< — Epilogue– > (3)
The door to the bedroom opened and the midwife came out, along with an assistant that was sent from the palace. The woman nodded to Hugo, who was staring hard at her.
"A lovely baby girl has been born. Both mother and child are fine and healthy. Congratulations."
Everyone around bowed their heads, uttering 'congratulations' to Hugo who was heaving a long sigh of relief.
"Can I go inside?"
"There are still some things left to take care of. Please wait a little while longer."
After waiting for an hour more, Hugo was finally able to go inside the room. The bedroom was quiet. People were moving around quietly and focused on their own work, not caring whether the Duke had entered or not, but Hugo was oblivious to all this.
His gaze was instantly transfixed to his wife, who was lying on the bed, and he headed straight for the bed.
Lucia was drained from the labor pains and she had been unable to get a wink of sleep throughout the delivery. The midwife had instructed that even if she didn't have breast milk yet, she should put the baby to her breast, so she did so and immediately fell asleep after a moment of breastfeeding. With the severe pain gone, she couldn't win against the sweet temptation of sleep that was crashing into her.
Hugo looked at his wife's clearly exhausted face for a while. Her complexion was pale and her lips were dried up. Her disheveled hair was soaked with sweat and clinging onto her face and forehead.
He slowly sat down on the bed, taking caution to avoid shaking it, then he swept her hair up, revealing her round forehead. As he watched his wife slept like she was dead to the world, his heart ached with distress.
"Will she be okay? Is she really fine?"
Deep down in his heart, Hugo was still anxious. Even though he had checked the records from Philip's hideout several times, he couldn't shake off his misgivings that even that might be a trick Philip pulled.
As the due date drew closer, Hugo was more worried to meet the new baby than joyful. He was afraid that his wife would grow anxious if she saw his anxiety, so he didn't let it show, but he often woke up at dawn and stayed up all night watching his wife sleep.
"The Madam suffered for a long time because it was her first time giving birth, but she had a safe delivery. You should hold the little miss, Your Grace."
Noticing that the Duke hadn't mentioned seeing the baby at all, the midwife brought it up first. She had delivered many children in the royal family for decades, but it was her first time seeing a husband whose eyes were locked onto his wife's face, without paying any attention to the baby.
The midwife received the sleeping and recently washed baby girl from the assistant, then she handed her over to Hugo.
"Hold her, Your Grace."
When the midwife urged him a few times, Hugo awkwardly received the baby in a helpless manner. By his side, the midwife advised him on how to hold the child.
'It's so tiny?'
This was Hugo's first thought as he held the baby. It was so small and helpless for the being that was so energetic in his wife's stomach. The baby that had changed his wife's personality and tastes, was so weak for him to see her as the main lead that had been flaunting her presence for the past several months.
'It looks strange.'
The baby hadn't lost the redness all over her body yet, and there was still swelling on her face and eyes. If Hugo had seen the baby after it had just been born, he would have been shocked. Right now, the baby was clean and fuzzy because it had just been bathed.
"She is a very lovely baby girl. She will grow up to be a beauty."
Having had numerous experiences with newborn babies, the midwife could see the appearance of the baby that was yet to be properly revealed. The looks that a newborn baby had, was very different from the features that would later come into place.
However, Hugo took what the midwife had said as simply pandering. No matter how you looked at it, the baby looked weird.
The midwife couldn't help but laugh when she saw how awkwardly the Duke was looking at his child. The first reaction of a father when he saw his child was either extremely happy, or perplexed.
Unlike a mother who spent ten months feeling their baby move as it grew inside them, there weren't many cases of a father feeling affection as soon as he saw the child.
"Her eyes look just like the Madam's."
Hugo reacted to the comment made by the midwife. The baby's sparse handful of hair was golden in color. He had been disappointed because it wasn't like his wife's but when he heard that the baby's eyes resembled Lucia's, he looked for his wife in the child.
He wondered if he would be able to tell when the baby grew a little bigger. He couldn't find a part that looked like his wife. After handing the baby back to the midwife, Hugo fixed his gaze on his sleeping wife.
The midwife snort-laughed and clicked her tongue. She gestured for everyone to leave the room, then she left the bedroom last, with the baby in her arms.
* * *
The first thing Lucia felt when she opened her eyes, was thirst. She mumbled her quest for water and some moments later, a firm hand carefully lifted her upper body and a glass of water touched her lips.
The few mouthfuls of water going down her throat tasted bitter, causing her to frown. Lucia forced her eyes opened and smiled faintly when she saw her husband, who was helping her.
"Have you seen…our child?"
"I have."
"She looks just like my mom. My mom had…really pretty blonde hair, you know."
Her eyes were swelling with tears. Hugo gently kissed her eyes. He really wanted to hug her and squeeze her tight, but he couldn't.
She hadn't fully recovered yet, and she seemed so weak, like she would break, so he was careful to even touch her. The fact that she bore a new life after carrying it inside her small body for ten months was unbelievable.
His wife was always beautiful in his eyes, but today especially, she was more heart wrenchingly beautiful.
"They say her eyes are like yours. Although you haven't seen her yet."
"I saw her for a moment too. I'm telling you, I was scared when I first breastfed her because I didn't know when I would fall asleep."
Hugo watched as she laughed then frowned because her stomach hurt. He planted soft, light kisses on the bridge of her nose, lips, and forehead.
"It was hard, wasn't it?"
"I'm okay."
"You always say you're okay."
"I mean it, Hugh. I wanted to leave evidence of my love with you. So although I can't say it was easy, I am happy enough to forget all the pain."
Lucia fell in love as soon as she saw her newborn daughter. There were many reasons why she couldn't help but love her daughter, but the biggest reason was that her daughter was their child, both hers and Hugo's.
"I am overwhelmed with joy that our baby is our child, your child, that she inherited your blood."
Hugo looked at her without saying anything for a long time. Then he smiled faintly and pulled Lucia into his arms.
"The baby's name. I thought about it and I wondered if you would like grandfather-in-law to name her?"
"Grandfather…?"
"I was thinking of bringing him to see his new great-granddaughter."
"Yes, I would like that very much. Thank you."
* * *
About a month later, the Count of Baden visited the ducal residence. He greeted his granddaughter whom he hadn't seen in a while and held his little great-granddaughter in his arms.
Count Baden's eyes filled with tears as he looked into the amber eyes that were staring back at him. They were a copy of his daughter's and granddaughter's eyes.
"Oh dear child, how do you look so much like your grandmother?"
Tears flowed from Lucia's eyes as she listened to the voice of her grandfather, who was unable to hold back his tears.
"I thought hard about the undeserved request you gave me. The first ancestor of the Baden family said that he could not exist without his mother and left a will dedicating all his affection and admiration to his mother. I heard that she was someone with a small stature but mighty spirit. I would like to give her name to the baby."
Evangeline. It was an old-fashioned name that wasn't used very much these days.
When the name of the only princess of the Duke of Taran House left Count Baden's mouth, the baby who had been vacantly staring at the Count smiled brightly. Seeing the cheery smile on his great-granddaughter's face, the Count burst into a roar of laughter.
< — Epilogue– > (3)
Hugo rummaged through his drawer looking for something then he found an envelope deep inside his bottom drawer. It was something he had kept for safe-keeping, but he couldn't remember what it was, so he took out the envelope and brought out the document inside. On the signature panel, was his wife's penmanship, renouncing her parental right.
Hugo looked at the document with an odd expression and laughed. Even thought it seemed like a long time ago, the events of that day flashed through his mind, vividly, as if it were an event from yesterday.
Among the documents he had received in exchange for establishing the contract, was the consent form that was used when Damian was being processed into the family register. When they were rushing to the North the next day after their bridal night, Hugo had only handed Jerome the documents for entering Damian into the family registry.
And so, since that day, the document where she renounced her parental right had remained untouched in his office drawer in the capital.
'I wonder why I didn't take this.'
The parental right renouncement document was more important that the consent form for the family register. Without a renouncement of custody, Damian's mother on paper would be able to exercise full rights to the child after he was entered into the registry.
He didn't know why he didn't take it at the time and hand it over to Jerome to take to Roam. It was something he had done but he couldn't remember what he was thinking when he did it.
Hugo put the document back into the envelope. The document wasn't needed anymore. Damian and Evangeline were both her children, entirely. He couldn't take the rights to her children away from her, for any reason.
He thought about tearing it then he heard Fabian's voice from outside the door and pushed it to the side of his desk.
Fabian came in, submitted his report and began to report on some unique matters.
"Young master Damian departs in three days."
"And how are we with putting his name on the list of those boarding the gate?"
There were three gates in the city-state of Philarch, where the Academy was located, and compared to the number of students at the Academy, they were very few people that were able to board them. Due to this, when royal descendants or high-ranking nobles enrolled in the school, they also purchased the right to utilize the gate.
The Academy sold the passes for utilizing the gate at an enormous price, but they were still swamped with applicants, so they held lotteries.
In the middle of the semester, there was less personnel boarding the gates so one was able to go through without purchasing a pass. However, at the start of the vacation which was flooded with users, only those on the boarding list could use the gates.
Most students left Philarch for the nearest country and boarded the gate there. With that method, it took at least three days to get to the gate.
When Damian enrolled in the Academy, he did not apply for a pass to use the gate. He assumed that there wouldn't be any reason for him to go home until graduation. However, the situation had changed.
Lucia was frequently thinking of calling Damian home during vacation. Since he could only go out for limited number of days out of year, it was easier for him use the gate than going back and forth. Fortunately, even if a student was boarding at the dorms, it wasn't mandatory to take a session during vacation.
"The passes will be sold next year, after the new school year starts so I will send in an application." (Fabian)
Although it was said to be a lottery, there were dealing behind the door. In fact, it was almost no different from an auction. You just had to call out a high price and buy it.
"And concerning what Your Grace mentioned before, we have finished talks with the Count about enrolling Bruno Matin, the youngest son of Count Matin in the Academy."
After Lucia asked him for a favor, Hugo looked into getting the divorced Countess of Matin to take her son, Bruno, back with her. The eldest son, who succeeded the Count of Matin, had no objections to his youngest brother being taken away by his biological mother. The problem was the Countess.
The Countess had chosen remarriage over her son. Hugo didn't want bother Lucia so he didn't tell her that the Countess had remarried when she got back to her parent's home.
In his own way, Hugo did as much as he could. However, Bruno was his wife's benefactor, even if that was just in the dream, so he felt uncomfortable not repaying the favor.
He wondered what he could help with and as he was investigating here and there, he remembered his wife saying that in her dream, Bruno had been kicked out of the Academy.
That fact was strange. The Academy's tuition cost an arm and a leg. It was not likely for the Count of Matin to cough up such a huge sum to get his rebellious son out of his sight. After investigating, Hugo found out an interesting fact.
The father of the late Count Matin had invested into the establishment of the Academy and obtained the right to full scholarship for the next three generations of his family.
When the Academy was initially established, its power was pitifully small. But as the Academy's reputation increased, it became a colossal power and then, began to retrieve the rights it had sprinkled all over the place.
Due to this, the limitless right to enroll with full scholarship for three generations was restricted to only three people. In Lucia's dream, the Count of Matin used it to send Bruno away because it was a right that he couldn't sell to anyone, anyways.
However, the new Count of Matin had no intention of using a right that couldn't even be bought with money, on his estranged younger brother. He was fortunate to have three sons, so he planned on entering all his children into the Academy.
As far as Hugo knew, Bruno was a boy with a very exceptional mind. However, the elder brother did not care about his younger brother's talent. He practically neglected Bruno.
Even though in Lucia's dream, Bruno had gone to the Academy like he was being kicked out of his house, sending Bruno to the Academy was probably the best thing that Count Matin did as a father.
'It will be better for him to develop his talent at the Academy, rather than staying in a house where neither his brothers nor parents care for him.'
Hugo disguised himself as a sponsor who didn't want to let Bruno's talent go to waste.
The Count of Matin was wary of the unknown sponsor who promised to pay the full enormous cost of sending his youngest brother to the Academy, without getting anything in return. He was afraid that he might suffer damage in some way due to this. Like father, like son; the new Count of Matin was small-minded. His conscience felt somewhat guilty towards his younger brother who he heard was being praised as a genius.
Negotiations with the Count of Matin went slower than expected. Hugo had wondered if he should just off the bastard too. If Count Matin had dragged things out a little more, he might have ended up like his father.
"So he will be enrolled next year?"
"No. The following year. The applications for next year are already closed."
The number of people who wanted to attend the Academy was growing more and more so you had to submit your application at least a year before you enrolled.
"How old will he be in the following year?"
"Fourteen, Your Grace."
"14? Will he be entering the six-year course?"
"No. He wanted to do the basic four-year course."
The Academy's basic course was the most advanced course for the school year. The academic standards were just that high. Most of the students enrolled in the school at sixteen.
"Is he confident in being able to follow the lessons? I think he's too young."
"Master Damian also started the basic course at fourteen."
"Exempt the boy. If he's going to take over from me, then that is only natural."
Fabian would never call that natural, but he didn't bother saying anything.
"I have judged Bruno Matin's academic ability to be sufficient."
"Then let the kid do what he wants."
Since he was done with his report, Fabian withdrew, and Hugo picked up the custody document that he had placed by the side for a while.
He started to get up, then he sat back down and opened another drawer. A small browning old envelope lay displayed on the base of the drawer. It was the only thing inside the wide drawer.
He sat, hesitant for a very long time. He stretched out his hand to the envelope several times but always stopped within reach. He sucked in a deep breath then he grabbed the envelope.
And he walked out of his office holding a thick envelope with documents and a small old envelope.
< — Epilogue– > (4)
Hugo went to Evangeline's nursery first. Nowadays, his wife spent most of her time there. However, when he got there, his wife was nowhere to be found and the wet nurse told him that the Madam had gone to her bedroom with the little miss.
Unlike what he expected, the bedroom was quiet when he got there.
His wife was usually quite chatty when she was with the baby. Lately, Evangeline was beginning to coo and babble, so she was showing more reactions. When the baby babbled something incomprehensible, his wife added onto it and agreed enthusiastically.
Hugo was curious if his wife really understood what the baby was saying. The incomprehensible wails that Evangeline made was not a human language.
He was wondering why it was quiet and as expected, he found both his wife and the baby lying side by side on the bed, taking a good nap. Hugo sent out the maid who was standing guard at the side, then he carefully sat down on the bed, taking care to avoid shaking it.
Hugo stared at his wife's sleeping face with a gentle look in his eyes. He understood what she meant when she said that even when she was just watching Evangeline sleep, she felt happy. Every time he saw her, he always felt like that.
When the sleeping Evangeline turned on the bed, Hugo's gaze moved to her.
'I think she's much bigger than when I saw her this morning.'
His mind went back to the day when he first saw the baby after she was born. In the past three months, he was able to understand why they told him that the baby would grow up very fast. It was fascinating to watch his daughter whom he thought looked strange when he first saw her, continuously transform like a doll.
Her plump pearly cheeks were cute. The more he looked at them, the more he felt ticklish somewhere inside. He wanted her to grow up fast so that he could also understand what she was saying.
Evangeline who he was watching, pursed her lips, blinked her eyes and woke up. Her wide eyes looked around and locked eyes with Hugo. Her amber eyes, similar to Lucia's but slightly more yellow, were staring intently at Hugo. Hugo was taken aback and froze, facing the baby.
"Kwawa."
Evangeline giggled and stretched out her hand to Hugo. While making indecipherable sounds that was impossible to distinguish as laughing or talking, she moved her hands and feet with all her might, as if trying her hardest to express something.
He couldn't move his eyes away, so he just watched her quietly.
Seeing that Hugo showed no signs of carrying her after all her hard work, Evangeline's voice grew louder, and she flailed her hands. Her lips scrunched up and her small forehead began to wrinkle. Evangeline's eyes quivered as if she was going to cry at any moment.
"Eve, good girl."
Hugo didn't want to wake his soundly sleeping wife, so he tried to pacify his daughter. However, tears began to well up in Evangeline's eyes.
Hugo fidgeted a bit then he picked his daughter up and hugged her. Then he walked some distance away from the bed.
Whenever Lucia gave him the baby, Hugo reluctantly held her, but he had never taken the initiative after the midwife forced him to carry Evangeline on the day she was born. The baby was so small and weak that he was afraid that something might go wrong when he carried her. Knowing that Hugo showed signs of discomfort, Lucia never forced him.
His daughter was much heavier than when he last held her. It felt like the weight of life he had to bear on his shoulders.
Enjoying the feeling of being in Hugo's embrace and carried in the air, Evangeline began to babble noisily. Hugo wanted to understand his daughter's words like his wife, so he furrowed his brows and listened carefully, but when he realized all over again that he couldn't understand at all, he chuckled.
"Eve, little baby. I wonder what you're saying."
He only said a few words but Evangeline who had gone silent for a moment began to babble more excitedly as if she was replying. Hugo chuckled faintly then he stroked his baby's soft hair and kissed her little prominent forehead.
Lucia sat on the bed, watching the interaction between father and daughter. She was currently in a sensitive state of mind, so any small noises her daughter made would startle her awake from a deep sleep. Which is why as soon as she heard Eve's voice, she quickly woke up.
It was a beautiful scene that touched her heart. Her husband was smiling and talking to the baby. As Lucia watched the set of father and daughter exchange words, she felt like she was going to cry, so she came down from the bed and walked to the pair.
As soon as Hugo saw his wife, he quickly tried to hand over Evangeline. But when he moved to do so, Evangeline loudly protested. Seeing the awkward look on Hugo's face, Lucia chuckled briefly.
"She likes you. Keep holding her."
"Keep holding? Till when?"
"Till she sleeps."
Fortunately, it didn't take long for Evangeline to fall asleep. Hugo called the nanny and handed over the child before sending her off. Then he picked up the envelope he had placed at the bedside table and gave it to Lucia. Lucia checked the contents of the big envelope first and her eyes grew wide.
"I forgot about it."(Hugo)
"I completely forgot about it too." (Lucia)
"Both of them are your children."
"Our children. Thank you."
Lucia kissed him lightly on the cheek then she opened the other small envelope. As she read the short letter inside the envelope, her expression stiffened. Her face was filled with confusion, showing that she couldn't understand the situation.
<< I will not ask you to understand why I had no choice but to do this. But believe me. It is all for you, Hugh. I love you, my little brother. —To my brother. >> [1]
"That is the only thing my late brother left for me."
After spending several days dealing with everything concerning the deaths of the late ducal couple, Hugo went to his room and found a letter on his desk. Those few short lines were his brother's dying wishes.
His anger, which has surged to the limit after seeing his brother's dead body, completely exploded when he read the letter. In that moment, he understood what it meant to be blinded by rage.
He couldn't understand his brother. He also couldn't believe that his brother had done it for him. In that moment, he hated his late brother as much as he hated his late parents, or perhaps even more.
He was tempted to throw the letter into the fireplace and burn it several times, but ended up tossing it aside in his family's secret room. And not long ago, when he was digging through the secret room because of Philip, he found the letter that was already fading.
He couldn't ignore it, so he brought it along when he came to the capital.
"There is something I haven't been able to tell you."
Hugo agonized over how to start, then he began to tell the story that he had never told anyone.
"Initially, I…didn't have a name. I'm not sure when, but at some point, the people around me began to call me Hue."
Hugo calmly talked about his childhood as if he were telling an old story that he had heard as a child. The days when the young beast Hue met Hugo and became human, and the days where he lived acting like his brother.
When Hugo's story came to an end with the tragedy that occurred on one particular day when he was eighteen, Lucia was crying to the point that her whole face was soaked.[2] She was saddened to imagine his lonely childhood and her heart was torn with pain.
Hugo cupped her face with both hands and wiped off her tears with his fingers.
"It took me longer than I thought to tell this to you."
He needed a lot of courage to reveal his own true identity. It wasn't because he was suspicious of her love. It was the pride of a man who wanted to be the best before the woman he loved.
He wanted to hide his weak and shameful side. He didn't want to confess that he was yet to put away his feeling of inferiority, that the head of the Taran family, whom everyone was in reverence of, was in fact a fake imitator.
Lucia covered the hands that were cupping her face, with her own.
"It doesn't matter who you are. I love you, the person that is in front of me right now."
"Mm. I know."
Lucia reached out and threw her arms around his neck. He supported her back with his arm and pulled her close.
"Don't blame yourself for brother-in-law's death. At that time, he was only eighteen years old. He loved you in the best way he could think of, for his only brother."
"…Yea. I think so too."
Lucia couldn't say it out loud but she sent her thanks to the other Hugo who had left this world.
If Hugo had not made such a choice, Hue would have suffered much more and lived a miserable life bound to the chains of the Taran family. He would have become a doll with no free will, unable to enjoy the happiness from living as he should. And Lucia would not have been able to meet him and form a relationship with him.
"I'll keep this letter with me." (Lucia)
"…" (Hugo)
"It's hard for you to keep it with you, but you can't throw it away, can you?"
"…Mm."
The handwriting in the short letter was neat. Lucia could feel the personality of her brother-in-law from the way he wrote. He was likely a very warm and friendly person. She could guess how much her husband loved his brother and how hurt he was by his brother's death.
The name, Hue, that was called to mean 'devil', no longer existed in this world. As Lucia called him 'Hugh', the meaning behind it was 'my beloved Hue'.
Just as she became his Vivian only, he also became her Hue only. Lucia tightly hugged her reliable husband, who made her want to lean on him and at the same time, hug him.
Translator's corner:
[1] Dongsaeng is what Hugo's brother uses here so I translated it as little brother.
[2] The tragedy being referred to here, is when Hugo's brother killed the former ducal couple. This happened when Hugo was eighteen, if I remember correctly.
Chapter 124 [part 2]
< — Epilogue– > (4)
Inside a carriage traveling through the complex streets of the capital, sat a young dark-haired boy by the window, staring at the passing scenery. On the boy's lap, was a fox with bright yellow fur, enjoying his master's fingers gently combing through its back fur.
Although it was his first time seeing it, the extravagant view of the capital flashed by Damian's eyes, meaninglessly. The boy wasn't captivated or interested in his first visit to the capital. But the fact that he would be seeing his mother again, made it special. And today would also be his first time meeting his sibling.
'Evangeline…Eve…'
He kept repeating the name of his sister whom his mother had written to him about.
'What if she doesn't like me?'
Damian had never seen a baby before, so he could not guess how a baby of just a few months old would look. He was imagining a little girl that looked just like his mother.
When he first got the letter telling him that his mother was with a child, Damian thought that it was only expected but he was a little stunned.
His mother said in the letter that the baby was going to be his younger sister, but Damian was at least, aware of the fact that one couldn't know such a thing in advance. He guessed that his mother probably told him that on purpose in order to allay his fears or anxiety.
Damian didn't care whether his new sibling was a boy or a girl. He intended to cherish them and treat them preciously either ways.
However, there was still a slight anxiety in the corner of his heart. He was afraid that his mother might say she didn't need him anymore because she now had her own real child. Even if his mother loved his sibling more, he was fine with that. It was fine as long as she didn't hate him.
The carriage arrived at the Ducal residence. Jerome welcomed Damian as Damian stepped down from the carriage.
"It has been a long time, young master."
"It has, indeed."
Despite having been trained to conceal their feelings, the servants standing around were unable to hide their astonishment. It was obvious to anyone that the boy who just appeared was the living likeness of the Duke of Taran.
It had been over 3 years since they had been married, and the Duchess who just had a child was no longer childless. A storm was bound to rage in the quiet ducal household. The servants were all thinking the same thing; they had to find a shade to avoid the incoming storm.
Lucia was coming down from the second floor after hearing that Damian had come back. Seeing Damian bowing his head towards her, Lucia quickly approached him and pulled him into a tight hug.
"My gosh, Damian! You've really grown a lot."
It had been three years. The eight year old Damian had become eleven years old. However, he appeared around 3 to 4 years older than that. He was now taller than Lucia, so she had to look up a little. Although he still looked like a child, within a year or two, he would be taken for a youth.
His mother's gentle embrace made Damian feel warm inside and his heart felt like it was filled with happiness. The way his mother looked at him had not changed. He felt relieved and he was thankful.
"How do you look so much like your father? You keep growing more and more alike."
"Have you been well, Mother?"
"Of course. What about you? How are you? Was the journey here difficult? Where's Asha?" [1]
"I handed her to the butler before I came in."[2]
"Have you eaten? You must have missed lunch."
"I'm not feeling up to it. I'll eat in the evening."
Lucia asked the maid to prepare a quick snack and bring it to the second floor.
"Come. Let's say hi to Eve."
After Lucia went up to the second floor with Damian, the servants looked at each other, their faces filled with questions. They didn't know who the young master that suddenly appeared was. It didn't seem like he was the Duke of Taran's son alone because the Duchess' attitude was way too familiar and friendly.
However, even though the servants could whisper amongst themselves when they were alone, they couldn't gossip or repeat it outside. Once the butler came inside, the servants quickly scattered in search of things to do.
Lucia entered the nursery and sent out all the servants inside. She headed straight for the baby's bed, holding Damian's hand in her own.
Evangeline was having fun babbling to herself when she sensed someone approaching and turned to look. She giggled at the familiar sight of Lucia's face and clapped her dainty little hands. Lucia smiled and caressed the baby's forehead.
'Ah…'
Mesmerized, Damian looked at the bumbling baby with wide eyes. A doll was alive and moving. For the first time ever, he realized that a human being could be so small. If she was a little smaller, he might have taken her for a fairy.
Her fluffy honey-colored hair looked soft even without touching it, and her limpid eyes that were just like her mother's, twinkled with refreshed energy. The baby's fair, immaculate, plump cheeks moved every time her lips moved.
"Eve, say hi to your older brother."
"Kaa,kaa."
"Damian. Eve says she's happy to meet you."
"…Huh?"
Damian broke out in cold sweat. How were those words even interpreted that way? Damian was bewildered by the emergence of a new language he hadn't known about. He wanted to ask what country it was from.
"Damian, can you look after Eve for a bit? Say hi, get to know each other. I'll step aside for a bit. If Eve cries, you can just call the maid outside the room."
"What? Mom, that's…"
He wanted to say that there was no need for that, but Lucia had already left the room. Damian stood idly beside the bed, unable to do anything. He cautiously shifted his gaze and looked into the bed that held the baby.
Damian met eyes with Evangeline, who was zealously moving her limbs; who knew what she was so urgent about. She stared fixedly at Damian as if she was looking for something. Then her huge, round eyes curved into a crescent and she cackled with laughter.
"Hi…Eve."
He didn't know what he was supposed to do so he gave a clumsy greeting. Then the baby began to babble as if she was answering him. The sounds she was making were unintelligible, but Damian understood that the baby was trying to respond.
He hesitated a few times before stretching out his hand. Then he poked her bulging cheeks.
'Soft.'
Suddenly, Evangeline grabbed Damian's finger. Damian was at a loss for what to do, seeing his finger caught in Evangeline's small hands. He tried removing his finger carefully, but the baby's grip was quite strong. When he tried taking it out with more force, Evangeline made a loud noise.
Damian was startled and stood there, the thought of removing his finger gone from his mind. The feeling of his finger taken prisoner in a soft, warm grip was strange. For no special reason, a smile floated onto his face.
"It's nice to meet you, Eve."
[I feel…weird. My chest feels a little tingly…]
[Damian, that feeling means you think something is loveable.][3]
His chest felt much more tingly than the day when he held Asha for the first time. The baby was loveable. Damian felt like he could now fully understand the meaning of what his mother had said a long time ago.
[END OF BOOK 7]
Side Story 1.1: Damian
DAMIAN(1)
Philarch was a city-state with a population of less than 300,000 people. Rather than the country itself being famous, Ixium, the comprehensive Academy that operated within Philarch, was more famous.
The amount of people living in Ixium had grown to over 70,000, including the professors and staff affiliated with Ixium, and once the employed manpower was included, there were nearly 150,000 people living mainly in Ixium. The Academy, Ixium, was a national project of the city-state of Philarch.
People flocked to Ixium to build the best connections and get the best education. They paid the expensive tuition and spent a considerable amount on living expenses. A part of the money went into investing in the Academy's faculty and facilities. As the quality of Ixium was constantly being improved in order to avoid losing their position as the best academy, a virtuous cycle repeated in which more students flocked to the school.
Chris, a 15-year-old this year, enrolled into Ixium to complete a six-year mandatory course. The mandatory course curriculum combined 3-4 school year courses of the preparatory grade and 1-4 school year courses of the regular grade.
Ixium's curriculum was based on a 12-year course with 4 years each, of preliminary grade, preparatory grade, and regular grade, and students were able to split or combine them as they wished, according to their age and standards. Chris had been enrolled for a year now and was a 3rd year student of the preparatory grade.
The learning curve in Ixium was very difficult, but even if your grades were at the bottom, you were given your certificate of graduation. Receiving the costly tuition and dealing with the profits was the Academy's riddle. In exchange, the certificate for course completion was only given to students with a certain grade(results) or higher. If someone wasn't familiar with this system, you could publicly claim to them that with only the certificate of graduation, you had completed the academy's courses magnificently.
Unfortunately for Chris, his father was very familiar with this cheating of the system. When he sent Chris to Ixium, he threatened that if Chris came back with only the graduation certificate, he would strip him and chase him out of the house.
Chris had just finished his 3rd school year and his grades were barely managing. Still, it wasn't too bad. He was merely happy with the fact that he could go home without having to take additional semester courses.
As Chris was passing by the campus, he turned his gaze to the subject of the students' stir. A hot topic of discussion in the school was passing by. It was a dark-haired boy, too young to be called a youth and too mature to be called a child.
'The heavens are unfair.'
Chris thought every time he saw Damian. Damian has a remarkable appearance that stood out among the thousands of boys that infested the Academy. And that wasn't the only thing. He was an outrageously brilliant guy that had never run for head position in the school.
'And what's with that out-of-place fox?'
Chris felt like a bigger and fiercer animal would be more suitable for Damian to carry around. However, the yellow-furred fox that was always following after Damian was tiny. Interestingly enough, the fox looked very haughty for a mere beast. At times, it seemed like it was showing off to people but Chris told himself he was just imagining things.
'Same as usual, eh.'
Today as well, Damian completely ignored the students' leering gazes. He didn't look like he was putting on airs, he just had no interest, whatsoever.
'…No matter how many times I see it, they look so alike.'
Whenever Chris saw Damian, there was someone that always came to mind. That person was someone famous in Chris's home country, Xenon. There was almost no one that did not know him.
Chris had made his official social debut at this year's New Year party. Many nobles made their official debut at the new year party held by the royal family. This was because the party was huge, and many nobles attended the party. Chris' family was not poor, but Chris' father did not want to spend money on holding a separate debut party.
It was at this party that Chris first saw the ducal couple; the Duke of Taran and his wife, who were attending. The Duke of Taran's particular features were quite famous, so Chris was well aware of them, but the person he saw was quite different from what he had imagined.
The rumors surrounding the Duke of Taran painted him as a fearsome, crude, terrifying person, but the appearance of the Duke of Taran dressed in a tailcoat, was a very well-built, refined aristocrat. The impressive sight of the Duke of Taran had continued to float around his head. Which is why when Chris first saw Damian, he was overrun with shock.
Chris wasn't the type to be privy to rumors but soon after he was enrolled, he heard rumors about Damian. A monstrous genius who was boarding in the dorms. It was said that he had never not gotten first place, and even for a skill like swordsmanship that had to be cultivated, he was proficient enough to compete with the professors for dozens of times. When he saw Damian, Chris realized that there were really geniuses in this world.
'We are completely different species.'
Maybe because the gap between them was so wide, Chris didn't even envy him. Rather than envy, he was more curious about the connection between Damian and the Duke of Taran.
'There's no way they can look so alike if they didn't have a blood connection.'
In Ixium, there were many comments going around about Damian's obscure identity, but no one mentioned the Duke of Taran. At first, Chris wondered why, but now, he knew. They were all being careful with their words.
'For the Duke of Taran to have such a big son…it's too young, isn't it?'
Chris didn't know Damian's exact age. Physically, Damian looked like he was the same age as Chris or perhaps even older.
'I mean, I've heard that the Duke of Taran has a daughter, but I've never heard of a son.'
If Damian wasn't the Duke's son, then a relative maybe? Chris wanted to grab Damian who was walking farther away and ask.
"Can't you look where you're going?"
As Chris was turning around, he heard an abrasive voice and turned back again. When he saw the scene occurring a little distance away from him, a frown formed on his brow.
'With the way these bastards are picking a fight, you have to wonder if he is really related to the Duke of Taran…'
The books Damian were holding had fallen to the floor and two boys stood in front of Damian, blocking him.
'Those guys again, huh.'
This was a frequent occurrence. Once those two boys saw Damian, they were itching to pick a fight.
'Ai, the fact that guys like these are from my country is a disgrace.'
Damian's country of origin, let alone his status, was obscure. His family obviously had enough money to cover for Ixium's tuition fee, but seeing as he was boarding in the dorms, people guessed that he was probably not from a noble family. When the boys coming after Damian were not penalized or put at a disadvantage, the idea that Damian's status wasn't anything much, became more concrete.
Chris didn't see why Damian's nobility or lack thereof, was a reason to pick a fight. He also couldn't understand why there were a lot of people who were secretly unfriendly towards Damian. He accidentally overheard his classmates talking and learnt that there were a lot of people bitter at Damian.
Regardless of the circumstances, Damian had never shrunk or looked intimidated in front of anyone. Apparently to them, such an attitude was arrogant. They didn't bluntly say 'arrogant', but Chris felt that his classmate, who were dancing around their meaning, were really pathetic.
'It'll end the same way, today too.'
This frequently occurring scene had never led into a fight. The saying was 'it takes two to tango.' Damian didn't go against them at all. So the bastards picking a fight had no choice but to fume and step back. Chris admired Damian's choice to ignore them. They weren't even opponents worth facing.
Side Story 1.2: Damian
DAMIAN(2)
'These two again.'
Damian inwardly clicked his tongue. These bastards never got tired of this childish attempt of theirs. He wanted to tell them to go and read a book with this tenacity of theirs.
Damian's eyes were frosty. These were the same guys that would fall to the floor and lick his feet if they knew who he was. They were not worthy to be his opponent.
Damian never forgot the experience he had a few years ago at the garden party. He learnt that not all older adults were wise. He knew that the boys harassing him at the academy were still kids that were yet to mature, and he had also learnt that age didn't matter when it came to the cowardice of human beings, which differed on the outside and inside.
He wanted to see what kind of attitude people would have towards him when he was a person with only skills and no background. Which is why he was purposefully attending the Academy quietly.
It was impossible to climb to the seat of 'Shita' that he wanted, with just skills by itself. It was a thoroughly political position. He wasn't arrogant enough to claim that he would do it with his power alone. He would gladly use the name of the Duke of Taran when he needed it. He planned on revealing his identity as the Duke's successor during the next year.
No one knew Damian at the Academy. There were a few from the north among the enrolled students and they had made a rough guess, but when Damian told them to shut their mouth, they were careful with what they said. Thanks to that, the secret was well kept.
Krrar. Feeling threatened instinctively, Asha exposed her teeth and her fur hardened. However, despite Asha being grown up, she was small enough to be sent flying from a kick. As expected, the boys harassing Damian laughed jeeringly at the fox.
"Asha."
Damian called her name and restrained her. Asha looked up at Damian with her meek eyes then she turned back to Damian. Damian was worried that Asha might get caught up in this and get hurt. Asha was the first gift his mother gave to him and she was also Damian's first friend. If something happened to Asha, he felt like he might not be able to keep to his father's request.
[Don't kill people at the Academy.][1]
The reason why Damian didn't respond to their constant annoyance was because it was too troublesome. To get angry, you have to be made angry. Like usual, Damian chose the option of silently picking up his book from the floor. Tak. The book he tried to pick up was kicked and fell to the floor again. Damian's line of sight followed the owner of the foot, looking up to find a brown-haired boy, smiling spitefully.
"You can't hear me? I said look where you're going. If you make a mistake, you have to apologize, don't you think?"
They were going a little overboard today. Damian's red eyes flatly stared at the boy with brown hair. Why were they consuming such unnecessary emotions? Upon receiving Damian's tranquil gaze, the boy who had picked a fight, flew into a rage. The boy felt like Damian was mocking him as pathetic with his eyes and also discovered his brother's sneer.
"You—" (?)
"Stop it." (Chris)
Chris interrupted, unable to watch any longer.
"Why are you attacking someone who's just passing by?" (Chris)
"Who are you to butt in?" (?)
The brown-haired boy was unhappy, but he was also cautious since he knew who Chris was. Although Ixium was relatively free from nationality and status, one's background could never be ignored. Chris was the son of a well-known Marquis, in the same country where the brown-haired boy was from.
"I'm saying don't make an issue out of nothing. The path is obviously wide enough, but you left that alone and intentionally bumped into him. You're obviously picking a fight." (Chris)
"What do you mean intentionally!"
While the two of them were quarrelling, Damian diligently picked up his fallen book and stood up. He took out his handkerchief from his coat and wiped off the footprints on his book. He was slightly annoyed this time. This was a special book.
It was a present from his mother; she always sent him a book when she found a good one. When the guy—Damian didn't even know any of their names—stepped on his book, Damian had unknowingly clenched his fists. If Chris hadn't intervened, he might have thrown a punch.
The other guy harassing Damian, the ash-haired one, stretched his hand towards Damian. Rather than an attack, it was a move to grab Damian's shoulder and make Damian face him.
Damian was already a little alert, so he reflexively drew back and fiercely whipped out his hand. With that, the book he was holding was aimed at the boy's neck. Every motion he made took place almost simultaneously. It was a swordplay move that he had done subconsciously. Damian slowly lowered his hand, but the ash-haired boy had already turned red with anger.
The fuming ash-haired boy caught something white at the corner of his eyes. He picked up the handkerchief that had fallen onto the floor. Honestly, the boy wasn't that ill-natured. But the moment he was about to ask, 'Is this yours?', he met Damian's agitated eyes.
Damian's apathetic gaze which always seemed like he was looking at lifeless organisms, had changed at some point. However, upon seeing Damian's restless for the first time, the ash-haired boy's intent twisted. His nastiness flared.
"Give that back." (Damian)
That was the handkerchief his mother had personally embroidered and sent to him. When Damian stretched out his hand and took a step forward, the ash-haired boy took the same step backwards. As Damian reached for it, he waved his hand around so that Damian couldn't get the handkerchief. After that repeated itself a few times, Damian's eyes got redder.
The ash-haired boy felt a glow of pleasure. He dropped the handkerchief onto the floor in a flaunting manner. Then he fixed Damian a contented grin and slowly trampled the handkerchief under his feet. Damian's eyes burst into a blaze.
The ash-haired was suddenly struck by a strong force and tumbled down. He was momentarily dazed as he collapsed to the floor. He touched the area of his lips that was tingling with pain and blood rubbed off on his hand.
"You want to fight, huh?!"
As soon as he realized he was hit, he clenched his fist and dashed at Damian. The brown-haired boy who wanted to go there to help him was blocked by Chris. Chris slightly avoided the fist coming at him angrily and also swung his fist. But the punch he threw really connected. The two of them began to go at it for real.
"Argh! This damn fox!"
Even Asha joined in to assist against her master's enemy. She used her small body to nimbly dodge and bit their arms or feet. The fact that she didn't attack Chris showed her intelligence in distinguishing between enemy and friend.
A rarely seen spectacle in Ixium was happening right now. The students gathered around in a circle to witness the scene of four boys and one animal exchanging blows.
Only after an order supervisor ran over and forcefully pulled them apart, did the dogfight stop.
* * *
Unless the issue was related to a student's grade or that of conduct i.e. insulting one's teacher, the primary disciplinary right was within the Conference's scope of authority.[2] The conference exercised their disciplinary power over the four students that had broken order in the school.
They were suspended from classes for 3 days, had to write a reflection, and also reflect on their attitudes. But Damian alone was punished to be suspended for 7 days. The reason was that Damian threw the first punch and also didn't manage his pet properly, causing it to attack people. Of course, the real reason was something else. With the exception of Damian, the other boys had remarkable identities. In particular, a friend of the two boys who had picked a fight was a member of conference.
"This is ridiculous."
Chris was angry. The treatment was extremely unfair. Those guys were the ones who came looking for trouble first. It was low and childish.
"Don't just stand there, make a complaint! Submit a formal objection to the Appeals committee!"
If you have any complaints against your first disciplinary hearing, you could file for a trial with the Appeals committee. Damian's face was deadpan as he watched Chris, who was rampaging around after coming all the way to his dorm room, then he briefly replied.
"It's fine."
His fingers were gently combing through Asha's fur in a leisurely manner as she lay on his knees.
"Fine?! What's fine! Those kids started it first."
Chris learnt Damian's age for the first time due to this incident. He thought Damian was at least as old as himself, but he was surprised to find out that Damian was only 12 years old. Those boys were fifteen and sixteen years old, respectively. They had attacked and harassed a boy who was much younger than them.
"Do you know how big a one week suspension is at Ixium? It's a huge red line on your school record!"
Damian was calm. His father never told him that he shouldn't cause any trouble. He wouldn't say anything for passable incidents as long as it wasn't expulsion. Which is why Damian didn't care if his school record had a red line or not. That much red line wasn't even going to be a block on his road to becoming Shita. (1)
"And you?" (Damian)
"What?" (Chris)
"You were drawn into this because of me. Isn't that a problem on your own school record?"
"This degree of suspension is okay. It's basically a warning for a first-timer."
Damian looked at Chris who had now become a 'knowledgeable person' in his books and wondered why the guy had even interfered in his business. They had not had any exchanges before this and were basically strangers.
"Thank you." (Damian)
Chris, who was fuming, looked at Damian in surprise. It was obvious from his expression that he didn't expect to hear that.
"Wh…for what?"
"For trying to help me, back then. Although you didn't need to."
Chris's mouth was in a wide grin at the first sentence, but the second sentence ticked him off. He glared at Damian for a bit but soon tossed his annoyance aside.
"Are you really not going to appeal?"
"I won't."
"If you're suspended, the notice will go home, though."
"…"
He didn't know that.
Side Story 1.3: Damian
DAMIAN(3)
Damian went into the administrative office to look into the situation. The staff there told him that he was one step too late.
"For a disciplinary action beyond suspension, a notice of the punishment is immediately forwarded to the necessary address, regardless of whether or not an appeal has been filed."
Damian's address was listed as Philarch, not the north or the mansion in the capital. The office meant for handling all matters regarding the young master, such as Damian's guards and reports, was located in Philarch. It was this office that was officially registered as Damian's address.
The office manager received all the documents sent from Ixium and forwarded the documents to the Duke along with the written reports. In other words, all of Damian's documents went to the office first. Damian considered going to the office that he had never been to before, but he changed his mind.
'Father's the one receiving it, anyways.'
Damian figured that his father wouldn't care much about a few days of suspension, especially since it wasn't expulsion. Damian's speculation was correct. Before Ixium had even sent a notice of Damian's suspension, Hugo learnt of it from his subordinate's report. After getting the report, Hugo mumbled disinterestedly.
"Suspension? No big deal then."
There were two things that would make Hugo have interest in Damian's academy life. Damian being terribly harmed (or killed), or something happens that would prevent Damian from graduating. Apart from these, everything else was left to Damian. This was also why he left the guys that were disturbing Damian alone. If Damian couldn't handle things like the guys trying to pick a fight with him at the Academy, then he wouldn't be able to handle becoming the lord of the north.
'What is he thinking…?'
Damian was attending the academy in a state where his status was uncertain. At first, this was Hugo's intention. When Damian first enrolled, Hugo registered his name as 'Damian' only. He didn't leave any trace that would lead to the boy's true identity. At the time, Damian was too young, and had no power befitting of his status as the heir to a Duke. Once people became aware of his identity and focused their attention on him, unexpected and dangerous things could happen, so Hugo took appropriate measures.
Once Damian grew older and was capable of discernment, if he asked to reveal his identity, Hugo had no plans of stopping him. However, Damian was still enduring the attacks on him with bated breath and letting them pass. Judging from the line-up of the bastards looking for trouble, it was obvious that they were empty husks that wouldn't dare to speak rashly if they knew that Damian was the son of the Duke of Taran.
The Academy was a small society made up of children, but that was also why there were more thorough in the pecking order amongst themselves. When they got out into society, they would realize that status was not a perfect solution, but as of now, the children's world was still narrow. In the eyes of the arrogant children, the Damian, who wasn't the Duke of Taran's son, was a stone on the floor that they could step on as much as they liked.
'If he has the conceited idea of not using his background at all, then that is rather dull.'
If Damian's status was elevated due to the knowledge that he was the Duke's son, then that was thanks to his background, not his ability. If Damian hated that and was in the process of being stubborn, then Hugo would be quite disappointed. Background was also part of one's ability. This was a world where one could never rise above a certain height without a background.
'There's still time, so I'll just have to wait and see.'
It would be fine to simply call the boy and ask him what he was thinking but Hugo did not do that. He had no plans of spoon feeding the boy. The boy had to be strong. If something happened to Hugo by any chance, he had to be capable of protecting his mother and younger sister. He didn't originally intend to let Damian grow in a greenhouse like a flower, but after his daughter was born, he was thinking of making Damian stronger.
Hugo was not interested in the suspension. But he was interested in the fact that the suspension was caused by a fight. The boy wasn't the type to be easily provoked to come to blows. As he chuckled, thinking 'a child is a child, as expected', he read the attached document which gave a full account of the fight.
Hugo's expression gradually turned ominous. When he got to where it stated that they had trampled the handkerchief, his hand gripped the document in his hand tighter.
'These young bastards are excessive.'
His wife did not accept his request to make a handkerchief for him when she was making one for Damian.
[When the one I gave you gets old, I'll make you a new one for you.]
Hugo didn't use the handkerchief Lucia gave him because he felt like it was too valuable. So, there was no way it was getting old. He just had no choice but to watch Lucia make a handkerchief for Damian. With the birth of Evangeline, Lucia was busy making things for her daughter to use too. Hugo didn't know why he couldn't get his wife to make something for him too when she was making stuff for their daughter.
Hugo checked to see which family the perpetrating child came from and committed it to memory. He wasn't going to do anything currently, but if anything came up for him to find fault in, he would remember this day. He could hold grudges for a very long time.
* * *
The organization of the mails that poured in was one of the important things she had to do. Lucia checked the mails that came in for her. Most of them were invitations but occasionally, there were personal letters. The mails she usually waited for were letters from Damian or the occasional letter from Norman.
Lucia picked up an envelope, brought out its contents and as she read through it, her expression became increasingly strange. She checked the envelope again to verify who the sender was. It had the official seal of Ixium, signifying that it was sent from there.
This mail was not originally sent to Lucia. Today, Jerome was busy with something else so he left the sorting of the letters to another person, but that person mistakenly put it in the Madam's mails. Lucia looked through the contents again.
"Suspension…"
It was a notice stating that Damian had been punished with seven days of suspension.
"What do they mean Damian has been suspended?"
She read the official notice several times, but it did not say the exact reason for the suspension. It only stated that he disrupted order in the school and violated the rules. There was no way her well-behaved son would cause enough trouble to be suspended. Something was wrong here.
Thankfully, her husband didn't go out today; he was in the office, grappling with documents. Lucia took the notice in her hand and headed to her husband's office.
Side Story 1.4 DAMIAN(4)
The door opened quietly and the mild scent of tea wafted in. Hugo was buried in his work, not lifting his head, but when the sign of someone approaching didn't disappear, he lifted his gaze. He discovered his wife, standing there with a tea tray in her hands and his eyes grew wide.
"How come you're here?"
"Did I interrupt you? I would like some of your time. Is now okay?"
"Ah. Yes, now is fine."
Hugo swiftly got up and sat opposite of her on the sofa. Lucia filled the two teacups with tea and placed one in front of her husband and herself.
"I felt like it would be right to talk with you here because it's both a personal matter and formal matter."
Lucia placed the mail she had brought with her on the table. Hugo looked through the contents of the mail with an indifferent expression and as Lucia watched him put it back inside the envelope, she said:
"You know what this is about, right?"
"It's nothing big. He seems to have fought with his classmates."
"Is Damian hurt?"
Hurt? Damian's swordsmanship was at a professional level. The sword skills he learnt were the standard one, so they couldn't surpass the killing skills that Hugo learnt as a mercenary slave, but it would be difficult to find his match among his peers.
According to the reports, he could even win against his seniors that were three to four years older easily. By the time he graduated, he wouldn't lose to anyone in a pure swordsmanship match. The generations of men in the Taran family had sturdy constitutions. Equipped with the skill of innate ability, they had no opponent.
"It's fine. Kids fight as they grow."
As he watched Lucia breathe a sigh of relief, Hugo thought that she treated Damian too much like a child. He didn't know what she was so worried about when her son was already so much taller than her.
"So why is he suspended for a simple fight? What's going on? Was the child he fought greatly hurt?"
"It's not really that."
Hugo couldn't help but briefly explain what Damian's current situation was like. He explained that Damian lived hiding his status so there were guys who often came to look for his trouble and that this time, he received an unfair punishment. Hugo spoke lightly but Lucia's expression gradually hardened as she listened.
"So you're saying that Damian was ridiculously and unfairly punished."
"…Sounds about right."
"So what do you plan to do?"
Hugo didn't care much about it. He was going to just let it pass by. But when he was about to reply with, 'what am I supposed to do,' he felt like his wife's eyes would turn up sharply, so he quietly shut his mouth.
Lucia's maternal love was at its peak after giving birth and raising Evangeline. The knowledge that Damian was being oppressed at the Academy made unbearable anger surge within her. How dare they— to my son!
"Actually, I have been thinking about things regarding Damian."
Not long ago was Evangeline's first birthday. Hugo borrowed a hall in the royal palace and held an extravagant and grand birthday party. It was big enough for the attendees to insinuate that the party was bigger than Princess Selena's. Despite receiving a swarm of congratulatory messages, Lucia was disheartened by Damian's absence throughout.
When she sent Damian an invitation to attend, Damian replied that he was sorry, but it was difficult because he was in school. Damian truly couldn't spare time during the semester so he couldn't attend. However, Lucia took it differently, in that, she thought that Damian was averse to presenting himself before other people.
The capital's high society did not know of Damian's existence. The people who were always in-the-know with rumors definitely knew, but because they were caution of the Duke and Duchess of Taran, they didn't spread it.
Lucia did not intend to hide Damian. However, Damian was too young to make a social debut and because he went to the academy, he was never at the capital, which meant that even if she said anything, it would just cause useless rumors to spread so she just kept to herself.
Lucia's mind began to change due to the New Year party this year. Every year at the New Year's party, many noble children made their debut in the social circle. She watched as the parents of the children busied around everywhere, trying to make sure their children who were debuting, made even the slightest good impression.
Lucia had smiled as she greeted the young boys and girls of fourteen years who were just making their debut. And then, there was a boy who strikingly stood out to her. It was Chris, the son of Marquis Philip. People's attentions were focused on the debut of the child of a family in power. He wasn't greeting people, rather, they were greeting him.
As Lucia watched the confident and brightly smiling young boy, Damian came to her mind. She thought to herself, that Damian was as qualified as the Marquis's son to be standing there confidently, with people's attention on him.
"Do you really want Damian to stay in the dorms until he graduates?"
"I promised to let him graduate from the day he entered."
"I'm not saying that he shouldn't graduate. I'm just asking if he needs to be on the boarding course? Other kids are on vacation while Damian had to have dates annually issued for him to go out. This cannot go on until his graduation."
"So what are you thinking?"
"Change his course. It shouldn't be boarding course, but something that allows him to come home on vacation like the other kids at the academy."
"I don't think that's possible within the Academy's regulations."
"I know you can change it."
Hugo was shocked speechless by the fact that such words came out from his wife's mouth.
"In addition, there is now a need for Damian to introduce himself into the social circles."
"Why all of a sudden?"
Damian's social debut wasn't something he had considered. Damian would be eighteen years old when he finished his 12 years of boarding. At that point, he would have learnt what he needed to do at the academy, plus he would be at the proper age, so he would then be taught what needed to be taught. That was Hugo's plan.
"It's not all of a sudden, this is something I have been thinking about. When Damian graduates, his social debut will be too late."
Social debuts usually happened at fifteen, and at the earliest, it was one or two years earlier. However, there weren't many cases where someone made a debut considerably late. Families who followed the rule of succession mostly kept to this principle.
"It's not that necessary. A social debut isn't that important."
"It is important. Damian's birth had a weakness. So I think it will be better to have him debut very early and make people recognize that he is definitely your successor."
Until now, the Taran family had gone by without participating in many activities in the social circles. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that they had locked themselves up in the north. In this generation, Hugo unusually broadened their activities. According to his precedents, social activities in the capital were meaningless.
However, there was a possibility for changes in the way the Taran family ran when Damian took over. In addition, the social debut arrangements of the children was the Lady of the House's responsibility. Therefore, Hugo couldn't find any reason to oppose his wife's idea.
"I want to hold a debut party before the end of this winter."
"I think that's early."
"By the time New Year comes around, he will be thirteen. He's taller and more mature than those his age so it's fine."
"Do what you want."
"Ask His Majesty for use of the hall like you did for Eve's birthday."
"Borrow what hall. The New Year party is soon after this winter anyways. It can be done then."
"But Damian isn't the focus at the New Year's Party."
"It isn't good if he stands out too much on his first debut stage. Especially since to the other people, his existence isn't even known and then, he suddenly appears.
"Is that so…you have a point. I'll think about it again."
Hugo borrowing a hall in the royal palace to throw an unprecedented grand ball for Evangeline's social debut was still something in the distant future.
"So, you'll resolve Damian's suspension issue, right?"
"…Sure."
"Thankfully, the semester has just finished so you should go bring him back."
"Me?"
"Are you busy?"
He was busy indeed. Plus, he didn't know why he needed to go there personally and pick up the boy. He had already bought a pass for the gate, and using the gate, it was a half-a-day distance from the Academy to the ducal residence.
However, Hugo couldn't win against the pressure of his wife, who was looking straight at him. This was his wife who took every opportunity to talk about building the relationship between father and son. Hugo thought that he and the boy had just the right amount of distance between them. Of course, he kept this thought to himself.
"…I will go."
Since she had cleanly solved the issue at hand, Lucia lightly rose to her feet.
"I took more of your time than I thought. I won't bother you anymore."
Hugo quickly hooked an arm around his wife's waist as she hurried to leave.
"Since we've already been talking so far, let's keep on talking."
"Talking about what?"
Hugo held her waist firmly, keeping her close in his arms and his other hand went down to her behind. He wove his knee between her legs and squeezed it between her thighs then he pressed down his lips on her slender, long neck. Lucia's face flushed red.
"Th—you're nuts."
"I'm absolutely nuts for you."
"This is where you work!"
"It's not like this is the first time."
Lucia's face burned even redder.
She remembered the night when he carried her to the second floor in the middle of the night, her nakedness wrapped with a bedsheet, and she was so afraid that someone would see that even her fingertips were tense. It was a thrilling night. But the fact that she committed such a messy act in her husband's workplace continued to make her feel awkward and embarrassed.
"It wasn't daytime then!"
When he hugged her, Lucia pounded on his chest. Holding her to his chest, Hugo used his arm to push away all the documents on his desk then he placed her on it. Some documents and writing materials fell to the floor but he didn't care.
"Hugh! Someone will come!"
"No one will come unless they want to die."
Hugo leaned on his desk with both arms and kissed her before she found more things to nag about. He enjoyed tasting her full lips and her small, soft tongue. He sucked on her chewy, soft lower lips then he pushed his tongue deeper into her mouth. Her mouth felt feverishly hot to him.
His tongue scoured her mouth and swept over her gums. Their salivas mixed together in both a hurried and calm manner. Kisses with him were always hot and pleasuring. Lucia tasted sweetness in his mouth just like how he swallowed her saliva like sweet honey.*
Their tongues slid against each other, tangling and untangling. His hand held the back of her neck supporting her, while her two arms were wrapped around his neck. Their lips momentarily separated before coming together again. At some point, Lucia had become so absorbed by the kiss that she clung to him. She felt electrified to her fingertips and heat rose in the area between her thighs. She couldn't stop his hand as it came into her skirt and pulled it down. Rather, she lifted up her butt to help him remove it.
"Haa…Haa…"
She was short of breath thanks to the unceasing string of kisses. Hugo's red eyes flickered with dark desire as he watched her try to catch her breath with her slightly swollen lips.
He groped along her thigh then he lifted her skirt and place his hand between her open legs. As soon as she felt cold air brush against her bare lower abdomen, something hot rubbed against her entrance. Her mouth watered at the thought of his blazing red eyes, his lips glistening with saliva, his erotic scent and the pleasure he would give her.
"Hnng!"
His hot manhood broke through her flesh and entered. He gripped her butt and vigorously thrust into her. Her privates had already begun to get wet during the kiss so she swallowed his huge size with no resistance. As he filled her so much that she almost couldn't breathe, he moved in and out of her with ferocity. Lucia's body shook all over the place as she hung from him with her arms around his neck. The intense stimulation between her legs quickly brought Lucia to her climax.
"Aah!!"
Lucia put her arms around his shoulders and leaned back. Her shoulders shuddered as her sight blacked out for an instant before becoming clear again. The orgasm that came in less than no time was as short as it was intense.
As the tremors of her inner walls around his member lessened, Hugo bit her ear.
"Is that all?"
"Ah!"
Before she could even reply, he moved. Lucia moaned and began to move up and down again. Every time he plunged in deep and touched somewhere, something deep inside her body grew hotter. She was captivated by a sense of contradicting hopes and fears in that she wished for the thing to come and at the same time, she didn't want it to come.
DAMIAN(5)
A chill began to crawl up her spine. Recognizing what this feeling was, Lucia tried to hold back a tearful moan. The worry that someone might knock on the office door at any time brought her even more excitement. Not long after, just as something erupted inside her, he moaned and hot semen flooded into her. Lucia's mouth was open as her inner walls spasmed carelessly, but she couldn't even utter a moan. Her head was turned to mush from the incessantly rising pleasure.
"Hn…Hng…"
Lucia clung to him as she sobbed. Her whole body was trembling. Hugo buried his face in her neck and drew in a deep, rough breath. He had never seen a woman as sensitive as her. The moment he entered her, her entire body quivered. Her body was a lewd one that orgasmed over and over again.
She hit her climax in her second or third orgasm faster than in her first. Her entire body quivered, her chest was swollen, her nipples were perked, and her inner walls, especially, which clung tight to his member, was no joke.
Her tender and hot insides had clamped down on his thing and gripped him tight. He was almost unable to resist and cummed inside her in surrender. And then the spasms of her inner walls were almost endless, like a heartbeat.
Even though he was just staying still inside her, he couldn't help but moan. As time passed, the spasms of her inner walls gradually lessened. Every time it clenched around him very slowly and gripped him tight, small creases formed on his forehead.
He began to plant light kisses along the line of her neck. He moved up her neck, to the bottom of her chin, before reaching the side of her lips. He lightly kissed the top of her lip then he enveloped her lips, put his tongue in her mouth and pressed them into a heated kiss.
He moved his waist backwards, pulling out of her, then he lifted her and placed her down facing the desk. When the cold wood of the desk touched her cheek, Lucia felt embarrassed, but her body shook with excitement.
His thick manhood brushed past the flesh of her thighs and penetrated her deeply. He only came to a stop when his thighs slowly came to touch her butt. Now fully inside her, he let out a rough breath.
Her extremely sensitive insides squeezed his intruding member tight. His view felt giddy causing him to grit his teeth. He couldn't move. After giving birth to a child, his wife's body had become so much more mature. He took a few hard breaths then he pulled his waist back and rammed in strongly.
"Ung!"
His movements began to grow a little faster. As flesh smacked against flesh, the sound of liquid splashing could be heard. Lucia pushed against the desk in an effort not to fall, but both her body and the desk were rocking back and forth. Whenever his hard flesh intensely filled her up to the brim, Lucia screamed, moaning with pleasure.
"Ah! Ahh!"
When it hit deep inside, her vision flickered. When her vaginal walls clenched, he groaned. His hands on her hips gripped her a little harder. He thrust in a few more times then he rammed all the way in and sprayed into her womb. As he heaved, fighting for breath, he bit her earlobe and licked it. Her insides went into a fit of spasm and her body shook from the pleasure.
"I won't…come to your office again."
Hearing her say that as she panted, Hugo burst into laughter.
* * *
The last semester of this year ended, leaving about a month or so until the first day of the new year. And about two months after the vacation marks the start of the first semester of the following year. In the summer, most students returned home within a day or two after the summer vacation begins, so the campus would get very quiet. However, the winter vacation tended to remain crowded even a week into vacation due to graduation.
Today in particular, was the day of graduation and densely packed carriages kept filing into the campus.
The day that Hugo decided to visit Ixium was the graduation day, of all days. Two carriages with the vivid symbol of a black lion, mixed with numerous other carriages and entered Ixium. Unlike the other carriages, it didn't head to the auditorium where the graduation was in full swing but to the Head Office.
The entrance of the Head Office was relatively quiet. But there were a few people standing outside as if they were waiting for someone. Waldo, the Dean of Ixium, had been nervously rubbing his hands and once he caught sight of the carriage, he promptly flew down the stairs, skipping a few steps on the way. As he watched the two carriages stop and attendants came down from the rear carriage to stand beside the carriage in front, he swallowed nervously.
The door of the carriage opened, and a dark-haired man stepped out. The man stood out, with hair as dark as shadows and a height and frame like that of a fierce knight. The pupils underneath his thick eyebrows were as red as blood and the bridge of his nose was straight on his symmetrical features. In all, he was a man with a rarely seen beauty.
However, the people that saw him were overwhelmed by the atmosphere around him rather than his appearance. They could feel a ferocious energy beneath his cool gaze and ice dripped from his expressionless face. The feeling emanating from him was as though as one would be cut down if they dared to approach him.
Waldo respectfully bowed his waist and seeing Waldo move to escort his guest and entourage inside, the staffs of the Head Office that stood with him, whispered amongst themselves as they didn't know who the guests were.
"The Dean's nose almost touched the floor. Who in the world has come?"
The students of the Academy were either royal descendants, aristocrats, or a least the child of someone with enormous capital. As someone who had dealt with all kinds of people in high positions, the Dean of Ixium's pride was high.
"It must be Xenon's Duke of Taran."
"Duke of Taran? You mean that Duke of Taran?"
"Is there any other Duke of Taran in Xenon?"
"To see someone, you've only heard of through rumors is quite amazing. I didn't expect him to be so young. His aura is frightful, indeed."
Waldo wasn't nervous just because his guest was the Duke of a nation. He was nervous because the Duke of Taran had great influence over the board of directors, which was capable of replacing the Dean of the Academy, in addition, the Duke was a sponsor that gave a considerable amount of scholarship to the school every year.
As a standard, Ixium received huge tuition fees and enrolled royals or nobles from around the world, but they also paid attention to attracting scholarship students with outstanding academic ability, regardless of status, in order to produce future professors. Having outstanding faculty members has raised the Academy's quality to a higher level. Therefore, how much scholarships the Dean can attract was also a measure of his ability.
"If I had been notified in advance, I would have taken more care to make sure nothing would inconvenience you. Things are a bit rowdy due to the graduation and the preparations are insufficient. I apologize."
Waldo was only abruptly informed of an important guest's visit this morning. Because it was the day of graduation, he was very busy, he had many people to meet and his schedule was packed, but he postponed everything, including his speech at the graduation, and focused on receiving the guests.
Some might say that Waldo was being servile. In actuality, some parts of him was. Waldo had only the reasonable capability for his position, but he had kept his seat as the Dean of the Academy for nearly a decade because he was outstandingly tactful and astute.
Waldo secretly took notice of Hugo frowning minutely after taking a sip of the tea served to him and putting it back. He immediately knew that his secretary had screwed up the tea. He had been tolerant because it was a relative with special consideration, but from today onwards, they were fired.
"Please tell us what you need, Your Excellency and we will promptly sort it out for you."
"I am here to meet my son who is enrolled here in Ixium."
Waldo felt his back go cold. He had never heard that. Never. If he had heard it, there was no way he would have forgot. Waldo kept a special record of royals or high-ranking noble students that he needed to pay attention to. The Duke of Taran's son would have been at the top of that list.
"I was sent this thing."
Waldo took the envelope the Duke gave to him and when he looked at its contents, his hand trembled. 7 days of suspension? What crazy bastard—!
"I personally looked into it and found that there was a problem with the procedures."
How dare you give my son 7 days suspension. It looks like you're tired of playing Dean. That's how it sounded in Waldo's ears.
"I will investigate this and fix it right away."
Waldo's mind was scattered. He was agitated and wanted to quickly find out how such a huge incident had happened.
"My son is in the boarding course. I would like to take him home, but he hasn't received permission to go out. Moreover, he's still in confinement…"
"There is no problem at all. You can take your son with you right away, Your Excellency. Shall I bring him here now?"
Hugo thought about it for a moment then he shook his head. The waiting time was boring.
"I'll go meet my son and take him from there."
"If he's in confinement, then he should be at the dorms. I will take you personally…"
"There's no need for that."
As Waldo sent off the Duke of Taran, he emphasized his statement.
"Please do not worry about the matter concerning your child. I will definitely look into it and correct the mistake."
Waldo's face was rigid as he watched the departing carriage. This incident was a huge threat to his position as Dean. His schedules for today that he had postponed was none of his business.
He was going to find out how this '7 days of suspension' came about, why he didn't know that the Duke of Taran's son was enrolled in Ixium and he planned on dealing with his staff who didn't do their work properly.
DAMIAN(6)
As Damian flipped the page of his book, he heard an odd sound and looked in that direction. The sound came from Chris, who had been sleeping sprawled out on the sofa but fell to the floor when he tossed in his sleep. The sight of Chris climbing back onto the sofa made Damian chuckle.
Even though vacation had already began, Chris remained at the Academy. And whenever it was time to eat, he would knock on the door of Damian's room. Once it reached the third day, Damien asked Chris why he wasn't going home, and Chris scratched his head, looking awkward and replied.
[I feel like things got bigger because I got involved and all the blame was shifted to you. I know you never went against those guys before. Because of me, your fight with them got bigger and you were even punished with suspension.]
[It's not your fault.]
[I feel terrible, I can't just go home like this. I'll stay and be punished with you. Uh…Am I bothering you by any chance? If you tell me not to come, I won't.]
Even though he said that, it was glaringly obvious that Chris was worried that he was really being a bother, so Damian couldn't tell him not to come to his face.
[…Do what you want.]
And so from the next morning onwards, Chris came to Damian's room to kill time and stayed until it was late as if it was his own room. He wasn't doing anything much. He didn't disturb Damian's reading, he played with the fox, then picked up a book and if that was boring too, he took a nap. The interesting part was that Asha, who was usually shy of strangers, quickly became friendly with Chris. For Damian, it was his first time dealing with a guy like Chris who approached him so cheekily. He didn't know how to handle him but he didn't hate it.
"Damian."
"What."
"Is it time for dinner yet?"
"Lunch wasn't that long ago."
"Time is moving really slow today, must be because it's the last day. Is your name your real one?"
According to the academy's policy, when a teacher called a student, or when students referred to each other, they must be called by their names, not honorary title, regardless of their status. Many of the students who found it insulting to have anyone call their noble name, registered a pseudonym for use only in the academy.
"Yes, it is." (Damian)
"Mine is my real name too. Will you keep staying at the academy during the vacation?"
"I have to go home."
"Ah…you're going home."
Chris wanted to invite him to his house, but could only smack his lips with regret. After their brief conversation ended, Chris sprawled himself across the sofa again and when he heard a knock on the door, he abruptly lifted his head. Damian put his book down and fixed his gaze on the door too. When the knock on the door came a second time, Chris sprang to his feet.
"I'll get it."
Chris ran to the door and opened it.
* * *
Hugo glanced at Chris, who was frozen in place as he held the door open, then he entered inside. Damian jumped to his feet in surprise. He couldn't believe his eyes.
"Father."
Chris had been alternating gazes between the Duke of Taran and the small Duke of Taran with eyes as wide as saucers, and when he heard the word that came out of Damian's mouth, his jaw went slack.
Hugo cast a glance around the room, taking in its sights for the first time. The small decorations that filled up the room had obviously been used for a long time and the interior design of the room hasn't been changed after it was put in this dorm. Apart from the width, there was nothing particularly eye-catching. Hugo paid a huge amount of money for Damian's dorm every year. The enormous tuition fees were going elsewhere because this kind of place was definitely not a VIP suite.
'I have to give my thanks.'
He was looking for a reason to change Damian's boarding course to something else and this was perfect. Changing a course involves dealing with the foundational rules, so an amendment was difficult. Hugo could exert a great deal of influence over the board of directors, but he didn't have the decisive vote to change the foundational rules.
Among the courses at the academy, was a two-year intensive course. As long as you wanted to, during those two years, you could attend any course you wanted to. It was part of the academy's business insight. In exchange, no certificate for graduation or completion was given. In order to prevent the falsification of academic level due to changing from the intensive course to another course, it was stated as a closed construct rule that one course couldn't be changed to another.
From the way the dorm looked, it was obvious that not just one or two coins were stolen. If this was audited, there was likely going to be a few board of directors caught. From the looks of it, he was going to be able to secure the decisive vote in the board of directors. Since he had now found a way, his wife's request was practically solved.
Hugo turned to Damian and looked him over, up and down. He looked bigger than the last time he saw him. Whether it was Damian or Evangeline, once he looked away and turned back, something about them had changed.
"Do you have something left to do?" (Hugo)
Damian had been standing nervously ever since his father's gaze fell on him, so he quickly replied.
"No, I do not." (Damian)
"If there's anything you need to pack, pack it now. We're going home." (Hugo)
"But I'm currently under confinement…"
"That's taken care of."
"Did something happen at home, by any chance?"
Damian was quickly filled with worry after his surprise over his father's visit had settled down. The face of his mother and younger sister quickly flashed in his mind.
"'Something happen'? Well, I can't say nothing happened."
As he listened to the pair of father and son talk to each other, Chris stealthily approached and continued to alternate glances between them. When he saw them separately, he thought they looked similar, but seeing them side by side, they didn't just look similar, they looked exactly alike. Anyone could tell that they were definitely not strangers. Despite that, if you didn't hear the call of 'father', your first thought would definitely not be that they were as father and son. You would think that they looked more like brothers with a huge age difference.
'So Damian is really the son of the Duke of Taran? But why doesn't anyone know?'
He could not understand why people didn't know that someone as famous as the Duke of Taran had a son as big as Damian.
Hugo frowned slightly, seeing the boy who had stopped a few steps away from him, shoved his head forward, and was blatantly and rudely staring at him.
"Who are you?"
Chris realized his mistake and stiffened to attention. His father's strict eyes flashed before his eyes. If Chris' father, who was always talking about prudence in appearance, saw Chris' action today, it wouldn't just end with a few smacks.
"That was rude of me. I apologize. I am Chris, an academy classmate of Student Damian. It is an honor to meet you."
Hugo stroked his chin as he watched Chris bend over till he was practically in half.
"You seem familiar." (Hugo)
"I'm sorry? Ah…I once gave you my greetings at the New Year party earlier this year." (Chris)
'Don't tell me he remembers something from almost a year ago?'
When his father was introducing him to people, he had greeted the ducal couple only once.
'Oops. I didn't introduce my name properly.'
While Chris agonized over whether to introduce himself again after realizing his mistake, Hugo's memory came back to him. Hugo's memory was extraordinary, the only problem was that he hadn't really cared about it.
"The second son of Marquis Philip." (Hugo)
"Huh? Y-Yes, you're right." (Chris)
"Academy classmate, you say? What are you doing here?"
"For that, I…"
Chris was going to confess that he had a huge responsibility in Damian's suspension. But Damian spoke first.
"He's my friend."
Chris has stayed in his room continuously for several days but Damian couldn't define his relationship with Chris. But after he said it, he realized. Chris was his friend. The first friend he made at the academy. He looked at Chris and found the boy grinning at him and he laughed.
Hugo looked at the two boys with intrigue in his eyes. His wife was very interested in Damian's friendships.
[Damian never mentions friends in his letters. Could he have no friends?]
[Such things aren't necessary.]
Hugo had never had a friend in his life, nor had he ever wanted one or thought it was necessary. When he said that, his wife looked at him prudishly.
[Well, for me, I hope Damian doesn't end up resembling you in that area.]
Hugo felt wronged; he was criticized even though he was innocent. He felt like at this rate, if Damian had no friends, he would hear that Damian really took after him to be like that. He had been considering sticking a few similar henchmen-like friends by his son's side. But with this, his wife would definitely love to hear that Damian had someone to call a friend.
"You said you were Chris, right? Are you also boarding?" (Hugo)
"No, sir. I will be going home soon." (Chris)
"That's good then. Come with me too." (Hugo)
"…Pardon?"
Hugo urged Damian, not answering Chris' puzzlement.
"If you've packed everything, hurry up."
There wasn't even time to pack but Damian simply carried Asha in his arms without complaints. And as he followed after Hugo, who was heading to the door, he spoke to Chris, who was just standing there, spaced out.
"What are you doing? Let's go."
"You mean me?"
As he looked at this back of his cold-blooded friend, who didn't bother to reply a second time, Chris followed, still dazed. To him, the way this pair of father and son talked was strange.