***
Tears streamed sadly down from the child’s red ruby eyes. He sobbed and asked me.
“Mother, are you my mother? I have missed you so much.”
The child’s word “Mother” was clearly audible through the sobbing. Seeing the child’s vivid eyes looking directly at me, his words were sincere.
I was stunned by the shocking words.
“What? Mother? Are you lost?”
My bewildered voice split all over the place. I stood there and froze like an old tree frozen solid.
Next to me, Noah looked at the child and me in silence. The child cried woefully and hugged my legs more tightly. The neatness of his fine satin clothes and his clean hands made him look like the son of a noble family. I could smell sweet cookies from his soft hair.
I felt sorry for the poor little kitten, who cried out sadly as if he had encountered his parents who had been away for a long time, but I was worried.
If Noah brought up the subject that I spent the night with the Lieutenant Colonel, and now ‘I am a mother’ added to it, he might end it with me without being able to bargain.
With a drop in trust that hits bottom, great mistrust piles up, and we might break up!
I said in a decisive tone while maintaining my calm mind.
“What do you mean? I am not your mother.”
“Mother said she would always protect me. That’s why you came back, right?”
His speech was a little unclear, but for a child, he sounded brisk and still sad.
Noah approached me with a saintly expression and gently touched my shoulder.
“I understand. Let’s raise him well together.” ?
He had a given-up expression as if I was beyond his imagination.
I looked at Noah with bewilderment, then turned my head and squeezed the soft cheek of the child hanging like a koala from my leg.
“How old are you? And what is your mother’s name?”
“Six years old. My mother’s name is Elizabeth.”
“You look like seven years old, though. I am Diana, not your mother. Where’s your nanny?”
“Yes, you are.”
“I said no.”
“You came down from the sky secretly, so you’re afraid to be caught?”
There is no such fantasy setting, kid. How could a kid from this world say that? In the middle of the argument, Noah approached and picked up the child.
“I’m your stepfather. Please take care of me.”
Floating in the air, the child’s red eyes looking at Noah were confused and shocked.
“No. My father is just too busy to see me. I don’t need a stepfather.”
“You have to accept reality. The world doesn’t go your way.”
Noah’s life advice made the child cry. He cried and flapped his arms and legs, but Noah did not let him go.
He held the child and observed here and there, then smiled mischievously. It was like the smile of a stepfather who was inevitably trying to open his stepson’s heart.
“Hmmm, he’s a lot like you. He has a big voice, so we can let him be a politician later. Or he can become a physicist, which was my dream.”
“How could I have had a six year old kid?”
I took the child from Noah with an absurd look on my face. He was heavier than I expected compared to Noah’s light hold, so I quickly put him down and asked again.
“What is your name?”
“Daniel Jean Hessen. Have you forgotten my name too?”
The name suggested that he was the son of a very high ranking nobleman. Perhaps of royal blood.
“Ah, you are the son of the Duke of Hessen. You must be the young master.”
Noah chuckled and crouched down, locking eyes with Daniel. Daniel wiped the dewy tears from his eyes and nodded.
“I was a Duke, too. But you won’t accept me as your stepdad?”
“I don’t want to. My father is busy, but he is still my father.”
“I’ll buy you a car.”
“I have a lot of them at home.”
“A real car. I can give you a tour of the car company, what do you think?”
The boy’s ruby red eyes seemed hesitant. Those words seem to be so powerful that he was having a hard time choosing which father to choose.
From far away came the sound of tense shoes along with the voice of the Marchioness of Wales.
“Young Master! I was so surprised when you suddenly disappeared!”
The Marchioness looked, alternating between the sniffling Daniel and us as if wondering what happened.
“Well, he kept calling me mother…..”
The Marchioness’s face sank sadly as I shyly defended myself, as she seemed to think I made an innocent child cry.
”I’m sorry. It seemed the Young Master misunderstood.”
“Misunderstood?”
“Miss Diana looks a lot like the gentle figure of the Duchess of Hessen. I’ve been thinking about it since a moment ago, but I didn’t say who she was.”
Sighing, the Marchioness approached me and whispered quietly.
“The Duchess died of illness last year. It is a pity for such a young person, only 25 years old. Both the Duke and the Young Master are still struggling.”
“I see. It is a pity.”
“At present, the Duke of Hessen is in a state of shock and unable to take care of his surroundings, so I have been taking care of the Young Master. From today, I have decided to stay at the palace under the care of Her Majesty. I let him play with my son during the tea party.”
A boy of about 9 years old with a rubber ball rushed over and stood in front of the Marchioness. With the same pumpkin-colored eyes and looked terrified of being scolded, which was no doubt her son.
“Cledd! I told you to take good care of the Young Master! What in the world did the nanny go?”
“Mother, I’m sorry. She suddenly disappeared while we were playing ball.”
The child, called Cledd, stared down, a look of regret on his face. Daniel approached the Marchioness and took her hand, looking up at her with moist, watery eyes.
“It’s my fault. Don’t be angry with brother and nanny.”
“Oh, our kind-hearted master. This Lady is not the Duchess. Did you miss her very much?”
“Yes, I miss her very much. I haven’t been able to see her since mother became ill. I couldn’t even see her off before she went to the sky.”
Daniel’s lips were shaking as he barely swallowed back his tears, and he covered his eyes with his sleeve and began to cry. I felt sorry for the child who lost his mother at such a young age.
“I too miss the Duchess. She was a kind and good person.”
The Marchioness’ eyes were also red hot as she hugged the little master.
“I thought my mother had come to see me.”
Under the child’s wet eyelashes, red eyes turned to me. The pouty mouth and puffy cheeks were quite cute. He looked like a rabbit now. I smiled sweetly and made eye contact with him.
“Do we look alike?
Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks
“Isn’t it true?”
“I’m sorry, but no. We have different names and ages.”
Daniel rubbed the back of his head in disbelief.
“We have to go and greet the Queen, Young Master. She had prepared a cake that you like.”
The Marchioness of Wales said soothingly and hugged Daniel lightly. Mothers raising their children are very strong. Amazing.
Daniel kept his face buried in her chest and did not raise his head. The Marchioness greeted us lightly and left busily holding the hand of her son named Cledd.
The commotion was over, Noah and I stood still and watched them disappear. I wondered, so I asked in a cautious voice to Noah.
“You know he’s not ……right?”
“I know. It’s an unbelievable resemblance.”
“Is he related to me? Apparently, the Admiral and Celine are not my family. They don’t look like me at all. I’m sure they picked me up somewhere.”
“The Duchess of Hessen is from the Grand Duchy of Yorkshire. She is related to the Queen.”
“Then there is no possibility that she’s related to me.”
Noah chuckled at my words.
I remembered the red, wet eyes of the child who had cried so sadly because he missed his mother. Bitterness drifted into my mouth as I realized that I had never missed my deceased parents.
I had no good memories of them, so I never missed them because they never loved me.
***
It was a beautiful Saturday morning. I normally got up around noon, so I didn’t need to know what the weather was like. It was normal.
Early in the morning on the weekend, a royal maid knocked on my door and woke me from my sweet sleep. Noah, who was in the military, woke up early and was just reading the newspaper after washing up.
I was lazy and had yet to get out of bed. Noah, who had talked to the maid in the guest room, came back into the bedroom and gently shook me under the covers.
“Wake up, princess. The spoiled brat is here again.”
“……what?”
“The Young Master Hessen.”
It seemed that Daniel had not given up and visited me again.
I got up, brushed my teeth, washed my face with cold water, brushed my hair appropriately, and changed my clothes. I put a cashmere shawl over my shoulders and walked to the guest room.
The Young Master, who looked like a little gentleman in a children’s suit with his hair swept back, sat upright on the sofa and looked up at me.
“How may I help you? Young Master.”
I smiled grimly with my unawakened eyes. Daniel stood up from the sofa and took an escorting position.
“There is a place I want to go with you today.”
“Where?”
I planned to stay in my room doing nothing today.
“I want to go to the square with me. We can go to the park together and have dinner. I’ll treat you.”
Noah, who was standing behind the sofa, raised his eyebrows at Daniel’s words.
“Are you asking her out on a date? No one, not even a child, is allowed to do that.”
Daniel pretended not to hear Noah’s objection and waited for my response. I looked puzzled.
“I must tell you again, Young Master, I am not the Duchess. I am a completely different person.”
“I already know. What if I still want to go with you? I am asking for a date.”
I didn’t know what kind of psychology it was, but he was similar to Noah. The way they insisted until I gave in. The boy was mischievous too. Noah shook his head and folded his arms.
“You’re asking a lady for a date the wrong way, Young Master Hessen.” (Noah)
“How do you do it?” (Daniel)
“You don’t ask a lady who has a fiancé for a date. This is basic.” (Noah)
“She’s not married yet.” (Daniel)
“I’m taking her out for dinner today.” (Noah)
Daniel’s small lips pouted, as if he thought Noah was the wrong person to start an argument with in the first place.
“Then let’s decide by duel. I read in a book that you have to do what the winner says. If I win, you will cancel the marriage today. And you have to buy me a car.” (Daniel)
“Okay, how do you want me to deal with you? I’m not going to let you off the hook, so try your best. The one who cries first loses.” (Noah)
Why are they suddenly fighting over me?
This was a funny situation where two men, almost 20 years apart, were arguing. Was it hard for an adult to lose a little?
“Stop!”
I immediately intervened between the two men and began to mediate. Noah might be angry and make the boy cry, and express his unpleasantness to the Duke of Hessen.
“Shall the three of us go together then?”
Daniel shook his head at my suggestion.
“I don’t want to go with him. He is too rude.”
“I don’t like you either. I will only buy a car for the eldest son of the Marchioness of Wales. With a condition that he’ll never give you a ride.” (Noah)
“Brother Credd will give me a ride too. He is kind.” (Daniel)
I feel my brain regressing at the childish bickering between the two men.
I felt sorry that I could not refuse the young one’s request. In fact, I had a weakness for cute things. With my forehead on the edge of a headache, I approached Daniel, who was finally on the verge of tears, and quietly asked.
“Let the three of us go. I’m going to teach that rude man what gentlemanliness and manners are. What do you think?”
“I’ll do it. It will teach him exactly what the gentlemanliness of a Hessen man is.”
The little boy looked grim. What is it? He’s a little cute. I got a cute sub boy? I giggled and looked at Noah.
“Let’s go together, Noah. What do you think?”
“I don’t want to.”
“Then I’ll go with the Young Master.”
“No. Why don’t you choose me?”
Noah, who asked how I could do that to him, picked up his coat with an expression of helplessness. He was dissatisfied, but he was willing to go with me.
“Young Master, would you please wait in the reception room? I will get ready quickly and come out.”
“I will wait for you, so take your time. Diana.”
Daniel sat down neatly on the sofa and smiled quite maturely. After quickly getting ready, I headed to the square for a strange date with two men.
Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only
***
*??? Noah finally met his opponent.