Alexander held him close, and Soren rested his head on his father's shoulder. Alexander's arms tightened around him. No words were spoken, but their feelings were mutual—a son yearning for his father's love, and a father who had never been given the chance to embrace his own son.
Soren cried like a lost little boy who had been searching for his parents—and had finally found them.
The scene was so heartwarming that even the servants couldn't hold back their tears. Alfred, who had been silently watching the entire moment unfold, wiped the corner of his eye and said with a small smile,
"This scene is enough to make an old man cry."
"Ahem, ahem… I don't mean to interrupt your touching family reunion, my lord," Alfred said, clearing his throat, "but he's still learning to walk on his prosthetics. Standing for too long might cause him pain."
Though Alfred always acted like a fearless, tough old man in front of Soren, he couldn't help but feel a flicker of nervousness around Soren's father—a general and a duke.
Alexander glanced at Alfred and asked,
"May I ask why you're here in my house, Lord Alfred?"
Alfred replied,
"I was the one who performed his surgery and provided the prosthetics for him."
Alexander's tone sharpened as he said,
"And as an adult, you didn't think to consult me—his father—about the entire situation? My son is still a minor, but you act like a grown man, Lord Alfred."
His general's tone sent a chill down Alfred's spine.
Soren smirked first and glanced at Alfred, who seemed troubled, searching for a way to respond.
"Father, my legs still hurt. Can we talk about this later? I've prepared dinner for you—with the help of the chefs. Can we eat now?" Soren asked.
Evenline stepped forward, concern in her eyes.
"Are you alright? Are you feeling pain?" she asked, gently checking her son's condition.
Soren thought to himself, I was just trying to distract Father from wanting to kill Alfred. After all, he helped me a lot—I'm in his debt. But seeing him nervous like this is kind of amusing. He always teases me, but now Mom—or rather, the Duchess—is the one who's worried.
Alex," Evenline said, signaling to her husband.
He nodded and effortlessly lifted Soren up, as if he weighed no more than a feather.
"Father, I can walk on my own," Soren said, blushing with embarrassment. He felt he was far too old to be carried like a baby—especially in front of all the servants and Alfred. Where is my dignity as the young lord of the Augustus Duchy? he thought.
In the corner, Alfred was silently laughing to himself.
That old hag, Soren grumbled internally.
"You'll always be a child to me," Alexander said, completely ignoring Soren's protests as he started walking.
Soren puffed out his cheeks and pouted while Evenline laughed and Alexander smiled.
"You're still such a baby," Evenline teased gently.
"Not you too, Mother!" Soren protested.
....
Alfred was also invited to dinner, though he sat quietly, not uttering a single word. Meanwhile, Evenline bombarded her son with questions, and the two of them laughed and giggled over various topics. Alexander watched the scene in silence, a gentle smile on his face, occasionally chiming in with a comment of his own
They don't seem like they haven't spoken in six years... They're even chattier than I expected, Alfred thought
If I told my colleagues that I saw Duke Alexander smiling and joking with his son, they'd think I'd gone insane. And they'd be even more shocked to know that the "Lady of a Thousand Kills"—the strictest commander in the entire army—has such a soft side. They'd probably assume I'd been hypnotized.
Alexander's gaze shifted to Alfred.
"Even though I'm still offended by your lack of common sense—a doctor should always consult a child's parents before performing surgery—I am grateful to you. I don't think we'd be sitting here, speaking with him so casually, if it weren't for your efforts."
"Father, you should stop scaring him," Soren said. "I was the one who insisted on not telling you and Mother. I wanted to surprise you… and honestly, I was afraid it would affect you both. I knew you'd blame yourselves for my disability."
"You are such a kind child," Evenline said gently, patting her son's head.
Soren smiled faintly, feeling a warmth he hadn't expected. Alexander reached out, resting a reassuring hand on his son's shoulder. The room was filled with a quiet sense of peace, a rare moment of family closeness after years of distance.
The feeling of being an outsider is truly overwhelming, Alfred thought quietly..
"Mother, I have a request," Soren said.
"I will grant you everything you ask," Evenline replied warmly.
"But promise me you won't be angry," Soren said nervously.
All eyes were fixed on him, and Soren felt even more nervous.
"I want to join the academy and make friends," he said, "and… I also want to ask you to teach me how to use the sword and gun."
He was so scared and anxious that he closed his eyes as he spoke.
Soren worried his parents might refuse—after all, their son was missing both lower legs and lacked social skills, having never really been outside.
After a moment of silence, Evenline spoke gently,
"If you want, I will let you do it. But you have to promise to share every single detail of your days with me. And if anyone tries to bully you, your parents will be there to punish them."
"Really?" Soren asked, surprised.
Alexander remained silent, his expression tinged with sadness. Soren sensed he might have upset his father.
"Father, is there a problem?" Soren asked.
Evenline smiled softly and said,
"Don't worry. He's not upset about you going to the academy. He's just sad that you didn't ask him directly, but rather asked me. He's a jealous person."
"I am not," Alexander protested, pretending to eat from his already finished soup
"Stop lying," Evenline teased her husband. "Should I tell our son what happened when a boy proposed to me?"
"Yes, yes, Mother! I'm very interested in your love story," Soren said excitedly.