LADAD Chapter 29

Aaron, who had seemed ready to grab her by the hair at any moment, surprisingly took no action at all. He simply glared at Amelia with evident fury before taking his leave. Only Louise, who returned afterward, held her head as if the future looked bleak.

"What were you thinking?"

Her reproachful voice from several days ago still rang clearly in Amelia's ears.

"Did you want to get us all killed?"

"Louise."

"Do you even know how many lives are tied to yours?"

Louise had shouted at Amelia in reproach. If things had truly gone wrong, the Skipper Count family would have been ruined.

"Even if you've lost your mind, there should be limits. No matter how fearless you are! Isn't it natural for a child to resemble their parents?"

By that point, Louise seemed to have forgotten to even use honorifics with Amelia.

How could she have thought to spend the night with a man with blonde hair, not brown hair? How could she have given birth to that son and hidden him by pretending he was a girl? Louise criticized every single one of Amelia's actions without exception.

"The child has blonde hair, and he's a boy! If you had at least told me and asked for help, I would have lied and said the child had died and found somewhere to place him! What is this!"

Louise cried out in distress. Though they had barely scraped by with their lives, she seemed to be suffering from a sense of crisis that if she kept watching over Amelia with the same loose attitude as before, their necks might really fly off.

"You know what? We're not the only ones who got screwed over. You can't enjoy the same freedom you had before either."

Even simple walks would require someone to accompany her, and meeting anyone alone would become impossible. There would be watchers even when she bathed, and perhaps surveillance even when she spent nights with someone else again.

"You'll learn firsthand just how far the consequences of your youthful foolishness can spread."

Louise intimidated Amelia out of habit. Even though Amelia no longer got scared by those petty threats. The most precious people were all beyond this wall, in places where Aaron's hands could not easily reach. There was no fact that brought Amelia more relief than that.

"......"

However, there was one thing among Louise's words that bothered her.

"Do you trust the Emperor?"

To think that Ivan was the Emperor. To think that the being she had thought might be immortal, coming back to life so many times, was the master of Escliffe.

"The Emperor despises us terribly."

"......"

"Do you think he'll properly care for your child? You might come to think it would have been better if the child had died."

The truth was, it had been lies from the very first meeting with Ivan. If so, was there any truth among the things he had said? Was it true that he loved her? He would want to protect the child, wouldn't he?

"Stop."

Amelia sighed and buried her face in both hands. Knowing that Ivan was alive and having saved Ian's life so that life was worth living, doubts were arising. Ivan wouldn't be like that. He was the person who had come running to save his own child.

She wanted to believe that. Amelia, with everything in confusion, deliberately turned away from her anxious premonitions.

The guest room door opened with a creak. The middle-aged woman who had been facing away from the door turned her head to look back.

"Your Majesty."

Mrs. Howard, who discovered that Ivan had entered, stood up from her seat while holding the child.

"The greeting is fine. Even though it's been a while, you look quite accustomed to caring for a child, Mrs. Howard."

At Ivan's words, Mrs. Howard smiled quietly.

"Of course. I raised Your Majesty with these very arms."

"I wasn't the only one you raised."

While Ivan pointed out the incorrect fact, Mrs. Howard laid the soundly sleeping Ian in the baby crib and gently patted his chest.

"For every one time I held Rodan, I held Your Majesty twice. You mustn't forget that."

And she replied naturally to Ivan. In truth, Mrs. Howard was merely a viscountess by title. Naturally, she was not in a position to converse comfortably with Ivan. However, Mrs. Howard was Rodan's mother and Ivan's wet nurse, sharing a bond like that of a mother.

"Rodan would cry pitifully if he heard that."

"Rodan flinches now just at the touch of my hand. Sons are so unrewarding to raise, no matter how much care you put into them."

Mrs. Howard spoke cheekily as she turned from the baby crib.

"Since we don't know when young Ian might wake up, shall we move to another room, Your Majesty?"

Ivan nodded his head. Mrs. Howard and Ivan headed toward the side room of the guest quarters.

"I'm sorry for calling you so suddenly."

"Stop saying things you don't mean. Wouldn't it be more fitting to Your Majesty's character to say you'll give me a lot of money instead?"

Mrs. Howard replied tartly. Since it wasn't wrong, Ivan couldn't bring himself to deny it and laughed briefly.

"It's true that I feel sorry. Mrs. Howard is no longer at an age to be caring for children."

"If I think of it as caring for a grandchild, it's not impossible."

Mrs. Howard smiled affectionately. It was what Ivan would think of first when the word 'mother' came to mind.

"He's cute too, resembling Your Majesty's childhood appearance."

So she came to readily tolerate even bringing up words that shouldn't be brought up.

"...Do I resemble him."

He could only respond nonchalantly. From what Ivan himself had briefly seen, aside from hair color, Ian didn't seem to resemble him very much.

"He's particularly fussy before bedtime. Just like Your Majesty, who couldn't sleep unless I was by your side."

She couldn't very well say he was quite the *seed thief. Mrs. Howard brought up the story of how Ivan had been particularly fussy about bedtime, saying in a roundabout way that Ian had inherited exactly the same thing.

"It will take some time to adjust, but he'll adapt well."

Whose bloodline is he, after all.

The unspoken words were clear. Ivan realized that Mrs. Howard was already certain that he was Ian's father.

"That would be fortunate then."

He didn't particularly want to deny it. He hadn't expected Mrs. Howard wouldn't notice anyway, and there was no need to be sharp and prickly with someone who didn't require such treatment.

"I'll take good care of him, so don't worry."

"I'm not worried."

Ivan answered firmly. The reason he had assigned Mrs. Howard as Ian's wet nurse was above all because she was trustworthy.

"It's an honor."

Mrs. Howard looked at Ivan with a proud expression. With her masterpiece standing before her eyes, she couldn't help but feel proud.

"You must be tired, so I'll..."

But knowing how tiring the emperor's position was, she had no intention of holding him for long. Mrs. Howard was about to send Ivan back with words telling him he could be at ease when Ian suddenly burst into tears.

"He seemed to be sleeping soundly."

Mrs. Howard clicked her tongue and got up from her seat. Then she hurried her steps toward the room where Ian was sleeping. Instead of returning to the main palace, Ivan moved his steps following Mrs. Howard to the guest room in the west wing.

"I wonder why he suddenly opened his eyes."

Mrs. Howard held Ian in her arms and soothed him. Her hand patting his back looked incredibly gentle.

"Maybe he's hungry."

"It hasn't even been an hour since he fed from the wet nurse. It shouldn't be time for him to be hungry."

But Ian didn't stop crying easily. His wailing seemed as if he was anxious and didn't know what to do.

"Your Majesty, could you please hand me that swaddling cloth on the bed?"

At Mrs. Howard's request, Ivan readily moved his body to pick up the cloth sprawled on the bed. Mrs. Howard covered the child's body with it and soothed him. Then Ian's crying gradually subsided, and his eyes began to close drowsily.

Mrs. Howard, who had laid Ian back in the baby crib, turned around to look at Ivan. Ivan was watching the baby as if he were looking at the strangest living creature in the world.

"Just in case, I should call the wet nurse in advance."

"Now? If you ring the call bell..."

"Young Ian would wake up. Please just watch over him for a moment."

Mrs. Howard pushed Ivan's body, placing him next to the baby crib. Then she hurried out of the guest room before he could say anything in objection.

Ivan, who had been left to guard the baby crib in bewilderment, let out an uncomfortable sigh. His gaze naturally turned toward Ian. Whatever had been so heartbreaking, small water droplets had formed at the corners of his eyes. Whether it was because the sunset was red, it looked like tears of blood for no reason.

Ivan was just about to unconsciously reach out his hand to wipe it away.

"......"

The whimpering child grasped Ivan's index finger that was placed near his eyes. Through his half-opened eyelids, dark pupils were revealed. Ivan tensed, expecting him to wake up and burst into tears again, but Ian seemed to sense his father's presence and fell asleep reassured.

My child.

Even though he had never directly witnessed Amelia's belly growing large or Ian being born, he felt no doubt that this was his child.

"Your Majesty, the audience with Duke Russell is scheduled for 7 PM today."

However, that didn't mean he felt any special affection. He had no intention of truly recognizing Ian as his child anyway. Ivan, who had been gazing at Ian with an indifferent face, simply pulled out his hand. He had things to do.

Ian, robbed of the warm body temperature, burst into tears again searching for his father. But Ivan did not hesitate to leave that room, leaving the crying child alone.

Translator Note:

"씨도둑" (seed thief) is a Korean expression that refers to a child who behaves badly or mischievously - essentially a "little rascal" or "troublemaker."