Chapter 16: Tipsy

It was already afternoon, and Dane's lessons had concluded for the day.

The door opened, and Dane stepped out alongside Professor Ivan. Adeline opened her arms with a warm smile.

"How were your lessons, my dear?" she asked as she embraced him.

Dane hugged her back. "It was fun! I learned a lot."

"Oh my, now I'm curious. Share everything with me at bedtime, okay?" she teased playfully.

Dane grinned and nodded.

Professor Ivan smiled as well. "The young master is very bright and learns quickly. I'm honored to have him as my student."

"Thank you for the kind words," Adeline replied, smiling back.

Ivan found her smile charming and quickly cleared his throat. "Adeline, are you free—"

"Mom! I'm hungry!" Dane cut in, wrapping his arms around her waist. He had sensed that his professor was trying to ask his mom something, and while he liked Professor Ivan, the idea of him inviting his mother somewhere didn't sit well with him.

"Well, it is almost dinner time," Adeline said, patting Dane's head with a soft laugh.

Professor Ivan composed himself, brushing off the interruption with a polite smile.

Just then, Duke Darwin appeared and approached them.

"I've instructed James to handle your payment for the day. Thank you for your time," he said with a curt nod.

"It's an honor to be your son's tutor, Your Grace," Ivan responded respectfully.

With a final bow, Professor Ivan took his leave, offering one last smile to Adeline before exiting down the hallway.

At the dinner table, the three of them enjoyed a peaceful meal together.

"So, tell me—what did you learn from Professor Ivan today?" Darwin asked, genuinely curious.

Dane set his fork down and sat up straighter. "Well, first of all, he taught me about the history of the Empire…"

Adeline quietly listened as the two engaged in conversation. It surprised her. In the novel, Darwin hadn't shown much interest in his son's life. So seeing him take the initiative to ask about Dane's day was completely out of character—but in a good way. This version of Darwin was far better than the one in the story.

Later that evening, after bathing Dane and tucking him into bed, Adeline sat beside him.

"Mom, I want to tell you more about my day… but I'm getting sleepy," Dane murmured, letting out a long yawn.

"It's alright," she said, smiling as she brushed his hair back gently. "I already heard a lot during dinner. You need to rest—you have another busy day tomorrow."

"Mom… what about you? When will you go back to the workshop?"

"The day after tomorrow. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing… I was just wondering," he said sleepily, his eyes blinking slowly.

Adeline chuckled and kissed his forehead. "Well, since I answered your question, it's time for you to sleep. Good night, my love."

"Good night… Mom," he whispered before drifting off.

Adeline gently pulled the blanket over Dane and quietly left the room.

She was surprised to see James waiting just outside the door.

"Goodness, you startled me. Is something the matter?" she asked.

"I apologize for the sudden appearance, Lady Adeline," James replied with a bow. "But I have a message from the Duke."

"A message?"

"He has requested your presence in his office."

Adeline nodded and bid the butler goodnight before making her way to Darwin's office.

When she entered, she was surprised to see the Duke already dressed in his nightrobe. A bottle of wine and a small platter of snacks sat on the desk in front of him.

"You called for me, Your Grace?"

Darwin sat down and gestured toward the chair across from him. "I did. I wanted to celebrate—our son's first step in becoming my heir. And to welcome him officially into the dukedom. I was going to invite him as well, but he looked tired. So I figured I'd invite the one who raised him—you."

"Oh, that's not necessary—"

"Consider it a gesture of gratitude," he said, pouring her a glass of wine. "I may not know what kind of life he had before, or who his mother truly was, but I want to show appreciation that he's here. You said it yourself, didn't you?"

Adeline recalled her emotional outburst from a few days ago and cleared her throat, a little embarrassed. "I'm glad you remembered."

She took a seat and eyed the wine cautiously. She knew her alcohol tolerance wasn't great, and she was worried about getting drunk. But this kind of gesture from Darwin was rare—who knew when it might happen again?

"To our son's future," Darwin said, lifting his glass.

"To his future," she echoed, and they clinked their glasses together.

The celebration was quiet and understated. Darwin wasn't much of a talker, and Adeline, unsure what to say, sipped her wine silently. One glass turned into two, then three, and soon her eyes looked a little hazy.

After a while, Darwin noticed something odd—Adeline was tapping her empty wine glass with her finger, pouting slightly.

"No more~" she mumbled.

Darwin arched a brow. "Are you drunk, Lady Adeline?"

"Me!? Noooo," she said with a hiccup, shaking her head exaggeratedly.

Darwin set down his glass and gave her a look. "You're definitely drunk. Why didn't you tell me you had such a low tolerance for alcohol?"

"Oh, come on. Don't be such a nag," she huffed, wobbling to her feet. Placing both hands on her hips, she declared proudly, "I am not drunk! I can even walk straight!"

She then attempted to demonstrate, walking in a crooked line like a tipsy soldier on parade.

Darwin pinched the bridge of his nose and stood up. "I think that's enough celebration for one night. You need to rest."

"No! No rest! We're celebrating until dawn!" she raised her arm triumphantly, nearly losing her balance.

Darwin placed his hands firmly on her shoulders. "Enough is enough," he said, his tone firm.

Adeline pouted and pushed him back—though it was more of a gentle nudge than anything. "I'm not scared of you! You might be the big, scary Duke everyone fears, but to me, you're just a grumpy black bear!"

Darwin sighed heavily, barely holding back a smirk. "Lady Adeline, this is far from ladylike behavior."

"I don't care! I don't care about titles or nobility or you—the only person I care about is my baby. So give me more wine!"

She swayed on her feet again, but Darwin caught her just before she fell.

"You're hopeless," he muttered, but there was clear amusement in his voice.

He found her behavior strangely entertaining. In the past, no one dared speak back to him, let alone tease him like this. Everyone was too afraid of his title and his reputation. But Adeline was different. She challenged him. She defied him. She didn't treat him like a Duke—just a man.

Adeline looked up at him and grinned mischievously. "I wonder if Dane will look like you when he grows up. So handsome!" she giggled and suddenly pinched his cheek.

Darwin froze for a moment, completely stunned. Then—unexpectedly—he laughed. A quiet, genuine laugh that caught even him off guard.

Adeline blinked at the sound of his laughter, then smiled warmly. "So you can laugh! I thought your face only had one setting—angry." She puffed her cheeks and mimicked his usual stern expression.

"I didn't laugh," he said quickly, trying to compose himself. "You must've heard it wrong."

"Liar," she giggled and suddenly squished his cheeks with both hands. "This is a lying face. You and Dane are terrible liars."

"You're being incredibly rude right now," he muttered, frowning in protest.

"I didn't hear you!" she sang, stepping back and twirling like a drunken ballerina. "Let's go to the moooon!"

Darwin shook his head in disbelief—and without warning, scooped her up into his arms.

"Hey!" Adeline yelped, surprised, her arms flailing slightly.

"Be quiet," he said calmly, carrying her out of the office.

James, standing just outside, stared wide-eyed at the sight. It was unheard of—the Duke Darwin, cold and untouchable, carrying a woman with such familiarity and care. He quickly looked away, pretending he saw nothing.

"Special transportation!" Adeline giggled, resting her head on Darwin's shoulder like a satisfied child.

Darwin sighed but allowed a smirk to form on his lips. He had been acting strangely lately—he knew it. But oddly enough, when it came to Adeline, he didn't mind the change. In fact, he found it... oddly comforting.

As they neared her room, Adeline let out a sleepy sigh and nestled closer to him. "Good night, Black Bear," she murmured.

Darwin looked down at her, his gaze softening. "...Good night, my son's chaotic mother."