He spoke out of disappointment, although they probably wouldn’t hear or understand him anyway.

He then looked at the twins, who were asleep in innocence, and couldn’t help but smile alone.

(This is a time separator.)

Upon arrival at the Lancaster Estate, the twins remained soundly asleep.

Quietly gesturing to Alicia, who had come to greet them, Eric first handed Ryan over to her.

“Be careful, he’s asleep.”

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Thank you, brother.”

As Eric carefully held Laila and stepped out of the carriage, Alicia, holding Ryan, followed behind.

“Chase, stay here. I’ll be back.”

“Ah.”

Alicia hesitated at Chase’s remaining still, and followed Eric who was comfortably ascending to the second floor.

Chase silently watched her retreating figure, and Eric’s, from the bottom of the stairs.

Taking care of the twins, navigating the Lancaster estate, leading Alicia around; all of it suddenly felt unfamiliar.

‘Everything I used to do, is it not stolen from me?’

Chase unknowingly clenched his lips.

He was angry and sorrowful.

(This is a time separator.)

Eric placed Laila on the bed and took Ryan from Alicia to place him beside her.

After carefully tucking them in, while he was looking at the children, Alicia put her hand on his shoulder.

Eric smiled, grasped Alicia’s hand and looked into her eyes.

As their eyes met, he took in her deepening smile and silently walked out of the twins’ room.

Today had really been tough for Eric.

More than the abundant work, lack of sleep, and the constant hassle from the Emperor and William, it was emotionally draining.

Though he’s usually indifferent and not driven by emotions, various feelings had mixed so complicatedly in that short span that he felt he could collapse right now.

Noticing his condition, Alicia touched Eric’s cheek and asked worriedly.

“Are you okay? You look really tired.”

His mood lifted at her soft touch and gentle voice, and Eric buried his face in the crook of Alicia’s neck.

“Yes, I’m tired. So, worry about me a bit more.”

Childishness.

Childishness, something he never indulged in, naturally slipped out from Eric’s lips.
Alicia embraced Eric, who was leaning on her, and gently patted his back.

“Are you okay?”

“No.”

It was just a childish whim anyway, so a little more wouldn’t hurt.

As soon as Eric wrapped his arms around her, Alicia’s slender body softly leaned into him.

“Is it very hard?”

“Yes.”

He didn’t know how to describe the feeling of her snugly fitting into his embrace.

This feeling as if everything was perfectly aligned and all the fatigue was washed away.

“I was also struggling.”

Although she intended to comfort Eric by embracing him, Alicia found herself unwittingly confessing as if she was the one being comforted.

It was fortunate she was in his arms.

She couldn’t look him in the eyes and say it, knowing how much more he was struggling compared to her.

“I missed you so much, that’s why it was hard.”

Her voice, which quivered due to the sudden surge of shyness, resonated pleasantly in Eric’s ear.

“Me too. That’s why it was hard for me as well.”

The beating of their closely pressed hearts felt exhilarating.

“……”

After a considerable time had passed, Chase, who had climbed the stairs searching for them, found Eric and Alicia embracing in the hallway and stopped.

He stood still for a moment watching the couple before turning around to descend the stairs.

His earlier suspicion was correct.

This was not the familiar Lancaster Count’s home he knew.

(This is a time separator.)

“Do we have to go back to the Knights right away?”

“……I don’t want to.”

“You seem to be saying you don’t want to work a lot these days? With this attitude.”

“Ah, did I?”

At Alicia’s sharp words, Eric smiled playfully.

“Didn’t I say everything is connected to you? Including my truancy.”

“Ah, did you?”

Pretending not to know, Alicia prompted another short laugh from Eric.

“The emergency duty will be lifted in about ten days.”

“Ah—”

Alicia nodded in disappointment, it seemed like a longer time than she had expected.

“I’ll wait, okay?”

“When did I not wait? Gee.”

“I’m sorry for making you wait all the time.”

“Ten days is nothing, I can wait.”

Alicia, speaking as if doing him a favor, seemed admirable.

“I’m relieved. The woman I love is so understanding.”

“What can I do? The man I love is performing crucial duties for the empire. I don’t want to be in bad terms with the empire.”

Eric pressed his lips against Alicia’s smooth forehead in a long and deep kiss.

His voice, steeped in a deeper regret than before, lowered.

“Alicia. Once this is over—”

Note: The translation preserves the line number according to the original text and ensures the consistency in the names and genders of the characters involved. The story is translated into the past tense and maintains the original punctuation.