Side Story 14 

Dyffrin lifted his head to face Evelyn.

However, he didn’t answer right away.

Evelyn also didn’t rush him. He already knew the right answer in his head.

Evelyn cupped Dyffrin’s face with both hands and pulled him down. Dyffrin lowered his head.

Their lips briefly touched and then parted.

Through the lowered eyelashes, his blue eyes looked calm.

“Being a father is not easy.”

“Isn’t it?”

“If it were any other condition, I would have refused without a second thought.”

Understanding Dyffrin’s words, Evelyn gave a bitter smile.

“I don’t like being apart from you either.”

“It doesn’t seem that way.”

Evelyn raised her eyebrows.

“Would you like me to cry and beg you not to go?”

“Then I would have refused His Majesty’s offer.”

Evelyn sighed at Dyffrin’s answer.

“That’s why I tried to speak calmly.”

“I know. I just don’t like this situation.”

Dyffrin said as he kissed Evelyn’s lips again. Evelyn hugged Dyffrin tightly.

“Finish your work as quickly as possible and come back.”

“I will.”

Dyffrin’s voice lacked energy.

“Dyffrin…”

“If you call me like that, my resolve might weaken.”

Evelyn forced a smile. She then hugged Dyffrin’s back tightly.

“You are a wonderful father and a wonderful husband.”

Dyffrin didn’t react. Then he lowered his head and pressed his face against Evelyn’s neck.

As his breath lightly brushed against the sensitive area, Evelyn immediately tensed up.

“…Dyffrin.”

“Tonight, I want you to remember me as a wonderful husband, not as a father.”

“…”

“I need you right now.”

As his demeanor changed, Evelyn was momentarily flustered and pulled back.

But Dyffrin didn’t miss the chance and bit Evelyn’s earlobe. The sharp pain made Evelyn’s face turn red.

“I’ll be away for a long time, so I need to leave my mark.”

“…You’re not leaving right away.”

“I’ll make sure you remember me until I leave.”

“My body won’t hold up.”

“We won’t see each other for at least a year, so it’s okay to allow this much.”

Evelyn silently wrapped her arms around his neck. It was a sign of permission.

Dyffrin lifted Evelyn and carried her to the bed.

“Wait! I don’t want to do it right away. I haven’t washed yet.”

“I prefer your natural scent over perfume.”

“But it feels sticky…”

“It’s not the first time we’ve done it like this.”

True. Whenever their lips touched, they often made love regardless of whether they had washed or not.

“If you really want to wash, let’s do it together.”

Evelyn glared at Dyffrin. She knew what would happen if they washed together.

“It hurts when we do it in the bathroom.”

“Then don’t wash.”

Dyffrin said as he kissed her. Evelyn closed her eyes tightly and wrapped her arms around his neck.

The quiet bedroom was filled with the sound of their passionate kisses.

Then Dyffrin bit her neck softly, leaving a red mark on her delicate skin.

“Ouch, I told you not to leave marks!”

“No.”

“Do you know how embarrassing it is when Woody thinks I got bitten by a mosquito and worries?”

“You’ll think of me every time.”

Dyffrin laughed mischievously.

“You’re really…”

“I’m holding back from marking your entire body.”

“Thank you so much for that… Dyffrin!”

Dyffrin left another red mark on her white skin.

“I was talking!”

“Keep going.”

“How can I keep talking when you won’t leave me alone?”

“I like hearing you talk and then moan.”

Evelyn’s whole body heated up at his candid words.

“Ugh… You’re too honest in bed.”

“It helps get you ready faster.”

Understanding Dyffrin’s meaning, Evelyn sighed deeply.

If that was his strategy, it certainly worked.

Her body was already heated from their brief conversation.

Evelyn looked at Dyffrin with reddened eyes, and Dyffrin took a short breath.

“…But today, I don’t have much patience.”

Dyffrin covered Evelyn’s body.

* * *

“Does this mean we won’t see Dad for a year?”

Woody asked, looking like he was about to cry. Evelyn tried to answer in a cheerful voice.

“If you eat well and sleep well, a year will pass quickly.”

Despite Evelyn’s comforting words, Woody eventually grabbed her clothes and started crying. Soon, he burst into loud sobs.

“Waaah, Dad!”

Ellia patted Woody’s head.

“Father is going to do something important for the empire. So instead of being sad, you should be proud.”

“But… we won’t see Dad for a while.”

“That can’t be helped. We can’t stay together forever just because we’re family.”

Ellia said coldly. Woody looked even more shocked.

“Then I can’t stay with Mom, Dad, and Sister forever…?”

“Of course not. When you grow up, you’ll have things to do, and you’ll get married…”

“Stop, stop.”

Seeing Woody about to cry again at Ellia’s realistic answer, Evelyn intervened.

“If you want, our family will always be together.”

“Really…?”

“Of course.”

Realizing the reality would come later as Woody grew up. There was no need to say harsh things now.

Ellia looked at Woody with slight disapproval, then looked up at Evelyn.

“Mother. I plan to show Father a different me when he returns. To do that, I need to make the most of each day.”

“…You’re already doing that.”

“No. I’ll wake up earlier and sleep later.”

Evelyn sighed and spoke to Ellia.

“It’s good to work hard, but it’s also important to get enough sleep during your growth period. And Ellia, you’re already doing very well, so don’t burden yourself.”

Ellia, though young, was already feeling the responsibility of being an heir.

Moreover, as the eldest daughter, not the eldest son, she knew that if she didn’t do well, it would be a disservice to her parents who trusted her and to Woody who gave up his place.

“It’s okay even if you don’t do well. You have Mom and Dad.”

Ellia slowly released the fist she had clenched.

“But still…”

“Since we’re talking about it, how about we go visit the village today? I heard the market has seasonal fruits, and they should be delicious.”

Ellia had filled her schedule for the day, but she erased it without hesitation.

“Alright… just for today.”

“Yay, I love it!”

Woody, who had been sulking, now had a big smile on his face and jumped up.

Evelyn smiled and held the hands of her two children.

“We need to be back before sunset, so let’s go quickly!”

* * *

A day without Dyffrin felt empty.

Even though they didn’t spend the whole day together, not having someone to talk to made the day feel lonely.

To fill that void, Evelyn turned her attention to the children.

Even though they were growing up quickly without much intervention, spending more time with them wasn’t a bad idea.

Evelyn went to the knights’ training ground. She saw Ellia, dressed in training clothes, rolling on the ground.

Ten-year-old Ellia was much smaller than the knight she was sparring with, but her eyes were sharp and determined.

Perhaps that’s why the knight sparring with her was taking her seriously.

“You need to move faster. Otherwise, the sword will graze your side.”

Ellia quickly absorbed the feedback and soon improved her posture.

Evelyn felt proud of Ellia but also had mixed feelings.

‘She is my daughter, but she is indeed unique.’

She had thought about teaching her daughter swordsmanship, but only to build physical strength. Noble children also learned swordsmanship as part of their education, but only the basics unless they aimed to become knights.

However, Ellia trained as if she wanted to become the world’s best swordsman.

One day, Ellia had said,

‘Mother, I will train hard with the sword to protect you. Someone needs to protect you when Father is away.’

It was a heartfelt confession, but there were countless knights in the castle to protect her.

Still, Ellia’s determination to protect her was endearing and lovely, so she let her be.

Seeing Ellia fulfilling the plan of teaching her daughter swordsmanship made Evelyn’s heart swell with happiness.

At that moment, Ellia noticed Evelyn and stopped training to walk towards her.

She was breathing heavily, likely from the exertion.

“Mother, what brings you to the training ground?”

Evelyn smiled and shook her head.

“Just because.”