Chapter 10

At the mention of Noah, Elisa jerked her head up so sharply that her hair fluttered.

“Judging by how loud his crying is, it doesn’t seem that he is unable to make sounds. Have you looked into why it is that he cannot speak?”

“Yes. I am looking into it as thoroughly as I can.”

“Well, it doesn’t seem that way to me. If you were truly looking into it diligently, you would not have left the child in such a state.”

“I have never neglected him.”

Elisa spoke with force in every single word. The weak and docile appearance vanished without a trace, and her eyes fixed on her aunt with great intensity.

“I am doing my utmost for the child in my own way, so I would appreciate it if you would not say such things.”

“I don’t wish to say them either, but what is lacking is plain to see, so I cannot help it.”

“That is……”

“Then again, that child is officially your younger brother, so what could you possibly do.”

At words that did more than strike the mark and instead dug into the wound, Elisa clenched her fists so tightly that both hands trembled.

As her aunt had said, Noah was officially Elisa’s half-brother, but in truth, he was not. The one who had given birth to Noah was none other than Elisa Leslie herself.

Four years ago, when the Countess Leslie learned that her young unmarried daughter was pregnant, she collapsed, clutching the back of her neck. The Earl shouted that the child must be gotten rid of at once, but Elisa, defying her parents’ opposition, gave birth to the child.

The child born that way was given the name Noah Leslie and became the son of Earl Leslie. While Elisa was recovering from childbirth, her father had registered him in the family registry of his own accord.

When she first learned of it, she had been bewildered and angry, but knowing what was in her parents’ hearts, she could not bring herself to be angry.

She also knew that, in the eyes of society, being the Earl’s illegitimate son was regarded more favorably than being the son of an unmarried young lady, and for the sake of Noah’s future, this was the right choice.

And so, though she was his mother, she had lived as his elder sister for three years now.

That alone was sorrowful enough, but because the child could not speak, it made her heart ache all the more. Every time someone pointed out that fact, it was as painful as though her chest were being branded with a red-hot iron.

“It seems you are unable to do it, so I looked into it in your place.”

While Elisa was thinking, Tania Leslie drank her tea and set the teacup down.

“I heard that in the Kingdom of Tahal there is a famous physician, so renowned that people say he can cure even mutes.”

“If you say the Kingdom of Tahal…… do you mean the country in the desert region in the south of the continent?”

“Yes. I think it would be a good idea to take Noah to that physician. What do you think?”

“I also think it would be good to have him examined, but…… I believe it would be difficult to take young Noah all the way to such a distant place.”

To go from the Kingdom of Petra to the Kingdom of Tahal, one had to allow at least a month. And that was only when the weather was favorable; the desert was notoriously changeable, so there was a good chance it would take even longer than that.

There was no way a journey that was hard even for an adult could be endured by little Noah, who was only three years old.

“What if we invited that physician to the Kingdom of Petra?”

“I intended to do that as well, but the physician is advanced in years and said that traveling such a long way would be difficult, so he refused. I hear he is turning sixty soon, so it is understandable.”

Ah, then that certainly would be difficult.

“And since it may be possible for Noah to start speaking, it would be a pity to give up like this, so I was discussing with Derek a way to take the child to the Kingdom of Tahal.”

“Why would you discuss that with Sir Grenville instead of with me……?”

“Because Derek will be Noah’s father.”

Derek Grenville was one of the very few people who knew the truth of the relationship between Elisa and Noah. In fact, outside the family, he was the only one who knew.

What was more, when Elisa said that once they married and she became the Countess Leslie, she wanted to adopt Noah as her son and correct the false family registry, he had readily agreed.

At first she had wondered if he was merely pretending because he wanted to marry her no matter what, but after seeing how earnestly he tried to grow close to Noah, she had come to realize he was sincere.

He really is a good person. A person too good for me, even.

Her parents had rejoiced, saying that at last she had found her destined partner and that all that remained was for her to be happy, but Elisa did not think so. Rather, it felt like receiving divine punishment, like walking barefoot through a field of thorns.

“So……what did Sir Grenville say?”

“He said it would be best to speak again after discussing it with you first, and then again once you have given permission for Noah to be sent to the Kingdom of Tahal.”

“Send Noah to the Kingdom of Tahal? Without me going with him?”

Elisa, who had naturally assumed that she would be going as well, asked in great bewilderment, and Tania Leslie answered calmly.

“Of course not. It is not a short distance, so how could a woman possibly endure such a long journey? Besides, it is not proper for a woman to leave the house for too long.”

At her aunt’s rigid logic, Elisa’s breath caught. She knew well that this was not a person who would listen to her no matter what she said, but she could not let this simply pass.

This was not some trivial matter, but a matter concerning her child. It concerned the child she had borne in pain from her own body, so she absolutely could not back down.

“If Noah goes to the Kingdom of Tahal, I will go with him.”

Straightening her back, Elisa spoke clearly, with force in each and every word. At her stubborn expression, Tania Leslie’s eyes crumpled.

“I thought giving birth had made you grow up, but you are still immature.”

“I did not know that caring for one’s child as a mother was considered immature.”

“And that audacious habit of talking back to your elders word for word is still the same!”

Though Tania Leslie snapped at her, Elisa did not even blink.

“If you have nothing more to say, then I will be leaving now. And I will be taking Noah with me.”

“Do as you please! I went to all that trouble to think of and look into this for you, and this is how you behave, tsk, tsk.”

Leaving behind her aunt, who clicked her tongue and finally took out and bit down on her pipe, Elisa stepped out of the drawing room. The butler, having heard his master’s raised voice leaking through the crack of the door, looked at her with a worried face.

“Where is Noah?”

Instead of saying stale things like she was alright or he need not worry, Elisa asked that. The butler immediately led her to where Noah and Derek were.

The two were playing on a bench with a clear view of the rose garden. Sunlight poised between afternoon and evening poured down over their heads.

From a distance, they looked like father and son, but from up close, they did not. The two did not resemble each other in the least. Their hair colors, eyes, and facial features were all different.

In contrast, he looks exactly like that man.

Suddenly thinking of Noah’s father, Elisa came to an abrupt stop. At the same time, Noah turned to look at her.

The child smiled brightly and moved his lips. But no sound came out. Judging by the shape of his mouth, it seemed he was saying Mama, yet nothing reached her ears.

A mute child who could not speak. Elisa’s expression hardened as she remembered someone whispering that while looking at Noah.

“Have you been having fun?”

But only for a moment. The child came running toward her, stretching out both arms, and she smiled brightly as though nothing had happened and lifted him into her arms.

“Did your conversation with your aunt go well?”

Derek, who had followed after Noah, asked with some concern. Thanks to Noah, the tension in Elisa’s face had eased, and she was able to answer calmly.

“Yes. She was very worried about Noah.”

“He is such a lovely child, so of course she would be.”

Derek’s gaze, looking down at Noah in Elisa’s arms, was as gentle as the sunlight.

“Noah and I are about to head back now. What will you do, Sir Grenville?”

“I will be leaving as well. There is something I would like to ask of you, though—could you drop me off at the Grenville merchant company? Due to circumstances, I sent back the carriage I came in.”

“Of course.”

The merchant company was on the way back to the mansion anyway, and even if it had been in the opposite direction, it would still have been the proper thing to do, so Elisa nodded readily.

* * *

On the way back, the roads were not congested, so they arrived at the merchant company earlier than expected. Elisa made sure sleeping Noah was well supported with cushions so he would not be uncomfortable, then got out of the carriage to see Derek off.

“Thank you for taking care of Noah.”

“Not at all. I merely did what I naturally should have done.”

Why did the clear smile on his face feel so unsettling. Not even knowing what she ought to say, Elisa simply answered with a smile of her own.

“I believe I heard that the Countess will be returning tomorrow. Is my memory correct?”

“Yes. We did receive word that she will be arriving tomorrow.”

“Then I think it would be good if I visited the evening after tomorrow. There is also something urgent I need to discuss regarding Noah.”

Elisa had been about to ask what he was coming for, but at the added words, she swallowed what she had meant to say and nodded.

Just then, the sound of hoofbeats stopped beside them. Turning her head without thinking, Elisa’s eyes widened when she saw Ethan seated on horseback.