CHAPTER 17. (Un) Happy Moment

　　One hour and thirty-seven minutes later,

　　“It is better to sleep, Wifey. After you awake, you can eat something. I know you are still tired," said a red-haired man.

　　She saw his husband's right hand stroking her head - his lovely spouse. She definitely looked deadly tired. However, Lavena still insisted on staying awake and finished the food provided by the hospital where she gave birth.

　　When he heard this, the opposite sex shook her head while continuing to eat the food that had been delayed. Now, the green-eyed woman was in a unique room, where there was only herself and her beloved man. Meanwhile, the head of the family did not argue with his lovely lady's actions and stopped stroking the top of the woman's head.

　　The atmosphere in the room was quiet again because the conversation between the two had stopped. The seconds went by so slowly for Tristian. Every now and then, he glanced at the door as if waiting for someone to arrive. However, the wife is still focused on food, so she does not realize what her lovely spouse is doing.

　　The woman who gave birth to her first child an hour ago still had not finished her food, so she put it on the nightstand. Meanwhile, the burly man sitting on the right side of the wife's bed could only silently watch and had made no comments. "I am okay, Hubby. I just—”

　　Before Lavena finished speaking, suddenly there was a knocking sound, so they turned their heads towards it. With no one asking, Tristian immediately stood up and walked toward the source of the sound. Meanwhile, Lavena, who was still tired, could only stare in that direction as she lay down on the bed. "Who is coming, huh?" he muttered, confused.

　　The bearded man and bushy sideburns had already arrived at the door, then he opened the door. He was a little surprised when he saw that there were four people standing there. "Mom, Dad," Tristian said. The man looked at the parents of his lovely wife. “Father and mother-in-law. Please come in, everyone.”

　　"Thank you, Son," said Sir Elmer, kindly. The others just nodded and did not answer at all.

　　The man, who has a height of one hundred and eight-five centimeters, opened the door wide, then shifted to the left, so that the four guests could enter the room. Meanwhile, Lavena, who was still lying on the bed, tried to sit up, seeing that her parents and her parent-in-law visited, but her father-in-law prevented this from happening. "It is okay. Do not sit now. You can lie down.”

　　The five of them immediately stood near Lavena. The biological mother of Alexa Jocelyn Heart felt a little uneasy because she saw the look on her biological father's face that looked so piercing that the long-haired woman could only stay silent. “How is your condition now, Lavena?” asked Sir Elmer, breaking the ice between them.

　　“My condition is better, Father-in-law. Thank you for coming to visit me," replied Lavena politely. Meanwhile, the man who had a facial resemblance to his son spontaneously looked at a middle-aged man who carried a long shiny stick with an eagle's head at the end. They stared at each other for three seconds, then the biological father of Tristian Varden Writh turned his attention to his daughter-in-law.

　　“Lavena, where is our granddaughter? I want to see her." The chubby man deliberately asked this question, because he wanted to see what the tiny baby looked like. Whereas the other five people only paid attention to the conversation that was going on between Lavena and Sir Elmer.

　　“Our daughter is in another room, in the special baby room, Father-in-law. The nurse said, if Alexa gets thirsty later, they will bring her here." The twenty-year-old woman answered honestly. Lavena did not dare to look the other way, as if she wanted to avoid someone.

　　"What did you say?" The middle-aged man frowned as if he did not hear the other person's words. Tristian, who had been observing the conversation of his lovely lady with his biological father, was confused because he understood Sir Elmer's character.

　　"Pardon?" Lavena still did not understand the meaning of her father-in-law's question. Both eyebrows were also raised, because the intelligent woman still felt anxious, so what she could do was wait for an explanation from the other person.

　　“What did you call my granddaughter earlier? You called her with a name, an unusual name in Zlatav, to be frank.” Sir Elmer clarified the question, so that his daughter-in-law finally understood, and found the right answer to give to the man.

　　"Alexa. Her name is Alexa Jocelyn Heart." Lavena answered the question originally asked by the husband of Madame Phoenix Lily Katira. Now the four people there — not including Tristian were confused. However, Alexa's parents understand, so they have not voiced their opinion unless someone asks about it.

　　“Where did you get that name, Lavena?” asked Sir Elmer, curious. Lavena has not answered yet, but the man who has a height of one hundred and eighty centimeters tall instead immediately turned to his son as if asking him for an answer. "Son?"

　　"We got the name from our dream, Father," Tristian answered honestly, which was supported by a nodding Lavena.

　　“Our dreams? Did you mean your dream or her dream, Son?” Sir Elmer asked further. He seemed not satisfied with the answer given, so he deliberately did this.

　　"Our dream, Dad. Lavena and I had the same dream when Goddess Magia asked us to name our daughter Alexa Jocelyn Heart. Did not I tell you before?” Tristian again answered the question from his father, so the fifty-two-year-old man was silent for a moment, as if he was trying to remember something.

　　Tristian's parents and Lavena's parents were so shocked when they heard such an answer that the atmosphere returned to silence for a moment. Meanwhile, a silver-haired man could only shake his head, but he said nothing at the moment. Now, the emerald-eyed man looked at his beloved wife, so they both looked at each other. They seem to communicate through eye signals.

　　"No. You have not told us the name, Son. But, whatever. I thought both of you did not prepare a name for her. Now, we want to see our granddaughter. Can you show us where Alexa is?” Sir Elmer remembered why they had come to the hospital.

　　"Sure, Dad. I will—"

　　Before Tristian had time to finish speaking, there was a knock, so everyone's attention was focused on it. Someone opened the door from the outside. It was revealing a woman dressed as a nurse holding a baby. He walked closer to the patients and their families, then greeted everyone politely, knowing that they were not ordinary people, but from the noble class.

　　When they arrived on the right side of the bed, the nurse said to Lavena, who looked like she was already shining, because she wanted to rock her first child immediately. “Mrs. Writh, this is your baby. You can breastfeed it. I will be back in an hour to get it."

　　"Well. Thank you, Sister,” said the young mother.

　　The nurse also gave the baby girl to her biological mother and was well received by the blonde woman. Lavena immediately weighed her lovely daughter, who still looked asleep, as if not affected by the surrounding environment. The nurse as soon as possible left from there, so the four guests began to approach Alexa's mother because they could not wait to see what her granddaughter looked like.

　　"May I see her, Lavena?" asked Sir Elmer, hopefully.

　　“Sure, Father-in-law. You can see her," answered Lavena. The woman who was still weak from childbirth, began to hand the baby to the other person and the father-in-law was carrying his granddaughter with joy.

　　"She is exquisite. Look at her, My Love." The stocky man spoke to the black-haired woman who had been by his side.

　　Sir Elmer lowered his gaze slightly towards his wife so that Madame Phoenix Lily Katira could see clearly. Meanwhile, Lavena's parents looked annoyed but they could not do anything about it.

　　“You are right, Husband. Welcome to this family, Alexa.” The forty-five-year-old woman greeted the baby in a friendly manner. Her right hand even poked the granddaughter's cheek, which was so adorable in her judgment.

　　The feeling of the man wearing a dark brown coat suddenly fluctuated when he saw the baby's calm face. In his heart, a desire had begun to arise, so he could not wait to say this to Tristian's parents who were still holding baby Alexa. "Sir Elmer, may I—"

　　***

　　18. A Family Portrait

　　Two months later

　　A slender woman is seen standing in front of the mirror. She was not alone, because there were three servants who accompanied her. They were helping the madame to get dressed, while not far away, there was a girl dressed as a maid who looked after Alexa who was still fast asleep, and there was another maid sitting not far from a small bag that contained the baby's necessities.

　　Less than ten minutes later, the young mother had finished making up. Lavena looked at her daughter, who was still in the same condition, which made the pointed-nosed woman smile. The two girls looked alert as if they already knew what was about to happen to them.

　　"Come on, let's go downstairs! Do not forget to bring Alexa."

　　"Yes, madam."

　　No need to wait any longer, finally the five women left there. One of the women is seen holding a beautiful little baby. They walked out of the room, not having a conversation at all. The light of the sun had shone brightly, so that it entered the luxurious residence of Tristian Varden Writh, although some areas were still dark and were given additional lighting.

　　Many maids worked to clean the residence, so Lavena occasionally ran into them. The maid who brought her daughter walked behind Mrs. Writh and that baby did not show any signs of restlessness, because she was full of drinking the mother's milk.

　　A few moments later, they arrived at the ground floor. Lavena did not realize that a man was watching her because the young lady's attention was still in another direction. The man came closer, then wrapped his arms around his beloved woman's waist, making her startled, and turned to the right. “Wifey, you look gorgeous.”

　　The beautiful woman smiled. Meanwhile, the four maids stopped walking, keeping their distance. They seemed to give a little privacy to the husband and wife. “Hubby, what a pleasant surprise. Are we still going to mom and dad's house or is there a change of plans?” asked Lavena, excited.

　　“We will still go there, Wifey. This event will be important for us,” Tristian replied, straightforwardly.

　　The parents of Alexa Jocelyn Heart also continued their steps, so the three maids who saw this followed behind the master. “In that case, will the process take long? I have forgotten about it, because the last time I did that was a long time ago. Probably when I was a little girl.”

　　The red-haired man nodded. He seemed to understand the concern of his beloved wife. "Of course, it will take a long time, dear. Because this will be the official picture of us with Alexa. All the noble families in Zlatav must have done the same thing to a proof that they have a new family member and to renew their memories. It is a shame we have not found an easier, faster, and safer method for taking pictures of ourselves, so we can't help but use the old method that already exists.”

　　When she heard this, the slender woman just nodded. She asked nothing else. In less than twenty minutes, they had arrived outside. The carriage was ready, and the coachman was waiting for Mr. and Mrs. Write. Lavena was seen asking the maid who had been carrying her daughter so that Alexa was now being hugged by her mother.

　　When Tristian, Lavena, and Alexa had entered, the coachman as soon as possible moved the reins. Behind the main carriage was another, smaller, and simpler carriage. The two maids who were to take care of Alexa now boarded the horse carriage.

　　Not long after, two horse-drawn carriages moved, followed by the six bodyguards. The atmosphere became quiet because no one had opened a conversation. The twenty-five-year-old man's expression was flat, so his woman did not know what the head of the family was thinking.

　　"Hubby, for our family portrait, is it done separately or together with our parents?" The intelligent woman began to break the ice between them.

　　When he heard this, the burly man who was originally staring at the scenery outside the window now turned to Lavena. "As for that, then I do not know. Dad could change plans at any time. But I can try to ask him so that the three of us are painted first."

　　***

　　Two hours and fifteen minutes later,

　　Two horse-drawn carriages followed by six bodyguards arrived at a castle that was so big and towering. There were so many male servants there and they seemed to be ready in their respective positions as if they knew that there would be an important guest at the venue.

　　Not far from there, a husband and wife were waiting for the guest. Their faces looked happy. The stocky man watched carefully the two horse-drawn carriages that had just entered the courtyard. However, it had not yet arrived near the owner of the castle. "I can't wait to hold our granddaughter, Wifey."

　　The wife nodded. She said in a low voice, but could still be heard by her beloved husband “I want to see her too, Hubby. But, for family portraits and making a family tree for the family tree, will there be… yes, you know exactly what I mean.”

　　"For that matter, do not worry, Wifey. I have made arrangements with the painters, as well as genealogy records so if someday Tristian's real daughter can find this out. Later, she will know, that we always love her, and we have entered her name in the Writh's family line."

　　The expression of the woman with long black hair looked relieved. She nodded, as a sign of agreement with the actions to be taken by her husband. “I am glad to know that, Hubby. However, the original lineage should not be destroyed. I do not want that backup child to take the place of our granddaughter. We will save her when the right time is ready. I can't imagine how Alexa can survive in the orphanage later. It is so heartbreaking.”

　　The intonation of the wife's voice sounded restless because she had already imagined what would happen to her beloved granddaughter. "Do not worry, my dear. Everything is under control. I promise to you." The husband's words were heard by a woman who was still beautiful, even though she was forty-five years old.

　　"I trust you, Hubby."

　　***

　　Five hours and fifty minutes later

　　"Ah, it is finally over. I did not think that if everything was finished,” Tristian said, while looking at his wife.

　　They seemed to rise up from the sofa that had been occupied. They began to move their arms and legs, as if stretching, having remained in the same position, in order to produce a painting that was in accordance with the wishes of Sir Elmer as the owner of the castle.

　　A young mother is seen calming her baby who looks restless and is now starting to cry. Tristian's parents and Lavena's parents are now turning their attention to the baby. One nanny attempted to retrieve Alexa. However, that baby seemed to refuse and remained closely attached to her beloved mother. Lavena, who saw the incident, began to feel uncomfortable because it had caused a commotion, so she decided to stay away from her husband and their parents, hoping to stop the crying from the baby.

　　"Yes, Hubby. Thank goodness it was all over. I want to go to another room first with the nanny because Alexa is fussy. Sorry if it disturbs the atmosphere," said the twenty-year-old woman.

　　Tristian Varden Writh nodded. He saw that their daughter also did not want to be separated from his spouse's arms. There was a feeling of compassion for his lovely wife, so the emerald-eyed man thought of accompanying his life partner, who had been faithful to accompany him so that he could go to a room in the castle. However, when he accidentally looked at Sir Elmer, his father seemed to give a code through eye movements, so the well-built man was forced to nod, a sign that he had agreed to his biological father's request.

　　The man with a thick beard and sideburn turned his attention to Lavena. "Of course, Wifey. You can ask the butler here for help. He will escort you and our two babysitters to an appropriate room. I will catch up there as soon as I can."

　　The intelligent woman realized there was something with her husband, so she smiled. "Thank you, Hubby. If you have business, then hurry up so you can meet us later."

　　In less than two minutes, a butler came and approached the second son of Sir Elmer Louis Writh and Madame Phoenix Lily Katira. The green-eyed woman who was holding the baby as soon as possible spoke to him. A few moments later, Tristian's wife and the two maids followed the butler. Meanwhile, her husband just watched Lavena until she disappeared from sight.

　　"Tristian, follow me. We need to talk about something important!"

　　***

　　19. Killed Inside

　　A few months later,

　　"Do not cry, Wifey. Everything is gonna be okay. Trust me."

　　A man with red hair was seen rubbing the right shoulder of a woman who was sobbing softly while hugging a baby who was fast asleep. They were in the carriage and it was still dark outside, for the sun had not yet appeared in Zlatav's sky.

　　The full moon looks so beautiful shining. However, not all beings can enjoy this, especially a husband and wife in a horse carriage. The coachman who was outside, indeed hearing the sobs, said nothing at all. He also sympathized. Only Dresden chose to remain silent, watching the situation around him. Four bodyguards also accompanied the horse-drawn carriage. They also seemed to examine the atmosphere carefully, as if they were afraid of being seen by others.

　　The atmosphere of grief seemed to engulf the small family of Tristian Varden Writh. The handsome man had not opened the conversation again, because he saw the condition of his wife, who was still crying, although not too loudly. Their little baby was still fast asleep, but occasionally squirmed, so Lavena loosened her grip.

　　“Why… why do we have to throw away our daughter? She is not guilty at all."

　　The young woman asked with her lovely husband, although she faltered slightly when she said that. Meanwhile, the child squirmed again, because the mother's embrace began to tighten slightly, which made it difficult for her to move, so it forced Lavena to loosen the hug. The man who has a height of one hundred and eighty-five centimeters tall could only exhale heavily.

　　The atmosphere inside the carriage became awkward, for the slender woman was still sobbing, and there was no sign of stopping. “Wifey, if you change your mind suddenly, then our extended family, including you and I, will be affected. Did not we agree long ago, even before our daughter was born, that we will leave her in the orphanage? Now, why do you cry like this?”

　　Alexa's biological mother could not hide her annoyance, so she did not seem afraid if she had to argue with her lovely husband. "Yes, you are right. We made such a deal. But how could I have the heart to do such an act? Alexa comes from our flesh and blood! Until then, another child will never replace our princess forever."

　　The coachman heard a voice from the passenger seat. He knew the plan the husband and wife had drawn up. However, the man preferred to pretend not to hear their conversation, as if nothing had happened, so that Dresden's safety was maintained.

　　Meanwhile, Tristian, who has become a father, can only shake his head, and try to be patient with his lovely lady attitude. "I understand, honey. But can you think about us, including our parents? How do they feel if they find out you have actually done something that makes little sense like now? Please, Wifey. We just need one more step, then we will continue our normal life.”

　　The tears were still running down Lavena's cheeks. She did not answer her husband's words and chose to look the other way, as if reluctant to argue. The emerald-eyed man who witnessed it all then looked at their first child, who was still fast asleep. Feelings of inadequacy began to arise within the head of the family, but Tristian tried to strengthen himself. "Wifey."

　　Lavena was still reluctant to turn around, even though her beloved spouse had already called her name. That woman loves her biological daughter very much, so she is not willing to part with Alexa.

　　"Wifey, please look at me," said Tristian, who was still not giving up.

　　Slowly but surely, the twenty-year-old woman finally gave in, then started to turn to her husband. The face of the opposite sex looked sad and tired, but the well-built man still tried to smile. Tristian refrained from crying because he realized that the time had come.

　　“Wifey, it is time for us to say goodbye to her. We can be sure that one day we will meet and reunite with our precious daughter."

　　“That is a very long time, Hubby. I do not want to wait in uncertainty. Let me hide her in a cave or a small village or anywhere. The most important thing is safe, and out of reach of the emperor's spies. I will take care of our daughter so that she will not be hungry, thirsty, and protected from danger.”

　　“Wifey, do not talk like that. I am sure Goddess Magia will get us together with Alexa again. It is better for us to not waste time so that other people do not see it. You can kiss our daughter and tell her everything that you want. After that, please give her to me and I will bring her to the orphanage.”

　　Lavena was silent for a moment, then she looked at the baby in her arms. The look of sadness is so radiating because the woman who has naturally thin pink lips knows that soon she will be separated from her own baby. “Alexa, I hope, one day you will understand why we have to act like this. Please forgive us, because this is a tough decision. Mom and Dad will never forget you."

　　The beautiful woman was crying again, while Tristian quietly rubbed the corner of his eye because he felt the same way. The green-eyed woman also kissed her lovely baby's forehead, eyes, nose, then both cheeks. Alexa squirmed again, but was still asleep as if she were safe in a dream. Lavena stared intently, then turned her attention towards the other person who had been waiting for him. "Hubby."

　　Tristian nodded, then began to ask Alexa from the embrace of his beloved woman. The wife was very reluctant, finally willing to give the baby girl to her husband. Now, Tristian hugs his daughter, then kisses the top of the little one's head who still does not understand what happened. After two minutes of silence, the man, who had a face similar to Sir Elmer's, started to stare at Lavena. "Do you want to accompany us to the door of the orphanage or do you want to wait here Wifey?"

　　***

　　A husband and wife walk in the silence of the night. The slender woman is now holding a baby who is still fast asleep, while her husband is carrying a fairly large basket. Along the way, only their footsteps could be heard, plus the sound of the nocturnal beasts that were there. A few moments later, the two had arrived in front of a large house, where there was a sign that said Ztatzav Orphanage. However, they had not yet reached the entrance.

　　It was so quiet and the lights had gone out. Outside, in front of the orphanage door, there was an orange light, which caught Tristian's attention. The man stopped walking, then gave the signal using a head movement. The wife saw this, as if she already understood, then did the same thing with her beloved husband.

　　“Wifey, now you put our daughter in the basket. I will leave this basket at the door so that if someone comes out of there, that person can immediately take it,” said Tristian, slowly.

　　Lavena's expression paled. She became increasingly unwilling, even shaking her head a few times. "No, Hubby. What if Alexa will die of cold or thirst? I do not know what time is it now, but I do not want to leave her alone. The danger can come anytime, anywhere, especially for our daughter, who is left alone and can't do anything about it.”

　　“Goddess Magia will be her protector, Wifey. She will be safe and I believe it. Do it now, Honey! Never have any doubts! If we stay here longer, things will become more difficult for us,” the emerald-eyed man urged.

　　"Wait. Let me hug and kiss her again, Hubby.” After saying this, the green-eyed woman was seen hugging her daughter tightly while shedding tears. While the husband did not comment at all and tried to understand the state of his lovely lady.

　　“Alexa, this is the time. Mom and Dad love you more than anything. May Goddess Magia always be with you. Goodbye, my dear." Lavena said quietly and unconsciously two drops of tears fell on the two little cheeks of the baby who immediately squirmed.

　　Lavena let go of the hug and immediately handed Alexa to Tristian. The man accepted it well, then looked at the face of his beloved daughter, then held her for a few seconds. He was forced to sacrifice his fatherly instincts, by putting the baby girl in the basket.

　　There was already a baby blanket which was quite thick, then a bag filled with gold coins, accompanied by a letter. The red-haired man covered Alexa, then kissed her forehead. The wife wept, because of the events that were going on, like a knife that was stabbed into the hearts of both of them, thereby killing them from the inside. "I love you, honey. See you soon."

　　***