Chapter 60

“Excuse me?” Tearen looked embarrassed, but Enria didn’t care and asked again, “Do you have someone you like?”

“Why are you curious about that?”

“Enria, this guy is a born flirt.”

Before Tearen could answer, Caldeon and Rahar each chimed in. Enria waved her hand at them as if to tell them to be quiet and fixed her gaze on Tearen. Seeing the earnestness in her eyes, Tearen awkwardly cleared his throat and replied, “No, I do not.”

“This guy spent his academy days surrounded by countless women!”

“Enria, why are you curious about that damned illusionist?”

As soon as Tearen finished his answer, Rahar and Caldeon interrupted. Enria sighed briefly and turned her attention to them. “I’m not interested in Lord Tearen, so don’t get excited. And Rahar, I didn’t ask if Lord Tearen was popular as a child; I asked if he has someone he likes now.”

“I still don’t understand why you’re so curious about that.” With Caldeon’s terrifyingly raised eyebrows fixed on her, Enria leaned slightly and whispered in his ear, “I’ll tell you separately later.”

“Later when…”

“In bed.”

At the whispered word, Caldeon’s ears immediately turned crimson. Enria looked at his flushed ears, shouted “Got him!” internally, and turned back to Tearen, asking, “You are not dating anyone right now, are you?”

“No, I am not.”

At Tearen’s firm answer, Roseanne bit her lips inward to hide her joy. She seemed to be trying to control the corners of her mouth from turning up out of happiness.

For Roseanne’s sake, Enria proceeded to ask Tearen what kind of woman he liked, if he had plans to date, and what type of person he was attracted to.

At these questions, Caldeon glared at Tearen as if ready to kill him, and Rahar openly badmouthed Tearen, asking when he had ever flirted, and claiming he smiled suggestively even at the mother of a child.

Tearen looked wronged, answering Enria’s questions while occasionally giving Caldeon and Rahar a look of disbelief, vehemently denying their accusations.

“Enria, Caldeon is better than this fellow. This guy is absolutely not the type to feel attracted to…”

“Enri has never been attracted to Lord Tearen!” Roseanne, unable to bear it any longer, shouted angrily.

Enria also quickly nodded and said, “My taste is like a pine tree—Caldeon is the only one I see.”

At that, Caldeon’s expression, which had been so stiff he looked ready to explode at any moment, instantly brightened. In contrast, Rahar looked suddenly depressed. And immediately after Enria’s words, Roseanne blurted out something entirely unexpected, which instantly made Rahar’s expression as fierce as Caldeon’s.

“That’s right! Lord Tearen is actually my type!”

Roseanne seemed startled by the words she had blurted out in excitement, and she gasped, pressing her lips together. Then, she glanced at Tearen, who was staring at her in surprise, and began to make an excuse. “I-I mean, Lord Tearen looks cooler to me than Lord Caldeon…”

“Where on earth are your eyes located? There are so many gentle and wonderful nobles in the Empire, but you choose fellows like Caldeon and Tearen.”

“I have absolutely no interest in Lord Caldeon!”

“You shouldn’t be interested in that Tearen fellow either!” Rahar grumbled, wondering how her standards could be so low despite having a man of his perfect type as a brother. Caldeon frowned in disbelief, and Tearen let out an empty laugh, but Rahar didn’t mind at all and criticized his sister’s low standards.

“A-Anyway, Enri isn’t interested in Lord Tearen at all, so Lord Caldeon, please stop looking like you’re going to devour Lord Tearen. It makes me uncomfortable just standing next to you.” Roseanne said, looking slightly fiercely at Caldeon with a deeply flushed face. Caldeon raised one eyebrow.

“I don’t want to devour that fellow. He probably doesn’t even taste good.”

“You can’t have Tearen either!” Rahar shouted as soon as Caldeon finished speaking. Roseanne immediately looked at him with a chillingly cold expression.

“No! Absolutely not! Not even if every man in the world disappeared!”

“By what right?”

“What right? I am your brother…!”

“Yes, brother. Please close your mouth.” Roseanne said with a slightly drawn-up mouth and a bone-chilling voice. Rahar instantly shut his mouth. Enria understood why Rahar was so tense at his sister’s cold remark, as she knew all too well from the original story how terrifying Roseanne could be when she was truly angry.

“Then, since the discussion seems to be mostly over, shall we go up and see Hayden now?” Enria stood up, trying her best to defuse the sudden cold atmosphere, and said.

Roseanne jumped up and nodded in agreement. “I want to see Hayden learning to walk. Lord Tearen, you haven’t properly seen him yet, have you?”

“Ah, no.” Tearen also stood up and nodded. Roseanne then began to describe to him how cute Hayden looked when he toddled.

The two naturally walked out, and Rahar followed them with a tearful expression. Caldeon caught Enria’s wrist as she was about to follow and looked at her.

“…What?”

“You said no one else catches your eye but me.” He repeated Enria’s words as if seeking confirmation, and Enria’s face instantly flushed crimson.

“‘Pine tree’ preference? What does that mean?” It seemed the phrase, which would likely only be found in the slang dictionary of the world she used to live in, was difficult for Caldeon in this world to understand. Enria avoided his gaze and mumbled, “I-It means being steadfast. Like, most things I like remain unchanged and steadfast, something like that.”

“Ah.” Caldeon didn’t seem to have fully grasped it, but he nodded as if he understood. He then pulled Enria towards him, wrapped his arm around her waist, and said, “The conclusion is that I am the one you like the most.”

“Th-That’s right, that’s it…”

“Then it’s settled.” Caldeon leaned down, gave her a kiss as light as a feather, and pulled away. He smiled very contentedly and continued, “Shall we go to the bedroom for a moment?”

“Pardon?”

“You have something to tell me in bed, don’t you?”

At Caldeon’s words, Enria instantly pulled away from him. She twisted her captured hand free and firmly stated, “Don’t even dream of it! The bedroom is a place we go after the sun sets. And we will be going with Hayden.”

Fearing that if he caught her again, it would lead to a passionate kissing session, Enria quickly left the room. Caldeon followed her with long strides, muttering regretfully, “The sun is too long these days.”

***

Enria and Caldeon went up to the toddler room created for Hayden and watched the spirits and people surrounding Hayden, smiling and chatting brightly. They were anxious and delighted by every one of the child’s clumsy steps.

“Mommy! Daddy!” Hayden, seeing Enria and Caldeon who had just reached the top of the stairs, spread his arms wide and walked towards them.

Enria’s and Caldeon’s steps quickened at his wobbly, unstable walk that looked like he might fall at any moment. Everyone around Hayden, including Windel, also extended their arms widely, bent their upper bodies, and trailed after the child to catch him if he fell.

A bright smile spread across Enria’s face at this sight. Happiness instantly washed over her, seeing everyone worriedly and affectionately taking care of Hayden with one heart. That happiness doubled when Hayden, who hadn’t walked well even when the room was finished, walked over without falling and hugged Enria.

Enria kissed Hayden’s cheek, who was giggling and hugging her neck, and smiled brightly at those who had followed the child.

At her dazzlingly bright smile, Rahar’s face flushed red, and Tearen’s eyes widened. Roseanne smiled warmly at her.

Blizzan, who had been expressionless the whole time, jutted his chin toward Enria and said calmly, “The resemblance is strong.”

“Pardon?”

“His smiling face.”

“…Ah.” At Blizzan’s words, Enria looked at Hayden, whom she was holding, rubbed her nose against his, and continued, “Because I’m his mother.”

The sight was so lovely that it brought smiles to the faces of everyone looking at Enria and Hayden.

“Well, it’s a relief he doesn’t resemble his father.”

“Are your eyes bad? He looks exactly like Caldeon to anyone.” Rahar said with disbelief at Tearen’s comment.

Tearen shook his head and retorted, “Not his looks, his smile.”

“…Ah. His smile is indeed the spitting image of Enria’s.”

Rahar nodded, then continued to mutter while turning his gaze back to Hayden. “That’s why he looks like an angel.”

“Caldeon’s smile is quite pretty, too.” Eva, the blue-haired spirit in human form, abruptly chimed in. Rahar looked at Eva and became serious. “His smile is pretty? Impossible. It must be evil.”

“Oh, ‘evil’ is a fitting word.” Blizzan said, pointing at Caldeon with his index finger. Graum looked up at them and frowned in displeasure.

“He is a child who resembles both of them anyway. Where he takes after whom is not important at all.” Graum continued that the important thing was that Hayden harmoniously resembled both of them, making him more lovable than any other human child.

Enria blinked, finding it amazing that Graum could say such kind words with such a curt expression.