Rather Than The Son, I’ll Take The Father

Chapter 139

13. I Will Protect My Husband

I felt like I had seen a beast wearing a crown somewhere.

“Shaula, on your back…….”

“Oh, this?”

I blinked as Shaula allowed me to look closely.

The tattoo was reminiscent of a hairpin that Aedis had given me or a pattern engraved on a necklace I received as a gift from Monica.

Monica gave a necklace and said it was a relic of the Menorah kingdom. However, it was not exactly in the same shape, and the detailed decorations were omitted.

Thanks to this, the glamorous feeling was less solemn and overbearing.

It looked similar to the coat of arms used by the Imperial Guard. Even now, its magnificence was so inferior to that of the Morgana family’s men that it seemed the coat of arms was a waste.

Since the other party was Shaula, I asked comfortably.

“Is it related to the Menorah Kingdom?”

Shaula was amazed at me.

“Do you know the Menorah Kingdom? It was destroyed a long time ago, and since it was in a rural area, I thought that no matter how many times I asked Your Grace, you would not know.”

“Somehow?”

I replied as I washed Shaula’s hair. As I rubbed hard not to leave a single speck of dust on her frizzy hair, Shaula was in agony.

“…… Your Grace, you said you were in a very strong state right now. Aren’t you really feeling bad?”

“Oh.”

I forgot.

“You’re not controlling your strength for me.”

Shaula groaned as she lay down in the bathtub.

“Anyway, whether it has to do with the Menorah Kingdom or not. First of all, what’s on my back is an old enchantment.”

“…….”

I listened to Shaula silently. Whether it was tattoos or witchcraft, I thought it wouldn’t suit Shaula.

Shaula knew the full story, even though she was on the other side of the castle on the day Gilbert was transformed by Kadan. At the time Shaula said she would tell me her secret when we got to a bath together.

Did she mean the spell on her back?

“The guardian gave it to me and said it was to hold my mind.”

Shaula finished speaking, and I was astonished.

“What kind of dog do you become when your spell is broken…….”

“Pfft, are you curious?”

“No! Never!”

It was a magic spell that only served to hold her reason. It wasn’t a spell that could be cast on an ordinary person.

“The design of the spell seems to have been inspired by the patterns of the Menorah Kingdom. The survivors there were called ancestors. The Lord nags at me, saying that this spell is bad.”

“…….”

So I vaguely answered whether it was related or not.

“Your Grace, please be gentle.”

Shaula laughed slyly. I asked, not minding that my dress was wet.

“…… Shaula, are you human or beast?”

The document listing Shaula’s identity was filled with blanks, but the name of the guardian was written on it.

It was an old lady who had lived a quiet life. She belonged to the wealthy for a commoner, but she never married nor had children. She lived on the outskirts of town, so she rarely interacted with people.

Still, the old lady was very knowledgeable about medicinal herbs, and thanks to helping people a few times, her reputation was not bad.

It was a little scary, but I think she seems to have been regarded as…… a friendly neighborhood grandmother.

“Is it both? I don’t know in detail. I have no one to ask.”

I paused.

“What about your parents?”

“They’re not there?”

“…….”

“They wouldn’t be as ordinary as me.”

It was a vague guess.

I rinsed Shaula’s hair as diligently as Sarah did for me.

“Can I find it for you if you are curious?”

“It’s okay. I like it now.”

As if Shaula really didn’t like it, she snorted.

“If I find them, they’re not normal, and they are weaker than me, I think I’ll be disappointed. Probably because they will be so, I don’t want to meet them.”

It was a true Shaula-like reason.

So, I wondered if it was a spell or something. I was startled at first, but she was already a crazy dog, so I wondered if it would make a big difference if she became more crazy here…….

I turned around and asked.

“Isn’t the castle boring?”

“It used to be like that, but now it’s fun with Your Grace.”

“…….”

“But Your Grace.”

“Yes?”

As if Shaula had noticed the intent of my question, she shook her head and looked at me.

“What if the spell breaks and I really turn into a dog?”

I thought as I continued rinsing Shaula’s hair. After a short pause I answered.

“You’re going to wear a leash, right? I’ll take you for a walk in the morning or evening.”

“…… Can you give me a bone snack?”

“No snacks. You’re going to have one meal a day again.”

“No, that’s a bit…”

Shaula said it was animal cruelty, but I ignored it.

* * *

I washed and dried Shaula’s hair, then changed my wet clothes. Then I went to Regen’s room. Even without the owner, the room was warm and cozy. Just in case, I even told Mrs. Theresa, but I didn’t know why my heart was beating like that.

I stared at myself in the room’s mirror and sat slightly on the bed covered with a soft duvet.

What do I say when Regen comes back? Maybe I shouldn’t have sent Aedis, but I should have followed him, too?

I was worried because they took longer than expected. I didn’t know where the two were talking. Maybe Aedis was trying to convince Regen not to open his heart to me.

What if Regen sees me again and runs away?

“It’s okay, it’s okay.”

I managed to make my own suggestion and controlled my mind. But the thoughts hung precariously.

Oh, what if he says that he doesn’t even want to meet me in the future? If he declares that he will eat breakfast alone…….

Just as I had come to the conclusion that I would rather eat in my room, the door slowly opened. The little kid who entered as if he had lost the world, saw me and his eyes widened.

“Your Grace?!”

As soon as I saw Regen, my vision became hazy.

“Loordd…….”

As I cried, Regen moved his hands and feet at the same time and ran toward me.

“Why, why are you crying?”

“I’m sorry. Lord, I couldn’t understand your heart, so I…….”

“You are crying because of me… … ?”

His eyes were quickly drenched in water and twinkled as he looked up at me.

It was a very natural fact, but he had eyes that were not like that of Kadan, Gilbert, or anyone else in the world.

“I like the Lord. But I don’t know how to express it so that the Lord would be less burdened.”

“…….”

“Yes, I’ve never had a conversation with children for more than five minutes except for Lord. At least those five minutes when the boy at the orphanage was contemplating taking away my property.”

“Uh….… He, he is bad!”

Regen calmly comforted me.

Then he suddenly ran back and forth to his desk. I wondered why but took his handkerchief and rubbed my eyes.

I think more tears will come out if I do this…….

With a sigh, I confided in my grandiose ambitions.

“Actually, I want to call the Lord by your first name, I want the three of us to sleep in the same bed. I’m afraid that a day like that won’t come even when I’m eighty years old…….”

“Don’t, don’t cry……. I was wrong…….”

“…….”

I wanted to stop crying, but since Regen sat next to me, I was relieved, and the tears flowed.

Regen wiped my tears away and muttered a little.

“I look just like Brother. I resemble the person who bullies Your Grace. I don’t have the face to see Your Grace…….”

I was shocked.

“You don’t look alike at all! He is a squid, and our Lord is an angel!”

“…….”

“And what if you look alike? There’s the biggest difference. Lord is my son, not him.”

“…….”

“Because you’re my son, I don’t care if you look like him or not. It doesn’t matter. You just have to be yourself.”

“Is it really okay like this now…… ? I don’t have to dye my hair…… ?”

“…….”

“I don’t even have to change my eye color to something else…… ?”

“…… Lord? What were you thinking without me and Aedis?”

Tears welled in Regen’s eyes.

“I want to stay with Your Grace, but you don’t say anything even though you know that I look like Brother…….”

“Because I didn’t really care about that from the beginning.”

“Uhhhh…….”

The tears that had filled the corners of Regen’s eyes fell sadly.

“I really like Your Grace.”

In the end, as we were hugging each other and crying, Aedis came in.

“…….”

Hey, say something. It hurts even more when you look at me with a face that doesn’t know what to say.

“Huh…….”

Tears kept pouring even when I wiped my eyes with my hands.

They weren’t tears that came from sadness or upset.

Anyway, I was happy that Regen was able to tell the truth about what he held deep inside for the first time.

“Lord, I’m working hard not to cry right now, so don’t leave me behind…….”

After begging him several times, I rubbed my hot, swollen eyes hard.

Perhaps he had finished his thoughts, because Aedis walked in.

He held me with one arm, and with the other he held Regen.