Chapter 37

Isabella had thought that her son, who had returned after four and a half years of being missing, had grown physically but was still immature inside.  

Johann had become a Swordmaster by the time he graduated from the Imperial Academy and had gone to the North as the commander of the monster subjugation support forces.  

Although he had achieved a high position at a young age due to his exceptional skills, she couldn’t help but worry about her son, who was clumsy when dealing with people.  

‘When will that child experience proper love and grow emotionally?’  

So, when Lia showed up at the ducal residence with Rafaella, claiming to be Johann’s daughter, Isabella couldn’t help but be quite surprised.  

‘That rigid child not only got married while he was missing but also had a child….’  

She found it hard to believe that it wasn’t a formal, political marriage between nobles but a marriage born out of mutual affection and love.  

Even though Johann had lost his memory, a person’s fundamental nature doesn’t change easily.  

‘Perhaps being born into the great noble family of Blumhart shaped Johann into who he is.’  

Having lost his memories of living in the mountains and now holding the title of Duke of Blumhart, Johann maintained a detached attitude toward both the woman he had been with and his own child.  

Her late husband had also been unable to properly express his feelings to his children, treating them with a cold demeanor.  

‘And now my son is just as indifferent to his child….’  

No, he seemed even colder than her late husband.  

Though Isabella hadn’t been able to pay much attention to her suddenly appeared granddaughter for various reasons, she hoped her son would treat his child with more warmth than her husband had.  

‘…Am I expecting too much from a son who resembles my husband?’  

As winter passed, Johann seemed to change little by little, though Isabella didn’t know what Lia had done.  

The way he interacted with his daughter, which had been purely obligatory, became slightly warmer.  

And today, he had canceled all his appointments to personally stay by his sick daughter’s side.  

‘He even seems to be learning the weight of being a parent….’  

Like her husband, Isabella hadn’t been particularly affectionate toward Johann either.  

She had been slightly more affectionate toward her late-born daughter Penelope than she had been toward Johann.  

But her parents and grandparents had always prioritized their duties as nobles over their roles as parents, so she wasn’t much different.  

Yet, Lia seemed to be teaching Johann how to give love to his child, both in the past, which Johann couldn’t remember, and now.  

‘I’m deeply grateful for that.’  

Isabella resolved to properly express her gratitude to Lia—not just with words—when she returned, whether it was for Penelope or Johann.  

‘It would be shameless not to do so as a parent.’  

After observing the sick Rafaella with Johann for a while, Isabella returned to Penelope, advising Johann not to overdo it.  

Johann stayed by Rafaella’s side for two whole days after that.  

He personally fed her oatmeal porridge and fever medicine and even read her storybooks.  

While the maids handled bathing the child, Johann took care of almost everything else related to Rafaella.  

Throughout the time he nursed his daughter, Johann was troubled by a mix of guilt and affection.  

These were unfamiliar emotions he had rarely felt in his life.  

Fortunately, Rafaella quickly regained her energy.  

Isabella and the head maid laughed, saying that Rafaella truly seemed to be Johann’s child.  

“Johann rarely got sick, except for when he had mana fever, and he even avoided common contagious diseases. It seems Rafaella is the same, which is a relief.”  

“Madam, it seems the young lady has inherited the strong blood of the Blumhart family.”  

The mage said that Rafaella’s fever had subsided faster than expected and that she no longer needed to take fever medicine.  

“The young lady has regained enough energy, so she doesn’t need to stay in her room all the time.”  

“She still seems to have a slight fever.”  

Johann placed his hand on his daughter’s forehead and responded in a chilling tone to the mage.  

“Th-then, it might be better for her to rest in her room for another day.”  

In moments like this, saying what the employer wanted to hear was in the mage’s best interest.  

Rafaella, who wanted to go outside and play as soon as her fever subsided, decided to stay in bed for another day under Johann’s concerned gaze.  

“Rafaella, what story should I read to you this time?”  

Perhaps it was because of her father’s affectionate attitude, which reminded her of the time they lived in the cabin, that she felt happy.  

“『The Enchanted Piglet』 story!”  

Johann had the servants bring all kinds of storybooks from the Duke’s library to ensure his daughter wouldn’t get bored while staying in her room.  

Rafaella became completely engrossed in the new storybooks she had never heard before.  

Thanks to the storybooks, her desire to go outside and play subsided.  

“…Once upon a time, there was a little piglet named Fiona.”  

Johann’s low voice resonated in Rafaella’s bedroom.  

He read the storybook in a tone that was less awkward and slightly softer than before.  

His transformation was thanks to Rafaella.  

“Mom doesn’t read like that!”  

“You’re making it too boring.”  

“Dad used to change his voice for every character….”  

After being criticized by Rafaella several times, Johann finally managed to read the storybook in a somewhat convincing manner.  

‘I might be the best storybook reader among noble parents.’  

Perhaps because he had spent two whole days with her, Rafaella seemed to feel more comfortable around him.  

His wish to provide his daughter with a sense of security was beginning to come true.  

“…I’m is sleepy now.”  

“Are you sleepy? Then I’ll finish the story later.”  

Johann placed the storybook on the bedside table and tucked Rafaella in to ensure she could sleep comfortably.  

Though he was merely imitating what he had seen the maids do, he did it quite well.  

As he tucked her in, he paused for a moment.  

‘…D*mn it, another headache.’  

“Sleep well, Raffy. Sweet dreams.”  

“Dad, you sleep well too. Let’s meet in our dreams.”  

“Alright. Let’s meet in our dreams.”  

As the headache came with unfamiliar memories, Johann felt his mind being stirred.  

In the memory, he saw himself tucking in a much younger Rafaella and saying “Goodnight” to her.  

The voice calling her nickname affectionately was so natural that it didn’t feel awkward at all.  

‘…Did I really do that?’  

Johann sat by his now soundly sleeping daughter, reflecting on the memory that had surfaced.  

***

That evening, Lia’s carriage arrived at its final destination.  

It was Winster, a small northern city closest to Lorem Mountain.  

This was also the first city she had stopped in with her daughter to catch the stagecoach to the Capital.  

They had a light dinner at an inn and decided to return to their respective rooms to sleep early.  

The four days of traveling in a carriage that moved several times faster than a regular one had been utterly exhausting.  

“Sir Harry, I think it would be best if you waited here while I visit Lorem Mountain.”  

She spoke while chewing the omelet in her mouth.  

“Are you sure it’s alright for me not to accompany you?”  

“Yes, don’t worry about it.”  

There was no need for Harry to go through the trouble of climbing Lorem Mountain as well.  

Of course, being a knight, he had more stamina than most, but even he had endured quite a bit to get this far.  

After all, wasn’t he more tired than she was from driving the carriage?  

“Still, since I came as your escort, I feel uneasy about letting you go alone….”  

“Don’t worry. Lorem Mountain isn’t dangerous at all.”  

Lia reassured him repeatedly that he needn’t worry.  

“More than that, I’m worried about you, Sir Harry.”  

“Me? Why me?”  

“Yes. After driving a carriage equipped with speed magic stones for four days straight, your face looks extremely pale.”  

Unlike Lia, who was eating the food in front of her reasonably well, Harry barely managed to pick at a few pieces of fruit, his stomach clearly unsettled.  

“This is embarrassing, considering I’m a knight and all, but I’ve turned this pale.”  

“Embarrassing? After driving the carriage like that, it’s only natural for you to feel unwell.”  

“…Then, I won’t refuse anymore and will wait here.”  

“Yes, please rest comfortably.”  

“If anything happens or if you need help, please don’t hesitate to call for me.”  

Although she didn’t expect such a situation to arise, she nodded to ease his worried expression.  

Lia went to bed early and woke up at dawn the next day. After having a light meal and packing her bag, she headed toward Lorem Mountain.  

She had been worried that climbing the mountain after so long might be difficult, but thankfully, it wasn’t too hard.  

On her way back home, she met a few villagers and exchanged greetings.  

“Lia, you disappeared so suddenly! You surprised us!”  

“Still, it’s so nice to see you after so long.”  

Since she had only informed Alma and Raul, the people she was closest to in the village, before hastily leaving for the Capital, everyone else was overjoyed to see her suddenly reappear.  

“You said you’d be gone for one or two years, but you’re already back?”  

Alma asked, holding a basket full of wild strawberries under her arm.  

“I just stopped by to take care of something.”  

“Something?”  

Alma studied Lia’s face as she asked.  

“You know the Dewflower, right? I came to gather some of it.”  

“Dewflower? What for?”  

“…Hart’s younger sister is sick.”  

“Oh my goodness. Are you saying you’re going to treat the younger sister of the man who abandoned you?”  

Alma grabbed Lia’s shoulders and asked.  

“There were circumstances, and his sister is a good person.”  

“Bull.”  

Alma muttered, her face full of dissatisfaction.  

“Don’t worry, Alma.”  

“You left suddenly, saying you were going to hand Raffy over to that husband of yours, and now you’re telling me not to worry?”  

“That’s true, but I’ll explain everything when I have time later.”  

“Really? You’d better explain it in a way I can accept.”  

Although Alma wanted to talk to Lia more, she let her go, seeing how tired Lia looked.  

“Lia, make sure to stop by when you have time. And don’t just disappear again.”  

“Alright. Oh, by the way, has it started raining instead of snowing in the mountains?”