Words hit her like daggers.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, eyes downcast.
"I just came to see you… because you weren't waking up. I won't come near your room again."
Sera froze.
Her heartbeat slowed.
Time stopped.
That face.
That voice.
The boy from the book.
Twisted by loneliness.
Abandoned by Sher.
And yet—he stood there.
Small. Fragile.
Real.
Her son.
---
Sher's voice came softer than she expected.
"Come here."
The boy flinched.
That voice—gentle?
It wasn't the tone he remembered.
No coldness.
No disdain.
Only… warmth?
He hesitated.
Took one step.
Then another.
"You… really want me to come closer?"
"Yes. Come here, Karthius."
His eyes widened—then he ran.
"Momma!"
He crashed into her arms.
Tiny hands trembling, clutching her tightly.
His head buried in her chest.
She froze.
But he was warm.
He was real.
Not a name on a page.
Not a villain.
Not someone else's tragedy.
Mine.
---
"I waited every day," he said, voice cracking.
"I thought you'd never want me."
Even the maids turned away, eyes glistening.
"I've never seen him smile like that," Loren whispered.
From across the room, Cassian stood silent—arms folded, face unreadable.
"Please don't leave me again. Did I do something bad before?"
Sher gently stroked his hair.
"Momma was the bad one. Not you.
But you… you changed me.
Thank you for waiting."
"You mean you want me now? Even if I'm not good?"
She smiled, faintly.
"Even if you're not. I'll still stay."
He clung tighter, soft sobs soaking her gown.
"Then I'll be the best. Just for you, Momma."
---
Cassian's voice cut through the quiet—low, sharp.
"This isn't a game, Sher. If you hurt him again… you'll regret it."
Sher's eyes narrowed.
"I don't even know your name, Mr. Husband. But if you don't like this, you're free to leave."
A heavy silence fell.
"You forgot Papa's name too?" Karthius asked softly.
Cassian's lips curled—but not into a smile.
"How convenient. You forgot your cruelty, but not your sharp tongue."
He stepped closer.
"Cassian Verrien Darevell.
The man you swore eternal hatred to.
The father of your child."
Loren murmured, "Still bold… but softer."
Eliya whispered, "Maybe she's broken. Or healing. I don't know."
Cassian's voice hardened.
"Enjoy your recovery, Sher. Let's see how long this little act lasts."
He turned and walked away.
But his steps… were slower.
---
"He doesn't smile," Karthius whispered. "But he always waits outside when you're sick."
Sher looked at the door where Cassian had disappeared.
He says he doesn't care…
But his eyes don't lie.
He stays because he still cares—even if I don't deserve it.
"Will you stay with me?" the boy asked.
She turned to him, eyes soft.
"I don't have anyone else here but you.
Will you stay with me—even if I don't remember?"
"Even if you forget. Even if you change. I'll stay."
---
That night, as candlelight flickered across stone walls and silence wrapped around the estate, Sera—no, Sher—sat up in bed.
Beside her, the boy slept soundly.
Not a weapon.
Not destruction.
Just a boy who waited.
I may not be Sher…
But I'll be the mother he deserves.
---
Later That Night — The Duke's Study
The estate was quiet.
Bookshelves rose to the ceiling.
A fire crackled low.
Cassian sat alone, papers untouched.
The door creaked.
He didn't look up.
"Should I be surprised you came here?" he asked flatly.
He lowered the report and finally met her gaze.
"Bored of the child already? Or is this your next performance?"
He stood slowly, arms crossing.
"First time you let him near your bed. The servants nearly fainted from shock."
He moved closer.
"So, Sher… what changed?"
His voice dropped.
"What happened in that accident that turned the Ice Queen into a doting mother?"
She flinched.
Her breath caught.
"I don't remember anything… except being human."
He stilled.
"Human?" he echoed.
Cassian leaned in.
"You're either telling the truth…
Or you've become a much better liar."
Closer still. Voice now a whisper.
"The Sher I married never spoke of being human.
She spoke of power. Of control. Of blood."
He stepped back.
"So what are you now?
An imposter?
A madwoman?
Or just someone who finally regrets what she destroyed?"
He turned—but paused halfway.
"If you're not her… then what will you do with the life she left behind?"
Sher's voice was steady.
"I don't know how to act with you.
You have your pain. But I'm not her.
And if a stranger speaks to me like that—don't expect kindness.
Respect is earned."
Cassian paused long enough for the air to feel heavy.
"Still bold," he murmured. "But not arrogant. It's something else."
His gaze softened. Briefly.
"Karthius smiled today.
He used to look at your door like it was a monster."
He stepped forward—not as a duke.
Not as a husband.
But as a father.
"You want respect? Earn it.
One hug doesn't erase years of
fear."
He reached the door. Paused again.
"Don't confuse coldness with ignorance.
I see everything in this house.
Even change."
One last breath.
"Goodnight… stranger."
This time, he left.
Not like a storm.
But like a man unsure of the ending.