After parting with the little one and coming to my room, my heart ached painfully. Anna denied the existence of the tooth fairy, calling it a fairy tale story, but when I told her about the gift the little one had asked from the fairy, her eyes reddened.

“The young master wishes for you to become his mother, young lady.”

“I know. I know, but……”

It wasn’t that I disliked becoming the little one’s mother. I was worried about the sense of loss the child would experience after I left this mansion.

Could the little one bear the shock of suddenly losing someone he believed to be and followed as his mother?

Could I coldly push away such a child and return to my original life?

‘What are you worrying about, Schmidt.’

It’s not like me to fear while imagining a future that hasn’t even come yet.

Right now, the little one needs me, and I want to be the one he needs.

“Anna.”

“Yes, young lady?”

Having finally made up my mind, I spoke to Anna, who was adjusting the blanket for comfortable sleeping.

“I’m going to sleep with the little one tonight, so come there in the morning.”

“With the young master?”

“Yes.”

Anna hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“But the young master should be sleeping now……”

I knew that too. But somehow, I felt Rublion would be lying in bed with his eyes closed, waiting for the tooth fairy’s gift.

“He’s probably not asleep.”

The little one’s room wasn’t far. It was right across, so there was no need to put on outerwear.

I gestured to Anna, who asked if I needed to bring a pillow, that there was no need, and immediately went out the door. The door to the little one’s room was tightly closed.

Creeeeak.

Due to the silence, the sound of opening the door seemed louder than usual. As I carefully approached the bed, a small head quickly disappeared under the covers.

I silently sat on the edge of the bed. Looking closely, the little one seemed to have been waiting for the tooth fairy’s gift, lying not in the center of the bed but to one side.

Taking off my slippers, I gently lifted the blanket. As I entered, I could feel Rublion’s body heat directly.

Naturally extending my arms, the child nestled into my embrace as if he had been waiting. Watching the little one burying his face in my chest and rubbing his cheeks happily, I vowed to become a greenhouse-like existence for this child.

A greenhouse that can steadfastly bloom flowers even in the cold winter winds and the hot summer sun.

“Rublion.”

It felt a bit awkward to call his name, as I always called him ‘little one’.

“……”

The child was silent. Seeing his eyelashes trembling slightly, he must be pretending to sleep. I spoke even more softly than when I called his name.

“It’s the tooth fairy’s gift.”

Rublion’s arms around my back tightened. Burying his face completely in my embrace, he was crying silently.

“I’ll… become your real mother. So don’t cry.”

I patted the small shaking shoulders. The chest area of my clothes became damp with the child’s tears and snot.

I kissed the forehead of the child who said he was so happy he wished time would stop like this.

And I sang a lullaby until the child in my arms fell asleep. Rublion fell asleep around the time the dawn twilight brightened, and I also fell asleep as if fainting.

[This is the timeline separator]

Askal, who had come out to the knights’ training ground for morning practice, tilted his head at the butler’s words that Rublion was still sleeping.

“He’s not a child to sleep in late.”

“He is sleeping together with the baroness.”

“Ah.”

Askal understood at once.

“Yesterday, the young master demanded a mother as a gift from the tooth fairy. And when the young lady said she would sleep in the young master’s room, she looked very serious.”

Anna, who had come with the butler, reported excitedly. The butler soothed her well and sent her back before whispering.

“Shall I wake up the young master and bring him?”

Askal answered while swinging his sharp sword through the air.

“Let him sleep well. If his wish has come true, he’ll come running excitedly.”

[This is the timeline separator]

I woke up too late. The sun was already overhead, and Rublion, still with his bad sleeping habits, was sleeping with one leg on top of mine.

Afraid to move lest I wake him, I couldn’t even raise my body, and that thought came first.

‘He’s lovable.’

He always was, but now that I had decided to become a mother, he looked even more lovable. Even his eyes, swollen from crying, were cute, and the way he half-clenched his fist was pretty.

But no matter how cute, I couldn’t let him sleep like this forever. I gently pushed down the child’s leg and hugged him while saying,

“Rublion, it’s time to wake up now.”

“Uung……”

The child’s loose fist tightened. Then it immediately relaxed. He was stretching first.

“Wake up, Rublion.”

“……I want to sleep more.”

“No. You’ve missed your morning training and your instrument lesson.”

For a moment, our conversation felt like a real conversation between a mother and son. The tip of my nose tingled.

“But I love being in auntie’s arms so much.”

Rublion placed his forehead on my outstretched arm and rubbed it. Then he grinned.

“I’ll hug you a lot tonight. So let’s get up now.”

“Are we sleeping together tonight too?”

Rublion asked, raising his waist sharply from his prone position.

“Yes, let’s sleep together tonight too. But you come to my room. The bed there is bigger.”

“Okay! Let’s definitely sleep together, auntie!”

Rublion quickly got down from the bed. Then, after smoothing down his side hair that had been pushed up by the pillow a few times with his hand, he politely put his hands together and said,

“Good morning.”

Looking at the child’s hair, tangled like a magpie’s nest, I replied.

“Yes, thanks to you.”

[This is the timeline separator]

Askal, who was pondering in his office, was repeatedly opening and closing a small box placed on his desk.

Inside was the soap Schmidt had given him, and thanks to being thoroughly dried to prevent spoilage, it was emitting a subtle fragrance.

Thunk.

Askal opened the box lid. Schmidt’s scent, which had been subtly spreading, now stimulated his sense of smell overtly.

Clack.

As he closed the box lid, the fragrance disappeared instantly as if it had never been there.

It was a strange feeling indeed. She wasn’t particularly outstanding in appearance, nor did she have wealth or power.

‘Why can’t I get her out of my head?’

The pink hair moving around the garden with quick steps, in a body as small as Rublion’s.

Schmidt’s existence had changed many things, enough to make him move his desk closer to the window. The atmosphere of the mansion, and Rublion who acted like he had experienced all of life.

‘Of course, me too.’

He opened and closed the box again. The office was filled with Schmidt.

“Rimon.”

“Yes.”

The secretary, who had been sorting documents at a small desk near the entrance, answered.

“Is there a clause defining my relationship with the baroness in the contract we made with her?”

Rimon stared into space, recalling his memory.

“If I remember correctly, there isn’t. We only included clauses about the minimum period for the mother role, the compensation to be paid, and about the art gallery.”

“Hmm.”

If she became financially comfortable, Schmidt could defend against Johnston on her own. Of course, it would be much easier if he lent a hand behind the scenes.

The problem was Duke Rumps. Implicitly, the three ducal houses had accumulated wealth without infringing on each other’s businesses.

If power tilted towards one side, the imperial family would step in to mediate, and that was how the empire’s peace was maintained.

But recently, Duke Rumps had been gradually stepping into the line Askal had drawn.

Previously, Duke Rumps’ affection could be dismissed as merely annoying attention, but now the situation was different.

He had promised to protect Schmidt, and he wanted to protect her. Though faint, he thought that even if the tender feelings disappeared, they could live respecting each other at her level.

It was the most ideal future he could think of. Schmidt becoming the duchess and Rublion’s mother. But.

‘It’s useless unless the baroness decides.’

If asked whether she could become a real mother, not just a short-term mother for a year, how would she react?

Askal sighed deeply, feeling more troubled inside. The documents hadn’t been registering in his eyes for a while now. That’s when it happened.

Knock knock.

Someone came to the office. Rimon, who opened the door at Askal’s eye signal, confirmed an unexpected person and said,

“Your Grace, Baroness Deli has come to see you.”

“The baroness?”

Having just been thinking about Schmidt, he was flustered and couldn’t find the next words to say, staring at the door with a stupid expression.

“Shall I tell her to come in?”

At the quick-witted Rimon’s question, Askal nodded. Then he hid the box containing the soap in a drawer and adjusted his posture.

[This is the timeline separator]

Baron Tirel excused himself, saying we should talk. I went to the sofa the duke pointed to and sat down with my back straight.

“What brings you here?”

His golden eyes were still scary and fierce.

“Your Grace, do you perhaps have a lady you’re seeing now?”

“No.”

“Is there a lady you have in mind?”

“……That’s a difficult question to answer.”

It could have been an impolite question, but the duke didn’t particularly point it out. That gave me courage.

“I understand. I won’t ask any more personal questions.”

“Is that all you came for?”

“No.”

My heart felt like it would burst at his question that sounded like a urging.

‘You promised you’d do it for Rublion. So speak confidently.’

He’s the one who took on the role of the villain for the child. He’s someone who loves Rublion enough to make him his son out of concern for his nephew who would be hurt by the label of being abandoned by his parents.

So my proposal shouldn’t be all bad. He doesn’t seem to be seeing anyone or have anyone particularly in mind.

“Your Grace.”

His expressionless lips were tightly closed. I exhaled once through my nose and then said firmly.

“Will you marry me?”