’t you just take a leave of absence until the morning sickness subsides? Are you really planning to go to work tomorrow in this condition? What if you collapse in the office…”

“…”

“Madame!”

Ella understood Adolf’s concerns. However, she had only been working as an administrator for three years, and if she took a leave of absence now, there was no telling how long it would last. It wasn’t as though she could work until the very end of her pregnancy. If she had to take leave eventually, she wanted to delay it as much as possible.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

“You barely ate anything today, and even that you threw up… No matter how important your work is, don’t you care about how worried I am?”

“…”

Ella couldn’t bring herself to respond.

No matter how many times Adolf pleaded and begged, her answer remained the same.

In the end, Adolf, looking utterly heartbroken, stood up abruptly.

“You’re being so cruel!”

His fingers, stained purple from peeling grapes for Ella, trembled as he stormed out of the house.

*Bang!*

The door closed with a loud thud, reflecting his frustration. Even then, he seemed to have controlled his strength, ensuring the sound wasn’t too startling for Ella.

Sigh… I suppose he has every right to be upset.

Ella could understand Adolf’s feelings.

She recalled how resentful she had been when Adolf had to leave for the imperial palace shortly after the war ended, even though his body hadn’t fully healed. As a Sword Expert, he was in high demand, and she couldn’t bring herself to tell him not to go. But if he had been just a Sword User, she would have tried to stop him countless times.

‘I’m sorry…’

It seemed best to give Adolf some time to cool off.

Ella sighed as she stood up, picking up the tray of grapes on the table. She thought she might as well clean up a bit as a gesture of apology while Adolf was out.

Just then, the door burst open again. It felt like less than a minute had passed. As Ella looked on in confusion, Adolf strode toward her.

“Don’t carry heavy things.”

“It’s just half a bunch of grapes…”

“…It’s still heavy.”

Adolf took the tray from Ella’s hands. She asked cautiously, 

“Why did you come back? You should’ve taken a walk to cool off.”

“I regretted it the moment I stepped outside.”

“Why?”

“What if something happened to you while I was gone? No matter how upset I am, it’s better to have you in my sight.”

“U-Upset? I didn’t mean to…”

Ella mumbled awkwardly. Adolf, however, spoke firmly.

“And I’ve changed my mind.”

Ella tilted her head in confusion. 

“Changed your mind about what?”

“I’ll take a leave of absence.”

“What?!”

Ella’s eyes widened in shock at the unexpected statement. But Adolf responded calmly.

“On second thought, even if you took a leave of absence, I wouldn’t be able to take care of you while working. Instead of worrying about you from afar, it’s better for me to stay by your side.”

“We could just hire a maid.”

“No maid is stronger than I am.”

Why does a maid need to be strong…?

Ella couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at Adolf’s absurd reasoning, as if their home was a battlefield.

‘But if I reject this too, Ruby might really get upset.’

Ella didn’t want to make Adolf sad. In the end, she could only nod. Finally, a relieved smile spread across Adolf’s face.

And so, Adolf took a leave of absence from his job. He set up a space for himself in the corner of Ella’s office, acting as her personal escort knight. Rosa found his constant vigilance toward Ella touching, albeit slightly over the top.

“Is this man really the war hero who protected the empire…?”

Rosa shook her head in disbelief and said, 

“Lord Adolf, I hate to say this, but…”

“Yes?”

“You’re being a bit excessive.”

“…”

Adolf couldn’t bring himself to respond.

*

Thanks to Adolf’s devoted care, Ella was able to work safely until her final month of pregnancy. However, even with Adolf by her side 24/7, there was one crisis they couldn’t avoid.

Ella went into labor.

Perhaps due to the strain she had put on her body during her pregnancy, the delivery came a few weeks early. Ella had been in labor for hours, with the midwife assisting her in the birthing room.

“Madame, push harder!”

“Aaah!”

“Just a little more!”

“Aaaaah!”

As Ella’s screams echoed through the house, Adolf paced back and forth outside the delivery room, trembling as if he were freezing. The healing-specialized mages he had summoned in case of an emergency were starting to wonder who the real patient was.

***

Becker, who had heard the news late and rushed over in a fluster, smacked Adolf on the back, telling him to calm down. Only then did Adolf manage to stop pacing nervously. He grabbed Becker’s hand tightly.

“Father!”  

“Oh my, you startled me. What’s wrong?”  

“I’m so scared. Please hold my hand.”  

“Oh dear…”  

Becker looked at Adolf with an expression that seemed torn between smacking him and comforting him.  

How did he even survive the war with this disposition? I shouldn’t have given him permission back then… If only I hadn’t overindulged in that doraji liquor that day…  

As Becker gazed at Adolf with a mixture of pity and frustration, a loud cry of a newborn baby erupted from the delivery room.  

Moments later, the midwife came out and called Adolf.  

“Both the mother and baby are healthy. You may enter now.”  

“Madame!”  

Adolf dashed into the delivery room in tears. Ella, looking a bit tired, was holding the baby wrapped in a cloth.  

“Can you see?”  

“Yes, I can. Are you hurt anywhere?”  

Adolf stared intently at Ella as he spoke. Ella smiled faintly.  

“Not me, our baby. I thought a healthy child like you would be born, so I pushed myself a little too hard. But our baby resembles me too much. Poor thing must’ve struggled.”  

In Ella’s arms was a baby boy, peacefully sleeping. His appearance mirrored her red hair and pale complexion exactly.  

“Ella, you’ve worked hard. It feels like I’m looking at your childhood. Have you decided on a name?”  

Suppressing the emotions welling up within him, Becker asked while gazing at the baby boy who resembled Ella so much.  

“We decided to take one character from each of our names. If it’s a boy…”  

Adolf continued Ella’s words.  

“Raph. Raph de Ludwig.”  

“Raph… That’s a good name.”  

As if he agreed with the name, a faint smile appeared on the sleeping baby’s face.  

***

Raph de Ludwig grew healthily and reached the age of six.  

Blood doesn’t lie, as they say, and Raph proved that true. As time passed, his appearance became an even split between Ella and Adolf. Raph’s outward appearance was identical to Ella’s childhood, while what he inherited from Adolf was… his timid nature.  

Indeed, Raph was soft-hearted both inside and out. A child easily frightened, quick to cry, and scared of many things.  

Every time Ella looked at Raph, her emotions grew complicated.  

‘I could handle everything that came my way, and Ruby was untouchable, but what about our Raph…?’  

Thinking of Raph being pushed around by noble children in the power struggles of the elementary academy, Ella already worried deeply about her son’s future.  

‘This won’t do. It’s time for special training!’  

Ella steeled herself.  

Standing in front of the couple’s bedroom, Ella calmly spoke to her son, who was clutching a pillow and staring at her.  

“Our Raph, are you going to sleep with Mom and Dad again tonight? You’re six now, so you can sleep alone, right?”  

“But I’m scared…”  

“You promised Mom that you’d start sleeping alone from today, remember?”  

Raph buried his face in the pillow, sniffling, but Ella remained firm. Raph knew that he couldn’t persuade his mother when she made this face. Eventually, he resigned himself and trudged back to his room.  

Ella let out a sigh of relief and turned her head. Her face instantly scrunched up.  

“Are you crying?”  

“How scared must he be…”  

Adolf had been secretly swallowing his tears while listening to their conversation. He always worried about his son, who resembled his own timid childhood so much. Moreover, since Raph also looked exactly like Ella, Adolf tended to overprotect him even more.  

Sure enough, Adolf cautiously spoke up.  

“What if we just let him sleep with us tonight…”  

“No, six is the usual age for separating sleeping arrangements. Besides, we agreed on this together. Why do you keep making me the bad mother?”  

“Understood…”  

When Ella glared at him, Adolf shrank back and lay down. Still, his face showed unease as he thought of his son sleeping alone for the first time.  

Goodness, both father and son are so soft-hearted…  

Ella shook her head and climbed into bed. She patted Adolf’s back, which looked more troubled than Raph’s.  

“Our Raph is a brave child. He’ll adjust soon. Trust him, okay?”  

“Yes…” 

Ella wrapped her arms around Adolf’s waist as if to comfort him.  

Honestly, it feels like I’m raising two kids. How will these two manage to navigate this tough world without me?  

Ella resolved to start eating health supplements tomorrow as she slowly drifted off to sleep.  

***

“Hmm, Darling…?”  

Ella’s eyes opened instinctively when she noticed the absence of the warm presence beside her. She reached out, but Adolf’s spot was empty.  

Don’t tell me…  

Ella hastily threw on a nightgown and rushed to Raph’s room, determined to drag Adolf out before he ruined the sleep-training plan on the first night.  

But just as she was about to burst in, the murmuring voices inside caught her attention.  

“Who’s stronger, Dad or ghosts?”  

“Dad!”  

“Exactly. While you are asleep, Raph, Dad will catch all the ghosts, so starting tomorrow, you’ll sleep bravely on your own. Got it?”  

“Yes! Dad, you’re the best!”  

Listening to the heartwarming exchange between father and son, Ella’s lips curled into a smile.  

When did they become so close…?  

‘Maybe I’ll let it slide just for tonight…’  

Ella slowly turned away.  

Tonight, Adolf deserved a reward, not punishment.  

○ End of Side Story