Chapter 9

Cedric was shocked, staring at both the baby and Yelena.  

Yelena smiled brightly at his surprise and said,  

“My son, Mikael.”  

Cedric couldn’t believe what he saw.  

Yelena, who hadn’t married, had given birth to a child.  

It was as if the sky had fallen.  

She was soon to marry into the Lejeo family.  

If they found out Yelena had a child, the marriage would be canceled.  

And who was the father who caused this—who made her bear a child alone? Cedric’s rage boiled over.  

His mind was a whirlwind of emotions.  

He was so shocked, he didn’t know how to respond.  

He wanted to cut down the man who had done this to Yelena.  

Furious, Cedric slammed his fist into the ground.  

“D*mn! Who the h*ll did this to you…!”  

“No, Brother! He’s absolutely not that kind of man.”  

“Who is he?”  

Cedric clenched his fists so hard his body trembled, barely containing his anger.  

“It’s… Allensia….”  

Allensia—Cedric’s close friend.  

He was….  

Cedric was too shocked to continue.  

Allensia was his loyal knight, a commoner but so skilled that Cedric’s father had taken him in as a knight.  

Currently, Allensia was fighting in a different region.

Cedric felt thoroughly betrayed by his trusted subordinate.

His face twisted further as he spat out curses.

“Trash! If I ever meet him, I’ll kill him.”

“No, Brother. We love each other.”

Love?

Love with a commoner?

Cedric, shocked, stared blankly at the child, while Yelena continued.

“We truly love each other. So please, don’t be angry at Allensia…”

Her earnest plea made Cedric nod, barely able to stop his tears.

Yelena kept crying, but her face still held a gentle smile.

“I’m so glad… so glad I got to see you before I died…”

Cedric gently wiped the tears from her cheeks, his voice trembling.

“Yelena! You can’t die. If you leave me too, I…”

Overwhelmed by grief, Cedric couldn’t finish his words, only shedding tears.

This time, Yelena wiped Cedric’s tears and shook her head.

“No. Mikael is here… Please take care of him for me.”

Cough!

Suddenly, blood poured from Yelena’s mouth.

Her time was almost up.

Cedric held her dying body and sobbed.

“No, Yelena. Please…”

Yelena struggled to breathe and spoke.

“Please protect Mikael… It’s my last request.”

“Yes. I’ll protect him, Yelena…”

Even as her life faded, Yelena smiled brightly.

“You’ll be a wonderful uncle.”

With those final words, her hand, which had wiped Cedric’s tears, fell limply to the floor.

It was her last will.

* * *

“Yelena!!!”

Cedric, crying out her name, suddenly opened his eyes.

His heart was pounding wildly, and he couldn’t calm his startled mind.

Breathing heavily, he realized the scenery before him was different from what he’d just seen.

‘Was that a dream?’

It was night just moments ago….

He had only closed his eyes for a break, but had fallen asleep.

His shoulders felt stiff from sleeping in the chair.

He slowly rolled his shoulders to loosen them.

Still exhausted, he rubbed his face.

Regaining his senses, Cedric looked at the sunlight streaming through the window and ran his hand through his hair.

‘That dream again?’

Still feeling the residue of the dream, Cedric frowned.

The last moments of his sister, which he had tried to forget, appeared again in his dreams.

For Cedric, this dream was a cruel nightmare.

He had to relive the pain of losing his only remaining family.

Until he found her, he still had emotions.

But after her death, he lost all feeling.

No more tears, sadness, laughter, or joy—he felt nothing.

Sometimes, he even missed the dream.

Because in it, he could feel those old emotions.

Living for so long numb, even sad feelings became welcome.

Time had dulled his heart that much.

When recalling his beloved sister’s death, he could feel his emotions alive again—a contradiction he struggled to accept….

‘Still.’

Though the pain of that moment returned vividly, he could see his sister’s face clearly, which he had nearly forgotten.

That was a gift for him.

So he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes again.

To meet his sister and those feelings once more.

But he couldn’t meet her again.

After several attempts, he opened his eyes and searched for a cigar.

But the case was empty.

He realized the cigar he smoked yesterday was the last.

With that realization, he frowned and muttered.

“…What bad luck.”

As he sat there, Yelena’s promise kept echoing in his mind.

Mikael is here… Please take care of him for me.

Brother, please protect him… It’s my last request.

He remembered his promise to her and felt guilty.

If he put his hand on his chest and answered honestly,

Had Cedric really tried to protect Mikael?

The answer was ‘No’.

Instead, Alicia, a complete stranger, had tried to protect Mikael.

Alicia, not family, stood by Mikael, working hard to protect him.

Was Cedric really Mikael’s father?

He thought and thought again.

Should he even be involved in Mikael’s upbringing?

Would things improve if he did?

But Cedric still lacked confidence.

Having lost his emotions, he knew how hard it was to handle a child.

He couldn’t empathize with Mikael’s sadness, nor figure out how to share joy.

If Mikael spent time with him, the boy would surely become emotionless like Cedric.

He didn’t want his beloved sister’s precious child to become like him.

“I guess it can’t be helped.”

Alicia.

Only she could fulfill Cedric’s promise.

This time, he truly hoped she would help Mikael open his heart.

Not only that, Alicia was a source of interest in his dull, monotonous life.

Unlike usual, he felt it would be a waste to fire her now.

If she ever had issues with him, she’d boldly resign and leave, so he had to make sure she stayed.

Was there any way to help Alicia keep working as a tutor in this mansion?

He rested his chin and recalled the conversation they’d had yesterday.

Most of what she said annoyed him, but one thing stuck in his mind.

‘Was it Celia? That maid comes to mind.’

He habitually lifted one corner of his mouth.

* * *

Alicia woke up in the morning, clenched her fists, and made a resolution.

‘Let’s do our best today!!’

She wanted to get closer to Mikael.

That would reduce the chance of Mikael going down the wrong path.

Thinking positively, Alicia headed to the place where she’d agreed to meet Mikael.

The garden of the ducal residence, filled with the fresh scent of flowers.

Mikael had asked to meet her there.

As always, his plump cheeks were tinged with a healthy blush, and he was very shy.

That day, lessons ended earlier than usual.

There wasn’t much to do, and Alicia thought Mikael could use some rest.

As she smiled and said goodbye to Mikael, preparing to leave the room,

Mikael’s small hand gently tugged at her dress.

When Alicia turned around, the child nervously fidgeted with her dress, glancing around.

His face was flushed again, and it seemed he wanted to say something but lacked courage.

Alicia found it so cute that she bent down to encourage Mikael to speak.

She waited patiently, so Mikael could overcome his shyness and fear on his own.

Mikael glanced at Alicia, still playing with her dress, and finally asked if she could go to the garden with him tomorrow, saying he wanted to go with his teacher.

It was the first time the child had asked Alicia for something.

It was also the first day he called her ‘Teacher’, forgetting Alicia had asked him to use her name.

It was a meaningful day for Alicia.

It felt like Mikael had opened his heart a little more than on their first meeting, and she was deeply moved.

Her chest swelled with pride.

So Alicia immediately agreed to Mikael’s request.

At that moment, Mikael’s expression was truly adorable.

His face, worried he might be refused, blossomed into a bright smile at Alicia’s answer.

Pure, happy laughter—it left a strong impression.

Alicia hoped Mikael would laugh like that more often.

‘He asked me to go with him first for the first time.’

Recalling the memory, Alicia couldn’t help but smile.

“Haha. He really is cute.”

Ah! What would today bring?

She was excited and her heart fluttered.

Why did Mikael want to go to the garden with her?

What gave the child, who hated going outside, the courage?

She planned to ask him during their walk today.

But she wouldn’t overwhelm him.

Mikael was shy, and too many questions would trouble him.