Side Story: The Green Fairy (1)

The “Five Great Families” refer to the five households that played a pivotal role in the formation of the Rido Canal. While the heads of the families met daily to decide on canal rights, the ladies also gathered regularly.

It was during one such gathering. The Viscountess of Pontoise had to miss the meeting to assist Anaïs with her postpartum care, and in that absence, the Baroness of Conflans spoke up.

“Another boy, isn’t it? The child Anaïs bore.”

“Well, not ‘another.’ It’s the first child and the first son for the Saint-Laurent family. Isn’t that cause for celebration?”

“Certainly, it’s a joyous occasion. But lately, all I hear about is boys being born. From Madame Arthus, her cousin, and Madame Saint-Laurent… How can three families have sons consecutively?”

“It’s a bit concerning to find brides, isn’t it? They won’t be able to find anyone nearby.”

“That aside, does the heir necessarily have to be a boy? Look at Valerie.”

The Baroness of Conflans gestured lightly with her hand as if loosening her wrist.

“Oh, I truly envy Valerie. If only my grandchildren could be raised like that…”

“Valerie is an exception, isn’t she? Don’t you think so, Countess Arthus?”

The Viscountess of Biohel replied pessimistically and looked at Yvonne. Caught off guard by the sudden question, Yvonne awkwardly smiled and let her words trail off, saying, “Well…”

“Regardless of the child’s gender… Isn’t it enough for them to grow up healthy?”

“That’s true, I suppose.”

A brief silence fell over them. Even the Viscountess of Biohel, who had been pessimistic moments ago, couldn’t say a word. This was because Yvonne’s son, Claude, often fell ill.

Just as she had been sensitive about Yvonne herself, Liam was also unusually concerned about Claude’s health. As a result, none of the members of the Five Great Families were unaware of this fact.

So when Yvonne brought up the topic of health, seemingly referring to her own son, there was nothing more to say.

“Oh! My son recently brought back an anklet from the capital. It’s lovely; would you like to see it?”

“Oh my! That sounds wonderful!”

The Baroness of Conflans quickly changed the subject, and just like that, their conversation shifted abruptly.

***

That afternoon, Yvonne also visited the Viscountess of Saint-Laurent with Liam.

“Madame Saint-Laurent, congratulations on your safe delivery. You’ve truly endured a lot.”

“Thank you.”

Anaïs smiled warmly in response. Having just given birth recently, she looked rather fatigued. Beside her was Gabriel, who also appeared noticeably worn out.

Though it was Anaïs who had gone through the ordeal of childbirth, Gabriel looked even more exhausted. His appearance left the other family heads quite bewildered.

As noblemen who had just welcomed sons typically did, they had expected Gabriel to proudly boast about his son with a jubilant expression. Instead, his near-death-like appearance left them confused.

Gabriel, however, couldn’t understand the thoughts of these family heads. How could anyone witness their wife’s agonizing childbirth and focus solely on the fact that it was a “son”? It was baffling.

The child he held in his arms was undoubtedly precious and deeply loved. Yet, apart from his affection for the child, Gabriel had made a firm resolution.

‘Never! No second child! Absolutely not!’

…That was his resolution.

The person who had heard this resolution the most was Liam. After all, Liam was his only close friend, so it was natural.

In truth, Liam couldn’t quite understand why Gabriel was so adamantly opposed to having another child. He was aware that pregnancy and childbirth were challenging processes, but was it really to that extent?

This was because Liam hadn’t been present when Yvonne gave birth to Claude. To Liam, one day his wife had disappeared, and after frantically searching for her, he found her with their newborn son.

Moreover, Yvonne herself was walking around cheerfully, making it hard for him to imagine that she had nearly died.

Living with Yvonne, Liam had assumed that one day they would have a second child, then a third… and so on, with children arriving one after another.

Though he had come to formally congratulate Anaïs and Gabriel on the birth of their son, Auguste, Liam found it difficult to understand Gabriel’s current feelings.

“May I take a look at the baby?”

“Of course.”

Anaïs readily agreed to Yvonne’s request. Soon, the baby, carefully wrapped in a cloth, was handed over.

“He looks a lot like Monsieur Saint-Laurent.”

“Doesn’t he?”

Yvonne remarked as she observed Auguste. Unlike Claude, who had been hard to tell whether he resembled Liam shortly after birth, Auguste had light blonde hair and violet eyes, making him strongly resemble Gabriel. Especially his slightly rounded nose was similar.

“I hope he grows up to be sharp and not taken advantage of.”

“Let’s hope Auguste inherits his mother’s temperament. That way, he’ll conduct himself well. Don’t you agree, Monsieur Saint-Laurent?”

“Indeed.”

With Anaïs’s concerned remark, the Countess of Pontoise smiled and looked at Gabriel. The harmonious family scene made Yvonne smile as well.

However, to Liam, that smile felt somewhat bittersweet. Troubled by this, Liam spoke up in the carriage on their way back to the Arthus mansion.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“Huh? Not particularly. Why?”

“It’s just… After seeing Gabriel’s son earlier, I felt like something was off.”

Yvonne tilted her head, as if questioning his assumption. Her expression seemed to deny any such feelings, prompting Liam to change the subject.

“If it’s just my imagination, then fine…”

“Oh.”

But Yvonne’s soft sigh made Liam pause. He quickly straightened his posture and asked.

“So there is something, isn’t there? What is it?”

“It’s nothing major…”

“Let me hear it first, and I’ll decide.”

Despite Liam’s insistence, Yvonne hesitated before speaking.

“Seeing Anaïs’s child resembling Monsieur Saint-Laurent’s eyes… It made me wonder if our first child might have looked like that.”

A child they hadn’t wanted, whose name they hadn’t even given, buried in an isolated place along with the sorrow buried in their hearts. A child who might have been born with green eyes.

Even while raising Claude, the memory of that child lingered painfully in her heart. Seeing Auguste today had only deepened those feelings, making her chest ache.

Had they not given up on that child, perhaps they could have found a way to raise them.

Yvonne knew it would have been difficult. If she had arrived in Verno while pregnant, Marceau would have either abandoned her or forced her to do the same.

To Marceau, Yvonne’s only value was to marry her off to Earl Marlon.

Earl Marlon wouldn’t have looked twice at Yvonne if she were carrying another man’s child. Liam would have been no different at the time.

“Do you regret asking?”

“No, of course not.”

Liam hesitated before pulling Yvonne into his arms.

“I…”

“…”

“…I’m sorry.”

That was all he could say. Yvonne didn’t reply, nor did she push him away. That alone was enough for Liam to feel relieved.

“How about visiting Valence next month? I might be able to go with you.”

“Valence? Why?”

“To see… the child.”

Liam cautiously suggested. Like Yvonne, he didn’t know what to call their first child.

“You mentioned burying them there. If you’re okay with it, I’d like to go… if you’ll allow me.”

“If you want to go, then do so. I don’t mind.”

“Alright. I’ll arrange a schedule.”

Though Gabriel might grumble about Liam’s absence, there was no other option. Gabriel had endured while staying by Anaïs’s side, and Liam had been struggling in his own way.

Now it was Gabriel’s turn to endure again. Liam decided he’d bring up the topic when Gabriel returned, gently patting Yvonne’s shoulder as he thought.

***

The following month, as planned, Liam boarded the train with Yvonne. Claude was also with them in Liam’s arms, as he still needed to be nursed.

Though Claude was still young, he had grown enough that it was difficult for Yvonne to hold him for long. Thus, carrying the child became entirely Liam’s responsibility.

“Isn’t he heavy?”

“Not at all.”

Liam responded while hiding his tingling arm. Although the child seemed relatively light at first, holding them for an extended period left his arm stiff. However, he pretended not to feel any discomfort as he searched for the cabin. 

Since Liam didn’t show any signs of struggle, Yvonne genuinely believed his words and followed him inside.