"Roman, will you go to your room with one of the maids?" Eilika asked softly.

"Hmm." The boy nodded, turning as a maid stepped forward. She took Roman’s hand and led him toward the stairs.

Once Damian was certain his son was out of the sight, he turned to Eilika. "Forgive me that he brought such a thing before you. It was inappropriate."

"You are not at fault in this," Eilika replied. She walked toward the center of the room and sat on the sofa opposite Louis.

"Louis, I hope you don’t involve Roman in my relationship with the Duke like this again. It isn’t right to fill his head with ideas he doesn’t yet understand." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Louis shifted on the cushions, his playful demeanor faltering under her steady gaze.

"More than anyone, you need to understand that Roman has felt neglected," Eilika continued. "He doesn’t need a sibling right now; he needs his parents’ love and undivided attention. To suggest otherwise only confuses him about his place in this family."

The room went quiet. Maurice looked away, while Louis slowly sat upright, the "fainting" act completely forgotten. Damian stopped next to Maurice, agreeing with Eilika.

"I... I apologize, Duchess," Louis muttered. "I thought a bit of humor would distract him. I didn’t consider the weight of it."

"It wasn’t humorous at all. I know you want your friend to move on quickly from his past. But some wounds can’t heal easily. I am not the type who wants to force anything on anyone in the family."

Louis lowered his gaze, the playfulness completely drained from his face. "I understand, Duchess. Please forgive me."

Damian watched the exchange, quietly impressed. In all the years he had known Louis, he had rarely seen anyone manage to ground his friend’s flighty nature so effectively, especially not with such composed authority. Eilika had handled it without raising her voice, yet the impact was strong.

Eilika rose to her feet. Louis immediately stood as well, bowing his head in a show of genuine respect.

"I will be with Roman," she said, her tone softening as she turned toward the stairs.

Once she was out of sight, Damian sank into the sofa, a faint, knowing smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "How does it feel to be scolded by the Duchess?"

"She didn’t scold me," Louis murmured, looking down at his boots.

"Her Grace certainly did," Maurice remarked, unable to hide a small smile. "You feed the boy’s head with the wrong things, friend. You’re lucky she was that gentle."

Louis furrowed his brows. He wasn’t angry at Eilika. He was mostly upset with himself for actually causing her distress. He took a slow breath and finally reached for the water he had asked for earlier, drinking it in silence.

"She was right," Damian added, his voice more serious now. "He’s a child, Louis. Not a pawn for your matchmaking games. He needs love and attention which I fail to give him all these years."

Louis hummed, nodding in agreement.

~~~~~

The next morning the servants loaded the last of the trunks onto the carriage. Damian stood by the open door, holding Roman in his arms. The boy looked back at the cottage.

"Father, aren’t we leaving this place too early?" Roman asked.

"Roman, we have been here for over a week," Damian asserted. "We will continue to have vacations like this with you in the future."

Reassured, the boy rested his head on his father’s shoulder. They waited for a few moments until Eilika finally came into view, stepping out from the cottage. She wore a wide-brimmed white hat and a cream-colored gown with matching gloves, looking every bit the Duchess.

"I hope I didn’t make you two wait too long," Eilika said, stopping in front of them and adjusting her gloves.

"No, you didn’t. Get in," Damian said, gesturing toward the interior of the coach.

Eilika nodded and climbed into the carriage, smoothing her skirts as she took her seat. Roman followed closely behind her, scrambling into the cushioned bench beside her.

"Mama, you smell so good. And you look so beautiful in it," Roman said, not missing the chance to compliment her. "Am I right, Father?"

Damian, who had just stepped inside and was settling into the seat opposite them, looked puzzled. "What?"

"Doesn’t Mama look like a fairy?" Roman asked, his eyes bright with excitement as he looked between his parents.

"Yes, she does," Damian replied. His gaze lingered on Eilika, who felt a slight blush creep into her cheeks under his steady stare.

The carriage lurched forward, beginning its journey toward the palace. For a while, the only sound was the clopping of hooves against the road.

Roman, exhausted from his early morning excitement, eventually drifted off to sleep with his head resting in Eilika’s lap.

Eilika stroked the boy’s hair absently, her mind wandering back to the cottage and the quiet moments she had shared with Damian. She looked up to find Damian watching her.

"Father said that we will keep having such vacations," Roman said, turning his head toward Eilika as the carriage vibrated along the road.

"Yes. Maybe in the middle of the summer," she replied. "For now, we have to prepare to send you to the academy in Varos. You’ll make new friends there," she added, trying to build his anticipation for the upcoming term.

"I’m excited about that, Mama," Roman said, his small hands gripping the edge of the seat. "Then, will you come daily to fetch me from the school?"

"Of course! I’ll take you to many places in Varos every day," Eilika promised him, her own eyes glinting with genuine joy at the prospect of their routine back at the Duke’s mansion.

Damian listened to their exchange in silence. He leaned back against the leather upholstery, watching the way Roman clung to her every word.

Seeing them like this, he found himself finding a kind of joy he couldn’t name. But he knew one thing– He wanted to have this feeling everyday.