***

At first, the Grosvenor family seemed surprised by Kaiden’s decision, but they soon accepted it with joy.

“Olivia Arendt, huh? That’s a beautiful name.”

“We’ve decided to call her Liv in the family. It just seems to suit her better.”

“Liv is lovely too.”

“Are you really okay with that, mother?”

“Of course I am. I’m happy… happy to be able to say the name again.”

The Marchioness’ eyes grew moist as she gently picked up a fussy Liv and soothed her with practiced ease.

“You have no idea how happy I am right now.”

Not only the Marchioness, but also the Marquis and Philip quickly fell in love with little Liv.

As the three of them watched her sleep soundly after a full feeding, after a moment of thoughtful silence, one of them finally spoke.

Philip was the first to speak.

“Mother… I can’t be sure, as I can’t remember exactly what Olivia looked like as a baby, but doesn’t Liv – little Liv – look a lot like her?”

The Marquis, who had been listening quietly, cautiously agreed.

“I thought so too. Something about Liv’s face…”

Violet couldn’t bring herself to confirm or deny it, so she just kept quiet.

After all, it was something she and Kaiden had already talked about.

By the time a week had passed since her birth, the baby’s features had become more pronounced.

The reddish hue of her skin had faded to a soft, milky tone and the swelling around her chubby eyelids had subsided, revealing a set of deep double eyelids.

The two of them had spent a lot of time huddled together, trying to work out who little Liv most resembled.

As Violet had expected, Liv didn’t look like Kaiden at all.

But surprisingly, she didn’t look like Sarah either.

What they did see – eerily – was a resemblance to Olivia Grosvenor.

The blonde hair, the green-brown eyes, the delicate, finely balanced features all reminded them of her.

Genetically, however, it was impossible for Liv to resemble Olivia.

So in the end, they concluded that it must be nothing more than their imagination.

But when even members of the Grosvenor family began to say the same thing, it became harder to dismiss it as mere fantasy.

Violet turned to the Marchioness and waited for her thoughts.

No matter what anyone said, she was the one in the room who remembered Olivia’s face as a baby most vividly.

Finally, the Marchioness, who had been silent, spoke.

“Letty, I still remember the face I saw the first time I held you in my arms. It’s been over twenty years, but it’s still as vivid as if it happened yesterday. The sound of your breathing, the way your lips moved, the flutter of your little eyes… But really…”

The Marquise swallowed dryly.

“Little Liv looks just like you did then. Even the feeling of holding her in my arms is so similar. She must have a similar bone structure, too.”

“Really?”

“Of course, we won’t know for sure until Liv is a bit older, but I have a feeling… the more she grows, the more she will resemble you.”

“I see.”

But… was that something to be happy about?

If Liv really did resemble the original Olivia – then what on earth had happened?

Was Liv really all right?

Troubled by this thought, Violet decided to write a letter to Lady Cassandra.

And considering Violet’s limited mobility, Cassandra was happy to come to the Arendt estate herself.

“To be honest, this is the first time I’ve seen a case like this, so I can’t say anything for sure.”

Cassandra admitted after watching Liv carefully.

It was the first time Violet had seen her unsure of anything.

“The fact that your eye and hair colour returned to their original state was completely natural. It’s a reflection of the true nature of your soul gradually affecting your body”.

“……”

“But a baby is different. Physically, this child should inherit traits from the biological composition of the body, not from your soul, and yet… even to me, this baby resembles the former Lady Grosvenor.”

“…!”

“I need to do more research on this, but for now my theory is that this child may have been strongly influenced by your original soul.”

“Is that so?”

Cassandra added carefully, her tone cautious.

“She has just been born. It’s far too early to draw any conclusions. At the moment, she may appear to resemble your former self, but as she grows, her features may change completely.”

“…Right.”

Gently stroking her fussy baby’s cheek, Violet finally asked the question that had been bothering her the most.

“If Liv really does resemble the former me… will her body be alright?”

“Most likely there won’t be any problems. From what I’ve seen, she’s perfectly healthy. And – although I’m not sure if this is a good thing or not – she seems to have no talent for magic at all. That too may be something she inherited from Lady Grosvenor.”

“Sigh… If she’s healthy, that’s all that matters. Thank you for coming.”

“No need to thank me. I’m grateful too – I learned something new today.

Please contact me again if anything happens.”

Even after Lady Cassandra left, Violet couldn’t shake her unease.

Unaware of her mother’s concern, Liv fussed and whimpered, looking for milk.

When Kaiden heard what had been discussed, he quietly watched his beloved wife and daughter – then planted a soft kiss on Violet’s temple.

“What are you so worried about? What’s wrong with Liv looking like you? Isn’t that a good thing?”

“I don’t know… I’m not sure I can say it’s a good thing…”

Violet adjusted her posture, trying to calm Liv down as she continued to fuss.

“I like that she looks like me. Honestly, there’s no reason why I shouldn’t.

Personally, I thought – just once – that I’d like her to look more like you, Kai… But that was before she was born.”

The moment Violet held Liv in her arms for the first time, she had fallen in love with her.

No matter who Liv looked like, that love hadn’t changed.

Liv Arendt was the child she had carried in her womb for ten months and brought into the world.

Even now, when Liv opened her round little eyes wide and then smiled softly, all of Violet’s worries melted away.

But still…

“I’m afraid of what people will say about her later.”

If Liv continued to grow up looking like Olivia Grosvenor, society would surely start whispering behind her back.

People in social circles would gossip about the resemblance, and one day Liv herself might even ask, “Why don’t I look like either my mother or my father?” It was a worry for the distant future, but Violet was already dreading that day.

Unlike her, however, Kaiden didn’t seem the least bit worried.

With a calm expression on his face – as if wondering why she was worrying about such things – he leaned forward and kissed the back of her neck gently.

“No matter what anyone says, the fact remains: Liv is our daughter.”

“Still…”

“Liv is a part of me and…”

“Liv will grow up surrounded by our love. No matter what the world says, it won’t touch her. The only truth she’ll hold on to is that her mum and dad love her more than anyone in the world.”

“……”

“But if you’re still worried…”

Kaiden gently tapped the little button nose of her daughter, who had just finished nursing and was now staring at him wide-eyed.

“Then I’ll strengthen the Arendt name even more – so that no one will dare talk carelessly about our child.”

At this, Violet finally relaxed her furrowed brow and let out a soft laugh.

“How much more do you plan to increase the family’s influence?”

“Who knows? As much as I can. Enough that no one would ever dream of touching you or Liv.”

“……”

“So, Letty… from now on, all you have to do is be happy with Liv. I’ll carry all the worries and burdens for us.”

“You don’t have to do this, Kai.”

Violet pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

“I promised myself I’d face whatever comes our way with you. Not by hiding behind you, but by walking beside you.”

“……”

“Of course I’ll make sure Liv never has to go through anything like I did.

So…”

Violet gave him a soft, bright smile.

“Let me stand beside you, not behind you.”

Kaiden gazed silently at his wife’s radiant face.

Come to think of it, she had always been like that – even back when she was Olivia Grosvenor.

On the surface, she seemed fragile, as if the smallest thing could make her cry.

But in truth, she had a strength that few could match.

Even after all she’d suffered at the hands of Eric Anderson and Scarlett Evelyn, she hadn’t broken. Instead, she stood firm and worked to make things right.

Kaiden still remembered the look on Violet’s face when she first came to him with her proposal – those eyes that looked as if they might cry at any moment, yet held a bravery that never once wavered.

“All right. Let’s do it.”

How could he ever ask a woman like her to stay out of it?

Violet was the kind of woman who would do anything for the people she loved – and especially for her daughter.

“Let’s protect Liv together.”

“Alright.”

Violet smiled as she rested her head on Kaiden’s shoulder.

It was a spring day full of promise – a day that already made her excited for the future they would build with their precious little child.

— The End. —