Chapter 25

Two nights, as promised to Raon, had passed. Waking up earlier than usual today, Raon hovered by the door, opening it repeatedly to peek outside. Ramona, who had packed a lunch for him, took the child’s hand and headed toward the small school.

Ramona stroked the head of Raon, who kept glancing back over his shoulder, and said with a smile, “Daddy promised, didn’t he? Now that you’ve slept five nights, you’ll be able to meet him when you come home from school.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Soothing his slightly anxious heart, Raon gave a bright smile and snuggled into Ramona’s arms. After indulging the child’s affection for a moment, Ramona gently pulled him away.

“Study hard today, too.”

Raon was bright enough that he didn’t actually need to attend school, as Ramona had taught him herself. However, she sent him to school intentionally, believing that mingling and studying with children his own age would help develop his social skills.

“Mom, I’m going now! Please make something delicious today!”

Raon, who had been smiling much more since becoming close with Adrian, waved to Ramona and headed straight into the humble school building. Seeing Raon back at school after a long time, the other children flocked to him.

“I heard you were sick! Are you okay now?”

“Raon! Come quick. It was boring without you.”

It seemed no one yet knew that Raon had found his biological father, let alone the man’s true identity. The heavy silence of Thomason, Baylor, and Brown had clearly done its job.

“Now, everyone, take your seats. Oh, Raon is here today. I was worried since you were absent. They said you were ill; are you all better now?”

“Yes, Teacher!”

“That’s a relief. Now, go and sit down.”

At Teacher Marina’s words, Raon sat in his usual empty spot. He immediately opened his worn-out book, but he couldn’t muster his usual focus. He spent the day staring blankly out the window until dismissal.

Perhaps because he missed Adrian so much, the image of his father smiling brightly and waving kept shimmering before his eyes. He shook his head vigorously and finished his last lesson.

“Hey, do you want to play at the creek today?”

“Sure, sounds good!”

The children gathered in small groups, packing their bags and deciding what to do for the afternoon, but Raon—his mind elsewhere—simply shook his head.

“I have to go home quickly. I need to help my mom.”

“Again? Don’t be like that, play with us today.”

When Raon refused, Tommy, who was standing nearby, tried to persuade him. It was a common occurrence; Raon rarely went out to play after school. Though he told the working Ramona that he was going to play, Raon always rushed home to secretly do the housework.

He knew if he was late, Ramona would have to do everything herself. Thus, Raon wanted to at least clean his own room to lighten her load.

When Raon shook his head repeatedly, the persistent Tommy pouted and said, “My mom said that kids like you, who only care about their moms and only listen to them, are called ‘mama’s boys.’ She said women without husbands look at their sons as husbands. So later, when the son gets married, they get divorced…”

“Hey! That’s going too far! I like helping my mom more than playing, too. Don’t say that to our Raon!”

Branson, unable to listen any longer, spoke up with a deep scowl. In this village, there were those who liked Ramona and those who didn’t. In particular, Tommy’s mother disliked her intensely.

“All the adults said so! They said Raon only listens to his mom because he doesn’t have a dad.”

“What’s wrong with listening to your mom? Don’t you listen to yours?”

“That’s not the same! The adults said that because he has no father, Raon is rude—”

“Hey, Raon! Cover your ears! And you—do you think having a father makes you so ‘polite’ that you can talk to fatherless Raon like that?!”

Branson quickly covered Raon’s ears with both hands to block out the noise. As a fuming Branson shouted, Tommy gritted his teeth and glared back.

It was then. Raon, who had been gently trying to calm the angry Branson, suddenly widened his eyes. Then, his eyes curved into a soft, beaming smile.

“Daddy!”

At Raon’s cry, the children in the schoolyard all turned their heads at once.

“My son! I couldn’t wait for you at home because I missed you so much, so I came straight here.”

Adrian, dressed in neat casual clothes—though not his usual ornate attire—approached with a smile and held out his hand. As if drawn by a magnet, Raon naturally flew into his embrace. Holding his son, Adrian lifted him up and stroked the hair of Branson, whom he had glimpsed through a doorway once before.

“Thank you for getting along so well with my son. I am Raon’s father.”

Marina, who had been running over to break up the children’s fight, froze in her tracks.

Rumors had circulated briefly that Raon’s father had returned after a young man was seen entering and leaving Ramona’s house. But that was it. Since there was no physical evidence, people assumed it was just idle gossip. However, seeing Adrian today, holding Raon and introducing himself, the onlookers’ mouths hung open like clams.

The man with black hair and golden eyes looked so much like Raon that one could easily imagine Raon growing up to look exactly like him.

“O-oh my. You’re Raon’s father. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Marina, Raon’s teacher.”

“Ah, it’s a pleasure. I am indeed Raon’s father. Teacher, it is an honor to meet you.”

His voice, reminiscent of warm café au lait, seeped into the air through his curving lips. Marina, momentarily dazed, snapped back to her senses and offered an awkward smile.

“Have you come to pick Raon up? If it’s alright, I’d like to have a brief consultation regarding the child…”

Marina, unwilling to let Raon’s father leave just yet, tried to stall him under the pretext of a meeting.

“If it’s about that, please speak with the child’s mother. Since it hasn’t been long since I met my son, I haven’t quite grasped everything yet.”

“I-I see. Then, by any chance, are you married to Raon’s mother?”

At Marina’s question, the gazes of everyone nearby converged. Until now, many had regarded Ramona as a single mother, or perhaps someone who had taken in an orphan to raise. Consequently, there were many who were dying to know the truth.

“If it were up to my son, I’d be willing to marry her right this second, but Ramona hasn’t given her permission yet. It seems I’m quite lacking compared to her.”

Raon said nothing as he watched Adrian lie smoothly without even blinking. He simply wanted to live with his father and mother together.

“Is he really Raon’s father?”

“They do look alike. Isn’t he basically a carbon copy?”

“Then is he living with Ramona?”

“How should I know? But where has he been all this time while Ramona raised the kid alone, enduring all those ‘single mother’ rumors?”

Hearing the whispers of the parents who had come to collect their children, Adrian shrugged his shoulders.

“I promised to play with Raon today, so we shall be going. Good day to you.”

After giving Marina a polite nod, Adrian began to walk away with Raon in his arms when he spotted the child who had been fighting. The man who appeared to be that child’s father, having come to pick him up, flinched and trembled under Adrian’s gaze.

“Talking about a family’s private affairs in front of children doesn’t seem very educational. What do you think?”

“Ah, well…”

“It was a reckless remark. Please be careful in the future. I didn’t go to the battlefield to protect this country and its citizens just to witness such behavior.”

Upon hearing Adrian’s words, those who now understood why Ramona had raised the child alone nodded. They began weaving their own stories in their heads—that he must have entrusted the child to her before leaving for war—but Adrian didn’t bother correcting them.

After giving Tommy’s father a slight, mocking smirk, Adrian spotted Baylor, who had frozen mid-step while approaching.

“W-what brings you here…?”

“I came to pick up my son. Are you here for the same reason?”

“Pardon? Yes, today is my day off, so I came on behalf of my child’s mother.”

Baylor, staring blankly at Adrian, hurriedly bowed his head.

“I see. Your wife seems to have raised the child very well. I hope he continues to be good friends with our Raon.”

“T-thank you. Emile will be delighted.”

Baylor was dazed by Adrian’s words, but he couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth from twitching upward. There was no reason to dislike the fact that young Duke of the Cassius family wanted his son to be friends. It felt as though a path of flowers had been laid out for both himself and Branson.

“Then, I’ll be on my way. By the way, what is your name?”

“It’s Branson, but since you’re Raon’s dad, you can call me by my nickname, ‘Lance’.”

“I see, Lance… I hope you and our Raon stay close friends for a long, long time. Come over to our house to play whenever you like. You are always welcome.”

After patting Branson’s head a few times, Adrian gave the still-bowed Baylor a reassuring pat on the shoulder and walked past.

Only after Adrian had gone did Baylor finally lift his head.

“B-Baylor! Who on earth is Raon’s father that you’re acting so subservient?”

“He was my superior on the battlefield.”

Looking at Tommy’s father, who had been unable to say a word, overwhelmed by Adrian’s sheer presence, Baylor simply shrugged his shoulders.