Chapter 22

Seeing people deliver gifts so frequently that the threshold of the door was practically worn down, Adrian cautiously asked Ramona, “They mentioned earlier that you saved a mother and son’s lives… what happened exactly?”

“Oh, they fell into the water, and since I’m a decent swimmer, I managed to pull them out.”

“And the thugs you drove off?”

“Ms. Marie runs a street stall, and I saw a man harassing her because she wouldn’t pay protection money. I just gave him a little ‘tap,’ and he tumbled over. I suppose he was too embarrassed to show his face around here after that.”

Adrian looked at her, wanting to ask how a mere “tap” could send a man flying, but Ramona simply shrugged. She then began organizing the items the neighbors had brought.

The sheer volume of goods brought by those she had helped—using the child’s illness as an excuse to give back—was substantial. It was clear that the “miracle” of Raon growing up so well in her arms was fueled by the same benevolent influence she now saw returning to her.

Once she finished sorting the groceries, which were enough to make anyone feel full just by looking at them, Ramona placed charcoal in a brazier and moved it to Raon’s room. Since Adrian had decided to stay the night, she was being mindful of his comfort.

She didn’t forget to provide a shabby but warm blanket as well. After finishing up in Raon’s room, she gently stroked the sleeping boy’s forehead.

“My little prince, get well soon.”

At first, she had been frantic and lost whenever Raon fell ill. Even so, she never wanted to become “used to” nursing him.

After placing a towel soaked in fever-reducing herb juice on his forehead, Ramona stepped out of the room. Adrian seemed so absorbed in his paperwork by candlelight that he didn’t even realize she was standing there.

“Um, Young Duke? Mr. Adrian?”

“…”

She called his name, but his eyes remained fixed on the documents. Seeing this, Ramona tried one last time.

“Raon’s Dad!”

“Ye-yes?”

She hadn’t expected a reaction, but Adrian’s eyes flew open wider than usual.

“You are Raon’s father, aren’t you?”

“I… I am, but…”

It was the first time he had been called “Dad” rather than by his name or title. It felt awkward, yet strangely moving.

“You said you’d look after the child tonight. Go on in.”

“I see. Right. Then I shall head in. Please sleep well and do not worry about the boy.”

Ramona, who had had such an eventful day she was practically speechless, gave a small nod.

“I’m counting on you to take care of our Raon.”

After she gave a short bow and retired to her room, Adrian quickly gathered his papers and entered the child’s room.

“Oh, heavens… Raon, you really are blessed.”

He hadn’t noticed during the day, but at night, the ceiling of Raon’s room sparkled. Star-shaped pieces made with ground glow-stones were attached to the ceiling, casting a soft light.

After staring at the ceiling for a while, Adrian sat in a chair. The warmth from the small brazier seeped into the surroundings. Though there were blankets brought by the Cassius servants, Adrian chose to wrap the one Ramona had provided around his shoulders.

It didn’t smell like perfume, yet it carried a strangely cozy and warm scent. Feeling a pleasant fragrance he hadn’t encountered in a long time, Adrian smiled to himself, replaying the name she had called him.

“Raon’s Dad, huh…”

***

“Mommy!”

Three days later, Raon had fully recovered his senses and followed Ramona everywhere she went.

“Our little prince! Your face has grown so thin. Is there anything you want to eat?”

Raon, who had been living on porridge for days, gave a bright smile and shook his head. He was likely staying quiet out of consideration for Ramona.

“Tell me if there’s anything you want. I’ll have it brought immediately,” Adrian said softly, having taken up permanent residence at the dining table to do his work.

“Well, then… I want to eat chicken.”

At the boy’s words, Adrian bolted from his seat and went outside. Before long, a freshly dressed chicken arrived.

“Um, we have a coop, so I could have just caught one…”

“Wouldn’t catching and plucking it be a hassle for you?”

It sounded as if he meant to handle at least the food supply while the child was here. While Ramona cooked, Raon went to the backyard with Adrian.

“I’ll teach you some swordsmanship for the time being, so ask me if there’s anything you don’t know.”

Recalling the words of soldiers who had left their families for war—that one must “communicate through the body” to grow close—Adrian began the lesson.

“Wow! Dad, you’re amazing!”

They had lived in the same house for weeks, yet their relationship hadn’t progressed past formal greetings. Here, however, he had managed to win the child’s favor in just one hour.

Feeling more pride than when he first received his knighthood, a radiant smile broke across Adrian’s face.

“Ahem, it’s nothing much…”

“When did you start learning swordsmanship, Dad?”

“Hmm? Let’s see. I think I started around age seven.”

Sitting beside the slightly tired child, Adrian felt immense joy as Raon chattered away with questions.

“Dinner is almost ready, so come in and wash up!”

Ramona poked her head out of the small open window and shouted. Raon jumped to his feet.

“Let’s go wash, quick! Mommy won’t give us food if we don’t wash before eating.”

“R-right. Let’s do that.”

Thanks to Ramona’s emphasis on cleanliness and hygiene, Adrian ended up bathing with Raon for the first time.

It would have taken too long for them to go one by one. Watching his son laugh, saying the hands on his skin tickled, Adrian felt a natural surge of happiness. As Adrian finished washing the boy and poured water over himself, Raon reached out, offering to wash his father’s back.

The sensation of those tiny hands rubbing his broad back made his heart feel ticklish, and his body trembled slightly. After finishing their bath, the pair headed straight for the table.

“You’ve… washed thoroughly, I see. Ahem.”

Seeing water droplets trickling down Adrian’s chest through his half-unbuttoned shirt, Ramona quickly looked away. She thought she was used to seeing men working with their shirts off, but Adrian’s suggestive appearance made her face flush involuntarily.

“Mommy, I’ll set the table.”

“O-oh, thank you.”

As Raon set the utensils as usual, Ramona shook her head to clear her thoughts and brought the food out from the kitchen on a tray.

“I’ll set it on the table.”

Adrian moved the food from the tray, his expression much softer than when they first met.

“What dish is this? It looks incredibly delicious.”

There was no other side dish; just the one meal made from the chicken Adrian had provided.

“I know this! It’s braised and made with a bean-based sauce. It’s super yummy!” Raon chirped. The large chunks of potatoes and carrots were glistening.

“It’s braised chicken. I’m not sure if it’ll suit your palate.”

The table, consisting only of braised chicken and white rice, felt more abundant than ever. As Adrian picked up his fork, Ramona placed a piece of chicken on top of Raon’s rice, as she always did.

“It’s delicious. This doesn’t seem like food from this kingdom… Is it from the Southern Continent? The potato and rice dishes before were good, but today’s is even better.”

“In the Southern Continent, they say power comes from rice. I noticed that rice keeps you full longer than flour-based foods. That’s why I try to feed Raon as much rice as possible.”

Adrian listened intently and nodded. He planned to make sure the chefs at the duchy cooked rice for Raon once he took the boy back.

“Raon, I told you to chew your meat and rice thoroughly before swallowing. You’ll get an upset stomach if you don’t.”

Back at the Cassius estate, Raon had always looked like he was forcing himself to eat, even with delicacies in front of him. Here, even with just one dish, he smiled brightly and chewed as carefully as possible.

“You have to eat the carrots too.”

“But…”

“Raon’s Dad is eating his vegetables, see? Now, why don’t you try one carrot?”

In reality, Adrian had been picking out only the chicken, but at Ramona’s gaze, he hastily stuffed a carrot into his mouth.

He usually didn’t touch any vegetables other than potatoes, but he couldn’t show his picky eating habits in front of his son. Seeing Adrian “bravely” eat the carrot, Raon reluctantly popped one into his mouth, wearing a disgruntled expression.

He usually ate well, but perhaps because his father was there or because he had just been sick, he was being particularly fussy. After finishing the meal and cleaning up, the sun began to set. As Ramona brought in charcoal for the brazier, a thump-thump sound came from outside.

“Someone must be out there.”

Adrian, no longer surprised by visitors, stood up first and opened the door. Seeing no one at eye level, he frowned, but as he moved to close the door, he felt a presence on the ground. He looked down to see a tiny creature.

“A rabbit?”

A pale pink-furred rabbit quickly backed away and then thumped its hind legs against the ground. Looking displeased, the pink rabbit twitched its nose and then lunged forward with incredible speed.

The rabbit leaped and delivered a mid-air double kick. Startled, Adrian instinctively raised his arm to block. While Adrian stood in shock, his arm tingling from the impact, Ramona peeked out from behind him and laughed brightly.

“Toto! You’re here. Come on in.”

At Ramona’s words, the pink rabbit wiggled its tail and jumped high. Adrian braced for another kick, but the rabbit landed softly in Ramona’s arms, nuzzling against her. Then, it turned its red eyes toward Adrian and glared.

“This is Raon’s Dad.”

Hmph—

The pink rabbit made a strange sound, like it was snorting in derision. Adrian stared at it, dumbfounded. He knew no one would believe him, but he was certain that rabbit had just laughed at him.