Chapter 31

Adrian spent a full day in bed. Thanks to his ailment, he enjoyed the luxury of being nursed by Raon.

“Daddy, does it hurt a lot?”

“I’m alright. I just did some work I’m not used to, and my body is a bit stiff.”

As Adrian barely managed to sit up, Raon held out a tray.

“Daddy! This is medicine. Mommy gave it to me.”

“Thank you for bringing it. Tell your mother I said thanks.”

“You should tell her yourself, Daddy. Mommy is making food for you right now.”

After taking the medicine and water Raon provided, Adrian lay back down. It felt as if his entire body was knotted with pain, much like the very first time he had ever picked up a sword to practice his swings. Even on the battlefield, he had never been in this much pain; it made him realize once again how hard Ramona must have worked to raise Raon all this time.

Knock, knock, knock—

“Raon’s father, may I come in?”

“Ah, yes. Ugh!”

Adrian, who had been dozing off after taking the medicine, bolted upright the moment he heard Ramona’s voice. A sharp pang shot through him, causing an involuntary groan.

“I thought it would be better to eat some porridge since you’re unwell, so I made some. You don’t have to finish it if it’s not to your taste.”

The porridge, made by sautéing finely minced seasoned beef and simmering it with soaked rice, gave off a savory, rich aroma.

“Thank you. For being so thoughtful.”

“Who wouldn’t be thoughtful when someone is sick?”

Adrian, who until recently hadn’t even known when Raon was ill, felt a sharp prick of conscience at Ramona’s words.

Having inhaled the porridge she made in an instant, Adrian felt a sense of fullness and began to drift off again.

“Now, get some rest.”

Seeing Adrian lie down, Ramona briefly contemplated whether she should send word to the Cassius Ducal Estate.

‘I’ll decide whether to contact them tomorrow if he still can’t get up. He won’t die from muscle aches.’

Brushing the worry aside, Ramona watched with a warm smile as Raon rolled around happily in the piled-up snow with Toto. Seeing that sight, which felt oddly familiar, Ramona tilted her head slightly.

‘Did I ever have a time like that?’

Unable to remember her past, Ramona simply shrugged and set out dry towels and fresh clothes. After wiping down the child who had come inside from playing and changing his clothes, they finished a simple meal.

“Raon, go on and study.”

At Ramona’s words—she who worked tirelessly at needlework without a moment’s rest—Raon immediately went into the room and opened a book. Knowing she had worked until her hands were blistered to buy him those books when she couldn’t find outdoor work, Raon cherished everything she gave him.

When her shoulders grew stiff from sewing, Ramona finally set down her work and did some light stretching. Then, she knocked softly and opened the door to check if Adrian was sleeping.

“Are you still awake?”

“I was dozing but woke up.”

Seeing Adrian holding and reading documents, Ramona realized that he, too, was the type who couldn’t seem to rest for a second.

“A good nap will make your body feel much lighter.”

At the command of the actual boss of the household to go to sleep immediately, Adrian quietly set the documents down. One day of not working wouldn’t kill him. His aide back at the estate would surely be wailing, but he’d certainly be happy if he was compensated with enough gold.

Seeing Adrian lying down obediently, Ramona asked him to flip over onto his stomach.

“Medicine alone won’t get rid of those muscle knots quickly. I’ll give you a massage.”

“What? A massage? I don’t need such a thing.”

“I need it. Raon keeps worrying because his father is in pain.”

Adrian—who had survived battlefields and carried boulders up castle walls but found making kimchi more grueling—meekly lay face down once Raon was mentioned.

“Urgh, ah…!”

The rock-hard muscles began to melt away under Ramona’s touch. He hadn’t expected much at first, but Ramona’s hands were surprisingly strong as she applied firm pressure. Every time her hands touched him, a tingling sensation of relief-filled pain surged through Adrian.

He didn’t know how she managed to pinpoint only the most painful spots, but after letting out several pained groans, his eyelids eventually grew heavy.

After carefully rolling the soundly sleeping Adrian back onto his back, Ramona pulled the blanket up to his chin and stepped outside.

“Those muscles were just…”

Ramona, who rarely had the chance to touch a man’s body, looked down at her hands—the hands that had just kneaded Adrian’s body, which was far more rugged and intensely toned than her ex-husband Andrew’s.

Initially, she had only stepped forward because she wanted to help soothe his muscles quickly. However, she eventually squeezed her “naughty” hands into fists and shook her head, recalling how she had ended up touching places that weren’t even knotted.

Realizing that a knight was more delicate than she had imagined, Ramona set about boiling more porridge for dinner.

***

In the Cassius Ducal Estate, there were two knight orders and two commanders. Billion, who was so easygoing that no one would guess he was the “Secret Commander” even if he walked around in public, sat in his office handling paperwork.

He frowned while looking at documents in his plain clothes, not a sharp uniform.

“Is there honey hidden there or something? Usually, they’d be screaming for a rotation by now.”

The Secret Knights usually rotated their duties every month unless there was an exceptional situation. Especially for outdoor assignments, they would clamor for a change the moment the month was up. Naturally, Billion had planned to form a team to replace those guarding Adrian, but they all shook their heads.

Tilting his head in confusion, Billion called in two knights who were preparing for their night shift as usual.

“I still have much to learn, so I will work harder.”

“I can work even harder on behalf of someone else.”

It was winter. Everyone usually avoided outdoor duty. Seeing them actually welcoming it, Billion smiled brightly and spoke.

“Then let’s switch for just today. I need to personally see how the Young Duke is doing so I can give a proper report to the Duke.”

Faced with Billion’s plausible reasoning, the two knights couldn’t refuse. Instead, they drew lots to decide who would stay behind. The one confirmed for indoor duty let his shoulders slump with deep disappointment.

“Well then, let’s go relieve them.”

Swift mobility was a basic requirement for a Secret Knight. Since riding horses meant needing a place to stable them, the two ran on foot and swapped places with the knights who had been waiting for the shift change.

Positioned atop a large tree—their hideout—Billion kept watch over the surroundings, his expression softening as he watched the heartwarming scene through the window.

Because of the incident that occurred before a guard had been assigned to Raon, those currently stationed here never uttered a single complaint.

“Is the atmosphere always like that?”

Nod.

Seeing Adrian eating with a bright smile felt unfamiliar, yet it stirred a sense of childhood nostalgia. The ordinary-looking family gathered to talk after a delicious meal. Then, when Raon grew sleepy, Adrian picked the child up and patted his back to put him to sleep.

The lights went out in the house of the family that looked so ordinary yet so happy. Only a single candle cast a dim glow, and curtains were drawn over the windows that had previously offered a glimpse of the interior.

That was when the snow began to fall in earnest. This was why midwinter outdoor duty was so grueling. Staying still in one spot for a long time while keeping watch was the ultimate ordeal.

Perhaps because it had been a while since he’d been on field duty, Billion felt his toes slowly freezing. Just as his feet were losing sensation, the snow began to taper off.

“Hm?”

While watching the house intently, the curtain flickered and a window opened. A tray was placed on the windowsill. Even from a distance, he could see white steam rising from the two bowls on the tray.

“What is that?”

As Billion stared at the bowls that clearly contained something warm, Rage moved toward them naturally. He then returned with the tray.

Rage handed a bowl containing a yellow liquid to Billion and began eating with a spoon. Billion briefly thought he should discipline Rage for carelessly eating food that might be poisoned, but he stopped.

The sweet aroma felt like it was melting his frozen brain. Seeing Rage eating without any issues, Billion unconsciously took a spoonful and filled his mouth.

The thick, rich yellow liquid slid down his throat the moment it touched his tongue.

“It… it’s delicious. What is this food?”

The compliment came out automatically. By the time his hungry stomach was comfortably full, a deep warmth had spread all the way to his toes.

“They call it Southern-style aged pumpkin porridge. Lady Ramona always prepares something to eat around this time.”

Rage, who had slurped down the porridge, wore an ecstatic expression. Seeing that, Billion finally understood why everyone was trying to monopolize the outdoor duty despite the harsh weather.

“Infatuated by food… absolutely pathetic for a knight.”

Billion shook his head, thinking about scolding the personnel in charge, but he never followed through. Instead, a few days later, he found himself chuckling at the sight of his own reflection—the man who had cleared away all other candidates to fix himself to this post.

“I wonder what’s on the menu today.”