“Hmm…. In my opinion…… you look like the crazy b＊stard?”

“Kuk! You’re honest.”

“Seeing how you handle things so methodically, you seem like the other guy.”

Seeing Font’s more serious expression than expected, Rian smiled bitterly and asked.

“Is that… important?”

“What?”

“Who I am, is it really necessary to know that?”

To Rian’s rare serious question, Font replied casually.

“Hmm, of course it’s not absolutely necessary to know. People never fully understand themselves anyway. We don’t live by defining ourselves as ‘I’m a good person’ or ‘I’m a bad person.'”

“But Belita is a good person?”

“That’s a third-party perspective. She also prepared for war. War is an issue that can take people’s lives. Knowing someone might die, she still made her decision and gave orders. She chose to take others’ lives for the sake of the Grand Duchy. So is the Grand Duchess a good person or a bad person?”

“……”

“She was tormented. Afraid someone might die. But she didn’t stop. Because she thought it was for the Grand Duchy. At that moment, the Grand Duchess might have thought of herself as a bad person.”

“Hmm.”

At Font’s words, Rian let out a deep sigh. He felt sorry because it seemed like Belita had become involved in all this because of him.

“Everyone has two sides. You too. Me too. It’s just that your duality was split into two personalities that emerged depending on the situation. But if you’ve become one, then you’ll also act according to the situation. Depending on the person, depending on the situation, your tendencies will simply show. The difference is that now you can see both sides, so you can adjust yourself.”

“Then what am I today?”

“What else? A crazy b＊stard.”

“What an excellent physician you are.”

“If you know, then behave.”

“Get lost. Go call Belita for me. And take a separate carriage back.”

“I was planning to do that anyway.”

Font, who was turning away with a pouting mouth, stopped in his tracks. After a brief pause, he spoke in a different tone while keeping his back to Rian.

“……Thank you for coming back.”

“Thank you for protecting my wife.”

At these words they had never exchanged before, both men rubbed the goosebumps that had risen on the backs of their hands. Font chuckled and then left the room.

The preparations for returning to the Grand Duchy had been completed while Rian was confronting Count Thorne. The Emperor had made thorough arrangements to ensure his comfortable journey. Nevertheless, worry clouded the Emperor’s expression as he watched Rian board the carriage. How could he insist on traveling to the Grand Duchy in that condition? Though he had to let him go, knowing Rian’s stubborn nature, he couldn’t help but worry.

“Brother, take good care of Lovia.”

“Don’t worry and travel safely. Don’t come back getting carried again.”

“The Count might try something. Strengthen security.”

“I won’t be fooled again. It’s time I establish my own empire.”

“Hmph, how impressive. You should have done that earlier.”

Had they ever looked at each other this way before? Emperor Luderick suddenly felt a lump in his throat. One personality would anxiously avoid him whenever they met, while the other would busily try to extort money from him. And even then, they rarely saw each other.

When his brother and sister-in-law were brought in after the carriage accident, he felt like the sky was falling. But the outcome seemed better than expected. His brother’s mental state and the Grand Ducal couple’s relationship hadn’t worsened at all. And to think he would see such affectionate looks from his brother… At this point, he almost felt grateful to Lovia. Though she still deserved to die.

“By the way, have you named the child?”

“Yes. Belluan Amos Pero Royte.”

Belita, who was holding Rian’s hand, smiled contentedly. Rian Nospero Royte, Belita Amoris Royte. She was very pleased with the name they had created for their child by appropriately mixing their own names. After Count Thorne left, when she heard the child’s name from Rian, she almost shed tears feeling his sentiment.

“Grand Duchess.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I would like to add my surname to my nephew’s name as well. Have you made up your mind about it?”

At the Emperor’s words, Belita looked at Rian. As always, his expression seemed to say, do as you wish, with a smile. Belita turned back to the Emperor and bowed her head.

“I gratefully accept Your Majesty’s wish.”

At Belita’s answer, bright smiles spread across the faces of the Emperor and Empress. Did he hate that position so much? While some desperately coveted that position, others desperately wanted to leave it.

“Grand Duchess, we shall see each other again soon.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you so much for everything.”

“Why is the Grand Duchess thanking me? The one who should be grateful is someone else.”

Rian shook his head at the Empress’s playful face, still giving him a side-eye.

“Now, hurry along. Even if you leave now, you’ll arrive late at night.”

“Then we shall see you again soon, Your Imperial Majesties.”

The Emperor felt as apologetic as he was fond of Belita as she gave a modest bow. Knowing the Emperor’s feelings, the Empress tightly held his hand and smiled.

The Emperor and Empress blessed their future until the carriage departed and completely disappeared from sight.

* * *

All the servants of the Grand Ducal residence had lit bright lights and lined up in the garden to welcome the Grand Duke and Duchess who arrived late at night. For some reason, the Grand Duke’s expression looked quite displeased. He was never one to smile much, but now he clearly looked thoroughly annoyed. In contrast, the Grand Duchess’s face was full of smiles. And yet, their hands remained clasped together, never parting.

“Your Grace, thank you for returning safely.”

“Butler, you seem to have grown younger.”

“Perhaps it’s because laughter never ceases in the mansion with the precious baby here.”

“Hmph, so you were laughing while the master was at Death’s door.”

“Rian!”

Belita scolded Rian as the butler looked embarrassed. She gave him a side-eye for his pettiness in directing his annoyance with her toward the butler. Rian was thoroughly upset now because she hadn’t kept the promise she made in the carriage. Yet he still wouldn’t let go of her hand.

“I’d like to see this son of mine who kept the servants’ faces full of smiles even while his father was at Death’s door. Perhaps he can soothe this father’s heart as well?”

At Rian’s words, as if on cue, a nanny stepped forward carrying a baby wrapped in a blanket. Belita quickly let go of his hand and hurried to the child, causing Rian’s brow to furrow. He already felt jealousy bubbling up toward the child. But seeing Belita nuzzling the baby’s face as she held him, Rian couldn’t help but smile. Yet there was a trace of bitterness at the end of his smile.

Because he felt a strange envy at her maternal love.

‘Did you ever hold me like that even once, Mother?’

“Rian, it’s Thunder.”

He stared at Belita as she showed him the child, then lowered his gaze. The moment he looked down at the small life form in the little blanket, indescribable emotions swirled in his chest.

The snow-white skin and soft-looking cheeks were fascinating. The lips, which moved like he’s eating something even while sleeping, were quite adorable. The thick, spiky hair resembled her clear sky-blue color. How could his clenched fist be so small? No, not just the hand, everything about the child was small. As if the slightest pressure would crush him.

“What do you think? How does it feel to see your child for the first time?”

“Isn’t he being rude, sleeping when his father has arrived?”

“Babies need to sleep a lot. That’s how they grow.”

Her eyes were already dripping with honey, yet she spoke like that. Rian’s inability to properly express his feelings made Belita feel sorry for him, but she simply answered casually.

Though his words came out rough, Rian’s gaze never left the child. How could this be so fascinating? How admirable that this small child had clung so tightly to his mother’s womb despite the terrible accident and emerged so strong.

As he stared at the child with blank eyes, Belita suddenly placed the baby in his arms. Rian looked at her with shocked eyes as he awkwardly received the child. With Belita’s reassuring smile, Rian looked down at the child with a tense gaze. It was his first time ever seeing, touching, and holding such a small child.

Is it always like this? He couldn’t understand why his chest felt so tight. As Rian examined each of the child’s features, he suddenly froze like a rock.

“Oh my, has our Thunder woken up? Are you trying to greet your father?”

Bright eyes suddenly opened in the tiny face. Those bright yellow eyes, just like his own, rolled around, staring at him. His heart suddenly pounded. What was this feeling….

The small hand, curled into a fist and habitually sucking on it, suddenly stretched out toward him with a bright smile.

Thump.

Ah…. It seems my child intends to burst his father’s heart and kill him.

“He’s reaching for your hand. Hurry, give him your hand.”

Belita quickly took Rian’s awkwardly stiff hand and brought it to the child. Then Belluan’s tiny hand firmly grasped Rian’s index finger. Even though it was covered in saliva from being in his mouth, far from finding it dirty, Rian couldn’t understand why his heart was racing so much.

“He seems to recognize Your Grace. Isn’t he brilliant?”

The butler and nanny’s eyes glistened with tears as they watched the first meeting between father and son. All the servants wore the same expression. It felt as if true spring had arrived after the ominous, cloudy days in the Grand Duchy had ended.

“The wind is still cold. Staying outside this long won’t be good for the baby.”

“Yes. Let’s go inside.”

As Belita quickly took the baby in her arms and stepped aside, Rian stared blankly at his empty hand. When the child’s warm temperature disappeared, he felt hollow in one corner of his heart. Though it was very brief, he deeply missed the child’s warmth he had felt during that time. Even as they moved to the room, Rian’s gaze never left Belluan. He found himself smiling at the occasional babbling sounds the child made.

So this is what having a child means. Wanting to see them again even after seeing them, and feeling such affection despite meeting them for the first time.

After realizing this feeling, he understood more painfully how cruel his father and mother had been. Just one babbling sound filled his heart with pride, yet how could they have abused their child like that? He hadn’t thought about it before, but the young version of himself he saw in his dreams had also been very small. How could they have beaten and neglected such a small child?