I Only Need the Duke's Child — Chapter 2

YOUR GRACE, YOUR GRACE!

HIS GRACE IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE AT ANY MOMENT!

ACIEL, YOUR FATHER IS HERE.

SHALL WE GO WELCOME HIM TOGETHER?

DADA...

THIS WILL BE YOUR FIRST TIME SEEING YOUR FATHER SINCE YOU WERE IN MY WOMB, WON'T IT?

EVEN I CAN’T HELP FEELING A LITTLE EXCITED.

HALF A YEAR HAD PASSED SINCE HERDIN LEFT FOR THE NORTH...

...YET HE NEVER ONCE RETURNED. NOT EVEN ON THE DAY ACIEL WAS BORN.

IT MUST BE BECAUSE HE STILL RESENTS ME.

I CAN’T EVEN REMEMBER HOW MANY NIGHTS I LAY AWAKE CRYING.

BUT EVEN SO...

HE CAN’T HATE ME FOREVER.

NOW WE SHARE A PRECIOUS CHILD.

HE HAS BECOME A FATHER...

...AND I HAVE BECOME A MOTHER.

THOUGH IT MAY ALREADY BE TOO LATE, I STILL WISH FOR US TO BECOME A PROPER FAMILY.

IF NOT FOR OURSELVES, THEN AT LEAST FOR OUR BEAUTIFUL CHILD.

ONCE YOUR FATHER SEES HOW MUCH YOU RESEMBLE HIM, I'M SURE HE'LL FEEL...

...THE SAME JOY I DO.

HERDIN...?

WHO IS THAT WOMAN?

HIS GRACE HAS BEEN AWAY FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR, AND NOW HE'S RETURNED WITH ANOTHER WOMAN AT HIS SIDE...?

THEY ARRIVED IN THE SAME CARRIAGE TOGETHER... SURELY THEY AREN'T INVOLVED WITH ONE ANOTHER...?

THIS IS MIELLA ELIAS.

SHE IS A PRIESTESS WHO JOURNEYED TO THE NORTH AFTER RECEIVING A REVELATION FROM THE GODDESS.

BY CHANCE, SHE ENCOUNTERED OUR KNIGHTS WHILE THEY WERE UNDER ATTACK BY MONSTERS AND CAME TO THEIR AID.

I WAS IMPRESSED BY HER ABILITIES AND DECIDED TO EMPLOY HER ASSISTANCE IN OUR CONTINUED EFFORTS TO SUBJUGATE THE MONSTERS THREATENING THE NORTH.

A CAPABLE WOMAN, AND A POWERFUL NOBLEMAN WISE ENOUGH TO RECOGNIZE HER WORTH.

SHE WILL CONTINUE SERVING ALONGSIDE US, AND I TRUST SHE WILL CARRY OUT HER DUTIES FAITHFULLY.

ON THE SURFACE, THAT WAS ALL THERE WAS TO THEIR RELATIONSHIP...

AND YET, THE SERVANTS CONTINUED WHISPERING ABOUT THE TWO OF THEM.

I HEARD MISS ELIAS WILL BE STAYING AT THE ESTATE...

FOR QUITE SOME TIME...

DON'T YOU THINK THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING GOING ON BETWEEN HER AND HIS GRACE?

HIS GRACE RARELY LETS HIS EMOTIONS SHOW, SO IT'S DIFFICULT TO TELL WITH HIM... BUT WITH HER, IT'S QUITE OBVIOUS.

EXACTLY!

HER AFFECTION FOR HIS GRACE IS PLAIN TO SEE!

JUST LOOK AT HOW THE TWO OF THEM ARE ALWAYS TOGETHER THESE DAYS.

AT THIS POINT, IT’S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE HIS GRACE DEVELOPS FEELINGS FOR HER TOO.

A WOMAN THAT LOVELY AND TALENTED WOULD BE HARD FOR ANY MAN TO IGNORE!

YOU MAY BE RIGHT.

AT THE VERY LEAST, SHE SEEMS FAR MORE SUITED TO HIS GRACE THAN THE DAUGHTER OF A SWORN ENEMY.

NO MATTER WHAT PEOPLE WHISPERED, I PRETENDED NOT TO HEAR THEM.

BECAUSE ACKNOWLEDGING THE RUMORS, EVEN FOR A MOMENT, WOULD FEEL AS THOUGH I WERE ADMITTING THEY WERE TRUE.

AND SO, THE STIFLING HEAT OF SUMMER...

...FADED INTO AUTUMN...

...AND BEFORE LONG, WINTER RETURNED ONCE MORE, COLD AND DESOLATE AS EVER.

HERDIN WAS ALWAYS CONSUMED BY WORK...

...AND HE NEVER ONCE SOUGHT ME OUT FIRST.

AND ON THE RARE OCCASIONS I WENT TO SEE HIM MYSELF, HE REFUSED TO MEET WITH ME.

EVENTUALLY, I GAVE UP TRYING TO BRIDGE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US.

AND YET... THERE WAS STILL ONE THING THAT COMFORTED ME.

EVERY SO OFTEN, HERDIN WOULD SHOW A SMALL MEASURE OF AFFECTION TOWARD ACIEL.

AND IN THE END, I CHOSE TO PIN MY HOPES ON THAT FAINT TRACE OF AFFECTION HE SHOWED OUR CHILD.

ACIEL'S BIRTHDAY IS ONLY TWO WEEKS AWAY...

MAYBE THIS ONCE, HE'LL AGREE TO MY SMALL REQUEST.

I'D LIKE FOR US TO GO TO OUR MANOR IN HOLSTEIN AND SPEND SOME TIME TOGETHER AS A FAMILY.

WHY IS THE DOOR TO HIS STUDY OPEN...?

HERDIN--

I FEEL AS THOUGH I'M DREAMING...

I LOVE YOU, YOUR GRACE.

I LOVE YOU.

YOUR GRACE... I'VE JUST RECEIVED NOTICE THAT HIS GRACE WILL NOT BE RETURNING TO THE ESTATE AS PLANNED.

HE REQUESTED THAT THE YOUNG MASTER'S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION BE HELD WITHOUT HIM...

AND SO, A FEW DAYS LATER, ACIEL'S FIRST BIRTHDAY ARRIVED. IT WAS A SMALL AND MODEST CELEBRATION, BUT A HAPPY ONE.

THE SERVANTS GATHERED AROUND AND SHOWERED HIM WITH HEARTFELT CONGRATULATIONS...

...THE TABLES OVERFLOWED WITH DELICIOUS FOOD...

...AND COUNTLESS GIFTS ARRIVED FROM THE VASSALS OF HOUSE DELMARQUE.

IT TRULY WAS A PERFECT BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION...

...EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT HIS FATHER WASN'T THERE.

MY DARLING CHILD, YOU WERE SO UTTERLY ADORABLE TODAY.

OH, YOU PRECIOUS LITTLE THING...

NOW, YOU MUST GET SOME REST.

DADA?

DID YOU NOTICE THAT I SPENT THE ENTIRE DAY WAITING FOR YOUR FATHER?

HE'LL COME HOME... IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY TODAY.

I'M CERTAIN HE'LL RETURN BEFORE THE NIGHT IS THROUGH.

SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING, ACIEL...

SLEEP PEACEFULLY, MY LOVE, AND DREAM SWEET DREAMS.

ACIEL'S JUST AN INNOCENT CHILD...

HE'S STILL SO LITTLE... HE DESERVES ALL THE LOVE AND AFFECTION HIS PARENTS CAN GIVE HIM.

NO MATTER HOW MUCH HERDIN MAY HATE ME... HE SHOULD NEVER HAVE NEGLECTED ACIEL LIKE THIS...

WHY DID I EVER FALL IN LOVE WITH A MAN SO COLD AND UNCARING?

IF I COULD GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING...

...I WOULD NOT GIVE HIM MY HEART.

HERDIN...?

IF ONLY I COULD TURN BACK TIME...