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< — Damian — > (1)

TN: The highly anticipated title: Damian is finally here! Also: Poll over.

"Young master, I am Ashin, the administrative secretary. Do you remember me?"

Damian briefly looked up and down at Ashin before giving him a stiff nod and entering the carriage. His coldness is not inferior to his father's.

'This is why they say you can't feign blood…'

Perhaps the Duke was just like this when he was a child. With his black hair and red eyes, Damian was a miniature Taran Duke. There was probably no need to use the royal family's magical treasure to determine his ancestry.

No one would be able to say that the little lord was not of the Taran Duke's blood.

'Whew…this is just my fate.'

He hated long-distance trips. He would be extremely satisfied if all he had to do was routinely go back and forth between Roam and the house. He couldn't help but sigh when he thought about having to sit next to that dreary little kid for a long time.

"I see you've been healthy and comfortable in the meantime. You've grown a lot, I almost didn't recognize you."

Ashim spoke amiably in a bland effort to elevate the mood. It wasn't something he usually did but he didn't want to be taken as a thug and Ashin found the little Taran duke that looked exactly like the Taran Duke whom he knew as the scariest man in the world, to be extremely prickly.

Also, it was the truth that he almost didn't recognize him.

'Whew…what eight year old is like this? He looks like he could be three to four years older. My nephew is ten years old but even he is smaller than our little lord.'

Even when the little lord was six years old, he had a burly physique so there were already signs of it back then.

Just like how a fox and a tiger were of different sizes.

'If he keeps growing like this, won't he end up with a huge frame? Completely different from what's on paper.'

"…what is it?"

"Huh?"

Ashin felt pleased with himself as the mouth of the little lord had finally opened.

"You know with your rank, you didn't have to pick me up personally."

"Ha…ha-ha."

Right. Someone of his status usually wouldn't have to. Although he didn't think those words were something that would have come out of an eight year old's mouth.

'Let's put aside him remembering me… he remembers my rank?'

The Taran Duke's bloodline must have something different. When he thought of it that way, he felt it was unfair and could also understand.

Even the current Taran Duke was like that. As a knight and as one of the best, his brain was excellent.

'The world is originally unfair.'

He realized this the day his childish innocence was broken.

"It was the order of his Grace the Duke."

Damian's eyes grew a little bigger.

'Why?'

His expression seemed to be was asking.

"I believe young master has already heard the news. The Taran Duke now has a Lady of the House."

Damian nodded his head. He usually received news about the Duke in a relatively detailed manner.

In order for him to take over in the future, the Duke intended for him to know about everything.

No matter how long he had left the house and no matter whether he was in a boarding school that was cut off from outside news, it was all so that the Duke would never hear the words, 'I didn't know'.

Damian memorized the letter that had been sent, word for word.

"These are just my thoughts but since both of you now have a mother-son relationship, I think both of you should get to know each other as a family."

'Mother-son relationship, you say?'

Damian inwardly questioned. His father was not such a delicate person. The idea that the Duke would want them to have a strong mother and son relationship did not make any sense.

Perhaps he and the Duchess would bite and tear at each other and the Duke wouldn't be interested until one of them died.

"He didn't say anything else?"

"Ah…he…wanted you to…not be rude to your mother. Said you should show proper respect…"

'Well that's that.'

Ashin had simplified it but he had delivered the warning. He just had to stay there quietly without being nervous.

Even though he was the successor, he was still illegitimate. Which meant he shouldn't needlessly get on the Duchess' nerves.

Even if the Duke didn't warn him, Damian had no intention of confronting his stepmother.

After all, the consent of the Duchess was absolutely necessary to elevate his status.

"Is she pretty?"

"Huh? Ah…I have only seen her a few times…"

'You only needs to see someone once to know if they are pretty or not.'

Due to Ashin's hesitant response, Damian came to a conclusion.

'She must not be that pretty.'

Damian's interest in his stepmother was only to that extent, after which he folded that thought.

Looking at it from his stepmother's point of view, Damian didn't expect to be welcomed and expected that while he was in Roam, they would only meet a few times.

He would live as quiet as he were dead. If she didn't want to see his face, he would lock himself up in the room and she harassed him and it was tolerable, he planned on just enduring it.

Damian was not very surprised when he heard that the Duke was getting married. He expected that the Duke had only done so because it was around time for him to get married.

Damian was grasping the cold temperament of his father that was only moved by necessity.

Even if the Duchess were to give birth to a child, Damian's status as the successor would not be shaken.

His father was never a good father but he was someone that one could have firm belief in.

Damian's attention then switched towards the Academy. The sudden summon at the beginning of the semester had messed up his schedule.

He was initially worried about leaving and falling behind since he didn't know when he would be returning. At worst, he would have had to give up on the entire semester.

'At most, I'll be there for a week.'

It would take about three weeks if the journey back and forth was included.

If he didn't want to fall behind when he returned, he couldn't let any of his time be spent in vain.

Damian had already filled the trunk of the carriage to the brim with books.

< — Damian — > (1)

TN: A little change: I will start using Milady instead of your Grace for some parts. A little abrupt but the change needed to happen. I traveled and had no wi-fi. Finally got it set up today so here!

The news of the Taran Duke's marriage had come from someone's mouth and was passed from mouth to mouth before reaching the high society.

It only came up in people's conversations. There was no one that had attended the wedding so only the rumor had blown up because people did not know any other way to satisfy their curiosity.

Kwiz was of course, also curious and had put in a lot of money and time into satisfying that curiosity.

Since the woman that became the Duchess was a princess, it was hard to find anyone eager to investigate into it.

No matter how much he dug into it, he couldn't find anything. The only accurate information was her name and age.

There was no one that knew even a little thing about the princess.

However, if it was considered a harvest to get her description from the maids in the palace that waited on her shortly before she married, then it was a harvest.

And so he became more unyielding. He was convinced he had an information source that was capable in its own way but it took them digging around for months and coming up with nothing to wake him up.

"What is going on? It's not like they fell from the sky."

Kwiz lamented the absurdness of it all. It wasn't just Kwiz that had tried to find out about the princess.

The Royal Intelligence Division had also dug into Princess Vivian by investigating her detached palace but in the process, the manipulation of the palace maiden's roll call was revealed.

The palace was turned inside out on the large scale and the head proprietors were held responsible and severely punished.

Kwiz dispatched someone to the village that the princess had lived until she was twelve years old and entered the palace but even the person that had been close to the mother-daughter pair shook her head, saying she'd never heard of it.

After digging and digging for several months, he got his hands on the letter that the princess' mother had sent to the palace before she died.

"No clue from this too…"

Kwiz sighed after reading the short letter on the old piece of paper.

All it said was that she'd slept with the King one day and gave birth to the princess. There was nothing revealed about their relationship and nothing that gave hints about her mother's identity. Her mother didn't even sign her name.

"Could it be… her mother was a commoner…?"

He was slightly suspicious but it didn't seem like it. Even though it seemed like that old geezer played around with whatever woman available, he had a preference.

It was unlikely that he would embrace a common woman with rough skin and hands that were coarse from labor.

"Do you really not know anything, Sir Krotin?"

Kwiz asked Roy, his nearby guard that liked to disappear, the same question he'd asked countless times already.

"I don't. Even if I knew, I don't."

His irritating and discourteous manner of speaking caused the adjutant standing next to him to scowl.

Compared to him, the Crown Prince's expression did not change although one couldn't know what he felt inside.

"Even something else is fine. Just how the hell did those two meet and marry?"

I'm curious to death!

Looking at Kwiz's frustrated expression because of his unsatisfied curiosity, Roy secretly snickered.

'I know.'

It was quite enjoyable to know the secret that someone else was struggling to know.

"Come to think of it, you have a duel tomorrow, right, Sir Krotin?"

"Yes."

Factions of Counts hostile to the Crown Prince did not dare to directly confront the Crown Prince, so they picked a fight with the rigid Roy.

When he refused in his usual manner of speaking, flinging a few words at them, they would throw down their gauntlet to the ground saying he'd insulted them. (1)

And Roy gladly accepted. He had never once avoided a fight brought to him.

"Do I take it gently? I mean for the duel tomorrow." [Roy]

Kwiz burst into laughter.

"Is that a new joke? What kind of joke is that? You don't have to think about me, just fight to your heart's content."

It wasn't like Roy wanted to fight personally but sending a knight of his family while they were assuming he would be fighting was an unbecoming sight so he was looking for an opportunity to crush them.

He could easily handle the knight than proposed the retaliation duel, it was their fault for serving the wrong master.

But because he was worried about causing an accident, he asked the prince. If an accident happened, it wouldn't be a matter of the prince's face but his lord would beat him to death.

"Got it."

'I got permission~.' Roy laughed contentedly.

The Crown prince would continue torecall this day in the future for a while.

It was the beginning of the 'Mad Dog' Krotin. (2)

***

When news of the Duke of Taran's marriage arrived, quite a lot of women felt their hearts break.

Anita was surprised but unlike those women, she just felt a little bitter. She had already married three times and had never even dreamt of marrying the Duke of Taran.

She was satisfied with being the lover that he didn't forget and came to see from time to time.

'When he is tired of his new bride, he will contact me.'

She kept her composure and waited but instead of getting contacted, she received a yellow rose.

She gaped spiritlessly at the bundle of yellow roses in front of her for an entire day, then got herself sick from stressing over it for ten days.

When she was barely able to even move her body, a question arose in her mind.

"Just why?"

No matter how much she thought about it, she hadn't made any mistakes.

She'd never contacted him, asked him about his whereabouts or even mentioned their relationship.

Rather, when she heard the news that he was married, she'd stayed away even more.

She just couldn't understand his breakup declaration.

Removing his lover because he was married? He was never such a conscientious gentleman.

She suppressed her heart that wanted to immediately run to his manor and ask him why.

Because she knew that once she did that, she couldn't take it back.

In the past, she'd heard of a woman who had stormed into his manor after being notified of their separation but after that incident, she never saw that woman in the noble circles again.

After thinking about it over and over again, she came to the conclusion that it was the one who had become the Duchess, Princess Vivian.

The new bride must have learnt of Anita's existence and urged him to break it off.

And since he didn't have that of an attachment to Anita anyways, it was obvious he'd just agreed to his wife's request.

Anita began to investigate into who Princess Vivian was. At first, everything was as it seems.

However, the facts that were revealed to her little by little was so interesting that at some point, Anita began hunting day and night for information about Princess Vivian.

Anita investigated into her and her unique senses did not let any sort of information slip.

The first thing that caught her attention was the record of Princess Vivian attending the victory ball. The princess that was practically trapped in the palace and did not know anybody attended a victory ball.

Any woman would wonder; what about her dress? Her make-up? Her hair?

It was akin to randomly casting a net into water and reeling the fish in one by one; little by little, things about Princess Vivian were revealed.

She found out that the princess used to disguise herself as a maid and frequently left the castle. For the dress, Anita concluded the princess had to have procured it personally.

Princess Vivian wasn't a princess that knew nothing about the world. Anita placed a portrait on the table and watched it without moving for a while.

It was a portrait based on descriptions of Princess Vivian that she'd obtained after handing out some bribes.

When Anita first saw it, she was relieved.

The person in the portrait was far from his taste. After reaching the conclusion that the marriage was just a marriage of convenience, she slept well.

But after a while, Anita's heart became restless again. Yes, she wasn't his taste but wouldn't it be more likely for him to fall for her because of that?

Men were usually attracted to new things. She began to get worried about this unusual point of the princess that liked to cosplay as a maid.

'Even if he's interested in it for a while… it shouldn't take long to cool off. At any time and who knows, he may come find me.'

She comforted herself while her anxiety grew even more. He hadn't ever seen a woman that he'd sent a yellow rose a second time.

After she received the yellow rose, Anita barely had any days where she'd slept properly.

'He only married because he needed to. He's a man that does not know how to love a woman.'

While looking at Princess Vivian's portrait, Anita constantly repeated those words in her head.

He was someone who drifted from one woman to another without ever settling down. It was hope based on the false premise that his heart wouldn't ever be caught by a woman. It was also her pride.

Just thinking about that actually happening filled her heart with anxiety.

'I have to see the real Princess Vivian.'

She wanted to calm her anxiety by meeting Princess Vivian and confirming that she wasn't in his eyes.

'Do I go to the North and confirm it without him knowing…?'*

If she didn't take the 'gates', a carriage there would take several months. She couldn't even bear the thought of doing that.

To use the Northern 'gate', one had to gain the approval of the Taran Duke and no matter how formal the process was, she was afraid of the backlash if he ever found out.

It would be better to just wait for the two to return to the capital.

'Why did she pretend to be a maid and leave the palace? What did she do outside the palace? Did she have a lover…?'

A lover. That was very possible.

Finding Princess Vivian was going to be the real starting point from now on. Her initial intention of just checking out Princess Vivian's face was gone.

Translator's Corner:

1. So simple trivia: to throw down the gauntlet means to issue a challenge to a duel.

2. The previous translator translated this to 'Crazy Dog', I prefer 'Mad Dog.'

*If you've forgotten who Roy is…he is Hugo's knight sent to the Crown Prince's side as a guard.

*Who was excited to see Anita again?! Just me? Ok.

< — Damian — > (2)

A jet-black carriage hurried across the streets of Roam.

Taking a closer look at the little black wooden carriage, one could find the motif of a black lion drawn on it.

The black carriage was so fascinating that people stopped what they were doing to look at it when it first appeared.

The black wood used as the main material of the carriage was as strong as steel and is said to have been used by the military in the past.

And because many people withered to death from the sickness gotten from the natural habitat of the black wood, the price of black wood had now surpassed that of gold.

Hugo had made this carriage of black wood for the safety of his wife so Lucia often went out in a carriage that was fit for a King.

At this point, people already knew who was inside whenever the black carriage passed by.

Most people would never get to see the faces of the ones inside such a carriage in their lifetime because the ones inside were in such a high position.

And so, when the carriage appeared, they just watched it till it was out of their sight.

When the carriage crossed the bridge and entered the gates, the sound of a horn was heard. The black horse carriage carrying Lucia continued to run and stopped in front of the deepest inner tower in the Roam Castle.

The employees were all outside to greet the Lady. When Lucia returned from her horse riding, just as usual, she took a bath then sat in the receiving room, drinking the fragrant tea that Jerome served.

"Did you enjoy your outing, Milady?" (Jerome)

"I enjoyed it. Emily is a really kind child, she followed my clumsy instructions very well."

Her favorite horse, Emily was a nice and well-trained mare that Hugo had given to her.

Lucia didn't really know much about horses but when she looked at its glossy appearance she could guess it was a good horse.

Whenever Lucia heard compliments about its loveliness, she just shrugged her shoulders.

"Who said such a thing? Even if you had 10 horses, you can't replace Emily. She is a very expensive horse."

"Yes. It seems that way."

As it was not polite to discuss the price of his master's gift, Jerome did not say the details. Lucia didn't ask either, but she was thankful that Hugo thought about her and gave her precious horse as a gift.

'I miss him…'

"When is he coming back?"

"Yes? Ah… I don't know exactly, but it can be long. I think it will be about a month."

"A month…? What exactly is going on? I know it's work in the fief…"

Before, she was not interested in what he was doing, but now she wanted to know more about it.

"Some parts are about the fief, others are not. It is something Master goes to annually."

Jerome tried to emphasize that his master's suddenly departure was only for work reasons and definitely not for a private reason. He did not know about the dramatic reconciliation of the couple.

"Milady already knows that the northern border is close to the barbarians. They is no central tribe so from time to time, they cross the border to plunder. Master subdues them once a year to keep them in check."

"Then, every year, he leaves at this time of the year?."

"This year is earlier than other years. He usually leaves early in the winter. I heard that an order to dispatch arrived. It seems that they haven't been payed much attention to after the war so the plundering became more frequent."

"It must be hard for the Northern people who continuously get anxious because of this."

"If they doesn't live close to the border, I don't think they would be anxious. It's a lot different when one looks at it from afar."

Lucia nodded her head, sipping a little tea then suddenly exclaimed.

"Oh my goodness! How could I forget? Isn't today his birthday Jerome?"

The birthday date that Jerome had reminded her of before was exactly today. She'd kept it in her mind but she had forgotten about it because they were fighting.

"I should have told him before he left. It's his birthday but he won't receive any congratulation, he'll just be fighting barbarians."

She felt so sad for him that her heart hurt.

"Mmm… Milady, Master had never taken care of his birthday separately."

"I expected that. Who would take care of his birthday like that? Only the people around him can."

"That…he doesn't like being reminded of it."

"…Why?"

"I don't really know much. However I often get the feeling that not only about his birthday, Master also dislikes being reminded of his childhood."

Jerome never spoke of anything he was unsure of or carelessly speak his mind but because she looked very sad, he gave a sincere reply.

'So he doesn't have any memories he wants to remember from his childhood…'

That was a sad thing.

Lucia lived a difficult life and there was a moment in her life where her memory was perfect. She was happy until she was twelve years old. The times when she lived with her mother as a child were happy times.

The story of the Duke's tragedy in the west tower once again rose to the forefront of Jerome's mind. It was a terrible thing at the time and he shouldn't think of it nor speak of it so he tried to forget it.

However the thought always arose whenever he laid eyes on the west tower, and as time went on, he grew more interested in the background story than the murder itself.

The dead Duke had abandoned one of his sons to stop misfortune and left him to his own fate. As he did something no parent should ever do, he brought it upon himself.

"Jerome, you said you've never met the dead Duke before, right?"

"Yes. I have served master ever since he became a knight."

"I may just be my prejudice but I think he was a very heartless man."

Jerome hesitated for a moment then spoke.

"From the little fragments of him that I have gathered, I don't think my thoughts differ very much from Milady's"

'His past is very far from ordinary.' (Lucia)

< — Damian — > (2)

TN: Ｏ(≧▽≦)Ｏ

Hugo did not know his mother's face as she'd died not too long after delivery while his father abandoned one son after weighing the advantages and disadvantages.

It was only natural he grew to have such a cold and emotionless personality. Or rather, considering his past, he had grown quite excellently.

'Abandoning a newborn baby? I just can't understand why he would do that.' (Lucia)

It wasn't like any problems had cropped up but because a trouble might happen, he abandoned his newborn son.

It was genuinely Hugo's luck that he was chosen to be the successor to the Duke.

'If he was the one abandoned…he might have been the dead brother and murderer…'

Numerous noble families have constantly dealt with successor problems, whether in the past, present or future but there had been no case where it was solved in this way. When it became known, it was something that many people criticized.

'He said offsprings were rare in the Taran family, right? If offsprings were rare then the twins should have been raised more preciously.'

It just didn't add up.

'In the case of Damian, sure, he is the precious son of a family with precious offsprings.'

Damian is the only son. He is the successor.

Even if one can say Damian was sent to boarding school in order to bring him up strictly, there was even no contact between them.

There was way too much indifference.

'Was it because he didn't receive much affection from his father when he was a child that he doesn't know how to give it?'

The more she thought about it, the more things she found strange. As she constantly asked and answered questions in her mind, she fell into deep contemplation.

'He's had many women. It wouldn't be strange if he had a few illegitimate children.'

But she hadn't heard of him having any more children in her dreams.

'Was it so hard to get a child that he had to make Damian the successor?'

Then, there should be no reason for him to be reluctant about Lucia getting pregnant. It would make more sense if he wanted make as many offsprings as possible.

The reason many nobles preferred fertility and competition between their children for succession was for the future of their family.

Having only one successor carried innumerable risks.

When she got into an argument with him, she was carried away by her emotions and was unable to analyze his words calmly so now she unhurriedly contemplated his words.

[I don't need a child.]

[I don't want to leave my mark.]

He didn't say that because he was afraid of the conflict for succession.

'Mark.'

The nuance of the expression contained an underlying repulsion.

'Then what of Damian? Is it that he didn't want it but the woman didn't even tell him she was pregnant and gave birth?'

It was quite possible.

Rather than the forceful removal of a child, the aftereffects of giving birth was much easier on a woman's body. Many illegitimate children were born this way. Lucia was born this way too.

'If he didn't really want a child, then he shouldn't have been so negligent.'

She only wished to see the good side of the man that she loved but she had to acknowledge that he had a cold and cruel side to him.

He would have forced an abortion if he really did not want the child.

'Merely abortion? He could do even worse.'

Her reasoning whispered to her but she ignored it. Anyways, she wanted to see as much as possible, the good side of the man she loved.

'No. If you look at his age when Damian was born…he was at a young age so there could have been a gap… He is a person too, he can make mistakes.'

Perhaps because he had revealed his inner feelings for some time when they last fought, she could somewhat tell that Damian didn't seem to be born from love.

'Even if you don't want to, the born child has done nothing wrong. It seems like he's abandoned Damian. Usually, men felt deep affection for their flesh and blood but… as if Damian isn't his real son…'

It was a random thought that appeared in her mind but she was suddenly overcome with intense suspicion.

'That's…ridiculous.'

"Milady, do I fill it with more tea?"

Jerome's voice shook her out of her reverie and she looked down at her hand to find her cup empty.

"Ah?…Sure."

Lucia's heart drummed as she watched the teacup fill up.

"Jerome…have you ever seen the little lord?"

Jerome flinched and began to study Lucia. 'Is she starting again?' his expression read as he grew nervous.

"…Yes."

"Does he…resemble him a lot?"

"…Yes. They look very similar, to a very shocking extent."

'I guess my leap in logic was too much….well, of course, it's a ridiculous idea.'

Allowing someone that wasn't his blood to inherit his name? Something like that wouldn't happen.

She tried to get the foolish idea out of her mind but she still felt like something was missing.

"Did you see Damian when he was born? And how did he enter the Ducal House?"

Jerome made a troubled face. No matter how much he wanted to tell everything to her Grace, there was a limit to things.

"I apologize, Milady. I am unable to speak indiscreetly about anything concerning the young master. I think it would be better to ask master."

Although it was a pity, she didn't want to put Jerome in a difficult position.

Lucia thought about it for a long time, she felt like she'd caught onto something but at the same time, it felt like she hadn't so although there was some suspicion, she couldn't reach a definite conclusion.

In the evening on the same day, a maid brought medicine into her bedroom as she prepared to fall asleep.

Anna hadn't been able to find a cure yet so she put Lucia on medicine that was beneficial to a woman's womb.

As she took a sip, the uniquely unpalatable and slightly bitter taste of the medicine entered her mouth.

'The taste of that drug was quite unique too.'

Although it was in her dreams, Lucia still remembered the taste of the medicine she had taken to treat the mugwort poisoning in her body because it had quite the unique taste.

'The scent of vanilla… it tasted just like that.'

The next day, Lucia was taking a walk around the garden after a meal.

"Milady!"

A maid ran up to her full of urgency, her expression looking quite flustered.

"What is it?"

"The…the little lord…he's here."

As Jerome looked at the red-eyed and dark-haired boy that looked very similar to his master, he held back his confusion from showing and when the little lord wasn't paying attention, he gave Ashin a fierce glare.

Ashin was startled and furtively avoided his gaze.

"It's been a long time, young master. Has all been well?"

As usual, Damian had nothing to criticize in the Jerome that greeted him politely. But.

'He's confused.'

Damian thought to himself as he watched Jerome's absentminded manner. More accurately speaking, Jerome's perfect expression and attitude did not reveal anything.

However, even if Jerome didn't do anything, the employees had all lined up nearby to receive him when he'd arrived at the castle but all of them, including the guarding knights, had the same expression that read:

'What are you doing here?'

"It's been a while." (Damian)

"I take it you are tired from your long journey. Have you had your lunch?" (Jerome)

"Not yet but I'll have it later. The carriage kept wobbling so my stomach is uncomfortable."

"I understand, young master. Then I shall escort you to your bedroom so you may rest…"

Jerome suddenly stopped talking and the surroundings fell into a strange silence. Damian expected that someone had appeared and he could take a guess as to who it was.

Damian then turned his head in the direction of everyone else's gaze.

The woman that entered through the half-open door of the receiving room must have been running for her shoulders were moving up and down.

The brown-haired woman looked younger and smaller than he'd expected and appeared breathless and tense.

'Is she…'

The Lady of the House of Taran. The Duchess and Damian's stepmother.

***

'Wow…'

Once she heard the maid say that Damian had come, Lucia had run out. The moment she saw him, she had to stop to admire.

'How could they been so similar?'

Jerome's words were not exaggerated at all. With his red eyes and black hair, his features were as though someone took the Duke and reduced him to a smaller size. Could anyone even raise any doubt that he wasn't the Duke's son?

'Then that would be ridiculous. But surely… it isn't that he doesn't know the fact that he's been announced as successor…?"

Damian sighed a little as he looked at the Duchess that was watching him with wide eyes.

She'd just gotten married, but can only be at loss for words as her husband already has an illegitimate child.

Either she stiffens in shock, gives him a piercing glare, gets angry and storms away, looks at him like a disgusting worm or surprises him by slapping his cheeks.

These were the weakest plans. He wouldn't have to worry about the Duchess that showed these type of reactions.

If she stayed composed, masked her feelings while smiling and treating him like a son, it would be the wisest plan.

But it wouldn't be very good for him if the Duchess faced him this way.

< — Damian — > (3)

TN: So from what I've gathered from last chapter, you all just wanna see Hugo get jealous, don't you? LMAO.

"It's a pleasure to meet you for the first time. My greetings are late, I'm Damian."

Damian approached the Duchess and bowed his head, keeping an appropriate distance.

"Ah…nice to meet you."

Damian glanced sideways at her when she replied in a gentle tone.

'Is she too shocked that she can't understand the current situation?'

There was no hostility or disgust in the amber colored eyes of the Duchess.

Maybe she was yet to put her emotions in order or was a high-level actress. He couldn't decide yet.

Her appearance alone was different from the image he had pictured. He had imagined a lady full of the pride and gracefulness of a princess. She was more of innocence and gentleness than pride and gracefulness.

He couldn't understand the Ashin that had answered evasively when he'd asked him if she was pretty.

'But she is pretty…'

"Milady, the young master just came back from a long carriage journey and mentioned he would like to rest." (Jerome)

"Ah. He should get some rest. I know how exhausting a carriage trip can be. It's around the time for lunch, has he eaten?"

"…He's not in the mood for it."

"Even so, he can't continue to have an empty stomach till evening, he's at the prime of his growth. Steward, have them prepare something easy on the stomach and bring it out. For dinner too, prepare something that digests easily."

"Yes, Milady."

The boy that had been silently staring at Lucia, bowed his head and followed a servant. When the boy had gone far enough that he wouldn't see her, Lucia grabbed her reddening face with both hands.

'Ah, my goodness! So cute!'

He was a mini Duke! He was the childhood of the Duke that Lucia had not seen. It wasn't just his appearance but his stiff and cold expressions were practically a carbon copy.

"Milady…?"

Jerome was worried that her Grace would be shocked but when she turned her head, her eyes were twinkling.

"You said he was eight, right Jerome?"

"That is correct. He was born with an uncommonly huge physique."

"I see…Indeed, I don't think it would make any sense if his son was small."

"Are you…okay?"

"What?"

"…No, nothing."

"He's a much cuter child than I expected. Looks kind too."

"…yes???"

The word 'cute' was definitely not a word that matched the young master. It may have during his early childhood but definitely not now.

And kind? Where did she see that? The young master resembles the Duke in looking like he wouldn't bleed even if you stabbed him. Her Grace's eyes were questionable. (1)

"If I say I want to have dinner together, would it be uncomfortable?" (Lucia)

"…If Milady isn't uncomfortable, then…"

"Uncomfortable indeed. I'm looking forward to dinner tonight."

Jerome watched as her Grace left the receiving room cheerfully then fell into deep thought. She had the completely opposite reaction that the normal person would have.

It was the tragic situation of a new bride marrying in and within a few months of marriage, her husband's older son shows up. Her Grace's reaction was definitely not normal.

Maybe she didn't know the seriousness of the situation or maybe her Grace was just someone with no discretion.

Jerome then grabbed Ashin and pulled him into the steward's office. He glared sharply at Ashin while Ashin was trying his best to avoid the gaze on him, his eyes wandering all over the ceiling.

"What the hell is going on, Sir Ashin?"

"What do you mean?"

"What did you not tell me you would be picking up the young master?"

"That… well, I thought you already knew."

"Even if you thought that way, you should have informed me or Milady."

"…that…his Grace didn't give any instruction to do so…"

Jerome grabbed him by the neck. It wasn't like he was a rookie that had just become an administrative officer so, was that something a secretary should say?

If someone's worked as long as Ashin has, they should have figured out the Duke's nature by now.

It was very often that the Duke would give orders without the process to carry it out, and if one person could pass on his words to others then that was the end of it.

He had no interest in whether there was communication or not. It was all on their heads if there was a problem due to lack of communication.

And so, vassals of the Duke would often have short meetings between themselves to check if there were any holes in their knowledge.

"Do I have to point things out to you to that extent, Sir Ashin?"

Occasionally in some areas, the usually swift Ashin would strangely have his flexibility drop to a bottom when it came to work regarding the Duke.

Jerome heard a knock as he was about to continue speaking and after a while, the door opened slowly and Fabian's head peeked in.

"What's going on? Oh, Sir Ashin, It's been a long time."

"Fabian! It's been a while. Then you brothers can sort out yourselves… I'll just…"

They shared a brief handshake, lightly knocked their shoulders and as soon as the greeting was over, Ashin felt as though he'd found a way to survive and immediately scurried off.

"What's the matter?" (Fabian)

Jerome sighed deeply.

"It's not a big deal. Master isn't here right now, what is it? Didn't you hear he was going to deal with the barbarians?" (Jerome)

"I know. I received different order so I came here. It seems like the young master is here?"

"He arrived a little while ago."

"Your expression doesn't seem good. Is her Grace very unhappy?"

"No, it's not like that."

Unhappy? She liked it so much that even her steps grew lighter. He gave up on explaining to Fabian because Fabian would just call it nonsense. He would allow Fabian to see it with his own eyes.

"I was suddenly asked to bring the family registry document so was wondering what was going on. The young master is back, huh."

"…Registry documents?"

"Although I don't know if her Grace has given her consent. How are those two these days? Is his Grace still in his honeymoon mood?"

"Watch your words."

Jerome seemed very unimpressed with the topic as he frowned intensely and Fabian awkwardly shrugged his shoulders.

"What of the capital? Anything new?" (Jerome)

"There's always something new in that place."

Fabian recalled an incident that had caused a racket in the high society not too long ago. Roy Krotin, the current escort to the crown prince, beat a knight of a Count's family half-dead.

It wouldn't be a problem if it was a legitimate duel but the duel was quite undefined.

It would be correct to say he was suppressed by Roy's skills but the method was controversial.

Roy provoked the Knight by not drawing his sword; saying that if he was made to draw his sword, he would admit defeat, causing the opposing knight to blow his top.

And Roy beat up the Knight that jumped at him with his sword like a rag doll.

When Fabian first heard the news, he was speechless but afterwards, he couldn't stop laughing. He knew that Roy was someone that his Lord often wreaked havoc on to beat sense into him.

Sure enough, there was controversy as to whether it was a fair duel. The count ran around asking what type of duel that was meanwhile at the crown prince's side, when he heard that Roy had crushed them with his skills, he burst into laughter.

And so, suddenly, Roy swiftly became the center of interest in the social circles. Fabian found the situation extremely hilarious but he didn't think Jerome would find it funny too so he just kept it to himself.

"Ah right. These days, there's a rumor floating around about the mine that his Grace gave as a dowry." (Fabian)

"Why has that turned into a rumor?"

A dowry was a private matter that only those involved in the exchange should know about.

For the receiver, it said how much one sold their daughter for, and for the giver, it was how much money one paid for their wife and so, to keep up appearances, it was the proper courtesy not to talk about it.

"What do you think? It's obvious who spread it. The King must have boasted about it so it spread."

"That…tsk."

The two brothers clicked their tongue in disapproval towards the senseless king.

"Anyways, that's why all sorts of rumors are flying around. It is said that because her Grace is such a beauty, even if a man looks from afar he would fall for her so his Grace fell for her at a glance, gave away his entire mine and dragged her to his estate so that no one could see her."

Honestly speaking, her Grace wasn't to that extent.

Looking at the sight of Fabian giggling away, Jerome clicked his tongue.

"Someone like Milady is beautiful."

"…Did you eat something wrong?"

"Mmn, The problem is poking fun at other people without any basis. That's too much…"

"What's too much? His Grace doesn't care about things like rumors."

Was it really like that? Jerome had a hunch that his master wouldn't be indifferent to rumors concerning her Grace. He was almost certain of it.

Translator's Corner:

1. Basically it's saying that they are tough men to the extent you have to wonder if they really have blood in their veins.

< — Damian — > (3)

TN: Here's another chapter I just love love and love.

Damian thought he'd slept for a long time but when he got up, it was still bright outside.

Damian's bedroom was located in one of the buildings connected to the central tower. It was a room originally build to be a nursery for the Duke's children.

It was considerably wide ranging from the bedroom to the study room, enough for up to ten children to stay in.

When he looked outside the window from the second floor of the bedroom that had been his until he left for boarding school, he could see the garden that was covered with colorful flowers.

'Is this the work of the Duchess…'

He'd thought that flowers were unsuitable for the dreary Ducal House but surprisingly, they didn't look out of place and the scent of the flowers filled the air.

He didn't usually feel any sort of love or hate towards flowers but he thought it would be good to see the garden that was full of flowers.

And so, Damian went down to the garden. The scent that filled his nose was much more intense.

"Damian."

It was first time the boy realized that his name could be said so sweetly. He stopped abruptly and turned to look at the approaching Duchess. As Damian laid his eyes on the Duchess who looked extremely happy, he tilted his head.

'Why is she happy?'

"Did you sleep well? You woke up pretty early. Aren't you hungry?"

It was a soft and clear voice. Her pleasant voice was filled with goodwill. Damian pulled the reins of his cautiousness tighter. What an incredible actress.

"…I'm okay for now."

"Have I perhaps interrupted you?"

"No."

Damian had no memory of his birth mother and whether it was his professors or the students at the academy, they were all male. The women that worked in the kitchen or did the chores were all middle-aged women.

He'd never conversed with a young woman that he wasn't in an employment relationship with, so he was extremely awkward.

"I thought the garden looked great so I came here." (Damian)

"I just planted a bunch of flowers but I'm glad you think it's nice." (Lucia)

"You can speak more comfortably." (Damian) (TN: She'd been using formal speech)

"Mm…Sure? I don't really care much but…would that be more comfortable for you?"

"Yes."

"Alright. If you're taking a walk, would you like to take a short walk with me?" (TN: She's switched to informal)

"…Yes."

As they silently walked through the path in the garden, Lucia continued to sneak glances at the boy.

The more she looked, the more amazed she got. It seemed like her heart that had been wanting to see him could be satisfied by looking at Damian for some time.

Even the boy's stiff and polite tone somehow resembled him.

"I heard you were at boarding school. Is this a vacation?"

"…There are no vacations but an outing is possible. His Grace asked me to come so I came. He also asked me to give my greetings to the Duchess."

"Ah…"

Damian was definitely keeping a distance from her. She could feel it.

'Although truthfully, if he'd called me mother once…mm….it may have been a tad creepy…'

When noble children reach the age of discretion, they would oftentimes become obsessed with a sense of entitlement and become arrogant and impudent.

There were also cases where they remain the same even after they matured, but still, when they grew older, they learnt how to keep what they really thought inside and pretend on the outside.

Damian was now eight years old but was as disciplined as a knight. But even so, she could only see him as the child he was.

'Is this the power of boarding schools? Then it would be nice to send all noble children to boarding schools.'

The fact that she was not in a position high enough to enforce such a thought was the fortune of all noble children.

"Damian, honestly speaking, right now, it is hard for me to think of you as a son ."

So direct—! Damian paused in surprise and looked at Lucia.

"You too, right? It's hard for you to think of me as your mother."

I didn't expect this kind of method! Damian chose his words carefully.

"…I apologize. Did I make a mistake…"

"No. I'm not blaming you, I'm just saying it's natural. We've just met, we don't know each other so it's only natural to be unfamiliar."

Red eyes much smaller than his (Hugo's) looked at Lucia. He evoked in Lucia the image of a young animal that had just learned about the world. He lifted his eyebrows adorably, searching her like she was the first existence he'd ever seen.

To the Lucia who had gotten accustomed to the predatory gaze of the gigantic beast called Hugo, Damian's sharp gaze was merely just that.

'So cute. So cute!'

Her hands were fidgeting. She wanted to pinch his cheeks a little or even pat his head.

Lucia restrained herself from doing so as that would make him more vigilant.

"We only differ in age by ten years. If I had a ten year old child at my age, then your father becomes a criminal." (Lucia) (1)

Damian quickly suppressed the huge smile that was about to break out on his face.

"So, I want us to try and get a little bit closer to each other. Instead of being so formal and calling me 'Duchess', call me by my name, Lucia. It's my childhood name."

"…"

"Let's get along from now on, Damian."

Lucia had been influenced in various ways from hanging out with Kate. It would be hard to change her fundamental character but she liked Kate's straightforward way of speaking so she was trying to be more like that.

She stretched out her hand to ask for a handshake while Damian stared blankly at her hand. He couldn't make out what the Duchess wanted.

Why would she want to do such a troublesome thing? Damian was definitely the weaker party between him and the Duchess. He was young in age and an illegitimate child.

When the Duchess gives birth to a child in the future, he would be an obstacle. There was no reason for the Duchess to try and improve their relationship.

"Is that difficult?" (Lucia)

"…No."

Damian grabbed the Duchess's hand in front of him.

'I don't know what her true motive is but…since I can't read my opponent yet, I have no choice but to accept.'

Although Damian was young, he wasn't an idiot that would reveal his aggression to an opponent whose intentions he couldn't grasp.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. If she hid a knife behind her smile, he would do the same too. He was still young and did not have any power.

It was a time where he definitely could not upset anyone.

'Seems like it will be hard to get close.' (Lucia)

Damian thought he was hiding his thoughts but to the Lucia that had experienced a lot in life, the vigilance of a young child was obvious to her.

Even if she said that she wasn't his enemy, he wouldn't believe her.

With his position as an illegitimate child without a mother around to embrace him and a father that did not give him warm care and attention, no matter who it was, they would be disillusioned.

'After some time, it will be okay. My sincerity will definitely be seen someday.'

Lucia knew that she would love his son just as much as she loved him.

Translator's Corner:

1. I'm not sure if the joke came across well(sorry) but she's saying that if she's the biological mother of a 10 year old child at her age (she's 18 i think), then his father becomes a criminal (cuz she would have to have given birth at 8 years old for that to happen).

*Ah fluff. Fluff is good for my heart ❤

< — Damian — > (4)

TN: I was about to ship it then I remembered the age difference *cough*. You'll understand when you read.

Anna returned from her outing with her hands full of books tied up in a string. These days, she'd been working on finding a cure for the Duchess.

She'd combed through the bookstore and collected all the books related to medicinal herbs and asked the owner of the bookstore to definitely contact her whenever a related book came in.

As Anna walked through the castle gates and entered the castle, she saw Dorothy, a middle-aged woman that she was usually close to, some distance away.

She wanted to raise her voice and greet her but because Dorothy was holding onto a man and acting fussy as she subserviently bowed her waist, she just watched blankly.

'Just looking at his attire, he doesn't seem like someone in a high position…'

When they separated, Anna approached Dorothy.

"Who was that? Seems like someone I'm seeing for the first time."

"The first time? Well, He is indeed someone full of wanderlust. He's the Duke's doctor."

"The Duke's doctor? Why have I never seen such a person?"

"You haven't stayed long in the castle. We didn't hear any news from him for a few years then he returned, stayed for a few days and left again. This time, he's stayed for almost two or three months. I don't know when he'll be leaving again."

"Is it okay for a doctor to just leave like that?"

"Because our Duke is such a strong person, he doesn't really need a doctor. It's often joked that the most idle person here is the Duke's doctor. But there is no one here that doubts his ability after all, our youngest had almost died but lived thanks to him."

Even though Anna was having a conversation, she kept glancing in the direction Philip had disappeared in.

The next day, Anna went to find Philip at his residence. It was wooden house nestled at the corner of the outer walls. There was thick tree near the house making it seem even more remote.

A primary physician should be able to arrive as early as possible if there was an emergency which was why Anna stayed inside of the castle.

Although it was said that he was the Duke's primary doctor, he always left his position to go on vacations, never looked for the Duke, and his residence was far away.

Somehow, there seemed to be an inside story to all of it. Just in time, Anna finally found Philip sitting on a chair in the backyard.

"Hello, Sir Philip. I am Anna, the Duchess' doctor. I heard the Duke's doctor was around so I came meet you and at the same time, give my greetings."

The old man with a somewhat odd air around him watched Anna slowly, as though he were searching her face, then displayed a good natured smile.

"Nice to meet you. You can just call me Philip."

"For me too, just call me Anna."

"You're a precious guest, come in. I will bring out some tea."

Philip's friendly response caused Anna's heart that was little nervous to relax and she followed him inside the house.

They drank tea, exchanged a few meaningless pleasantries and after a few words, the conversation became increasingly more about topics related to medicine.

Because they were both doctors, it was a common topic that they could talk about for even a whole day. During the conversation they had, Anna admired two things.

Philip's polite and elegant attitude and his medical knowledge. It was an occasion where the occupation of a doctor and the status of a noble Baron were impeccable.

Although, as a doctor, Anna was more focused on Philip's medical knowledge.

'This person is skilled.'

Anna couldn't keep up with Philip's intelligence. Doctors usually have a unique treatment method that only themselves know about or have some understanding concerning diseases but when Philip began to speak, there was nothing he didn't know.

Or rather, he would even suggest an easier treatment method.

'If it's him… he might know about her Grace's symptoms.'

From the start, Anna's original purpose was to seek advice regarding the Duchess' symptoms. However, unlike the general sicknesses, her Grace's symptoms were a personal secret.

It continuously bothered her conscience as a doctor because a patient's secret must strictly be protected.

환자의 비밀을 엄수해야 한다는 의사의 양심이 자꾸 걸렸다

Even if they were doctors that worked in the same place, she couldn't readily talk about the symptoms.

And if Anna looked at another patient, she was still the primary doctor of the Duchess. It wasn't something that she could just close her eyes and deny.

Anna eventually decided on just studying as much medical books as she could then departed from Philip's residence.

As Anna was returning from meeting Philip, she was summoned by Jerome.

"I called you because I have something to say. It seems you met Sir Philip today." (Jerome)

"I…Are you monitoring me?"

"Ah, don't misunderstand. The one under surveillance isn't you, Anna but Sir Philip."

In the past, the Duke had appeared quite displeased when he'd heard of Sir Philip living within the castle. It was very rare for his master to reveal his feelings.

Jerome didn't know the details but he could tell that there was something so Jerome placed more eyes around Philip to watch him closely.

Jerome's tight surveillance started some time ago, from the moment Philip arrived at the city of Roam. But Jerome did not know that there was another set of eyes monitoring Philip.

They were hidden guards at Damian's side and one of their missions was to block Philip from approaching Damian. Because Damian had returned to Roam, Philip was now under double monitoring.

"I'm not saying that you cannot meet. You also don't have to say what you've talked about. But you cannot allow Sir Philip meet her Grace or mention him to her. I have been instructed to not allow her Grace to learn of Sir Philip's existence." (Jerome)

Anna wanted to ask why. There was many things about this that she couldn't understand but Anna was just a doctor. If the ones above say so, she had to follow.

"If you don't mind us meeting then…Sir Philip is a competent doctor. Is it okay for me to ask for advice on treatment methods for her Grace?"

Jerome thought about it for a moment.

"If it's just that, then it's fine. But, her Grace can only know it as your treatment."

"…I understand."

As being under surveillance from the ones above was an extremely uncomfortable thought, Anna did not go to find Philip for a few days.

But when she began to think that if Philip were to go on another trip, the day they meet would be in the distant future, she grew nervous. Eventually, she went back to see Philip.

"Anna, welcome."

Philip looked happy to have a guest and his expression was very kind. All the way here, Anna had been full of anxiety.

What kind of person was he that he had to be monitored? Did he commit a great evil?

She was nervous and worried that she might be dragged into this pointlessly but in the face of Philip's hospitality, she felt unnecessarily guilty.

'If he did something evil, then surely he wouldn't just be under surveillance. Sir Philip is a doctor but he's also a baron, therefore it's probably some kind of political issue.'

And so, afterwards, Anna steadily visited Philip. A doctor's knowledge was practically their property so Anna grew to sincerely respect the Philip that taught her freely.

As for Philip, since he was always alone, having a friend that he could have a conversation made his life much more enjoyable.

He folded his thoughts of leaving soon and spent his time conversing with Anna or sometimes going outside the castle with her and offering their medical services to the poor.

The relationship between the two was very similar to one between a master and his disciple.

< — Damian — > (4)

TN: Ha-ha, sorry bout the mobile theme. Was tweaking the site a bit but it should be up for good now.

After Damian arrived, the serenity in Roam remained the same as usual. Lucia's life did not change either.

During the day, she would take care of the garden and in the evening, she would read books in the study.

Since the Lady of the House was the same as usual, the employees that were a little nervous went back to normal.

Meanwhile, Damian was busy studying hard. He spent the most of the day alone in his room looking through books.

For the boy, the Academy was the only thing that could prove his existence. He could never relax on it.

The boy who had been completely absorbed in his books lifted his head to the sound of knocking coming from his door.

A while after, a servant came in, stood by the door and spoke.

"Young master, dinner is ready."

"Okay."

He didn't realize that much time had flown by. Damian close the book without any hesitation and stood up.

He walked out of the room and his steps towards the dining room were light. Twice a day, he had lunch and dinner with the Duchess.

It was just sitting down, facing each other and having a meal but as time passed, Damian began to look forward to this time.

When Damian arrived at the dining room, no one had arrived yet. He sat down and waited for a bit then Lucia came in. Damian quickly got up, took out a chair and helped Lucia into her seat.

"Thank you, Damian."

Lucia smiled, greeting him and in response, Damian bowed his head slightly then returned to his seat. It was quiet throughout the meal.

There was usually next to no conversation between them as they ate. There were even more times when they didn't utter a single word.

Damian was unlike a child as he was reserved and Lucia was also not the talkative type. But neither Damian nor Lucia felt the silence was uncomfortable.

While they were eating, Damian accidentally dropped his fork and a maid quickly approached to replace it with a new fork. This minor mistake passed smoothly as though nothing had happened.

Damian glanced at the maid that had moved to serve him. He could feel that the attitude of the employees that attended to him were very careful.

It didn't mean that there was an employee that was rude to his before he left for boarding school. Even though people said all sorts of things about his illegitimacy or what not, from the point of view of the employees, he was in a very high position.

However before, they seemed like a sturdy robots that only fulfilled their duties. In comparison to that time, they showed a bit more enthusiasm as they served and complied with his wishes.

Damian knew all about the Duchess' favor and the Duchess did not conceal her goodwill towards him. And since the employees watched and listened as they served them, they acted a lot more careful with Damian.

The amount of time that Damian met the Duchess in a day did not amount to much. Most of the time, he studied then it was meal time and after which they would take a walk.

The Duchess' favor was not excessive and she did not try to stir up his mind or pull it down. As time passed in this manner, Damian's boundaries relaxed.

If Damian was even a little bit older, the door to his heart would have been tightly shut but he was just eight years old. He was a young child that missed affection but had never even learnt what it was.

After dinner, neither of them said a word about going to the garden together for a walk but they naturally began to walk there together.

"You are eagerly studying most of the time, right? I find that admirable." (Lucia)

The tips of Damian's ears grew slightly red.

"That's because…I don't want to lag behind when I return to the Academy."

"You said this wasn't a vacation but an outing, right? Can you go out at any time?"

"You have to receive permission and there is a limit of 30 days per year. I didn't know his Grace wouldn't be here. I have no way of knowing when he will be back so I'm not quite sure if I will be able to return within the 30 day limit."

Damian's expression got a little darker.

The 30 days limit was not going to be a big issue. The Duke would be able to deal with any problems of that sort but the semester would have already flown by.

"Why don't you call him father? Did he say you have to call him that way?"

"…It's not like that. I just…thought he'd dislike it…"

"Why do you think so? That's just your presumption. Try calling him father, he definitely would not dislike it."

"…"

"And Damian, you haven't called me by my name. Did you think I wouldn't notice you were deliberately omitting my name? When you call me, will you go, 'hey', 'you there'. You aren't doing that, are you?"

The red eyes of the boy shook.

"No. I don't do that…"

"Then you can say it. I call you Damian, don't I?"

"…Yes…Lucia."

Damian grew silent then spoke abruptly.

"May I ask you a question?"

"Any time." (Lucia)

"Don't you hate me?"

"I don't hate you."

Without any pause, Lucia responded lightly, as though it was an everyday conversation.

"Do you think I should hate you?" (Lucia)

"…I think if you must, you should."

"Where is there such a saying? The feeling of hate hurts one just as much as it hurts one's enemy. Why would I bother myself with such an unnecessary emotion? I don't hate you and I don't have any plans of doing so in the future."

"…"

But if the Duchess gave birth to a child and he becomes a roadblock in the future of her child, from that moment onwards, her goodwill towards him would change into hatred.

Damian couldn't believe the words of the Duchess.

"Damian, ever since I got married, I've known about you. Your father married me on the condition that I acknowledge you."

Damian couldn't believe it.

"That man is probably not an affectionate father but don't think that he hates you. He is a man clumsy at expressing himself. If he hated you, he wouldn't have bothered to make you his successor."

Damian couldn't believe it but he wanted to believe. Nobody'd ever told the boy something like this before.

There was contempt and disapproval towards the crude illegitimate child and faced with the indifference from his father's cold gaze, he'd clenched his teeth and worked harder. So, Lucia's tender comfort squeezed into the gaps in the boy's heart.

"Do you hate your father?"

Hate. He'd never dared to think that way. Damian knew just how much what he had was beyond his means. He was just an illegitimate child with a non-noble biological mother but he was given recognition by his high ranking noble father and was appointed as his successor.

[Just graduate. Then this place is yours.]

The Duke sent Damian to boarding school with only this condition. It was a ridiculously easy condition.

And because of his scary father, even though there were many hateful gazes, nobody tried to harm the boy directly.

Of the Taran bloodline, excluding the Duke, there was only Damian so there were no competitors. So, harboring complaints was something Damian wouldn't do.

"No. He is…someone I admire."

The boarding school where the boy was attending was a prestigious academy where nobles and those of royal blood gathered from various countries.

Because the school system was personalized for each student, there were students like Damian who boarded long term and while the shortest course of study could be two years, it varied greatly.

There was no one among the people that came from all over the world that did not know of Xenon's Taran Duke. His remarkable prowess in the war that ended not too long ago was more famous in other countries, especially in enemy countries, than in his home country.

Damian had heard that his knights were revered almost like gods. That his father was so great, no one could surpass him.

In the Academy, Damian lived without revealing who his father was, as well as his country of origin. It wasn't that the Duke had asked him to conceal it.

But that Damian was afraid of the gazes that might follow. Gazes that would say, 'Ah, an extraordinary person like that merely has son like this.'

The boy's goal was to safely secure his status as the successor and one day, succeed the Duke.

But he'd never thought about why that is or what he would like to do after he became the Duke. He only feared he would be abandoned if he wasn't useful because his father just needed someone to inherit his title.

Damian never hoped for his father's affection. He was satisfied with even a little recognition.

That way he knew he wasn't completely useless. If he was accommodated that much, then he had nothing more to ask for.

"I see. It is a desirable thing for a son to admire his father." (Lucia)

Lucia seemed to have something pressing down on her chest the entire time. The tragic case of the Taran family was an unpleasant incident and it seems like the relationship between father and son wasn't very good, so she was inwardly worried.

"What part of him do you admire? That he's a great Knight? Or that he's a powerful lord that rules over the vast North?"

"…Because he's strong." (Damian)

It was a statement that sounded like pure nonsense but Lucia agreed. He was correct. To Lucia, it didn't seem like there was anyone under the sky stronger than him.

He was a man that made one want to lean on him, both physically and mentally.

"Yes. He is indeed strong."

Like a colossal tree, standing firm and unyielding; enough to make one want to lean on its base and seek refuge in its shadows.

"Damian, do you wish to become strong?"

"Yes."

"You could be. You are your father's son."

"…Yes."

The wind blew softly, lightly brushing past the two of them. The scent of flowers carried by the wind was so sweet, it filled Damian's heart with pleasure.

There were no words but there was a smile on their faces as they continued to walk. It was another peaceful day.

< — Damian — > (5)

TN: Hope you guys enjoy this one, not a lot happens but I had a blast translating it.

Lucia had rarely gone horseback riding ever since Damian arrived and as she was preparing to once again go riding for a bit, Kate came to visit.

The two greeted each other with a light embrace.

Kate had not been able to visit for a while as she'd been taking care of her injured grand aunt, Countess Corzan.

Perhaps she'd been weakened because of old age for Madam Michelle fell down the stairs and terribly sprained her ankle.

It was to the point where she could barely move so she chose the one she dotted on the most, her niece, Kate, to be her care-taker.

Even though her grandaunt was usually nagging and strict, Kate stayed by her side and took care of her.

"How is Madam Michelle?" (Lucia)

"She's limping a little but she can walk around now. She asked me to tell you she's thankful for the medicine you sent, they've shown great efficiency."

"It's my pleasure to be of help."

At the beginning, Madam Michelle was a frequent visitor to Roam but after Lucia opened tea parties several times and handled her socializing effortlessly, Madam Michelle's visit came to a stop due to her poor health.

And ever since Kate became a frequent visitor, they'd been exchanging words to and from through Kate.

"This is my real purpose of coming to see you today, Lucia."

Kate placed the basket that she came in with on the table.

"It's the present I promised you last time. Open it."

Lucia carefully removed the cover of the basket and exclaimed.

"Oh my!"

Suddenly, a blinding bright light came in causing a certain pair of big black eyes to blink. The disheveled fox with fluffy light yellow fur shook its big ears.

It was conscious of Lucia's gaze on it for a short moment then soon enough it yawned and closed its eyes. It moved its bushy tail and wrapped it around its body for cover.

The lovely creature that was small enough to fit into both hands instantly captured Lucia's heart.

"Goodness! It's lovely!"

Lucia placed her hand on her chest to pace her thumping heart. She'd gone to the fox hunt and seen the foxes that the ladies raised but none of them was as adorable as the one in front of her.

"It's also my first time seeing such a beauty. Even when it grows up, it will be beautiful." (Kate)

Kate had promised to obtain a fox for Lucia for fox hunting.

"You have to obtain them when they are young to tame them. Look after it frequently, it has to recognize its owner before its growth phase. If this time passes, you can't give any excuses."

"I understand."

"I'll send you a list of things you need to watch out for when raising a fox later."

"Thank you, Kate. It's such a wonderful gift…"

The two women descended into conversation about fox hunting for a while.

"Oh, where is my mind? I was about to go horse-riding. Do you want to join me Kate?"

"I didn't plan on doing so at first, but I've been wanting to go riding for a while. I'll go."

"Ah, and I have someone I want to introduce to you."

Lucia called a maid and instructed her to call Damian.

"Damian is here. He's home for a change but I'm not sure if there would be another time to introduce him to you."

"Who…?"

"I'm talking about his Grace the Duke's son. Well, he's also my son now."

Kate's expression instantly stiffened.

"…What?"

"Could it be you've never heard of it? From what I know, the fact that Damian is his successor has already been made public."

"…ah…well…I've heard a little…"

The life of the Duke was a taboo topic amongst northern nobles. It wasn't like someone ordered them to keep their mouths shut but they knew to be careful with what they said.

It was thanks to the efforts of the Northern people that no rumors of the son and successor of the Taran Duke had spread in the Capital's noble circles.

Meanwhile the Taran duke didn't care whether one deliberately spreads a rumor or one watches what they say. In the North, Damian was a fleeting existence.

"You called for me?"

Looking at the black-haired, red-eyed boy that had walked into the drawing room for a while, Kate swallowed tensely. She hadn't finished preparing her mind.

"Say hello, Damian. This is pretty much the only guest that visits me in Roam. My friend, Kate Milton."

Damian looked indifferently at Kate who was unable to hide her puzzlement. He was familiar with such looks and expressions towards himself. He was deluded for a moment due to the innocent goodwill the Duchess had shown to him all this while.

As his mood sank a little, he lowered his head in a nodding manner.

"It is an honor to meet a beautiful lady like yourself, Lady Milton. My name is Damian."

"Ah…yes. I…I am also honored, Young Lord."

Kate hadn't ever had such a hard time managing her expression. Even when in the past she was walking around the city and stepped on her dress ripping it, she could manage her expression.

As for the Duchess sitting next to her,

"Wow, your words are so… geez. Who would say you aren't your father's son?"

After saying so, she burst into laughter. It was a feeling of seeing a comedy and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Do you know how to ride a horse, Damian? Or shall I bring a colt?"

"I know how to ride a horse. I learned at the Academy."

"Seems like there's nothing you can't do. Kate, he's marvelous, isn't he? He's only eight but he knows how to ride a horse."

"Ah…yes. It's…great."

It was definitely not common for an eight year old to know how to properly ride a horse but it was very possible for someone of the young Lord's huge stature as he exceeded that of the usual eight year old.

Moreover, he was the son of the Taran Duke whose name was hailed among Knights.

However, Kate didn't have any intention of diminishing Lucia's feeling of pride so she just humored her.

"Damian, we were going to go horseback riding now but we can all go together."

Damian took a glance at Kate's stiffening expression. He tried to laugh but it was a sign that told him he was an unwelcome guest.

"No, it's okay. I still have books I have to read."

"While studying is good, you can't keep studying all the time, especially when you're at the prime of your age. Don't you want to grow bigger?"

Big. Damian flinched at the sensitive topic.

"You have to grow as big as your father, right?"

Damian nodded his head.

"Kate, would it be okay if Damian joins us? Sorry I didn't ask for consent beforehand."

"No…It's fine. But Lucia, the horse-riding field we're going to… only women can enter."

"I know."

Lucia tilted her head as though asking 'What's the problem?'

"Damian is just eight years old. He's not a man."

Translator's Corner.

*That last sentence….

*Sorry for the intrusion… ¯_(ツ)_/¯.

< — Damian — > (5)

TN: So I'm sensing a bit of confusion but Lucia and Hugo have reconciled in 29[part 2].

It was only for an instant but Kate witnessed the distorted expression of the young Lord of Taran.

The boy that looked unlike his eight-year-old age with his upright and huge build, suddenly seemed his age when he heard those straightforward words.

Kate turned her head away slightly and let out a small laugh. She felt a bit sorry for the boy's broken pride.

In the horse-riding field, when the noble ladies came up to greet Lucia, she had them greet Damian.

The noble ladies were as though they'd all bitten an unripe fruit for they all had sour expressions as they begrudgingly gave their greetings.

Some looked at Lucia unable to understand it at all, some looked at her with gazes that said she was too young to know about the world while some looked at her with worried gazes.

Lucia was indifferent to their gazes and acted as though she didn't notice them. From time to time, Damian gave Lucia a peculiar gaze.

"This child is Emily."

Lucia introduced her favorite horse to Damian. Damian took in its entire appearance and so as not to surprise it, he walked slowly to its front then stroked its back.

"It's a good horse." (Damian)

"You know how to discern horses?"

"I only know how to tell if it's a good horse or not. I'm not an expert."

"But I don't know how to do even that. To me, because Emily is my horse, she's the prettiest but all horses look the same to me. Kate, isn't it great? Damian is very young but he knows a lot."

Looking at the face of the Duchess that was filled with joy and pride, Kate simply chimed in with a smile. She sneaked a glance at the young Lord who was embarrassed and had turned his head seemingly occupied with other things.

At first, Kate couldn't understand why Lucia was like this but eventually decide to just accept it since it wasn't a bad thing for their mother-son relationship to get better.

After a few rounds of circling around the riding field, they ended their light session of horse riding and the two women went into the lounge (break room). As Damian had opted to keep riding, he was still outside on the field.

Every table in the lounge was filled with women, seated in groups of twos and threes. Unlike the original intention for building it, the lounge of the horse-riding field had increasingly become an active social gathering spot for women.

"People's gazes on Damian were much colder than I expected." (Lucia)

Kate was unsure of what reply to give so she just listened.

"Even though he's the successor that his Grace the Duke personally chose, why are they like that?"

"That's… probably because of the unwritten rules. Although the law states that a son would be recognized as a qualifier once they enter the family register, in reality, there are next to no cases where a son that enters the registry like that inherits the title. The ones that become Counts are barely a handful and there's been no precedence where they're titled higher than Marquis."

"I see. I didn't know that."

In Lucia's dream, she didn't have any children so when she lived as the Countess, she didn't pay attention to matters concerning succession.

"Then what happens if an official has no children apart from the child that was entered into the registry?"

"Most people adopt a son from among their relatives."

It was the so-called noble pride.

It is said that an illegitimate child should be extremely grateful to even be recognized as a qualifier. Although Lucia was of the royal family, looking closer, she was also an illegitimate child so it left a bad taste in Kate's mouth.

An elderly noble woman walked up to Kate and Lucia's table. She was Countess Philia, a woman extremely healthy for her age and not inferior to anyone in her enjoyment of horse riding.

Lucia remembered hearing that when the women-only equestrian(horseback riding) practice field was created, the Countess had praised the Taran Duke till her mouth ran dry.

They went through the usual ceremonial motions of greeting each other and sending their best regards then the Countess placed two flower baskets on the table.

"I got a granddaughter just recently and it is a northern tradition to present yellow flowers to people around me as I wish for my granddaughter to be healthy and to grow up beautifully."

"Oh my, Congratulations. Your granddaughter will grow up beautifully and healthy just like the Countess."

When the Countess turned around to hand out flower baskets to other people, Kate spoke.

"It is a northern tradition but these days there aren't many people that do it. Countess Philia seems quite trusting of this tradition. It is indeed correct to give out yellow flowers but…it isn't common to give out this flower…its prices are tremendous. Countess Philia looks very happy, she must have spent a fortune."

Lucia glanced at the flower basket and smiled ambiguously. The beautiful yellow roses looked as though they were flaunting their elegance.

***

The employees were lined up outside as usual to welcome the Lady of the House as she returned from her outing to the horse-riding field.

The door of the carriage opened and Lucia stepped down from the carriage. When Jerome discovered the basket of yellow roses in her hands, he grew frightened.

"Kkuk!"

Jerome let out a strange sound in spite of himself but was quick to cover it up by dryly clearing his throat. The employees that noticed it acted like they didn't hear anything.

Lucia gave him an odd look then held out her basket of flowers.

"Countess Philia said she'd gotten a granddaughter and gave me a present."

"Ah, yes…"

After accepting the basket of flowers, Jerome heaved a long sigh. He didn't want to see yellow roses anymore.

Lucia and Damian sat face to face in the receiving room, drinking tea while Jerome stood at the side, waiting on them with more tea.

"Now that I think about it, there are no roses in the garden. I'm thinking of making a rose garden next spring, what are your thoughts, Jerome?"

Jerome's expression froze.

"About roses…can you think over it again…?"

"Why?"

"Master doesn't… particularly like them."

Lucia's eyes grew round as she looked at Jerome then she spoke to Damian.

"Damian, tell me honestly. Did you know that there were no roses in the garden?"

"I didn't know."

"See? Jerome, unless a man is particularly interested in flowers, he wouldn't really know that. I doubt if my husband is able to differentiate between varieties of flowers. Although I'm sure there's one flower he can distinguish. Yellow…"

"K-hm. K-hm."

Jerome overdramatically cleared his throat causing a small laugh to escape from Lucia's mouth.

"Don't worry, even if I plant roses, I'll exclude that color."

The color itself wasn't the problem but the Duke had ordered that he didn't want to lay his eyes on any roses. This was serious. Jerome's back broke out in cold sweat.

Damian returned to his room and Jerome finally said what he'd been hesitatant to say for a while.

"Milady, about the yellow rose I talked to you about the other day. You asked me who the last recipient was, right?"

"Yes, I did. I remember."

"Under Master's orders, I sent a yellow rose to the Countess of Falcon."

Jerome became nervous when she didn't say anything in reply.

'I said something useless! What if I offended her?'

"Why so suddenly? They must've met?" (Lucia)

"No!! Absolutely not. I informed his Grace that Milady was curious about it and… he asked me to send it."

"I see."

Lucia's expression was indifferent and she replied as though it was a trivial matter. Jerome grew restless as he tried to comprehend, even if it was just a little bit, the feelings of his Mistress.

Lucia really did think it was a trivial matter. Was her husband taking care of an old lover so great that she had to jump up in joy about it? However, Lucia felt as though something had been lifted off her chest and her heart grew soft.

The longing that had been satisfied in the meantime thanks to Damian once again rose up in her heart.

'When are you coming back? I want to see you…'

One month after leaving to subjugate barbarians, the Lord of Roam who'd been away from his seat returned.

Translator's Corner:

(1) Just in case, a receiving room is a living room. Pretty much, the place you receive guests hence receiving room.

Fun Facts:

I looked into the meaning of a yellow rose and initially found that yellow flowers in general are supposed to evoke joy, friendship, success, all that good stuff.

But, yellow roses specifically signal farewell, jealousy, infidelity or a finishing love. I also read that more recently (most likely for marketing) yellow roses have been paraded to mean friendship, joy and wt not.

TL;DR: I guess you could say yellow roses have two different meanings.