CH 135

Chapter 135

As he saw the little devil rubbing his face against Laritte and acting cute, strangely, Ian felt a pain in the back of his neck.

In the meantime, Joshua and Laritte were affectionate.

“Mother, look this. I bring this?”

The small Joshua whose head now reached the thighs of an adult. In addition, this child learned to speak earlier than others though he was still clumsy.

“What did Joshua bring?”

“Flower. Petals one, two, three… three petals for mother.”

The scene with Laritte and Joshua was so pretty that it felt unreal. Both of them had white hair that seemed to be lacking in pigment and shone like the Milky Way.

Blue and gold eyes looking at each other sparkled with love. Anyone born in the Iasa Empire would think it matched the corridor of the beautiful Duke’s mansion that they dreamed of at least once. In such beautiful scenes, why did Ian look at them and frown?

‘Anyway, Joshua is my son who inherited my blood.’

Ian didn’t really hate his son. However, when he saw Joshua running around outside and playing dirty, all he could say was, ‘He’s like a little devil.’ It wasn’t because the clean corridors of the mansion were getting dirty.

Joshua… wasn’t one to get dirty with dirt outside by mistake. He didn’t even like to run around like the other kids in the first place.

Ian knew.

…The reason Joshua became dirty was simply to attract Laritte’s attention.

‘Of course, children of this age are not so sad to get attention from their parents, but there are some cases of deliberate crying. Still, to make such a high-level plan…’

Ian raised a corner of his mouth and smiled ferociously.

He was not actually happy. It seemed like the bigger the kid, the smarter he got. Even now, he was learning from past experiences and doing that on purpose. What was he going to do once he was seven or eight?

As he frowned, Laritte took her son in her arms in the hallway.

“Joshua brought flowers for me.”

“Yes. It’s a gift, gift. Joshua gift.”

“Did you come here covered in mud like this? You need to wash.”

“Ung. Okay!”

When he curved his eyes, there had never been a prettier baby.

“By the way, do you have any presents for your father? You’re not just taking care of me, right?”

Joshua, caught by Laritte, turned backwards. The child’s eyes then met Ian’s as he leaned against the wall in the hallway.

He glanced Ian up and down.

From his jet-black hair to his muscular but not burdensome arms, even the hard lower body that didn’t look like the father of a child… Then, in an instant, the mischievous smile disappeared from Joshua’s face. He looked at his opponent with an expressionless face as if he had no feelings.

“….”

“….”

A subtle fight broke out between the man and the child.

“Yes. I have a gift for father, too. Father, here.”

Joshua rummaged through the pocket of his overalls and picked up a crushed flower.

The steps from Laritte to Ian were slow, it was in contrast to the hopeful run towards his mother earlier.

“No take?”

Ian scolded.

“It must be ‘will you not take it,’ Joshua Reinhardt.”

Ian pondered whether to accept this flower or not. The flower, swept and pressed in the pocket, was spitting out its sap. It looked like a defeated soldier shouting, ‘Don’t insult me! Just kill me!’

Was this his love for his father…?

At least it was still simple, so even in front of Laritte, he would behave like this.. it was obvious what would happen if he grew up.

This was why Ian couldn’t call Joshua ‘Little Devil.’

While Joshua was lovable, he was also downright nasty. The bigger his head circumference grew, the more he realized what he had and tried to beat his dad at every detail. His greatest resource was, of course, magical power.

One day, Laritte invited Ian, who was in his office, for dinner with Joshua.

“Let’s go to the dining room now, Ian.”

Ian, who was in the office, had the last document of the day in his hand.

“I’ll follow you in two minutes. Please go first.”

And, Joshua’s golden eyes shone as he embraced Laritte.

Exactly two minutes later, when he grabbed the doorknob of the office, the doorknob just turned around and didn’t give way. It was evident that the little devices in the handle were broken. It would have been pitifully torn to pieces by Joshua’s magic.

It was the result of Joshua trying his hand at being alone with his mother.

Ian was confined to his office and did not pathetically call a servant. Instead, a small vein popped in his forehead and he lightly smashed the doorknob. The tattered door now opened by itself with a slight breeze without him pushing.

Laritte, who was leaving the hallway first, looked behind with wide eyes.

“Ian, you can’t break down the door just because you’re hungry. You are not a beast.”

Ian looked at Joshua with a terrifying smile.

“I know, right? I must have been very, very, very hungry. I can’t even control my strength.”

Joshua made a cute face as if he was annoyed that his plan had failed.

The day Seta came to play was even worse…

Joshua dragged Seta around with a face that looked just like Laritte’s.

“Uncle. A favor. Just one, please, ung?”

When he sent his twinkling eyes like that, Seta put Joshua on his neck and said, ‘I don’t know what it is, but anyway, you’re all right’ and served whatever he wanted.

…What about Olivia’s regular visits?

When Joshua called her ‘grandma’ in a lovely voice, it also tended to unravel Olivia’s old, nonchalant face. How could she speak harshly of Joshua, who looked exactly like the small Laritte?

Joshua was the best baby to have a dragon, Duchess Reinhardt’s mother, magical power, and even the heir.

Still, he didn’t lose to Ian either.

Ian used the position of the head of the Duchy to create time to be alone with Laritte.

Therefore!

Right today…!

It was the day when Ian and Laritte went out alone in the name of the Duchy temple. Other than him, everyone thought the temple was the real purpose.

“Mother. Really leave me…?”

As Joshua clung to her leg, Laritte wrapped her head in an airy cloth to avoid being noticed, and the moment she was about to answer.

“Laritte. Let’s go.”

Ian tried to hold back his laughter and came closer with a ferocious basic expression. In the end, Joshua had to watch the duke and his wife leave, blocked by Butterfly.

In fact, Ian’s biggest struggle wasn’t Joshua the Little Devil.

…The problem was Laritte.

She always froze whenever Joshua was acting like a baby or separated from the couple.

From Laritte’s point of view, it was natural. After food, children needed love and attention. A common domestic quarrel. Even though it was exactly that level, Ian was very disappointed and misunderstood.

‘You love your son more than me, Laritte.’

He couldn’t lose either.

What if Laritte loved him less? With that, he had to work harder. Then, what could he do? All he had was power and money… His other ‘power’ was… useless except for a night with Laritte. It was daytime now.

But, what about money?

Yes. To spend a lot of money on Laritte…!

The place the two passed by was a shopping street for the wealthy middle class. It was when Ian opened his mouth to offer her a shopping spree…

“Then, let’s ask that merchant. Shall we start by asking if there are any problems with the recent business?”

Laritte’s eyes were burning with the will of the Duchess. Even though she covered up her gorgeous face to some extent, she couldn’t stop her heart.

I’ll do a proper inspection of the Duchy!

‘…Ah, this isn’t it.’

Ian endured lamentation, feeling the flame of her will hotly.

It was several hours after Ian was dragged by her hand, he thought behind Laritte, who was passionately investigating.

I can’t do this.

Ian couldn’t just blow this golden date opportunity. So, when he saw a fancy clothing store with a glass front, he quickly invited her.

“Would you like to see some clothes? You have to take it easy.”

“Thanks to you, I have many clothes. And I haven’t looked all over the street yet…”

“Maids! Wouldn’t everyone like it if you bought gifts for the maids and servants!”

Laritte was just writing down her findings and looked up.

“That sounds like a good idea.”

Ian clenched his fists behind her back.

Money! Hurry up and spend the money for Laritte…!

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