“Ce-Cedric?”
“Allen should be sound asleep by now.”
“Please calm down a bit.”
He didn’t seem to hear her words. Judging by his slightly spinning eyes, nothing she said would stop him.
She was trapped between his hands, clasping her own hands over her chest. His black hair, bathed in moonlight, looked particularly dark tonight.
“Claire.”
Calling her name, he naturally took her hands and raised them above her head. He buried his face against her now defenseless chest and inhaled deeply.
“That tickles.”
Despite her words, he just smiled lightly and lifted his head to meet her gaze.
“You seem to be avoiding me lately.”
“……Hmm. That can’t be true.”
“I don’t think you’re going to say it’s just my imagination.”
He was right. She had been avoiding Cedric a little. For good reason—whenever their eyes met like this, not just a day but several days would fly by. It wasn’t that she disliked him, but because it was difficult to escape his embrace, she naturally kept her distance.
During the day it was fine with Allen and the divine beasts around, but situations like this when they were alone were troublesome. Recently, Cedric had been coming home late due to work, so she had let her guard down, and now this was the result.
“Have you grown tired of me?”
Sadness welled in his blue eyes. What nonsense was he saying?
She gently stroked his hair and smiled.
“Cedric, how could I ever tire of you? You’re so lovable.”
“Then is it something else you’ve grown tired of, not me?”
This feeling of déjà vu—come to think of it, there was a similar situation at the beginning. When she was trying to divorce him, he had said something similar.
The “something else” he was referring to was probably…
‘I could never tire of that.’
She shook her head. Slowly stroking his back as he lay in her arms, she whispered:
“How could I tire of it? It’s just that… unlike you.”
She slowly removed her hands from his back and flicked his reddened earlobe. Desire flickered again in his blue eyes.
“My stamina isn’t that good.”
“Ah.”
Cedric nodded as if finally understanding something. He raised himself up and seemed about to back away when he completely removed his shirt instead.
“Huh?”
“I think I understand what you mean.”
“No, I don’t think you do?”
“I understood perfectly.”
She stared at his well-sculpted body with wide eyes. Like something carved by a god, his body had perfect proportions and numerous scars that had become familiar to her.
“Ce-Cedric?”
When she urgently called his name, he kissed the back of her hand and smiled.
“Don’t worry. I’ll let you sleep.”
“……Liar!”
His large chest, which moved with each breath he took, soon overlapped with her body. Her words were cut off by his lips pressing against hers.
* * *
Ah.
Her husband didn’t lie.
She did sleep. The problem was that she didn’t know how much she had slept over those two days, or how many hours had passed.
If Allen hadn’t come looking for her, she might never have escaped his embrace.
“Mama. Sick?”
Noticing the fatigue in her expression, Allen tilted his head while eating his dessert. She hastily pulled up the corners of her mouth and shook her head.
“No? Mama is very happy to see Allen!”
“Hmm.”
She quickly nudged Cedric’s foot as he was looking at Allen. He turned to look at her while poking Allen’s cheeks as the boy shoveled dessert into his mouth with his chin propped up.
What good does just looking do?
She had nudged him for help, but he simply smiled and observed the situation.
She smiled with crinkled eyes and asked him:
“Right?”
“Allen, Mama isn’t sick because Papa loves her too much.”
“Um!”
Allen gave an unintelligible response and looked back and forth between her and Cedric. She scolded Cedric with her eyes. He pretended not to notice and smiled as he stole a bite of bread from Allen’s plate.
She was speechless at his innocent smile.
‘When he’s like this, he really is like a child.’
She narrowed her eyes and glared at him. But upon seeing Allen gobbling up the dessert on his plate, she shifted her gaze.
“Allen, you shouldn’t eat too much dessert.”
“Hmph.”
When she removed some bread from his plate, Allen looked at the empty plate and pouted. Then Cedric gave Allen bread from his own plate and said:
“Papa gives you bread because he loves you, but remember when you ate too much and got sick?”
“Ah! Wight!”
Allen nodded, then looked at her with an expression full of betrayal.
“Bad!”
“Hmm?”
“You ate lots alone!”
The conversation had taken a strange turn. But let’s just go with it since it’s all good. She spoke to Allen with an apologetic expression.
“Yes, I’m sorry. Mama won’t eat a lot of bread alone anymore.”
Allen stared at the bread on his plate for a while, then slowly pushed it toward her.
“Mama eat.”
“……Really?”
“Me too! Love you!”
Allen declared as if asserting himself. At his lovable smile, she beamed and hugged him tightly.
“Yes. Mama loves Allen too.”
At times like this, she missed her mother. Come to think of it, how was she doing? After staying at the duke’s residence, she had gone to Radia village after Claire left on her journey. She had sent news about the birth of her child, but there had been no reply, perhaps because her mother was somewhere out of reach. It seemed she had quite enjoyed life there.
‘But I do miss her.’
They say you only understand a parent’s heart when you become one yourself. Lately, she missed her mother even more. The happier she was, or the sadder she was. It was strange.
Perhaps it was because she wanted to share something with her. When happy, she wanted to show her that happiness. Look, I’m doing well. When sad, she wanted comfort, because she could be most honest in front of her mother, no one else.
This too was her selfishness. Since she had told her mother to come whenever she wanted, waiting was her responsibility.
“Wife.”
When she felt warmth on her hand and turned her head, Cedric was holding her hand tightly. She gave him a smile as if to say she was fine. He glanced at the clock.
“By the way, I have a gift.”
“A gift?”
Cedric nodded to the maid, and the door opened. Someone then entered the dining room.
“Claire.”
“……Mom?”
She stood up abruptly. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Though she had missed her, she never expected to see her like this.
“I hope I’m not too late.”
“No, no way. How did you get here?”
She rushed to her mother with childlike excitement on her face. Happiness washed over her as their hands clasped and their eyes met.
“I came to see my daughter. I wanted to see my grandson too. You’ve been through a lot.”
Tears welled up when she fell into her mother’s embrace. It felt like being a child again, but she didn’t mind.
“I missed you.”
“I missed you too.”
“Was your journey difficult?”
Cedric stood up and approached her mother with Allen. Allen blinked at the sight of his grandmother, whom he was seeing for the first time.
Her mother couldn’t take her eyes off Allen. She stroked Claire’s back and smiled.
“Thanks to him, I arrived comfortably. Didn’t he take care of it?”
Thanks to him? Thanks to Cedric? What did she mean by “take care of it”?
She emerged from her mother’s embrace and asked. In bad weather, sailing ships couldn’t depart. She had been so worried because there had been no contact all this time.
Each time, Cedric had reassured her that everything would be fine. Those words had been such a comfort.
“Mother, how did you really get here?”
“How? Do you know how much that guy nagged us?”
The divine beasts appeared behind the door. Sakin shook his head and sighed heavily at Cedric. The full story was this:
Upon learning that she missed her mother, Cedric had persistently talked to the divine beasts every day. Eventually, the exhausted beasts had set out to find her mother’s sailing ship.
It had taken longer than expected, but through all their connections… or rather, animal connections—well, not exactly that, but through the animal communication network—they had succeeded in finding her. As a result, they had conveyed news to her mother, and upon hearing that she had a grandson, her mother had ridden on Kalanzheld’s back to come here.
“I don’t know why this body became a mode of transportation, but seeing your joy makes me think it’s occasionally acceptable.”
“Thank you all.”
“I persuaded them! Master, it’s all thanks to me.”
Zeno puffed out his chest and crossed his arms. Herchi, not wanting to be outdone, slightly raised his head and interjected.
“You have no idea how much I asked birds for information.”
“I know. I understand without you saying it.”
“……Really?”
Herchi’s mood quickly improved. They truly were transparent beings. She couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Mama?”
“Oh, Allen, this is your grandmother. You should greet her.”
“Gwanma?”
“My goodness, I can’t believe how big my grandson has grown. He looks just like both of you.”
Her mother bent down to meet Allen’s eyes. Upon hearing the word “grandmother,” Allen stretched out his hands.
“Gwanma!”
“Yes, I’m your grandmother.”
Her mother lifted Allen up. Allen giggled continuously in her embrace. Somehow, the duke’s residence felt more complete.
“So tell me some stories. There were many restrictions when I traveled with these two.”
“That’s right. I’m curious about Clarira’s story.”
“It should be more interesting, so I’m looking forward to it.”
“Wow!”
Allen’s eyes sparkled as he looked at her mother. Soon after, her mother sat down in a chair with Allen in her arms.
“Now, where should I begin……”
The divine beasts and Allen immediately focused on her mother’s story. Cedric came to her and wrapped his arm around her waist. She kissed his cheek and whispered:
“Cedric. Thank you. I love you.”
“That’s what I want to say. Every day with you feels like I’m on a journey.”
“Like a journey?”
“Always new, always exciting, always happy.”
He whispered in her ear.
“It feels like receiving a gift every day, and I’m always grateful.”
She held Cedric’s hand that was holding her waist and rested her face on his shoulder.
“Allen must be happy too, right?”
“Of course. If you’re happy, the child will be happy too.”
The gentle and lovable Allen, and Cedric who made it possible to give that love. Her mother, who never lost her love for her even when they were apart. And the divine beasts who stayed by her side and provided so much help.
With everyone around her, she was happier than anyone. Each day was precious, almost to the point where she wondered if it was okay to be this happy.
“Ohhh.”
Exclamations of admiration burst from the divine beasts listening to her mother’s story. She and Cedric exchanged glances and simultaneously headed toward the table.
Just like children excited to hear their mother’s story.
<Side Story, End>
Translator
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Pitidri
Foi uma história muito divertida… sinto que se perdeu um pouco em certo ponto, ficou um pouquinho confusa, não gostei de simplesmente terem apagado a gravidez dela do nada, e as vezes o autor parecia ter esquecido algumas partes da história… mas foi bom ler até o final.
Obrigada pela tradução Iante! ❤️