Chapter 4

Eidan became increasingly active, crawling around the room in all directions.

He moved on his belly. The maids polish the floor every day, so it’s good.

He tries to stand up, grabbing onto things and pulling, which makes me worry.

In the end, my room became a room with nothing but a bed.

I put a fluffy giant cushion where the table and chairs used to be, and I spend my time there.

Eidan crawls around everywhere.

Because the floor is so smooth, Eidan’s crawling has evolved to a speed I can’t even keep up with.

Maybe because he’s a boy, he moves his hands and feet at an incredible speed. I call this "lizard running."

But, surprisingly, he started coming back to me.

After playing with toys and getting bored.

When there’s a loud noise and he gets startled.

He treats me like a safe base, setting out and coming back.

His red hair has grown, and it sways.

Oh, everything is so cute.

"Eidan"

When I call him, Eidan glances over. If he’s in a good mood, he might come back.

"Ah, bu, buwa—"

Eidan started singing.

Listening to it, I doze off, leaning against the cushion.

Suddenly, I feel something touch my cheek and open my eyes.

"Hmm... Eidan?"

Eidan is clinging to my feet, asleep.

Wow, the dress is covered in drool.

A shadow looms over me, and I jump in surprise.

Someone is standing next to me, closer than a knight should be. A grown man.

I instinctively hold Eidan and look up—ah, this person, and I relax my guard.

His vividly bright red hair, his incredibly handsome face.

My husband.

I remember his face, but seeing it in person... wow, he has such a powerful presence.

"......"

Moreover, he says nothing, with no expression.

Lias Pencillia.

The head of the Pencillia family, known as the kingdom’s sword.

A lineage of earth attribute users with high physical abilities, serving as knights.

Lias, like his predecessors, has a well-endowed physique and high physical abilities, currently serving as the head of the knight corps. He is said to have the most powerful magic and an undefeated record.

He became the head of the knight corps at 25 due to his contributions in the previous war. He then married the first princess, Cynthia, and is now 26, juggling the duties of a duke and the head of the knight corps.

It is a well-known fact that his relationship with the princess has cooled, but there is no sign of him taking another woman.

"If you sleep here, you’ll catch a cold."

He finally spoke.

Despite his caring words, why do they sound so cold coming from him?

Is it because of his cold eyes? Unlike Eidan’s soft latte-colored eyes, his are a deep brown. They seem devoid of emotion, making him feel extremely cold.

"Ah, well..."

Should I say "welcome back" or "it’s been a while"?

"Princess, how are you feeling?"

His formal tone is strange. "Princess" to his wife? And he’s bowing like a subordinate.

His rigid stance and strictly business-like attitude.

Is the coldness due to his attitude?

Or is it the tension I can feel?

"Ah..."

Wait. What should I call him? "You"? "Sir"? —No, I’ve never said such things even in my past life.

I try to recall what I used to call him... "you, barbarian, beast"—no, that’s not it.

Lias gazes down at Eidan.

"That child..."

Yes, this child is yours. Isn’t he cute?

"I named him Eidan."

"I see."

"He’s your child."

"I know."

I wanted to say, "This is the child you neglected," but I swallowed it.

"Brown..."

The color of the eyes often indicates magic power.

Lias might have thought Eidan would use earth power. He married Cynthia to have a child with the light attribute, but the child turned out to be earth. —That’s what he thought, but Eidan can use both earth and light.

We’ll know that in a few years.

If Eidan had been born with golden eyes, would he have been more cherished by this father?

No, no, no. That doesn’t matter.

Mostly, the eye color? Is that all you have to say?

Nothing about how cute he is or how much he’s grown?

"Did you come to see Eidan?"

"The king asked me what kind of child he is."

"My father?"

I haven’t shown him the face of his grandson.

In my memories, my father was always sweet and kind to Cynthia. He always treated her with the utmost affection.

Yet, he suddenly told her to marry Lias and refused to listen to her. Cynthia left the castle, declaring she would never speak to him again.

"From now on, you are neither my father nor my daughter. You treated me like a tool. I have no lingering feelings for you!"

—That was the last conversation between them.

In my memories, Cynthia is filled with nothing but anger and sadness.

Still, to ask what kind of child he is after nine months of the child’s birth...

I don’t know where to start.

"So, what will you report?"

"That he is a healthy child. His eyes are brown."

"—How do you feel about that?"

"How do I feel...?"

Is that it? For a noble father.

Is it difficult to share joy and feel affection?

After a while, Lias, with a furrowed brow, said softly,

"Don’t worry, I’ve heard that the birth was difficult. Even if he doesn’t have golden eyes, the king won’t ask for a second child."

I was speechless.

Who would even ask such a thing?

For a moment, the face of my mother-in-law from my past life flashed in my mind.

When I gave birth to my first daughter, she said, "It’s a girl, isn’t it?"

On the first day after childbirth.

She didn’t seem to have any ill intent. It was just a casual comment.

Better than saying, "The next one will be a boy," right? No, no.

I ended up recalling those days and sending a glare filled with anger.

Lias interpreted it in his own way and averted his gaze, a familiar gesture.

"Mmm, mmm"

Eidan, still sleepy, bumped his head and rubbed his face against me.

"—Hold him."

"What...?"

Why are you surprised?

"He’s your child. Look, he looks a lot like you."

I don’t have the strength to lift him, so I open my hands to show him.

After a while, Lias hesitantly picked up Eidan.

"—Pfft, pfft, ah"

Eidan immediately scrunched up his face, about to cry.

Lias, panicking, tried to hand him back, but I wouldn’t take him.

As a father, you must touch him.

Eidan started crying loudly. The volume is incredible.

"U, nurse—"

"I don’t need her."

"He’s crying."

"So?"

I must have given off a pressure that made him feel my anger.

He’s struggling to keep Eidan from falling, who is crying and arching his back.

He’s flustered.

His way of holding him is all wrong. Eidan looks uncomfortable.

No, no matter how comfortable it is, a baby wouldn’t trust a stranger on their first meeting.

"I’ll call the nurse."

"I’m watching him at this time. Why do you need to call her?"

"He’s crying. Don’t you think it’s pitiful?"

Of course, it’s pitiful.

Because of this sickly mother, he’s been raised without knowing his mother for half a year.

And without knowing his father.

Babies cry. At six months old.

It’s a good sign that he’s asserting himself. It’s a wonderful reaction.

In my past life.

When my husband came home from work and saw the baby crying in the crib, he said,

"Hey, he’s crying. Aren’t you going to comfort him? It’s pitiful."

The word "pitiful" made me snap, but I felt guilty for making him cry. I started with an excuse.

"I can’t right now. The oil is splattering while I’m cooking."

"The food can wait. I can wait. Prioritize the baby."

What’s with that tolerant tone? Is the hand on the crib just for show?

"I’m almost done. Can you hold Yuu?"

I had been holding him all along. I held him while eating lunch, cleaning, bringing in laundry, doing dishes, and cooking dinner. I just put him in the crib for the final touches.

"I doubt he’ll be happy if I hold him. I can’t calm him down. He wants his mom."

I turned off the stove and went straight for my husband with a punch.

—It was postpartum. I got irritated easily. It happens.

I have more experience with children.

Eidan is crying even more intensely.

The nurse is peeking from the shadow of the door. I hold her off with a glance.

Eidan is coughing from crying too much.

His face is red because his skin is so pale.

"—Heal, healer—"

"Why?"

"He looks so uncomfortable."

"Try comforting him with all your heart. Talking to him helps."

"Are you... not moved by this?"

Of course, I am.

Eidan’s crying alone makes my heart ache.

But you won’t feel it unless you touch him.

How fragile and precious your child is.

Seeing Lias holding Eidan, it’s clear they are father and son, yet how awkward it is.

This far is enough.

I held out my hand. Lias, half-believing, handed Eidan to me.

"Eidan, shh, it’s mommy."

"Uu, h, uu—"

With a gentle voice, Eidan expresses his dissatisfaction, sobbing.

Patting his back, he gradually calms down.

"Nurse"

When I call, the nurse comes in, bowing deeply, ready to take Eidan for a walk.

I hand Eidan over and send her out.

After a long silence, Lias finally spoke.

"We must go to the temple before the child turns one."

Right.

In this world, the temple worships the gods.

It’s customary to take a child to receive baptism before they turn one.

"Baptism is necessary. —No matter how much you dislike me, you must come with me."

Baptism.

I might have had a difficult expression trying to recall old memories.

I don’t know how he interpreted it, but Lias didn’t say anything more.