episode_0025

Akael Bayoren.

It was the name of a boy who would become the leader of the barbarians in the distant future.

The name Akael was given to the child by his mother, Lady Jajak. It was a combination of the most powerful and great archangel ‘Michael’ in Christianity and Bayoren Jajak’s real name, Akan.

Therefore, it did not mean that the child would become such a great figure. The name Michael meant “Who is like God?” or “similar to God.” It meant that he was akin to the creator’s incarnation.

Yes, to Darin, Kael was nothing less than a reincarnation of her blood and flesh. She was a child who was very different from me. You couldn’t find any trace of the red-haired girl in the blue walls and white hair.

But what did that mean? Nevertheless, it was an unchangeable fact that she was the child Darin bore.

“I wish I had orange hair like Mommy…”

While ordinary children grew up quickly, Kael grew particularly fast among them. The little child who was just a baby turned seven, growing rapidly. His head was even bigger than the other kids his age.

Relaxed on the only holiday, Darin lay in the bedroom and rolled around with her son. She responded to her son’s jokes with a smile.

“Don’t say that. Mommy loves Kael’s hair because it’s as bright as snow.”

“Why do you like white hair?”

“Well…?”

Darin slowly rolled her head. Why did she like her child’s white hair and blue eyes? She had never thought deeply about it. She just liked her son.

“Well, your father doesn’t have to worry about suspecting infidelity. Your father wouldn’t have recklessly fathered a child from another man, right?”

Not only Kael, her first child, but also Piel, her second child, didn’t resemble her at all. Kael had similar eye shapes, and Piel had a similar way of smiling. However, from Lady Darin’s perspective, this was rather pleasing. There was nothing to be upset about.

In a noble society that valued purity and integrity, it was much more advantageous for a child to resemble their father. The face of a child who closely resembled the father also symbolized the steadfast integrity of the lady of the house.

Even if Baron Bayron were to turn his gaze to another woman later on, no one could deny that Kael was his legitimate heir. Kael had been Bayron’s childhood and confidant.

Of course, Baron Bayron was not a man to commit adultery. Even now, after several years, he did not leave his wife alone in bed. It was just that she twisted things because she resented her husband.

“Is that so…?”

A slight resentment toward her parents could be heard in the child’s soft voice. It was a question of whether such trivial matters would make her love him. Looking at her son, Darin gave a faint smile.

“It’s just a joke. It doesn’t matter to me whether Kael’s hair is white or orange.”

Yes, anything like that was fine. I fell in love with this child from the moment he expressed the stirring of life with his cries.

“I don’t know how to express it, but Kael’s mere existence is so lovable to me, you know?”

As soon as Darin finished speaking, she mischievously nuzzled Kael’s ear. Why did her son, who could speak to some extent, find his mother’s coquetry so endearing? He turned his head, blushing and flustered.

“But, lately, you haven’t been bathing together, have you?”

“…Huh?”

“You’ve been bathing separately, only with Phee.”

“Oh…”

Darin looked surprised for a moment, then nodded. Since Kael turned seven, they had indeed been bathing separately. But there was a reason for it.

“…I just thought Kael might start feeling like a mama’s boy, so I wanted to create a little distance.”

Darin loved Kael more than anyone, and that hadn’t changed even after several years. If anything, her feelings had grown, not diminished.

“I mean, I wouldn’t mind bathing together until he’s over ten, but…”

Anyway, he’s a boy. As the prospective heir to the Bayolnga, he had to quickly cultivate independence. By the age of seven, he should have been beyond his mother’s pampering.

She had made constant efforts to become a wise mother. It’s not right to shower excessive affection on a child, being swept away by one’s emotions.

“Kael, you might feel a little disappointed, but in noble society, at your age, it’s not proper for a mother and son to bathe together.”

“Why is that?”

“Men and women are different. Their roles need to be distinguished, so by separating the mother and child, we slowly awaken to those roles.”

“What’s different between men and women?”

“Hmm…”

It was quite something to avoid the curious eyes of a child. What’s different between men and women? Deep in thought, Darin laid out pure answers that a child could understand.

– Men are bigger and stronger than women?

– Women have softer bodies, developed breasts and hips.

– The tone of their voices is clearly higher or lower.

If she were to talk about personality and temperament, it might be too difficult for a child to understand. The mother explained the differences as much as possible based on biological evidence.

“So, do men and women attract each other?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“They have so many differences, so there’s a lot to learn about each other, right? I read it in a book last time. Humans continue to meet to satisfy their curiosity.”

Darin blinked. Oh my, I knew my son was bright, but this smart?

“Yes, that’s right.”

The girl was truly proud of her child, more talented than the parents. With a proud smile, Darin continued speaking to her son.

“Anyway, someday you’ll have to leave your parents’ embrace and build a family, becoming a good father requires growing in many ways to find a woman who can be a good mother. This is part of that.”

With a gentle voice and happiness twinkling in her pumpkin-colored eyes, affection oozed out. The face of the woman in love was so beautiful.

Cael silently gazed at his mother with a blank expression…

– Smack.

He suddenly kissed his mother’s soft lips.

“Cael?”

Darine, who was on my lap, made a futile expression as she couldn’t avoid the child’s kiss. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it was too embarrassing.

“Have I found a better woman than anyone else?”

It was a heartfelt confession that one might find in a novel where men and women share love. Darine was truly grateful that her son looked kindly upon his mother, but what was wrong had to be firmly corrected.

“Cael, I appreciate it, but you shouldn’t kiss your mother on the lips.”

“Why not? When I was born, you kissed my lips directly, didn’t you?”

“No, that’s…”

How should she explain this?

Commoners might not know, but among noble girls who quickly enter into marriage, the separation between men and women happens swiftly.

Although Darine was of common birth, she was ultimately a lady. There would be no harm in teaching her son this lesson.

“Kissing is something you should do for your future betrothed.”

“My future betrothed? Who is that?”

“Well, it’s common for nobles to have strategic marriages, but if there’s a girl you like, Mother will do her best to support you.”

Darine got lost in thought as she slowly stroked Cael’s white hair. Could it be that her child was awakening to romantic feelings? Was he testing her by performing such actions?

“Cael, have you found a girl you like at the small church you’ve been attending from age 5 to 12?”

Cael had been attending the “small church,” which allowed entry from ages 5 to 12. He might have taken a liking to a girl there. Darine looked at the child with shining eyes. She was curious about her future successor, who would become her daughter-in-law.

“No, you are much more beautiful than those girls. Besides, they only know how to chatter foolishly. They don’t know how to consider others.”

The response was unexpected. Lady Jajak leaned her head against the pillow with a sigh.

“Isn’t it natural for young people like them to only know about that? It’s just that Kael is a little exceptional because he matured early.”

Why would such a popular child from a small church act so prickly? If she showed a little favor, the girls would naturally flock to him.

“Mother, you’ve always said so.”

“Hmm? What did I say?”

“You said marriage should be with someone you love.”

“Did I?”

“Then do you love father?”

“…Yes.”

It took a while before Darin nodded. Even if it wasn’t true in reality, it was a well-intentioned lie, wasn’t it?

Lady Jajak didn’t want sympathy from her son, nor did she want to reveal that he was a child born of a forced marriage. It would be a natural thought for ordinary parents.

“…So, between father and me, who do you love more?”

“Of course, Kael, it’s you.”

But there was no hesitation or roughness in her second answer. At her confident response, the child finally started to smile.

“Is our Kael really this kind?”

Helping with the servants’ work, washing his mother’s undergarments and dresses to receive her beauty. Massaging her shoulders and waist, saying that his mother worked hard even at her age, planting crops whenever there was time.

Even now, after growing up, entering her bedroom and snuggling into his mother’s arms.

In every way, he was admirable and lovable.

It was clear that the child gained courage from his mother’s answer. Kael made a determined expression and faced his mother.

“Then I should marry you, Mother. You are the person I love the most, and I am the person you love the most.”

“…What?”

For a brief moment, Lady Jajak wore a dumbfounded expression due to the sudden proposal.

“Oh my, Kael, how can you say such beautiful words?”

The name of the flower that bloomed on Darin’s face in response to his son’s sincere expression of affection was surely different from what he intended to teach about the types of love.

Later, when he opens his eyes to the world, it is certain that he will bring a young and beautiful noble lady and neglect his mother.

“Until then, can I be a little more greedy?”

Even the kiss from Caeli was just an expression of affection. It was like when this child kissed himself as a baby.

It seemed as if she was trying to imitate a lady but was too absorbed in the child. How about slowing down a bit as you grow older? This is so lovely.

Although I tried to keep my distance in many ways as I turned seven, it wouldn’t hurt to spend a little more time together for another year or two.

Anyway, if Caeli becomes a lord and leaves her embrace, such opportunities will never come again.

“Mother.”

Darin’s head tilted at the urgent question of the child. What kind of clever remark is he going to make to please his mother this time?

“I’ll grow taller than you, Mother, and even when I become an adult, you’ll still love me, right?”

Darin slowly caressed the boy nestled in her arms. He was barely 7 years old, and there was hardly any difference in height between them. Yet the innocent look of the child remained unchanged.

Well, that’s how it should be. Even though he’s only 7 years old, he’s just a little child who longs for his mother’s embrace, despite being smarter and bigger than others.

– End.

It was an apology from the mother for distancing herself lately. Darin gave a soft kiss on her son’s broad forehead.

“Of course.”

With a brief answer, she immediately hugged her son’s waist tightly.

“Until the day this mother closes her eyes, I will love you the most.”