"After the Archmage of Blue Flame, the Guardian of Kaelin, bravely repelled the monsters all the way back to the Tenebrous Mountain, he chose not to return to his old homeland. Instead, he settled in the wild lands near that very mountain, building a home, a castle, and later… a kingdom. And that is how the Valemere Kingdom came to be… born from magic, courage, and the will of one great man."
Closing the picture book in her hands, Silas looked down at the little prince, Adrian, who was sitting quietly in her lap. He was staring off into the distance with that same spaced-out look again… except this time, he seemed to be deep in thought—still seriously concentrating on the story he had just heard about the founder of his kingdom.
'Cuuute.'
Silas almost wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. He looked so serious, yet, his little side profile, those round, soft cheeks that puffed out adorably, it gave anything but a serious vibe. If anything, it just made the whole situation feel strangely funny.
And she had an irresistible urge to pinch those squishy cheeks.
But… knowing her place, and aware that even having such thoughts was already stepping out of line, she tried to restrain herself.
In the end though, after placing the picture book gently to the side, she couldn't help it. Her hand reached out almost on its own, and she began softly brushing his hair.
His beautiful, silky ash-brown hair slid effortlessly through her fingers. 'Why couldn't it have been light blue, just like the sky?' she still couldn't help but lament inwardly though.
It wasn't because the color of his hair wasn't beautiful, nor because it was disliked. But being born into the royal family and not possessing its signature trait, the sky-like blue hair, was bound to make things difficult for him in the future.
… And the worst part was that she knew she probably wouldn't be able to shield him from those difficulties.
Suddenly, feeling his head move slightly beneath her hand, and then seeing those gray, mesmerizing eyes, just like jewels, gazing straight into hers, Silas finally snapped out of her reverie.
She wanted to avoid his gaze, because it was too impactful. It was his most striking feature, after all. Eyes that screamed of something extraordinary, unlike anything she had ever seen before.
'Are humans even supposed to have eyes like these?' It was a question she had asked herself far too many times already.
"S-so, how much strung are these monstrs, and the one who rebel them?" Ellis asked.
And once again, Silas was brought back to reality by his question.
A baby, only six months old, who shouldn't even be able to understand the picture book she read, let alone speak, upon listening to the legend of their founder, instead of admiring his heroic tales like any normal child… the first thing he asked about was strength.
Was that normal?
She was sure it wasn't.
He had already shown her the prodigy he is, doing many things unheard of for someone his age. But ever since she read him a storybook before bed a week ago…
Things had started to change.
If before he was more of the quiet type, now he didn't seem to stop talking… or rather, asking.
His curiosity seemed to be overflowing, and that was troubling… though in a different way from his mischievous little hands.
"His strength is said to be unparalleled. It was strong enough to cast a barrier around the Tenebrous mountain, one that has not faded even to this day," Silas replied.
She had hoped that he'd be able to spend his childhood like any other child, carefree and unburdened.
That was why, at first, she thought of brushing off his question, and any others like it.
But then she met his gaze—those big, round, gray eyes.
They held a childish charm, sure… but at the same time, they seemed to command obedience.
And in the end, she just couldn't refuse him.
The prince continued asking question after question, and Silas while sighing answered.
At the back of her mind, she was already beginning to worry about where she'd get more picture books. The library in this house might not last another month at this rate.
Especially not with how strict he was about it, refusing to let her read the same book more than once.
On the other hand, Ellis, who had his head resting softly against Silas's breasts as he listened to her explanations, was guiding the conversation to gather more information—about the world, his surroundings, and the country he was currently residing in.
To him, the descriptions of the founder's power and the monsters' threat felt far too exaggerated… so he was trying to piece together a more grounded version of the truth, summarizing it all quietly in his head.
At first, Ellis had considered keeping up the image of a slightly mature child—someone who was mature for his age, but still within the bounds of reason.
After all, raising suspicions this early was the last thing he wanted.
But that approach… it just didn't suit him.
In the end, he decided to act more naturally. To act like himself.
Time passed slowly, and as Ellis listened to the many useless and boring details in Silas's explanation, he couldn't help but think that he needed to make a change.
… He couldn't fall asleep in the middle of her speech, right?
That wouldn't be respectful toward her!
With that decision made, Ellis, still enveloped in Silas's warmth, shifted his sitting position slightly, extended his short arm, and finally placed his small hand… right on Silas's breasts.
He immediately noticed the slight change in the pitch of her voice, and couldn't help but feel that even this boring explanation might become more pleasing this way.
Ellis carefully observed Silas's reaction that didn't give any sign of displeasure, a hint of resistance or rejection.
He had already been paying close attention to her reactions for nearly a week now, while fondling her breasts during moments like this.
And based on what he had seen—on what he felt—he thought that maybe it was time to stop being this careful.
Because he didn't sense any discomfort from her. On the contrary, there was a faint happiness visible in her expression, especially in the way her lips occasionally twitched at the corners, as if struggling to suppress a smile.
Even while speaking, that subtle curl remained, giving her a flustered expression.
Of course, the strongest emotion she showed was still embarrassment.
Her face was flushed, her eyes refusing to meet his. She stared straight ahead, trying to stay composed, her voice faltering here and there as she struggled to pretend everything was normal.
Ellis quietly enjoyed these reactions. He enjoyed the warm, soft sensation being transmitted through his hands—and at that moment, he made his decision.