I’ve never actually seen a Death Knight, but since they’re said to be terrifying enough to make your knees shake, Lucy must have been quite startled.

Lucy will later become a swordsmanship prodigy and female protagonist, but right now, she’s just a little child who misses her mother, is easily frightened, and cries a lot.

Wait—Lucy had Kian cover her eyes, but what about Luid?

Luid may have seemed mischievous on the outside, but he was actually quite timid. One reason the twins stuck so closely together despite fighting daily was because they were both scaredy-cats—even after bickering, they’d cling to each other and cry at the sound of thunder.

I worried that timid Luid might have been deeply frightened too.

“Kian. What about Luid? What happened to Luid? Did he cry?”

Kian didn’t answer right away, scratching the back of his head with an embarrassed expression.

‘Why is he embarrassed?’

Just as I wondered that, Kian leaned carefully toward my ear and whispered.

“Ah, well… Luid was hiding behind my back…”

I couldn’t help but gape.

“Really?”

Kian nodded low, like someone cautiously revealing a secret.

“Yes.”

Hiding behind Kian’s back? That proud boy? This might become a dark chapter in Luid’s life story.

Kian, apparently aware that Luid would be embarrassed, whispered once more into my ear.

“But you must keep this a secret. Luid would be ashamed.”

‘Of course—our clever protagonist already knew everything.’

I winked one eye at Kian, raised my index finger to my lips, and said,

“Of course. I’ll absolutely keep it secret. Shhh.”

Kian mimicked me, winking one eye and placing his index finger over his lips.

“Absolutely shhh.”

He looked so adorable and sweet that I couldn’t help but laugh.

Was it because I smiled with satisfaction? Kian smiled back at me, seemingly satisfied too.

However, the situation in the training room still hadn’t been resolved—Lucy hadn’t stopped crying.

Vika, who had been covering her ears with an annoyed expression, finally came over to me and asked,

“Madam? May I shut that brat’s noisy mouth for a bit?”

Apparently, she meant she just wanted to put the child to sleep. Judging by how unusually rough her tone had become, she was clearly very irritated.

“Yes, alright. But please make sure Lucy isn’t frightened.”

Vika passed me with her trademark cynical smile, approached Lucy—who was nestled in Reidox’s arms—and pulled out a spirit of darkness while wearing a chilling grin.

Startled by Vika’s sudden, silent approach, Reidox took a step back.

“What is this?”

“I thought I’d put the child to sleep. Ah, I’ve received permission from Madam—if only you, Marquis, permit it, I’ll put her to sleep? If she keeps crying, she might even have a seizure.”

Reidox frowned as he looked at the spirit of darkness resting on Vika’s palm.

“Are you truly trying to help?”

Finding Reidox’s wariness amusing, Vika reshaped the spirit of darkness into something resembling a sharp longsword.

Then, she held it near Reidox’s neck as if preparing to slash, tilting her head sideways with a sarcastic gaze.

“So, are you afraid I’ll harm the children here?”

Vika’s act seemed to work a little—Lucy abruptly stopped crying and stared at Vika while hiccuping.

Vika didn’t behave this way to harm Reidox. Because she was thoroughly designed as an aggressively villainous character in this novel, she habitually threatened others in everything she did.

If I weren’t Sikar’s wife, I probably would’ve threatened people the same way.

But Reidox didn’t even blink at Vika’s behavior—not because he wasn’t scared, but because he was completely accustomed to her always speaking to him like this.

Still, he couldn’t ignore Lucy’s frightened reaction, so he pulled her face toward his chest, completely blocking her view. Patting the back of hiccuping Lucy, who seemed startled by Vika, Reidox said,

“Thanks to you, Lucy has stopped crying.”

Only then did Vika withdraw the spirit from near Reidox’s neck, interlacing her fingers behind her head.

“Now it’s quiet.”

Then, as if finally at peace, she walked out leisurely.

Even though Lucy had stopped crying merely because she was slightly frightened by Vika’s actions, the entire duke’s manor suddenly felt peaceful now that Lucy’s wailing had ceased.

Reidox didn’t say anything to Vika, but perhaps he was even grateful for that—after all, his previously flustered expression had become remarkably calm.

Except for the fact that Lucy was still hiccuping slightly.

Luid, perhaps because he’d shown weakness to Kian today, or maybe because he’d been too startled by the Death Knight, still hadn’t emerged from behind Reidox’s legs.

Reidox looked exhausted, both hands occupied—one holding Lucy, the other grasping Luid’s hand. He sighed deeply, as if weary.

“Whew. Today’s tea time was truly enjoyable.”

“I also truly enjoyed it.”

“I hope we can have another tea time like this next time. When you’re caring for twins, you sometimes desperately crave conversation with an adult.”

With no wife beside him and only Jeremi as a friend—who being a bachelor likely didn’t understand him—and since he wasn’t the type to engage in personal chats with the servants in the marquisate, he must have been raising the children in isolation. It was painfully obvious even without seeing it.

“May I ask you anything if I’m curious?”

“Of course. Though raising twins is different, feel free to ask me anything.”

Honestly, our children themselves aren’t the problem—it’s when they clash with Sikar that trouble arises.

Come to think of it, the relationship between Sikar and Kian is practically as hostile as that of twins.

“Then I’ll take my leave for today.”

“Please go carefully.”

After bowing deeply, Reidox picked up Luid with his remaining hand and walked out.

Reidox’s shoulders looked very heavy as he carried both children out in his arms.

Sikar was quite late today, probably because he had many duties.

So, for once, I had dinner alone with Kian and invited Vika as well. Vika came out with an annoyed face and sat beside Kian, saying,

“Madam. My table manners are a bit lacking—will that be alright?”

Vika smirked cynically, but I responded with my habitual bright smile.

“It’s fine.”

After all, the “table manners” Vika referred to didn’t belong to modern etiquette, so I truly didn’t mind.

Vika ate the served meat with a face that suggested it was utterly tasteless and inedible—but I knew the truth. Meat was Vika’s absolute favorite food.

She loved meat so much she’d wake up from sleep to eat it. Beef, pork, chicken—there was no meat she turned down.

Because Vika always finished meals quickly with a fierce expression—contrary to her elegant appearance—I hurriedly asked her my question before the food arrived.

“Um, Mister Vika.”

“Yes?”

“How is Kian’s spirit training going? Of course, I’m sure Kian is keeping up well, but I’m curious if anything else has happened.”

Truthfully, just as I’d heard Reidox praise Kian, I wondered whether Vika would also praise him.

I asked hoping to hear even the tiniest bit of praise, so I stared fixedly at Vika’s mouth.

My heart pounded wildly because I had no idea what she’d say.

“Kian…”

At Vika’s first word, I swallowed hard, waiting for the next. But shamefully, after all that anticipation, Vika snorted and said,

“He has energy and potential, but no technique. In short, an idiot…”

Kian hastily shoved a nearby piece of bread into Vika’s mouth, puffing out her cheeks.

“Wh, wh… what are you doing! Adults are talking here!”

Kian glared at Vika and placed a glass of milk in front of her.

“It’s fine when we’re alone, but I won’t tolerate you badmouthing me in front of Mother.”

Kian’s eyes sparkled brightly. Once again, I felt the protagonist’s aura radiating from him.

‘So cool. Lucy should’ve seen this. What a pity. Such a waste.’

Vika, perhaps choked up, glared at Kian while gulping down the milk. She probably muttered internally, as she always did when looking at Durion: “If it’s not Sikar, I’ll just kill them.”

As expected, Vika hastily finished dinner and stood up first.

Because Vika finished eating so quickly, I ended up having a cozy meal with Kian, washed up afterward, played a bit with blocks together, and then picked up a storybook to put Kian to bed.

Lying in bed, Kian blinked stubbornly as if resisting sleep, even while yawning. Come to think of it, lately, every night when I tried to put him to bed, he resisted falling asleep.

“Kian. It’s okay to just sleep if you’re sleepy. No one will hurt you.”

“It’s not that… I just… like it…”

“Hmm?”

“I like it when Mother reads me a storybook…”

Ah, why did those words pierce my heart so painfully? Only now did I realize Kian was tightly gripping my hand with his tiny fingers.

“Time with Mother is so precious… I don’t want to sleep…”

Even as he said that, Kian’s eyelids drooped lower and lower.

I set down the storybook, held Kian’s hand tightly, and he—who had been stubbornly resisting—finally drifted into sleep.

No matter how fine the clothes I dressed him in or how good the food I fed him, little Kian had only his parents to rely on—and realizing how oblivious I’d been, I couldn’t easily leave his side as he slept.

After gazing at sleeping Kian, I unknowingly fell asleep myself, then woke up to Mei Li telling me Sikar had arrived. Looking out the window, it was still dark night.

Before I left the room, Sikar came in and looked at sleeping Kian with a satisfied expression.

“He’s the only one who didn’t cry, huh? Hehe. Truly behavior befitting a young master of House Blake.”

“Shh—”

I covered my lips with my index finger, gently grabbed Sikar’s collar, and led him out of the room. Sikar seemed to follow me with an uncomfortable expression, then grabbed my hand and slipped out of the room while saying,

“What? Kian covered Lucy’s eyes?”

He’d already read my memories.

Sikar’s expression instantly hardened into a cold, displeased look.