Startled by the sudden sensation of being airborne, she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck.

“For now, don’t think of anything else – just think of me. Even thoughts of the family you left behind… let’s put them aside, just for a few days.”

“…!”

“Because right now my head is so full of thoughts of you that I feel like I’m losing my mind.”

Before she knew it, Kaiden had gently laid Violet down on the bed, his fingers hastily working to undo the buttons of his shirt.

But his eyes never left her.

Even in the dim glow of the candlelight, his eyes were clear and piercing.

His gaze burned hotter than the flames, and the love in those eyes was even more intense than their heat.

Violet felt a sense of relief wash over her under the weight of that gaze.

And with it, all the worries that had plagued her moments before simply vanished.

Smiling, she held out her hand.

“All right, Kaiden.”

Kaiden, now with his shirt tossed aside, leaned down towards her.

As Violet gently caressed his cheek, he took her hand and planted a kiss on her palm.

“For a while, I’m all yours. I promise.”

With a soft chuckle, Kaiden leaned closer.

As his warm breath brushed against her lips, Violet closed her eyes, her heart filled with happiness.

***

It had now been over two years since Violet had begun living on the Arendt estate as the Duchess of Arendt.

One spring morning, just as the first light of dawn began to break through the lingering darkness… Since the evening before, a heavy silence and palpable tension had hung over the Arendt estate.

Then, suddenly, it was broken by the loud, piercing cry of a newborn.

Kaiden, who had been sitting in his study with his hands folded as if in prayer, sighing endlessly, snapped his head up.

After more than ten hours of waiting, the sound he had longed for had finally come – but he was frozen in place, unable to react, as if his body had turned to stone.

He didn’t even get up, just stared at the door – until it finally opened and the head butler stepped inside.

“The young lady is safely born.”

“Young lady?”

Kaiden echoed the word dazedly, and the butler beamed.

“Yes. A beautiful, precious little girl.”

“Letty…?”

“Both madam and young lady are healthy. It was her first birth, so madam was very exhausted, but there were no complications.”

“…”

“They’re tidying up the room now. As soon as that’s done, I’ll take you to them.”

Once again, Kaiden waited anxiously for the butler.

Compared to the time it had taken for Violet’s labour and the birth of their child, the wait for the room to be ready seemed infinitely longer.

Finally, the butler returned and led him to Violet’s room.

The moment Kaiden stepped inside, the first thing he saw was Violet holding her baby, wrapped snugly in a blanket.

The morning sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the drawn curtains, casting its glow over the woman he loved more than anyone in the world – and now over the child he knew he would love just as much.

Violet, looking down at her daughter with a gentle smile, looked so beautiful, so radiant, almost holy – that Kaiden found himself frozen in place, unable to move a step further from the doorway.

Sensing his presence, Violet looked up.

When her eyes met his, she gave him a bright smile.

“Why are you just standing there?”

Then, with a small gesture, she beckoned him over.

Kaiden’s body moved before his mind could catch up.

By the time he realised, he was already sitting next to her.

Violet spoke in an excited voice.

“It’s a girl.”

“Yes, I heard.”

Kaiden managed to answer in a voice hoarse with emotion.

“The doctor said she’ll grow up to be the most beautiful woman in the Empire. He said she was the most beautiful newborn he had ever seen.”

“And I don’t think he’s just saying that because she’s ours. Isn’t she really beautiful? I keep looking at her and I still can’t believe it. How did I end up with such a beautiful child? It’s really amazing.”

“Of course she’s beautiful. She takes after you.”

But as Kaiden said that, his eyes weren’t on the baby – they were on Violet’s face.

Right now, more than the baby’s cuteness, it was Violet’s face – worn from over ten hours of labour – that held his full attention.

Her chapped lips and the tiny burst blood vessels on her skin hurt him to see.

Unaware of what he was feeling, Violet kept chattering on cheerfully.

But oblivious to his feelings, Violet continued to chatter excitedly.

“I’m looking forward to everything. She’s so lovely, I’m sure she’ll be showered with love from the start. Mother, Father, even Philip – they’ll fall in love with her the moment they see her. Don’t you think?”

“Yes.”

Then, noticing that Kaiden’s eyes were on her and not the baby, Violet nudged him gently.

“Hey… why are you looking at me like that?”

“You should be looking at the baby, not me.”

Only then did Kaiden really look down at the baby.

The moment he saw the tiny life, smaller than his own forearm, he made a silent vow.

“Our daughter will grow up without a single worry and live a life full of happiness.”

“Yes.”

“And I’ll have to keep a close watch so no foolish boys try to get near her.”

Violet burst into a soft, clear laugh.

“You’re already making plans like that?”

“…”

As she watched Kaiden clench his jaw as he looked at the baby, Violet let out a small sigh of relief.

Kaiden had once told her that he would love and cherish her no matter what she looked like.

And Violet no longer doubted his heart.

Still, when she got pregnant, she couldn’t help but worry a little.

The baby would resemble Sarah’s features—

What if Kaiden found this unfamiliar and began to feel distant?

That was why she had hoped – whether the baby was a boy or a girl – that the child would take after Kaiden.

Unfortunately, the baby didn’t resemble him at all.

With her features still swollen from the amniotic fl*id, it was hard to tell exactly who she looked like, but the wisps of light blonde hair and her delicate frame made it hard to say that she took after Kaiden.

Which meant there was a good chance she looked like Sarah.

But looking at Kaiden now, Violet felt sure – he would love her daughter no matter who she resembled.

Still, just to be sure, she asked.

“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

“You’ll love her as much as you love me, won’t you?”

“Of course.”

He replied, his voice still raw with emotion.

“Of course I’ll love her. No, I already…”

He couldn’t finish the sentence.

But even that was enough of an answer.

***

Kaiden spent days trying to come up with a name for their daughter.

He wanted a name that would reflect how much he and Violet loved her – a name that would show how precious and noble she was.

But nothing felt right.

He pored over dictionaries and noble registers, narrowing down a list of candidates, but each one seemed to fall just a little short.

Then, a few days later, after the swelling on the baby’s face had gone down, she opened her eyes for the first time – just a little.

And the moment Kaiden saw those green-brown eyes, the same eyes as the one he had loved most in this world, he made his decision.

“Olivia Arendt.”

It wasn’t on any of the lists.

But the moment the familiar name left his lips, he knew – without a doubt – that no other name could fit her better.

“Olivia?”

Violet, who had been admiring the baby’s eyes, looked up.

Kaiden explained.

“Those greenish-brown eyes… they look just like yours. And Olivia – it’s also the name of the woman I love the most in the world. I thought maybe we could pass that name on to our daughter. It’s not unusual for children to inherit their parents’ names.”

Violet looked down at the baby’s face, silently repeating the name Olivia in her mind.

Taking her silence as hesitation, Kaiden quickly added.

“If the name Olivia feels too heavy… how about Liv? Or maybe…”

As always, Kaiden respected Violet’s feelings and opinions, but the way he continued made it clear that he didn’t want to give up on the name.

Hearing his voice fade, Violet smiled softly.

“I like it. Olivia.”

“Of course, we still need the Grosvenor family’s approval, but… huh?”

“I really like it. Olivia Arendt. I think it suits her. She’s even cuter than me, so a nickname like Liv would fit her perfectly too.”

Violet lowered her head and gently kissed her daughter’s round little forehead.

“Right, Liv?”

“Ah-ung.”

As if in agreement, the baby yawned and smiled.

And just like that, her daughter was Olivia Arendt.