“Is it because of me?”

What should I say to Leonel’s question if it’s because of him? In reality, it was thanks to Leonel that Amelia’s life was extended. But he couldn’t tell him the truth.

“It’s not.”

That was all he could say. If he gave even a slight hint, the clever child would quickly realize.

“Is there a way?”

“……”

“Make one if there isn’t.”

Leonel boldly demanded, and Raphael just silently looked at him. He had to admit that he had indeed changed. If it were his son from before, he wouldn’t have looked him straight in the eyes and said such a thing.

And demanding to make one even if there isn’t. It was an unreasonable request. That must mean Amelia is that precious to him.

“If Amelia heard what you’re saying now, she would strongly oppose it.”

Leonel could say such a thing because he knew nothing. What would Amelia say if she knew? First of all, her face would turn red. She would try to act calm, but she couldn’t hide the redness starting from her neck.

“It doesn’t matter.”

He thought Leonel, who follows Amelia very well, would naturally change his mind. But he was honestly surprised by his steadfast gaze. His hazelnut-colored eyes were straight. Unbreakable by anything.

“If it’s a secret.”

To get what you want, you could become despicable anytime you need to, just like the blood of Siegfried flowing in him. He doesn’t seem to believe it yet.

“Umm……”

Before he could answer, a groan came from Amelia’s lips. Though faint, the clear sound made Raphael and Leonel cling beside her.

“Mother!”

“Amelia.”

It was utterly disgusting to see him cling to her as if nothing had happened. He almost burst into laughter when he saw her rolling her innocent eyes. He also held Amelia’s hand without giving in.

He didn’t stop gently scratching her palm. It was something he couldn’t do unless he took advantage of her when she was out of her senses. It was also a signal asking her to recognize him first, not Leonel.

***

I felt like I was being beaten all over, with muscle pain washing over me. My body was so heavy that I could barely move a finger, and my throat was so dry that I couldn’t make a sound properly.

Yes, I felt just like I had a severe cold. Even the blanket covering my body felt too heavy.

“Uh……”

I couldn’t help but groan. I couldn’t understand why I was lying here. My last memory was… being grabbed by the hair by May…

“Mother!”

When she barely lifted her heavy eyelids and blinked, she heard a familiar voice. It was Leonel, his eyes brimming with tears. Surprised, Amelia sat up. For some reason, she felt strange, like she was hearing the sound of water in his voice.

“Leonel… Ah…!”

“Amelia!”

“Mother.”

She suddenly sat up, and the shock made her fall forward. It seemed like she couldn’t do anything about the muscle pain, even after being treated. If it weren’t for Raphael’s hands catching her, she would have embarrassingly fallen headfirst in front of Leonel.

Fortunately, she managed to avoid diving face-first onto the bed. Even though she usually hated those hands…

“Ah… Thank you.”

When I saw him, everything came back to me. May’s magic attack triggered the shield magic stored in the ring, and I barely managed to hold on for the final blow. If Raphael hadn’t appeared just in time, I would have been like a roasted chicken.

“Mother, are you in a lot of pain?”

“I’ll call a doctor.”

“No, no! It’s okay… I was just startled when I suddenly got up.”

All Amelia did was laze around the house. Besides occasionally going out to spend money, her life was utterly leisurely. It was natural for a body that wasn’t used to exercising to scream in protest after a series of shocking events. She had exerted all her strength throughout her body to avoid being hit, having her hair pulled, and being dragged around in the middle of the night.

“By the way… how did Leonel find out and show up?”

At the very least, the fact that something had happened should have been kept a secret from young Leonel. Amelia glanced at Raphael, asking what the situation was.

“With all the commotion at the castle, and even using sleep incense, it’s impossible for him not to know.”

“……”

“I’m sorry……”

In the midst of this, Leonel apologized, fearing she might hate him for it. Amelia sighed softly and gently stroked Leonel’s hair. Even in such a situation, Leonel was incredibly adorable.

“Leonel, I’m okay now, so you can go to bed.”

“……”

“Leonel?”

He stubbornly clasped her arm and shook his head with his lips tightly sealed. He seemed to have taken a big shock, which is not typical of him. Amelia looked at Raphael, wondering what to do. It was nice to have Leonel around, but there were many things they couldn’t discuss because of his presence.

“Can’t I sleep with you tonight?”

“Um……”

“It’s because of me that mother… got hurt.”

What on earth did he say to make the kid say such a thing? Could it be that he knows everything that happened with May? That couldn’t be. The adults here didn’t know how to protect a child.

“Leonel, your mother is okay, so go and sleep now.”

She was surprised to hear Raphael call out Leonel’s name. It seemed he always hesitated to call Leonel by his name. There were many nicknames for Leonel: the prince, that child, etc. Sometimes he even referred to him as his son. It seemed Raphael was the only one in the household who called Leonel the prince.

So what. Not giving him a middle name and not recognizing him was the same thing. And if they were going to call him the prince, then everyone should call Raphael by that title, too.

“Leonel.”

“Yes… Father, I understand.”

Faced with Raphael’s firm tone, Leonel had no choice but to give in. Amelia reached out her hand without realizing it as she watched the child nodding sadly.

“Uh… What, what are you doing?”

If it weren’t for the large hand that caught her fingers, she would have touched Leonel. A strange sound burst out of her, surprised by the weight covering not only her hands but also her entire shoulders and back. To anyone listening, it could have been mistaken for a moan.

“I just managed to send him back to his room, I didn’t want to ruin it.”

Bang.

Even then, he made sure to close the door with magic. Ruin it? She couldn’t understand what he meant. Wasn’t consoling a disappointed child something anyone could do?

“Does Leonel also know? That it was May’s doing, does Leonel know?”

“How’s your body?”

“You’ve heard everything.”

She didn’t need to confirm it, countless people must have come and gone. Amelia had experienced too much of his perfectionism these past few days.

“It’s okay. Really…”

There were still many places in her body that ached, but it was just mild muscle soreness. She had no intention whatsoever of undergoing a full health checkup from head to toe again because of some idle talk.

“I’m sorry.”

“So… huh?”

She was about to say there was no need to call a doctor, nor a priest or a mage when she heard an unbelievable apology from him. Was he always so good at apologizing? Amelia blinked at his second apology.

She couldn’t stop herself from looking dumbfounded, even though she knew she might look stupid.

“I put you in danger.”

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t entirely Raphael’s fault. There were crazies everywhere. One just happened to be May, who’s at the grand duchy. In fact, Raphael was the one who didn’t give May any attention or show any weaknesses more than anyone else.

But it was May herself who’s fallen victim to his charms and is spiraling out of control. She realized this after experiencing her abnormal obsession. It was not something Raphael could do anything about.

“No, it’s okay.”

“If I had come just a little… earlier. No, I should have driven her away long ago.”

Was he always a man who regretted his mistakes like this? In fact, the original Amelia wasn’t much different from May. There was only one difference between her and May. That she was officially his wife. Apart from that, everything was the same.

She took the initiative to like him, harbored feelings, and cultivated an obsession.

“I won’t ever leave again.”

“No, there’s no need for that.”