Chapter 11 (Part 9)

<The entire Ducal estate must have soft rugs laid out in all corridors and rooms!>

As a result, soft rugs began to be laid out throughout the Ducal estate, starting from the office.

<Once the child grows a little, she’ll start running around! If she falls and gets hurt, I won’t be able to bear it.>

Anthus only laid soft rugs in the office… yet he emphasized it was a long construction.

“Even so, if you work in the bedroom… Houston and the other aides find it difficult to come in. And…”

“Don’t worry, Lia. I’ll work alone here. And the aides won’t have any reason to enter the bedroom.”

“I’m worried about your health, Yan, trying to manage work and childcare alone.”

“I want you to rest, Lia, I need to work, and I want to see Noel…”

Anthus spoke softly, his eyes reddening as he lowered his eyelids.

Yuliana understood his feelings. She knew them too well, and because she loved him so much, she was also worried.

“I understand what you’re saying, Yan. Then let’s do this. Once a week, let’s leave the baby with the wet nurses…”

“Leave her?”

“I want us to spend some time alone together. The doctor said…”

Yuliana whispered into Anthus’s ear.

Anthus swallowed dryly, his face turning red.

“Starting this week, I’ll follow your words, Lia.”

Having reached an agreement, Anthus began working in the couple’s bedroom.

And what Yuliana worried about the most happened. It was Noel’s crying.

“Isn’t it hard to concentrate on work, and isn’t it noisy?”

“It’s fine. A baby who hasn’t learned to speak yet cries to let us know its situation. It’s a sign of health.”

Anthus, who told Yuliana what he had read in childcare books, got up from his seat and approached the cradle next to the bed. Seeing Noel crying sorrowfully made his lips relax and the corners of his mouth lift.

“No matter how much I look, she’s lovely. She’s beautiful whether she cries or laughs; it’s really nice.”

Anthus’s expression, as he held Noel from the cradle, was so gentle and warm.

* * *

Having already wrung the merchants dry, leaving nothing more to buy, Frey and Philip visited a toy store. And they ran into Matthias at the store entrance.

“Hello, Earl Loengrin.”

“Hello.”

As soon as Matthias entered the toy store, he exclaimed,

“I’ll buy all the toys here!”

Frey, who missed the opportunity, stomped his feet in frustration.

Then, as they wandered around the toy store, they competed to sweep up all sorts of items.

As a result, similar baby products always ended up at the Duke’s estate.

“It’s still too early for fairy tale books for Noel… Father, really…”

“My mother and father… sent embroidery supplies.”

There were too many baby products they received. They couldn’t use them all.

But there was a place that sent even more gifts than Matthias, Philip, and Frey. It was the imperial palace.

The person sending the gifts was none other than Cloud.

Anthus was openly displeased with Cloud sending gifts to Noelis. He had secretly returned the items several times without Yuliana knowing.

“Yan, but it’s a gift from His Majesty the Emperor…”

“He’s coveting our Noel… As soon as he found out you were pregnant, he wished for a young lady… and proposed a marriage alliance. I won’t marry Noel off.”

Yuliana began to worry as she saw Anthus becoming a more severe fool for his daughter than Matthias.

“Whether or not she marries the Crown Prince is a decision Noel will make later. And Noel might say she doesn’t like the Crown Prince. If she likes him… then there’s nothing we can do.”

“Lia, so I’ve been thinking… The next head of the Rockbellion family is Noel.”

“What?”

“I intend to show her that being the Head of Rockbellion and having people under her feet is better than being with an Emperor who can have concubines.”

There’s no law against a woman becoming the head of a household, but leading a family as a woman is a harsh task.

“But the current Emperor doesn’t have concubines.”

“A father and son are distinctly different. I oppose it.”

Yuliana suddenly remembered what Frey had said.

<If he’s a fool for his daughter, that’s one thing, but he’s become an idiot. An idiot for his daughter!>

Even though Anthus was called a fool for his daughter, he just laughed.

Anthus laid Noel in the cradle, then turned his gaze to Yuliana.

He spent every day with the woman he loved and the baby they had together. What could be happier than this?

Anthus was very happy. But that happiness didn’t last long.

* * *

“Why are you here?”

“Because you kept returning the gifts.”

Cloud looked at Anthus with a leisurely smile.

“But to bring the Crown Prince along…”

Anthus could see through Cloud’s intentions all too clearly.

“Where is Lady Noelis? I’d like to see her…”

“Noel is sleeping.”

Anthus wasn’t in a good mood. There was only one reason Cloud came. To see his beloved daughter, Noelis.

“Is that so?”

Due to Cloud’s visit, Anthus, who hadn’t let go of Noelis since she was born, reluctantly laid her in the cradle and came out.

Leaving the peacefully sleeping Noelis in the cradle felt miserable. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t see the origin of that misery, Cloud, in a positive light.

“That’s unfortunate.”

There was a knock, and Yuliana entered the room.

“What’s the matter, Lia?”

“May the radiance of the sun never lose its light… Your Majesty, how have you been?”

Yuliana bowed to Cloud.

“Oh, Duchess. Have you been well?”

“Yes. Excuse me for interrupting.”

“Yan… Noel…”

Yuliana, who entered the reception room, wasn’t alone. In her arms was the lovely Noelis, crying.

“Duchess! Is that child… Noel?”

“Waaah!”

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. Noel won’t stop crying. It seems she’s looking for Yan.”

Anthus was delighted that Noelis cried because he wasn’t there…

“Oh! Let me see the young lady’s face.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Waaah. Waaah!”

As Cloud quickly approached Noelis, Anthus openly frowned.

“She’s such a beautiful child. Her red eyes are just like yours, Yan.”

“Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty.”

Yuliana smiled at the praise for Noelis.

But Anthus couldn’t smile. Cloud had seen Noelis, whom he wanted to hide away.

“Waaah!”

“Lia, let me hold her.”

Anthus skillfully took Noelis in his arms and smiled. Strangely, Noelis’s crying stopped.

“Did Noel cry because her Father wasn’t there?”

“Gaaah!”

Cloud trembled, trying to suppress his laughter at the unfamiliar sight of Anthus. Who would think of him as the war-crazed, bloodthirsty sword master Anthus now?

“Show me more of Noel, Yan.”

“No.”

“Yan, please don’t be too rude to His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Yes.”

At Yuliana’s urging, Anthus reluctantly showed Noelis to Cloud. Cloud called Ian, who was sitting upright on the sofa.

“Ian, would you like to see the young lady?”

“Yes, I would.”

Cloud smiled broadly and picked up Ian. As Cloud, holding Ian, got closer to Noelis, Anthus’s face began to crack.

“Isn’t she pretty?”

“She’s very small and cute.”

Anthus absolutely didn’t want to show Noel to Ian. If Ian fell for the beautiful Noelis and pushed for an engagement… Anthus head began to throb.

But it was too late. Ian had already seen Noelis. Unpleasant thoughts kept swirling in his head.

“Gaaah.”

When Noelis looked at Ian, Anthus suddenly felt suffocated.

Ian reached out to Noelis. Anthus wanted to swat that hand away… but he could see Yuliana wouldn’t stand for it.

“She’s so pretty!”

“Isn’t she?”

“Yes!”

Ian kept saying Noel was cute. Something boiled inside Anthus.

“Father! You said Lady Rockbellion is my fiancée.”

With Ian’s words, the room fell silent for a moment.

“Hello! My full name is Iantalliman von Sirius. Since you’re my fiancée, you can call me by my nickname, Ian!”

Ian smiled brightly, touching Noelis’s finger with his own. Then Noelis gripped Ian’s finger tightly.

“Father! Lady Rockbellion, who will be my fiancée, is holding my finger tightly!”

“Uh, yes. Haha. Perhaps the young lady also like you, our Ian?”

“Your… Majesty…”

Cloud, avoiding Anthus’s blatant gaze, spoke.

“We need to have a talk.”

“Haha, Yan. I must be going now. Ian, let’s go.”

“Already? I want to see more of Lady Rockbellion.”

“You’re not running away, are you? Your Majesty.”

“Indeed, I am.”

After Cloud, who was running away, left, Anthus began to speak ill of him in a voice still filled with anger.

“I knew it. They’re targeting our Noel. It’s dangerous. We should go to another empire immediately.”

“Yan, calm down.”

“I can’t calm down. Did you hear what the Crown Prince said earlier? He kept saying our Noel was cute! He called her his fiancée!”

“Yan, listen to me.”

“Oh! They’re really coveting our Noel! What is this!”

“Yan!”

Yuliana raised her voice, calling out to Anthus, who was venting his dissatisfaction.

“Yes, Lia. Please speak.”

“Noel is still a baby, and the Crown Prince is young too. Let’s stop talking about it.”

“But the Emperor is brainwashing the Crown Prince early, and that’s the problem.”

Ian had said Noel was his fiancée with a bright smile. It was obvious who had told him to say that. Cloud.

“What’s wrong with marrying into the royal family?”

“I absolutely don’t want to marry her off to the royal family.”

“There’s no guarantee Noel and the Crown Prince will definitely marry.”

“But…”

“If His Majesty the Emperor has any sense, he won’t force an engagement on our Noel.”

“If that really happens, we’ll seek asylum in another empire.”

Anthus spoke sincerely.

Yuliana genuinely worried about the person who would become Noel’s husband, who didn’t even exist yet.

* * *

Matthias visited the Duke’s estate after a long time. It was to see his adorable granddaughter, Noelis.

“Father, aren’t you busy?”

“Now that Louis is taking over my duties, I have some free time.”

“Is Brother doing well?”

“He’s still got a long way to go. But being Rosaline’s son, he’ll do well. But where is my lovely granddaughter?”

“She should be in the room with Yan.”

“Every time I come, my son-in-law is always in the room with Noel.”

“He works there too.”

“I understand that feeling well. Haha.”

Matthias opened the door and cautiously peeked inside. Anthus was looking down at the sleeping Noelis in the cradle.

“Father-in-law.”

“I couldn’t stop thinking about Noel.”

“Welcome. Noel just fell asleep.”

Matthias tiptoed over to the cradle where Noelis was sleeping. Seeing his granddaughter sleeping peacefully, Matthias relaxed his lips and smiled happily.

“Noel… When she was born, she looked like Lia, but the more she grows, the more she resembles you, son-in-law.”

“I’m surprised every time I see her too.”

A meeting between father-in-law and son-in-law couldn’t be complete without alcohol. And, as if waiting, Anthus told Matthias about Cloud’s visit.

“He was so covetous of Noel… I almost threw a white glove at the Crown Prince’s face.”

“Haha. I understand that feeling well. It will only get worse… Will you be able to handle it?”

“They say men are weak, but fathers are strong, Father-in-law.”

“Do you know that strong fathers cry often?”

“They cry often?”

“When a daughter comes home late because she’s investigating a new type of monster out of a sense of justice… Or when she comes home late after watching an opera… Every time she comes home late at night, a father’s tears only increase.”

What Matthias said with a bright smile was enough to prick Anthus’s conscience.

“When rumors start that your daughter is dating a man she only had a meal with, or when you think she’s been brought home but find out the man took her to his house to spend the night… Or when she goes on a trip under the pretext of a territorial war…”

“Father… that’s…”

“Oh! There was also the time when I heard the sudden news of my daughter’s pregnancy… I cried a lot. They weren’t just plain tears. They were tears of blood. Even now, thinking about it brings tears of blood to my eyes.”

Matthias continued speaking as he emptied his glass.

“A father with a daughter is full of worries and tears. Do you know how much I cried before sending Lia off, Duke?”

“I’m reflecting.”

“It’s in the past, so it’s okay. And I feel like my wish for you to experience what it’s like to have a daughter like me has come true. Haha. Since I’ve already married off Lia once, even if I hear that my granddaughter got pregnant and had to marry quickly, I won’t be too shocked. Because I’ve experienced it once. Hahaha. Why do you look like that, son-in-law? I was just sharing my experience for laughs…! Hahaha.”

Anthus, who was about to complain to Matthias about Cloud eyeing Noelis, ended up being the one who got lectured.

It was a day when Anthus’s worries deepened.