Chapter 193: Side Story 24: Epilogue

Side Story 24: Epilogue

It has been eight months since the debutante.

Without any particularly memorable incidents, the same ordinary routine continued every day.

Esther lived well in the time given to her.

“Somehow, I think your drawing skills are getting better. I can’t tell if this is real or a painting?”

Seeing Esther painting on a large canvas, Dorothy truly admired it.

“It’s because it’s painted with care for the exhibition.”

Recently, Esther was preparing for an exhibition that would have her name on it.

Esther, who was concentrating on painting, suddenly shuddered and sneezed.

“Achoo!”

A chilly wind blew in through the open window.

“It’s getting cold already. It’s a big deal if you catch a cold…”

Surprised, Dorothy ran to the window to close it.

However, just before closing the window, she noticed Noah walking towards the mansion.

“Lady Esther! His Highness has arrived.”

“Again? Didn’t he come a few days ago?”

Accustomed to surprise visits of this kind, Esther was not surprised and removed her apron.

When she went down to the first floor, she ran into Noah, who was just entering.

“Did you know I was coming?”

“Dorothy saw you through the window. What are you here for today?”

The capital and Tersia were not close, but Noah came to Tersia to see Esther whenever he had a chance.

Her family members, who initially expressed discomfort, have now become accustomed to Noah’s presence.

“Must something happen? I came to see you. I have something to give you.”

Noah answered with a smirk and pointed to the baggage the escorts were carrying.

“…Come in.”

After leaving the many bags with Delbert, Esther and Noah headed to the dining room.

“Your father and brothers are there too, right?”

“Yes. We’ll be gathering for dinner soon. Shall we eat together?”

“Sure.”

At some point, Noah naturally joined the grand ducal family’s dinner.

It was part of his long-term strategy to break Deheen’s guard against him and for him to have a good relationship with him.

In fact, neither Deheen nor the twins were surprised at Noah’s presence at the table.

“…You are here again.”

Like now.

“What’s your excuse today?”

“I’ll come more often.”

Noah found his seat and sat down as he was greeted by Deheen and the twins.

There was another chair for Noah in the dining room.

“Some great spices came in from abroad. My mother told me to bring it myself.”

“Her Majesty the Empress sends gifts quite often. Please send my gratitude to her again.”

Naturally, not only Noah, but also the emperor and empress, continued their sincere offensive.

“Yes. And my father asked me to ask you when our families could have a meal together.”

So far, Deheen had been putting it off every time, making excuses with this or that. He sighed deeply when he had no more excuses to give.

“Tell His Majesty to choose a day next week. At his confidence.”

“Are you sure?”

Noah couldn’t hide his joy, and the corners of his mouth twitched.

“First, let’s eat this meal.”

“Yes. thank you for this food!”

With a bright smile on his face, Noah began to cut the fish in front of him.

He concentrated for a long time, then he pushed the cut parts to Esther.

Deheen watched closely as Noah took care of Esther more carefully than himself every time.

“Do you still drink until you are drunk?”

As soon as Deheen asked, Noah, remembering the mistake he had made on the day of his debut, shook his hand nervously.

“No. I never drink like that anymore.”

“Then next time you come, have a drink with me.”

“A drink? Great.”

Even in the midst of nervousness, Noah emptied a bowl of rice. He raised his hand.

“I’ll have another bowl, please.”

“I knew you’d say that, so the chef prepared it in advance. There is plenty of food, so eat a lot.”

The servant who was waiting in the back brought a cart and changed all of Noah’s plates to new ones.

★★★

After eating…

Noah and Esther went for a walk to have some alone time.

“I’m so full that it’s difficult to walk. I feel like my stomach will burst.”

“You ate too much. Why did you push yourself so hard?”

“Because the more I eat, the more your father likes me.”

“From what I see, Dad enjoys seeing you suffer.”

After the debutante, Esther and Noah became an official couple known to everyone in the empire.

Since Esther, whom he cherished, was taken away, it was natural for Deheen to be mean to Noah.

“And watch your alcohol. Dad is waiting. He won’t let you go if you make a mistake while drinking.”

“No wonder. I thought so. Still, if I persevere with my mental strength, wouldn’t there be good results?”

As they crossed the garden, Noah’s eyes sparkled when he saw servants drawing water from the fountain.

“A fountain full of holy water and holy flowers around it. I covet it every time I see it. Can you make one for the imperial palace as well?”

“I can’t do that because my divine power is weaker than before.”

“It’s a shame.”

The two walked slowly until they arrived at a small pavilion deep in the garden.

“Ahhhhh…”

As soon as Esther sat down in the pavilion, she covered her mouth and let out a long yawn.

Noah worriedly gazed at her tired-looking face.

“You’re sleepy?”

“Yes. I lost a few hours of sleep because of the exhibition paintings.”

“What? Hmm… I want to let you rest, but I also want to be with you.”

Noah pondered for a while. Then, as he exclaimed he had a good idea, he tapped his knees.

“I’ll give you a lap pillow. Lie down here for a while.”

“Haha.”

It was a very Noah-like idea.

Esther smiled and lay down on Noah’s lap.

“It’s more comfortable than I thought.”

“Here, a blanket.”

Noah even covered her with the blanket he had brought just in case, so she felt drowsy, like she could fall asleep right away.

He patted Esther’s arm in a steady rhythm, then asked softly enough not to agitate her.

“Can I sing you a lullaby?”

“Sure.”

As soon as permission came, Noah hummed a sweet lullaby.

Esther quietly listened to a somehow familiar melody and slowly raised her eyelids.

There was incomprehension in her deeply sunken eyes.

“I’ve heard this song before.”

The feeling of déjà vu that she felt when she was carried by Victor, her escort, came back to her.

The singing voice of an unknown woman and the view of looking over her shoulder.

“I’m sure someone sang this while carrying me on her back when I was young. Who in the world could it be?”

Noah caressed Esther’s shoulder and said,

“It’s obvious. It must have been your mother.”

“My mother?”

Esther’s eyes shook violently at that unfamiliar word.

Was it because her mother, who was said to have struggled to protect her, tried to sing her lullaby while dying?

She was a newborn baby, so she definitely wouldn’t remember it at all, but just thinking about it brought tears to her eyes.

“If that’s really the case, I hope my mother is watching me now. I want to let her know that I’m doing very well.”

“She must have seen it.”

Noah pulled Esther’s hand away, which was covering her eyes to hide her red eyes.

Then he lowered his head, and gently kissed Esther’s eyelids.

“Ugh, what are you doing?”

“I will stop when you stop crying.”

Esther’s tears quickly dried as butterfly kisses landed all over her face.

Noah softly asked as he mischievously grabbed her hair and kissed each strand.

“Esther, when do you want to get married?”

“What… all of a sudden?”

Esther’s eyebrows scrunched up, and Noah stretched out his fingers to smooth them out, then added.

“I just want a reference.”

“Hmm. I think it will be okay in three years.”

“A child? Do you want to have a child?”

“Of course. You don’t want to have a child?”

“If it’s a child who looks like you, why not? But I hate that you will have a hard time.”

Many mothers died while giving birth, which was why Noah whispered, “If that’s the case, let’s just live together for the rest of our lives.”

“I will definitely give birth. And I will pass on all the affection and love I received here to my child.”

“Then I want all my children to be like you.”

“No. Still… I want at least one to look like you.”

In this exchange, the two of them naturally imagined a future together.

“What will the names of the children be?”

“You want to decide that already?”

“I just like to imagine.”

Esther’s eyes deepened as she listened to Noah’s low voice.

“That’s right. Being able to imagine at least means that the future exists.”

Imagination was pain for Esther and Noah in the past, who had their futures stolen.

There was nothing more painful than imagining a future that would never come.

But now it’s different.

They didn’t know what kind of future would come, but instead they could imagine and dream to their heart’s content.

“Marriage and children are important, of course, but the most important thing is that we are together. In my imagination, there is no future without you, Esther.”

“…You are always there in my imagination.”

Noah always expressed his heart, to the extent that she wondered how he could do that.

He was sincere towards her, and never hid anything.

To Esther, Noah was now indispensable and one of the most precious beings.

With a slow blink, Esther reached out to touch Noah’s cheek.

“Will there ever come a moment when we get tired of imagining tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, or a year from now?”

“Perhaps. It’s going to be a day without much difference anyway, so what do you imagine? Let’s just let it flow, we might end up thinking that way.”

“Please, I hope so.”

“I want that too.”

—May the daily life be so normal that it becomes boring.

With the same hope, Esther and Noah’s lips gently overlapped.

After a while…

Noah lifted his head and ran his fingers through the hair behind Esther’s ears, unable to take his eyes off her.

“Do you remember what I said every time we parted when we first met?”

“You mean, ‘Goodbye, be happy every day’? It’s a very strange greeting. But I’ve memorized it since I’ve heard it countless times.”

“How are you now? Happy?”

Noah’s heavy voice was carried by the wind and gently dispersed in the air.

“You already know my answer.”

Esther raised her upper body with a smile so wide that it could not be any more brighter.

Then, without hesitation, she kissed Noah on the lips.

Esther slowly parted her lips and murmured as she watched herself reflected in his dark eyes.

“Yes. I am very, very happy.”

Because the confident voice without a small space was more than happy.

Noah lifted Esther up and placed her on his lap, holding her tightly so that she wouldn’t fall off.

“I love you.”

“Me too.”

It was the first time Esther and Noah felt so overwhelmingly happy that it made their hearts ache.

—A Saint Adopted By The Grand Duke, END of Side Stories—

This would have been the end, but thank god Goddess Espitos for the manhwa and extra stories! There are way more special side stories than I expected, so this will go on a one-week break. What will Esther and Noah’s futures be?

Translator Ame: I am very satisfied with this set of side stories. I think it delivers its purpose, which is to bridge the child-rearing and romance, and give us teenager!Esther and Noah ^^ (more after I think about it…)