“Will you answer if I ask?”
“I suppose.”
“Then that’s fine. I like children, you see.”
He leaned forward, deliberately placing his hand on Andion’s head. The child scowled and shot him a fierce look, which only made Noah grin mischievously and tousle the small head even more.
“By the way, is this really okay? Divorce is probably just a matter of time after this, but the lady’s honor will be sullied. Perhaps you should have held the duke’s weakness a bit tighter before acting…”
“Did I ever have honor to sully?”
At first, she had considered exposing the contemptible relationship between the duke and the princess. But there was no evidence of any wrongdoing—at least not until the child was born. A brother-in-law with his sister-in-law? It was just too ridiculous to believe.
To confirm the princess’s pregnancy, she would have needed a palace physician to examine her. But there was no way a court physician would testify to such a scandal, risking the royal family’s reputation. They might even brand Caria as paranoid.
At worst, the princess might choose to terminate the pregnancy. Since there was no visible sign of it yet, it was still early and could probably be undone with medicine. But… wouldn’t that be far too trivial?
Caria had a habit of saving the best for last, savoring it after delaying everything else.
This was just a taste, a small exercise to reclaim her freedom of action and a warning to show what she could do.
“In noble society, my name is still known as ‘the illegitimate child of Duke Lutbert.’ I’ve been a disgrace to the royal family since birth. I have no honor to protect. I have no friends or family whose honor I feel compelled to defend. In fact, it delights me to publicly tarnish the royal name.”
Have you seen the emperor himself collapse in shock?
Caria hugged Andion tightly, laughing as if genuinely enjoying herself. Noah didn’t know whether to share in her delight or to feel sad at her objective commentary on her own situation.
“And there are still many things I want to give my husband—well, future ex-husband. I’ve already drained his stamina; what if he collapses before the decisive moment?”
“-Things you want to give?”
“I’ll make another request to the guild. Could you find out about the most recent masquerades within the last two or three months? The ones the Duke of Pandeon and Princess Servis attended together.”
She would only reveal this hand once she had concrete evidence. Servis had probably already realized Caria knew something. The sheltered princess, weak in the face of danger, would panic and unwittingly leak more evidence.
Caria only had to approach step by step, like a predator cornering its prey.
Ah, and it would be delightful if the child had vivid blue hair. With such strong royal blood, who knew what would happen.
“-Do you hate him that much?”
“Of course.”
“Then why did you endure staying by such a man’s side for so long?”
Noah asked cautiously, careful not to sound as if he were blaming her for her suffering.
But for Caria, the answer was simple. She only found it curious that he was asking about the past, not about the children who existed now. She had no need to voice this question.
“At that time, everyone said it in unison. He was perfect for you. No, he was more than enough. There’s nothing better for you in life. You were born a sinner who tarnished your father’s honor. Whether you resist or comply, live your life accordingly. I believed that, at the time.”
“That’s not true.”
“Exactly. You realized that and came out into the world.”
Caria shrugged sullenly. She knew she had never lacked anything. Even the emperor’s crown—was that earned by his power alone? No, she had fought alongside the first emperor, risking her life.
The current royal family, who prattled endlessly about royalty, were fools who believed birth alone was a merit.
“You’re saying you never loved him?”
“Love, huh…”
Caria paused at the question. Her hesitation made Noah anxious.
“I did love him.”
“-You… loved him?”
“I regarded him as a substitute for my father.”
Rubiderf Pandeon was an indifferent man who never gave a single pleasing word, even ceremonially.
He never called her by name, always kept his distance, and under the guise of being a husband, she only saw him a few times a year.
Still, she waited for him. Waiting for him to be near, to speak to her, to glance at her. Just like young Caria, around seven, had waited for her father.
“When I lived at the duke’s estate, I followed my father around. Other family members may have been fake, but I thought I could rely on him. Then the place and the environment changed, and I simply found someone else to rely on. In the end, all of it was meaningless.”
It was love, but not selfless love. She merely wanted to survive. Instinctively, she clung to whomever seemed safest, but both attempts failed.
As she was lost in thought about the two men who had dominated her life, the carriage stopped. The driver announced their arrival, and the town house staff lined up to greet her.
“Welcome home, my lady.”
“Mom!”
Then, something shot between them at lightning speed. Reflexively, Caria braced herself and spread her arms. Andion quickly intercepted, catching the waist of the leaping figure.
“Look! I’m curly!”
Alice struggled in Andion’s arms, her twin pigtails bouncing. Whether or not she listened to Andion’s warning not to jump, she laughed with carefree, tinkling joy.
Caria, previously lost in complex thoughts, couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her laughing daughter.
“Yes, you’re adorable. It suits you.”
“Hehe, Mom, I waited nicely.”
“Really? I didn’t expect it, but you were obedient. Well done, Alice.”
Caria bent down to stroke Alice’s head. The child smiled, pure and unguarded. The town house maids, who had cared for her during Caria’s absence, cheered excitedly.
“My lady hasn’t cried or fussed a bit! She’s very… energetic, actually quite a lot!”
“Yes! Children at this age don’t usually behave so composed in a strange place! She ran all day out of curiosity, though!”
“Alice is so composed!”
The maids noted that Alice’s cheeks had slimmed a bit over the past half-day, but her charm left their faces soft with joy.
Alice, praised for her obedience and composure, looked up at Caria expectantly. Seeing her transparent desire, Caria responded warmly with a bright smile.
“Alright, next time I’ll take you out with me, too.”
“When’s next time?”
“-Next time. There will be an occasion to show off these precious sapphire eyes.”
She stroked Alice’s eyes with a satisfied, lion-like expression. Today, her blue eyes seemed more enchanting than ever. No necklace, no matter how many, could replace them. Caria glimpsed a sweet future in Alice’s eyes.
The staff watched the heartwarming family moment with joy. But one person could not even manage a smile.
“Where did you go without me?!”
Red Wise stomped forward, nearly in tears, scolding. He had looked fine when brought to the town house, but hours apart had left him a complete mess.
“Yes, you’re curly too. It suits you.”
“How can this happen?! I followed you here trusting only you!”
He buried his face in his hands, crying bitterly. They couldn’t leave Red in the forest alone, so they brought him along—but he seemed inconsolable.
It appeared he had received many gifts too; his hair was filled with pins and ribbons, likely the doing of the young maids who laughed with Alice.
Even as Red cried louder, Caria crossed her arms, frowning. The mercenaries, glancing his way, asked:
“Lady, we’ve wanted to ask since last night, but what exactly is that? Not a nanny…?”
“It seems the little lady herself was taking care of it…”
“They scream whenever they see someone’s face. So noisy…”
“And half their face is just… unusual.”
Compared to the friendly maids, the mercenaries disliked Red for his appearance.
Since he could not reveal his elf form to humans, Caria forced him to use transformation magic. But this inexperienced elf, almost of age, could barely change his ears. Human and elf magic differ too much for Caria to assist.
Thus, he became an extremely conspicuous handsome youth by human standards. And Caria was annoyed at his unnecessary visibility.
“Tsk, useless for life.”
