Chapter 23

Louis, who quietly nestled in her arms with a faint smile, seemed no different from usual. Yet, today, he felt strangely unfamiliar.  

Upon closer inspection, it appeared that in just one day apart, he had grown at least a handspan taller. The weight in her arms also felt significantly heavier than yesterday.  

Could a child really experience such rapid growth overnight? Was it normal for children at this stage to grow like this? Like, for example, bamboo shoots?  

Raising a child was a first for her. As a novice mother, Euphrasia had no one by her side to assist her with childcare.  

She was well aware that, despite her love for her child, her knowledge of childcare and the developmental process of children was severely lacking.  

They say children grow up in the blink of an eye, but did that really mean they grow “in the blink of an eye” like this? How fascinating.  

Although puzzled for a moment, Euphrasia soon convinced herself of Louis’s growth and began walking toward the drawing room.  

Sara and Elena, who had naturally taken on the role of Euphrasia’s personal maids, whispered to each other as they watched her back.  

“Hey, Elena, how old is Young Master Louis again?”  

“Wasn’t he just born?”  

“Can a newborn grow that big? Is Young Master Louis a special case?”  

“So, you also think Young Master Louis is special, Sara! You know I have a much younger brother, right? Our Alex. Young Master Louis right now is about the same size as Alex was when he was almost a year old.”  

“Plus, Elena, I actually peeked earlier when Madam was sleeping, and…”  

“And what?”  

“Young Master Louis was sitting in the cradle, playing with the mobile for quite a while. Then, when he got tired, he lay down again and even rolled over on his own.”  

“What? Just yesterday, he couldn’t even hold his head up properly!”  

However, since they were whispering so quietly, Euphrasia, who was already far ahead, did not hear their conversation.  

***

At that moment, Eric was in the drawing room, surrounded by a mountain of gifts, massaging his stiff neck.  

His sleepless night had left dark circles under his eyes.  

Even now, carriages loaded with gifts continued to arrive endlessly.  

Sorting the gifts was a task that could have been left to the servants of the ducal household.  

“Your Grace! A gift from the Kingdom of Kettlin’s delegation has just arrived!”  

“Bring it in.”  

At Demian’s shout from outside the drawing room door, Eric pressed his tired eyes and raised his voice in response.  

Since important items that required his personal attention occasionally arrived, he couldn’t leave the drawing room.  

Click.  

Soon, the sound of the door opening reached his ears. Eric turned his gaze toward the entrance of the drawing room.  

The official delegation gift from the Kingdom of Kettlin, sent to the Imperial Family, was so large in scale that even Emperor Carian of the Lockvela Empire had been left speechless.  

The value of the items they brought was equally impressive.  

Specialty goods made from materials that only grew on their island, various seafood unique to the waters surrounding the island—  

Each and every one of them was something rare and difficult to find in the Empire.  

Additionally, the Kingdom of Kettlin had even offered a baby unicorn, a creature scarce even in their own country.  

But the most precious of all were the various elixirs, which could only be made from materials left behind by spirits.  

It was said that they had offered a considerable amount of these rare elixirs to Lockvela.  

Given the scale of their generosity to the Imperial Family, Eric couldn’t help but feel weary at the thought of what they might have sent to the ducal household.  

“Your Grace, if you’re going to show such obvious displeasure, should I leave again?”  

“Oh, uh. I didn’t realize you were here. It’s a misunderstanding.”  

“You summoned me, yet you didn’t expect me to come? Are you treating me as someone who acts entirely on a whim?”  

But the person who entered the drawing room was not a servant carrying gifts from the Kingdom of Kettlin’s delegation.  

Instead, it was Euphrasia, holding Louis tightly in her arms, who entered with a sharp and deliberate tone.  

It was only natural. They had a major argument last night, leaving both of them emotionally strained, and the tension had yet to dissipate.  

As she had said, he had expected her not to respond to his summons.  

While it was true that he found it surprising to see Euphrasia come down to the drawing room and face him, Eric had no energy left to argue with her.  

He didn’t particularly want to engage in a battle of wills with her either.  

After all, he didn’t want a situation where Euphrasia might suddenly take Louis and leave.  

“Euphrasia, Duchess Herrington. I understand well enough that you detest me right now. I’ve noticed, so you can stop.”  

At Eric’s declaration of surrender, Euphrasia flinched.  

It was because the title “Duchess Herrington” had rolled off his tongue so naturally.  

In the meantime, Eric walked over to the pile of gifts set aside in one corner and picked one out.  

It was a baby bonnet made of the finest silk, clearly of considerable value at a glance.  

“It seems there are quite a few people who want to curry favor with the young heir of House Herrington.”  

Holding the bonnet, Eric approached Euphrasia and reached out toward Louis, who was nestled in her arms.  

“Don’t touch my child.”  

“He’s my heir as well.”  

Despite Euphrasia’s attempt to stop him, Eric gently touched Louis’s emerald-green hair.  

The soft, fine strands of the child’s hair carried a comforting scent.  

Although Euphrasia’s expression hardened menacingly, she didn’t stop him further.  

In truth, she found the bonnet he had chosen quite appealing. Surely, accepting such a gesture wouldn’t hurt.  

“All of this is for Louis, so feel free to pick something you like.”  

Eric, who had been about to place the bonnet on Louis himself, stopped and tilted his head.  

“This bonnet seems too small for Louis. Did Viscount Milleni send it without even checking the child’s size?”  

Frowning as he alternated between looking at the child and the bonnet, Eric scowled.  

Euphrasia quickly shook her head. She couldn’t let an unknown viscount, who had merely sent a thoughtful gift, incur the wrath of the ill-tempered Duke.  

“The child has grown significantly. That’s probably why.”  

“Now that you mention it…”  

Eric, who was carefully observing the child, widened his eyes in surprise.  

At that moment, Louis giggled and reached out toward Eric.  

“Bwah! Mo! Mo!”  

It seemed he liked the dangling ribbon at the end of the bonnet.  

Having the bonnet snatched by the child, Eric couldn’t help but smile faintly.  

Watching Louis play with the ribbon, chewing and tugging at it, Eric thought to himself, 

Honestly, it’s a little… no, quite adorable. 

Those blue eyes, so much like his own. That emerald-green hair, inherited from her. The fair skin, the plump lips, the tiny, wiggling fingers…  

“He’ll make an excellent young heir.”  

The sentiment he expressed was plain, as he didn’t know how else to convey the swelling emotion in his chest.  

Euphrasia, who had caught his words, glared at him sharply, but Eric turned his head to look at the pile of gifts beside them.  

“There are also gifts for you. I’ll have the valuable ones sorted out and sent to your room.”  

Euphrasia’s gaze quickly scanned the pile of gifts designated as hers.  

She hadn’t come here for idle chatter with him.  

The pile of gifts included luxurious necklaces, sparkling rings, bracelets, the latest fashionable dresses, and even unknown boxed items.  

It was far more than she had expected, making it difficult to discern which one might be the Elixir of Truth.  

“Is there no gift from the Kingdom of Kettlin? For me, specifically?”  

When she asked, just in case, Eric raised an eyebrow and replied,  

“From Kettlin? Why do you ask? Did that vulgar-looking man promise you a gift?”  

“Vulgar… Excuse me?”  

Was Albert vulgar-looking? His stout body, buttonhole-like eyes, and pockmarked skin weren’t exactly noble or refined, but—  

Before she could respond, the sound of the drawing room door opening interrupted her thoughts.  

“Your Grace, the gift from Kettlin—oh, Madam is here as well.”  

Demian entered, carrying precious gifts in both hands, followed by servants. Upon noticing Euphrasia, he smiled brightly.  

After skillfully directing the servants, Demian looked at Euphrasia with a proud expression.  

“I thought you only confirmed your affection for His Grace at the Imperial banquet. When did you manage to establish a connection with the First Prince of Kettlin?”  

“What? The First Prince? I’ve never heard of such a person coming here.”  

Eric immediately responded to Demian’s question with a puzzled expression. However, Demian, looking exasperated, silenced Eric.  

“This is not an official gift from the Kingdom but a personal, special delivery from the First Prince of Kettlin to Madam. He asked me to convey that it was quite a challenge to procure such a rare item.”  

In truth, Euphrasia had never even seen the First Prince of Kettlin, but instead of offering explanations, she focused on the glass vial in Demian’s hand.  

The small vial, about the size of a fingertip, contained a pink liquid with golden sparkles shimmering inside.