Whether Sikar likes me or not, it was still an act of consideration toward me.

But he never shows consideration unless it serves his own needs.

Of course, he has occasionally been considerate and kind to me up until now—but always with a purpose behind it.

Yet, subduing those assassins brought him no personal benefit whatsoever…

‘Why am I doing this again? I told myself not to misinterpret things. I need to get a grip.’

And whether he likes me or not, what does it matter to me? After everything I’ve been through, just because he shows me a little kindness doesn’t mean I’ll go soft and let him off easy.

I’m the kind of person who matches toughness with toughness.

My heart racing isn’t because I’m pleasantly surprised by Sikar being nice to me—it’s only because I’m surprised by how unexpected it is.

That’s it. Period.

“Mother. What are you thinking about?”

“Hm? Oh, nothing at all.”

Kian suddenly set down the fork he’d been holding, his face filled with worry, and firmly grasped my hand.

“Mother, may I touch your forehead?”

Of course you may. I replied in the gentlest, softest tone I could muster.

“But why the forehead all of a sudden?”

“Your face is flushed. I’m worried you might be unwell.”

Is my face really looking flushed? I did feel a bit warm earlier.

Sikar set down his water glass and spoke with an air of smug pride, as if everything were clearly because of him.

“Yura often blushes in front of me. It’s perfectly normal to blush in front of someone you like. Don’t worry—it’s not because she’s sick.”

Back then, it wasn’t because I liked him—it was because I was angry.

Upon hearing Sikar’s words, Kian’s expression suddenly stiffened. He looked deeply serious, lost in thought.

Just as I was beginning to wonder what was going on, Kian cautiously approached me and whispered,

“Um… Mother.”

Since Kian covered his mouth with his hand as he spoke to me, I also whispered in reply.

“Hm?”

“This is a secret.”

What could it be? Maybe because he called it a secret, my heart suddenly fluttered.

“Lucy blushes every time she sees me. Do you think… Lucy likes me?”

Aww! How adorable. So that’s why he whispered so quietly.

But what should I do? Whispering won’t help—Sikar will eventually find out everything through my memories anyway. He already knows the original plot, so he probably won’t say anything.

Still, I worried that whispering right in front of someone might make Sikar feel left out—but he didn’t seem remotely interested in us.

Perhaps he knew he could just see it later through my memories, or maybe he was too busy listening to conversations around him to pay us any attention.

I looked at Kian with pleasantly surprised delight.

“Really? So Lucy likes our Kian, huh?”

This time, Kian’s face burned bright red.

Yes. You must like Lucy too. It’s only natural for the male protagonist to like the female protagonist, Kian. Don’t be shy.

Kian lowered his head, then slowly lifted it again and asked me hesitantly,

“What about you, Mother…?”

“Hm?”

“I mean… do you like Lucy? Your approval matters more to me.”

If I said I approved, he’d probably rush straight to the altar.

But I can’t raise Kian to be a mama’s boy.

So, unlike before, I spoke with a slightly firmer expression.

“Kian. No matter how much we love each other as a family, you must make your own judgments. Only then can you become wise and admirable.”

Especially since Kian is destined to be a monarch—he must surpass everyone in decisiveness.

“So, Kian. You must make your own choices—especially when it comes to liking someone. And I will always respect and support your decisions.”

Kian listened to me, seemed to ponder deeply, then smiled brightly as if he understood.

“I’ll remember that, Mother.”

“Then, shall we pinky-promise?”

“Yes. I promise.”

Kian and I linked pinkies like the most affectionate mother and son imaginable.

“But, since I’m still young, until I’m older, I want to be a good boy who listens well to make Mother happy.”

Kian… I could feel so clearly just how deeply he loved me.

I’d done little since adopting him—just reading bedtime stories to help him sleep—and yet, he loved me this much.

I was so deeply moved it stung my nose—but I couldn’t cry in front of the child, so I smiled even brighter.

“I love you, Kian.”

“I love you too, Mother.”

As the two of us warmly hugged and nuzzled faces, a small “thud” sounded from ahead.

I turned my head to see Sikar placing a cup of milk tea in front of me.

“Kian. Do you know what beverage your mother likes?”

What on earth is this random question?

Unlike my bewildered reaction, Kian confidently lifted his chin.

“Milk tea!”

“Correct. This is milk tea. Do you know how to make it?”

The boy who had been boasting so confidently just moments ago suddenly fell silent, as if his words had been cut off.

Sikar smirked, lifting one corner of his mouth in amusement.

“You need to know how to make something this simple if you want to be worthy of saying you love someone.”

I looked again at the milk tea Sikar had placed down.

“Did you make this yourself?”

“Of course.”

I could excuse his romantic act at Gillian’s wedding—but why is this man suddenly doing this here, where no one’s watching?

Just as that thought crossed my mind, I heard voices chattering excitedly nearby.

“I just walked by and saw the Duke personally preparing milk tea for the Duchess!”

“They say the Duchess only drinks milk tea, so he made it for her himself—looks like that rumor’s true.”

Ah, so he timed it for when a noblewoman passed by, placing the drink right in front of me.

Sikar’s expression looked almost… proud. At this point, it was unmistakable.

At first, Sikar pretended to be romantic just to convince Gillian we were truly in love and married for it—but now, he was clearly enjoying people’s reactions.

Maybe he found it fascinating that people who used to fear him were now showing him affection.

Even after leaving the tea shop, Sikar remained aware of his surroundings—not so much self-conscious as thoroughly enjoying the attention.

So he’s really this conscious of his surroundings?

‘If he wants to enjoy it this much, I’ll help him enjoy it even more. Hehe.’

I stopped walking and gently tugged Kian’s hand. Then, bending slightly to match his eye level, I whispered,

“Kian. Should we ask the Duke to give you a piggyback ride?”

“Piggyback?”

“Yes.”

In the original story, Kian loved piggyback rides—but after losing Valije, he never rode one again.

He’d endlessly envied Reidox whenever he saw him giving piggyback rides to the twins.

His tender, young heart had always longed so deeply for the children who grew up loved by their parents.

That’s why I’d been thinking I should give him a piggyback ride someday—and now seemed like the perfect moment.

Kian, who usually recoiled at the idea of sitting on Sikar’s lap, didn’t protest at the word “piggyback”—perhaps his heart wavered slightly.

“Will the Duke really give me one…?”

Yes. Even you find it suspicious, don’t you? Honestly, I’m not confident either—but if not today, when else could I ask?

“Of course. I’ll talk to him.”

I didn’t say “Just trust me,” but I winked at Kian as if to say exactly that.

I called out to Sikar with an awkward smile.

“Sikar.”

“What is it?”

I told Kian to wait here for a moment, then approached Sikar and whispered lowly,

“Give Kian a piggyback ride.”

Sikar frowned, as if doubting he’d heard me wrong.

“What did you say?”

“Give Kian a piggyback ride.”

“That’s… a rather unreasonable request.”

‘I already knew he wouldn’t give in easily.’

I stepped right up to Sikar and spoke firmly, as if issuing a critically important order.

“You said our fake marriage must appear flawless—people must believe you love me deeply, right? Then you should at least give Kian a piggyback ride.”

Sikar looked hesitant. Giving a child a piggyback ride? Unthinkable.

To push him toward a quicker decision, I added,

“You’re not going to ruin everything now after doing so well, are you? Everyone passing by is staring at us.”

That was true. In this Rekador Kingdom, Sikar was rumored to be even more terrifying than the deposed king.

Just his sudden marriage to a foreign woman with a child had shaken the entire kingdom.

And now, people were witnessing him enjoying a family outing with that child and woman—in their eyes, our little trio must seem like a rare spectacle.

“Did you forget we agreed to appear as a loving family?”

Perhaps Sikar had anticipated this—he didn’t delay further. With an awkward smile, he walked stiffly over, lifted Kian in one swift motion, and placed him on his back.

And so, I witnessed the astonishing moment when he truly gave Kian a piggyback ride.

Of course, both their expressions were incredibly awkward—but the onlookers were amazed.

How astonishing to discover this side of the fearsome Duke!

A kind stepfather who not only raises another man’s child but even gives piggyback rides!

Of course, it was all staged—but outwardly, it looked like a harmonious scene. Their awkward expressions even made it seem more natural.

Watching Sikar and Kian, I noticed they subtly resembled each other. Not in looks, but in their stubborn-looking eyes and strong, unbending aura—they were practically identical.

Even the way they avoided eye contact while riding, clearly uncomfortable, was perfectly matched!

I liked seeing Sikar carrying Kian so much that I wished they looked even more affectionate to others—so I blew a tiny, gentle breath toward them.

“You two look like you just fought. Try looking happier—that’ll make me happy too.”

The breath drifted straight to both men—and the moment I finished speaking, their expressions instantly changed.

They smiled. Awkwardly, yes—but that made them even more endearing to watch.

Every time I saw Sikar fail to hide his true feelings, I felt oddly fond of him. He was scary and crazy, yes—but I could tell he wasn’t truly a bad person.

I wanted to watch these awkwardly affectionate father and son a little longer—but sadly, the carriage was right in front of us, so I couldn’t.

After boarding the carriage, both simultaneously turned their awkward gazes toward the windows. They looked so exactly alike it made me laugh.

And somehow, I had a feeling I’d grow attached to them like this.