As soon as Adeline heard those words, she ran straight to Theresa. She could understand at once why Melissa had come running in such a hurry.

“Brother!”

As she ran to the front of the bedroom, she saw Enoch, who was anxious and didn’t know what to do, and Leo, who was trying to calm him.

“Adeline.”
“When did labor start?”
“Just now. It’s only just begun.”

Enoch, who was completely disoriented, answered with a worried face.

“I was worried because she said her stomach hurt after the banquet, but I didn’t expect labor to start right away like this…”
“What about the midwife and the doctor? What did they say? Is Theresa alright?”
“They said there’s no big problem. However, they said that it can take a long time because it’s her first delivery.”

At the mention of Theresa’s condition, Adeline exhaled in relief.
She kept wondering if the banquet for Kael and Adeline had been too much for her.

“Everything will be fine. The baby will be born safely, and she will get through it without a problem.”

Adeline tried to appease Enoch and reassure him. It was the first time Enoch looked so nervous.

“Ahhh!”

The moment Enoch nodded, Theresa’s screams could be heard through the closed door.
Enoch closed his eyes tightly at the painful sound.

“I can’t believe there’s nothing I can do when Theresa is in pain like that.”

Enoch’s low words stuck in Adeline’s heart. The feeling of helplessness that Enoch felt was now touching her whole body.
As time passed, Theresa’s screams became more frequent. The midwife’s voice that she had to push kept mixing with her screams, disturbing her.
But no one left the front of the bedroom. Not only the siblings of the Tien family, but also Kael, who followed Adeline, continued to stand next to the door.

“Kael. You can go back and rest. We may have to wait until daylight.”
“That’s what I want to tell you. Go back and rest. I’ll let you know right after the baby is born. You’re not completely healed yet.”
“It’s really fine. I’m all better now. Even if I go back to the bedroom, I won’t be able to rest anyway. How could I sleep when Theresa is having such a hard time?”

She didn’t know if she hadn’t heard her screams, but after hearing Theresa’s voice as she struggled to give birth, she could hardly leave this place.

“You seem very close.”
“Me and Theresa? That’s right. She’s almost like a mother to me.”

After her parents had passed away prematurely, Theresa filled in for them.
While Leo and Enoch struggled outside to help the family’s situation, Theresa looked after Adeline and Simeon, who were left behind.
Theresa was a person who meant so much to Adeline.

“She will get through this. Theresa is a really strong person.”

Adeline squeezed the skirt of her dress with certainty. She sincerely hoped that her support and conviction would be passed on to Theresa at least a little.
Kael quietly watched her. He suddenly remembered when Adeline had come to visit him, when Leo had fallen into the emperor’s trap and was captured by the Corrupted.

[You said you would make me your wife, by all means. I’ll give you a chance now. Please save my brother by all means, as you said.]
[…]
[Then, I’ll become Grand Duchess Inver, as much as you want.]

The person who had been avoiding the marriage contract said that she would become the grand duchess first, only to protect Leo.
Adeline was a person who tried so hard to protect her people, and she also knew how to protect them.
It was one of the aspects that made Kael greedy for her.
The more he looked at her, the more lovely she was, and the more he desired her. That fact gave Kael a bitter feeling in his mouth at every chance.

Kael turned his gaze to look into the air. Looking blankly at Adeline, he felt like he could not control his heart and would be shaken again.
While he fought with such anguish, time went by fast.
The labor that began in the middle of the night continued until dawn. Everyone greeted the sun with open eyes.

“Ahhhh!”
“Waaah!”

Just as she was feeling anxious about her prolonged labor, she heard a baby cry following Theresa’s loud scream.
Everyone jumped up in place, unable to even sit down, and Enoch went inside the bedroom in a hurry. No one had the chance to stop him.

“The baby was born, right? Right?”

Tense, Leo asked, looking at Adeline. Adeline, who was equally out of her mind, nodded, saying that seemed to be the case.

“Dear heavens. Did all of you wait in front of the door?”

It wasn’t long after Enoch had gone inside that the midwife opened the door and came out. Her eyes widened as she looked at the three, not expecting that they would all be waiting there.

“What about Theresa? And the baby? Are both of them alright?”

Leo hurriedly asked. Kael and Adeline also stared at the midwife while holding their breath.

“Yes. They are alright. He is a very healthy son. The Lady did a great job.”

Everyone was greatly relieved to hear that the mother and child were healthy. Adeline relaxed and dropped to the floor.

“Are you alright?”
“Yes. I’m just relieved. I’m really glad.”

Kael immediately examined Adeline’s condition. Adeline was somewhat exhausted, but a smile covered her face when she heard that her nephew had been born safely.

“The heir was born.

Adeline said, smiling.
It was a beautiful morning. It was a brilliant morning when the heir of the Tien family was born.

***

“You don’t know how scared I was, Theresa.”
“Actually, I was also scared. I had all kinds of thoughts.”

Around noon, when Theresa had recovered to some extent, the family was brought inside.

“The baby is so beautiful.”
“Right?”

Adeline couldn’t take her eyes off her nephew in Theresa’s arms.
The baby was born with the characteristics of the Tien family.
The child with blonde hair reminiscent of the sun and light green eyes resembled Enoch. It had only been a few hours since he was born, but his face looked exactly like Enoch’s.

“How could he resemble Brother Enoch so much?”
“That’s right. I laughed for a long time, too.”
“I think it’s unfair. Theresa gave birth to him, but I had no idea he would look so much like my brother.”
“Adeline. I’m right here.”

Enoch, who was by Theresa’s side, interrupted the conversation. A different kind of laughter scattered in the bedroom.

“That’s why I like him even more. I wanted a child who looked exactly like Enoch.”

Theresa said, making eye contact with Enoch. Enoch smiled like a person who had the whole world, and kissed Theresa’s forehead.

“Did you forget that I am here?”

Adeline shuddered playfully at their affectionate behavior.

“You’ll be the same, Adeline. Don’t think of it as Enoch. Think of it as His Grace.”

Adeline fell into thought for a moment at Theresa’s laugh.
Kael and Adeline’s child, something she had never imagined before. It was natural when she was under the effect of the brainwashing, as she only thought about the end where she would die by his hands; and even after breaking it, she couldn’t afford to envision a distant future with Kael.

‘A child that resembled Kael.’

But as she carefully thought of the child, her heart pounded.
Adeline was so happy to imagine that a child born with dark black hair and blue-grey eyes resembling winter, like Kael, would be brought to her.
At that moment, Theresa’s words made so much sense. It was an incredible blessing to have a child that resembled one’s beloved.

“Do you want to hold him?”
“No, no. If I make a mistake…”
“You don’t have to be so scared. You just have to support his neck like this.”

Adeline carefully received the child from Theresa. A small and warm life was embraced by Adeline.

“Ah…”

Words couldn’t capture the warmth conveyed by the baby. A very cozy feeling enveloped Adeline.

“Come inside, Your Grace.”
“You went through a lot, Lady.”

Just then, Kael entered the bedroom. After greeting Theresa, his gaze quickly turned to Adeline, who was holding the baby.

“…”

The moment he saw Adeline making eye contact with the baby, Kael’s heart thumped.
The painting, which he didn’t even dare to draw as he didn’t have the right to do so, was even more wonderful and beautiful when he actually faced it.

“Kael. The baby is so pretty.”

Adeline smiled softly at Kael.
Kael was mesmerized and engraved the scene into his mind.
Just as Adeline imagined a baby resembling Kael, a child resembling Adeline was drawn in Kael’s mind.
Just imagining a child who resembled Adeline holding Adeline’s hand and facing Kael made his heart flutter. He couldn’t even fathom how happy he would be.

“Come closer and look at him, too. He looks just like Brother Enoch.”

As he stared blankly at Adeline, who was smiling mischievously, Kael begged the skies earnestly.

Won’t you close your eyes just once and take my curse away? I’ll burn in hell after dying if I have to, so can’t I love that woman and draw a future with her while I’m alive and breathing?
I don’t want anything, so just let me love that one woman to my heart’s content.

Kael begged earnestly.

–