“I am Lucas, madam.”

“Your parents?”

“Madam, this child is an orphan.”

Celon answered in his stead, and Elicity blushed.

“I misspoke. Your speech and manners are so refined that I wanted to praise your parents. I hope I didn’t offend you.”

“Not at all, madam.”

“I see. Lucas, huh…”

Despite the boy’s polished speech and behavior, Elicity slightly furrowed her brows.

“The name Lucas has been on my mind… It belonged to a mage who shook the entire continent about 400 years ago.”

“……”

“Madam, should we change his name?”

At Celon’s words, Elicity looked at Lucas. The boy showed no reaction, even at the mention of changing his name.

“What do you think?”

“Pardon?”

“It’s not uncommon for masters to change their servants’ names at will, but you’ve lived with the name Lucas all this time. I cannot simply take it from you. However, keeping this name may make your life difficult in the future.”

Even after Elicity’s reasoning, the boy remained silent. By now, her curiosity was piqued.

“Lucas, have you never heard of the mage ‘Lucas Lotheidom’?”

Lucas Lotheidom.

In the Romancia continent, it was customary to record history alongside the name of the kingdom and its founding years.

For example, since it had been 1,042 years since Madonia was established, it should be recorded as ‘Madonian Year 1042.’

However, because of that mage named Lucas, the continent’s historical records were altered overnight.

That day had been so shocking that, to ensure they never forgot, the people of the continent designated it as ‘D’ (Devil) and began recording history as B.D (Before Devil) and A.D (After Devil).

“Well, I suppose you are still a child, so it’s understandable if you don’t know. The mage ‘Lucas Lotheidom’ is infamous for having massacred half of the Romancia continent’s population. Everyone avoids that name, believing it to be cursed. Changing it now wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

Silver-blue eyes stared directly at her.

Elicity was a mother.

Having raised Bella, she had seen the eyes of many children her daughter’s age. Most of them were innocent.

But this boy was different. His eyes were mesmerizingly beautiful, yet strangely enigmatic.

“Madam, I like my name. It was given to me by someone I love.”

“Oh, then you must never change it. Absolutely not.”

“Thank you for understanding, madam.”

Elicity was quite pleased with the boy’s polite and disciplined response.

Except for noble heirs rigorously trained as future family heads, very few twelve-year-olds spoke with such composure.

Having raised her daughter to be a queen, Elicity had learned to distinguish between children with potential and those without.

And the boy before her—if only his status had been higher—seemed intelligent enough to carve out a successful future.

With a tinge of regret, she clicked her tongue inwardly.

Just before Celon could escort the boy out, Elicity spoke again.

“Lucas, can you wield a sword? Or have you ever considered doing so?”

The boy said he had no intention of wielding a sword.

Well, for a commoner, holding a sword would do little to elevate their status unless war broke out.

She chuckled at her own foolishness but bit her lip as concerns about her daughter and the boy crept back into her mind.

‘Such a refined boy… No wonder Bella is smitten.’

After a long moment of deliberation, Elicity shook her head.

Her daughter was only ten years old.

In a few years, she would meet other noble children, young heirs of noble families, and this fleeting crush would resolve itself.

Suppressing her unease, Elicity rose from her seat.

There were questions she still needed answers to, and she wanted to see her husband.

“Alex.”

It was three in the afternoon, so she assumed her husband would be in his office rather than the training grounds.

As expected, Alex was in his study—not drenched in sweat like before, but freshly showered, exuding the scent of cologne.

Though he was now buried under piles of paperwork instead of sparring, he looked no less preoccupied.

“Elicity?”

He had been rapidly scribbling with his pen but immediately sprang to his feet at the sound of her voice.

His sharp brows lifted slightly, and the corners of his lips curled subtly.

A clear sign that he was pleased to see her.

Feeling a flutter in her chest, Elicity steadied herself and approached him.

“Can we talk for a moment? I know you’re busy.”

“Of course. But… is that coffee?”

“Yes.”

Elicity was carrying a cup of black coffee with cream. Carefully, she set a silver tray adorned with lilies onto the table and spoke.

“You like your coffee with two teaspoons of cream and five scoops of ground beans, don’t you?”

“You… still remember that?”

“Of course. Even if I’m no longer involved in kitchen affairs, we’ve only been married for ten years.”

In truth, she had nearly forgotten and only just managed to recall it. But that was a secret.

Feeling quite pleased with herself, Elicity handed him the coffee cup.

“…I see. I was sure you had forgotten.”

Alex cleared his throat and rubbed his chin. His large hands, shaped by years of swordsmanship, traced his sharp jawline in a way that was imposing—yet, to Elicity, inexplicably endearing.

She was quietly amused when he suddenly turned to her.

“So, what’s the matter?”

“What do you mean, ‘what’s the matter’? Are you seriously asking?”

“…Ah.”

Perhaps he had been so focused on his work that he had forgotten.

Now realizing what she meant, Alex looked sheepish.

“If this is about me leaving in a hurry earlier, I apologize.”

“No, I’m just curious. Did I say something wrong?”

“Of course not. I just… remembered something I had forgotten.”

“And what was that?”

The question was meant to be lighthearted, but instead of an answer, her husband’s expression was troubled.

Elicity was now certain that the answer to her question was something he couldn’t reveal. In the past, as a duke, he had frequently carried out highly classified missions.

“If it’s something difficult to answer, you don’t have to say anything, of course.”

“It’s not exactly that, but at the moment, it’s difficult to talk about.”

“You’re a duke. There must be many things you can’t share with others. I understand.”

Elicity shrugged her shoulders and then changed the subject.

“Then let’s move on to the next topic. Bella said she wants to learn horseback riding.”

“Horseback riding?”

“Yes. It’s a problem.”

A very big problem. As Elicity sighed, Alex tilted his head.

“That’s a subject for boys. Did she get inspired by watching the former princess?”

“It seems so. Isabella has always liked imitating Her Highness the former princess.”

“……”

“Even so, I’m thinking of letting her try. What do you think?”

Before coming here, Elicity had been certain that her husband would allow Bella’s horseback riding lessons.

She thought this request was much easier than the time she had asked him to cut off financial support to his in-laws.

However, Alex didn’t immediately respond. He looked troubled as he ran a hand through his hair.

“Alex, if you’re worried about Bella’s reputation—”

“No, that’s not it. I’m just…”

What he said next was quite unexpected.

“I just can’t think of a suitable instructor for her.”

“An instructor? There are plenty of skilled horseback riding instructors, aren’t there?”

“They’re all men. The thought of a man becoming my daughter’s instructor bothers me. Especially since horseback riding requires physical contact. I don’t like it.”

His expression showed clear displeasure. Surprised, Elicity let out a small gasp.

“Why are you surprised?”

“Well…”

Her husband was gazing at her intently. Seeing his earnest face, Elicity couldn’t bring herself to say the truth.

‘…I never expected you to care about Bella this much.’

Before her regression, Alex had hardly ever involved himself in Bella’s education. He had never said anything that suggested he cared for her like this.

Even when he was with Bella, he never embraced her or even properly conversed with her.

So, to be honest… Elicity had never thought that he cared for Bella.

However, she had never intended to criticize him for failing as a father.

After all, in his own way, Alex had fulfilled his duty by fully supporting everything Elicity had requested to prepare Bella for life as a queen.

For that reason, she didn’t want him to feel hurt. Forcing a playful smile, she spoke.

“It’s just surprising to hear the great Duke sounding like an overprotective father. The attendants would be shocked if they heard you.”

She hoped he would take it as a joke, and she believed he would.

After all, he was known as the “Ice Duke.” The idea of him being an overprotective father didn’t quite fit his image.

However, Alex seemed to interpret her words differently.

“……”

“Dear…?”

After a long silence, Alex pressed his thick thumb against the inner corners of his eyebrows, rubbing them firmly. His charcoal-dark brows twitched.

“You’re right. I’ve rarely expressed affection toward Bella directly. In fact, I think I almost never have. She must have felt quite hurt.”

Hearing Alex reprimanding himself, Elicity was so startled that she hurried to defend him.

“Alex, I wasn’t trying to criticize you. I just—”

At that moment, Alex lifted his head and looked at her. His fiery eyes pierced through her heart, leaving her speechless.

Could she really say with certainty that Bella had never felt hurt by him?

—Dad, thank you…

Bella’s voice, from just a few days ago, echoed in her mind. Her cheeks had flushed red from the smallest act of kindness Alex had shown.

Elicity’s lips went dry.

It seemed her perceptive husband had already figured out her thoughts.

“I know you weren’t trying to criticize me. This is just my own conclusion.”

“Alex…”

“I might have been ‘useful’ in her life, but that doesn’t mean I was a ‘good’ father.”

‘Useful…?’

Shocked by the way he reduced himself to a mere tool, Elicity felt her mind go completely blank.