Chapter 122

“That!”

When asked how he got here, Little One pointed at the painting hanging in her room. It was the one she had completed just yesterday.

“I thought of you while looking at that!”

When Elena cried, Little One’s eyes turned red as he followed suit.

What did he mean by saying he missed me? Could it mean another dreadful future awaited them?

Startled, Elena asked again.

“Why? Why did you miss Mom?”

Strangely enough, the title “Mom” came out naturally. It felt a little awkward, though.

Little One munched on the cookie she had given him and answered.

“I wanted to see your wedding!”

“My wedding?”

“Yes! Dad said you were so beautiful at the wedding, Mom! So I wanted to see it too!”

Amidst the confusion, one word caught her ears.

Dad. Little One just mentioned Dad.

“Then where’s Dad? Where is he?”

Elena feared he might say, ‘He’s not here!’

“Dad is…”

Just as Little One opened his mouth, a knock was heard, followed by Felix’s voice outside.

“Elly, what are you mumbling about alone? Can I come in?”

“Huh?”

Little One suddenly jumped up, ran to the door, and opened it.

“Who’s this…”

“Dad!”

He then threw himself into Felix’s bewildered arms.

“Dad’s here too!”

Felix looked at Elena with an expression demanding an explanation, his arms awkwardly raised.

But Elena couldn’t explain. She had realized something important from Little One’s behavior.

‘Thank goodness.’

It seemed that in the future, she, Felix, and Little One lived happily together.

***

“So…”

Felix, visibly flustered, looked down at Little One, who was nestled in his arms. Unlike Elena, he seemed unable to adapt to being called “Dad” by Little One.

“Is this Little One?”

By then, Little One was sitting on Felix’s lap, munching on cookies. He wasn’t shy around Felix at all, unlike before when he had seemed unfamiliar with him.

It seemed that future Felix was a kind father who played well with Little One. Well, Felix had always been unexpectedly kind to Little One.

“Yes, he’s our Little One.”

Tears welled up in her eyes again. As Elena was about to cry, Little One jumped up and clung to her.

“Mom, don’t cry.”

She wiped her teary eyes.

“Okay, Mom won’t cry. But Little One, does the Mom from your time know you’re here?”

Little One grinned mischievously. Now that she saw him, his mischievous smile was quite different from Felix’s.

“She doesn’t know!”

“What?”

Little One swung his short arms playfully.

“It’s a secret! I took off the bracelet Mom and Dad told me not to remove!”

“It must have been a magic-prevention bracelet.”

Felix murmured knowingly.

“For a child as unpredictable as him, I would’ve used something like that. But…”

“He’s more skilled than you, and it didn’t work.”

“Probably.”

“So, what do we do now?”

“What else can we do? We have to send him back.”

Hearing their conversation, Little One puffed up his cheeks.

“No! I’ll stay and see Mom’s wedding!”

“But Little One, the wedding is three days away. Won’t your Mom be worried?”

Suddenly, a thought from her diary crossed her mind. Little One who came to the past spent a considerable amount of time with them, but the people in the future didn’t seem to realize he was gone. That meant only a short time had passed in the future.

Even if Little One stayed here for three more days, the time he was missing in the future would likely be the same.

Perhaps the future versions of herself and Felix were searching frantically for Little One, but surely they would understand.

After all, she had missed Little One terribly too, so wasn’t it okay to be a little selfish?

With that thought, she hugged Little One tightly.

“Alright, Little One. Stay and watch Mom’s wedding.”

“Yay!”

Felix sighed, rubbing his forehead, but Elena and Little One beamed. Perhaps understanding their feelings, the weather was exceptionally pleasant that day.

***

“Who’s this child?”

When Elena went to have breakfast with Little One, Madam Jane, who had arrived earlier, asked. Elena looked at Felix, signaling him to explain.

But before Felix could speak, Little One ran to Madam Jane and hugged her.

“Grandma, it’s me, Little One! I’m here!”

“Oh my!”

Madam Jane’s expression turned even more curious. This time, instead of lying, they decided to tell the truth.

“He’s our child from the future.”

The absurd statement rendered Madam Jane speechless for a moment. Instead, she examined Little One’s face, who was chattering about how much he had missed her.

After some time, Madam Jane sat Little One on her lap and smiled warmly.

“Well, he does look like a perfect mix of you and Elena, Felix. But, child, how did you get here?”

“I came to see Mom and Dad’s wedding!”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes! Dad bragged about it!”

Madam Jane reacted calmly—too calmly. Elena asked in a somewhat bewildered tone.

“It’s an unbelievable story. Do you really believe it?”

“Why wouldn’t I? You two aren’t the type to make up such lies, and this child looks just like you. But I am curious about how this happened.”

Come to think of it, while she had told her father and brothers about Little One, she hadn’t mentioned him to Madam Jane. Elena sat across from her and recounted everything that had happened.

When Madam Jane heard that the Roy who had visited last year was actually Little One, she let out a small exclamation.

“No wonder I thought he resembled Felix as a child. So that’s why.”

“Yes, it seems so.”

As they chatted, Lindsey and Tony, still groggy from sleep, entered the room. Little One immediately jumped off Madam Jane’s lap and ran toward them.

“Wow, Uncle and Auntie! You’re so tiny!”

Lindsey and Tony were currently six years old. Since Little One was at least six years older, the Lindsey and Tony he knew in the future would be teenagers.

Seeing his uncle and aunt as children seemed fascinating to him.

Lindsey and Tony were equally curious. Though they seemed wary of Little One, they didn’t push him away.

“Hi? Who are you?”

“I’m Little One!”

“Little One?”

Madam Jane introduced him to the confused children.

“He’s your nephew from the future.”

“Nephew? Is that different from a friend?”

“Well, he’s Felix’s son.”

“Felix’s?”

“Brother’s? When?”

The children clearly didn’t understand. Well, it had taken her and Felix some time to adjust, so it was only natural.

But it didn’t matter if Lindsey and Tony didn’t understand what a “nephew from the future” was. The three children quickly became friends, chatting away during breakfast.

They barely ate as they chattered excitedly, and after the meal, they went to the playroom to play together.

‘This is nice.’

Elena leaned her head against Felix’s shoulder and smiled contentedly. Madam Jane wore a similar expression.

She couldn’t wait for the day when the three children would truly meet.

***

The remaining three days flew by. It was the morning of the wedding day.

“Wow, Mom, you’re so, so beautiful!”

Little One, who had been following her around since early morning, exclaimed in awe. It made sense. Even Elena herself thought she looked stunning in the mirror. Even more so than when she had attended the royal ball.

She teased Little One, who was staring at her with his mouth agape.

“So, was it worth coming to see the wedding?”

“Yes! I’ll brag to Dad when I go back!”

“Why not brag to him now?”

According to the Kingdom’s tradition, the groom wasn’t allowed to see the bride in her wedding dress before the ceremony. Thus, she hadn’t seen Felix yet.

Would Felix want to see me? 

The thought made her want to tease him.

Little One’s eyes sparkled with interest.

“Can I?”

“Of course.”

Before she even finished speaking, Little One darted out of the room.

“I’m curious about Felix’s reaction.”

Madam Jane, who had been adjusting Elena’s veil, laughed as she watched Little One’s retreating figure. Then, her eyes welled up with tears.

“If Vanessa could see this, she would be so happy.”

Hearing her mother’s name, Elena lost her words. She fidgeted with her fingers before asking.

“Do you think so?”

“Of course. You’ve grown up so beautifully. Vanessa must be watching you from somewhere, feeling proud.”

“…”

When Elena couldn’t respond and looked like she was about to cry, Madam Jane winked and joked.

“Honestly, I still think it’s a pity. Felix should know how lucky he is. Elly, it’s not too late. You can still change your mind.”

But her joke didn’t feel like a joke. Elena looked at Madam Jane’s serious face and chuckled softly.

“You know that won’t happen. Felix has changed a lot.”

“Yes, he has become quite gentle.”

Elena held Madam Jane’s hand tightly and whispered.

“I’ll live well.”

“Of course, you must. If Felix ever causes trouble, let me know immediately. I’ll scold him thoroughly.”

As they laughed together, Little One returned. He looked satisfied.

Madam Jane asked.

“What did your dad say?”

“He said, ‘Alright, stop bragging and go!’”