I Became the Mother of a Sub-Male Son

They didn’t get on the wagon right away, but stopped by other shops and looked around eagerly. By the time she felt hungry, the child asked her to go back to the carriage.

“I’m hungry, Elia.”

She said to Richard, who was standing next to her child’s whining.

“Ask the coachman to go somewhere nearby to have a decent meal.”

“Okay.”

After getting on the carriage with the child, she stretched her body. To be hungry was a thing, but after walking quite a bit, her legs throbbed. As she tapped her leg, she felt a gaze. The child was staring at her.

“What?”

Instead of answering, the child writhed next to her and put his chin and hand on her leg.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“Elia also massaged my leg earlier. This time it’s my turn.”

The child rubbed her leg hard with a serious face. To be honest, she didn’t find it very cool. However, it was also admirable to see him diligently kneading with his small hands.

“It’s so cool.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I think I’m okay now. You can stop.”

“Okay, I’ll sleep a little longer.”

The child, who shook his head slightly, rubbed his legs hard.

[Lord Deliam, we have arrived.]

Then, at the sound of Jade’s voice, she lowered the child’s arm.

“Thanks for the massage. Now let’s go and fill our stomachs up.”

“Yes.”

She took the nodding child and got off the wagon. When she raised her head, she saw a luxurious looking restaurant right in front of her.

When she went inside, the waiter showed her to my seat. It was the innermost seat, but it felt rather comfortable because it felt a bit cut off from the outside. She sat down and looked at the menu and ordered many things that the child would like.

Following them were Richard and Jade, who stood right behind them escorting them.

‘Um, aren’t those two hungry? No matter how much you do your own thing, it seems like you have to eat.’

“Aren’t Richard and Jade eating?”

“Nothing to worry about.”

“Are you not hungry?”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Then I understand.”

Two waitresses came this way carrying trays of food. And in a moment a lot of food was set on the table.

She looked around and it seemed like a good thing. At first glance, it seemed that it would be delicious to look appetizing. When she took off her robe, the child followed her and set it aside.

She put a few pieces of food on an empty plate and handed it to Deliam.

“Come on. Eat quickly.”

“Thank you for this food.”

The child started to mumble the food while holding the fork. After watching the child, she brought the seafood dish on a plate. When she ate a little bit of shrimp, the flavor was full. This house also has good food. Although it was not as good as the Duke’s food. It was a moment when she nodded his head in satisfaction and was about to taste other foods. She caught Richard looking at the food across the table. The fact that Jade next to him was also secretly looking at it was, of course…

“You know, Liam.”

“Yes, Elia.”

“Would you like to eat with them, too?”

“I don’t care.”

After all, Deliam was nice, so he agreed without hesitation.

“Hey, you two?”

“Why do you do that again?”

“Dinner with us.”

“I’m sure it’s fine…”

Growl.

She stared at Richard. And Richard coughed and shaked his head.

“Deliam said it’s okay, so come and sit down. The food will cool down.”

After hesitating for a moment, the two sat down opposite each other. She still didn’t want to eat, so she took out the food on an empty plate and set it aside. Seeing that he had barely begun to eat, she also ate the food.

“It’s still good to eat here?”

“Well, not bad.”

“It’s well worth eating.”

She guessed they were eating way too well for that. The two finished the food in the blink of an eye. They must have been very hungry. She laughed inwardly and put some food on the child’s plate.

It was almost time to finish eating. For some reason, the front was noisy. What’s going on? When she looked up, she saw someone lying on the table. It was more serious than she thought, so it was time to observe the situation.

“Miss Ladiana! Are you okay?”

Huh? What was Ladiana?

“I think we should take the lady to the mansion right away.”

“But it’s too far to go to the mansion. See if there’s a doctor nearby.”

“All right.”

It was when she was contemplating whether the name she had just heard was the same person or a different person. She suddenly met eyes with the man at the table over there. The man’s gaze moved slowly from her to the child. The man said something to the man next to him, and then he walked this way. Richard and Jade rose from their seats and completely hid them.

“Are they nobles’ children?”

“Why are you asking that?”

“If they are descendants of nobles, I would like to ask for their understanding, despite the rudeness.”

“No, they have nothing to do with you.”

Jade came out pretty tough. The child was looking at the man in front of Jade and Richard.

“I’d like to ask you a favor. My lady is suddenly complaining of pain. A…”

“I’m sure he said he had nothing to do with you.”

“But, as long as the matter is…!”

It was about the time the standoff continued. The child poked his head between Richard and Jade.

“What kind of request is it?”

The child stared at the man with round eyes. The man hurriedly said with a look of impatience.

“If the mansion is close to here, can you show my lady to the doctor? I’ll be sure to repay you.”

Instead of answering, Deliam looked up at her.

“What about Elia? What do you want to do?”

“I don’t care. Do as you please.”

After thinking for a while, Deliam nodded his head.

“You say it hurts a lot, so I’ll understand first. I’ll allow it.”

The man who thanked the child for his answer returned to his seat. The man immediately explained something to the other person and brought the woman in his arms.

“…I really thought it was Lady Ladiana.”

He tilted his head, as if the child had heard what she was muttering.

“Does Elia know who she is?”

Countess Ladiana Blondan.

“It’s Lady Blondan.”

“The Blondan family?”

“Huh.”

At that time, the driver in front of her hurriedly introduced the lady as if he had heard their conversation.

“Ah, I’m sorry I didn’t introduce her first because I was in a hurry. This is Lady Ladiana of the Blondan family. We are the lady’s escort knights.”

“I’m Deliam Nathan. And this is my mother, Elia.”

‘…?’

Even though it was obviously an emergency, she felt like she was losing her mind. He had called her mother before, but she never thought he would call her that in this situation. Richard and Jade, as well as the men in front of her, all looked embarrassed, as if she wasn’t the only one who was embarrassed. Then Jade cleared his throat and asked Deliam.

“You haven’t seen everything yet, so would it be all right if you go back to the mansion?”

“Yeah. It’s okay. Let’s go.”

“Liam, are you okay?”

“It’s okay. We can come out next time.”

It wasn’t okay. She didn’t know if the Duke would allow it again, but she nodded and left the restaurant with Deliam. There was another wagon behind the wagon they rode in, apparently the wagon that Ladiana rode in. As the child and she climbed into the carriage, the escort driver carrying Ladiana climbed into the rear carriage.

“It’s a pity that you couldn’t see much.”

“It’s really okay. I bought a teddy bear that looks like Elia, and I read a lot of books.”

She unwrapped the biggest of the baggage that her next tooth was carrying. And a fluffy teddy bear popped out. The child holding a teddy bear in his arms smiled slightly.

“Then I’m glad.”

After lightly stroking the child’s hair, she smiled and asked a little question.

“But, Liam.”

“Yes.”

“That. To those knights earlier. Why did you introduce me as your mother?”

The child tilted his head.

“Isn’t Elia my mother?”

“Huh? But, I…”

“No matter what anyone says, Elia is my mother.”

He stared at her with serious eyes unlike a child. She was embarrassed because it was the first time she was seeing his eyes. It was all the more so because he didn’t show any sign of mischief.

“…Why do you consider me your mother? May I ask again? I think you didn’t tell me everything then.”

The child, instead of answering, only hugged the teddy bear in his arms even more. Liam who had been fiddling with the teddy bear while crouching over her groaned softly.

“Before…”

“Huh.”

Deliam tapped her head.

“Dad… do you remember when I said it hurts a lot here?”

“Yeah. I remember.”

“My father is different from other people’s way of thinking. I sometimes understand. Not much…”

The child talking to her, looked like an adult now. That’s how unfamiliar Deliam was now.

“I know why. Grandpa is gone…”

The child couldn’t get his words out. He abruptly shut his mouth and had a melancholy look. For some reason, the next word that came out of the child’s mouth was strained.

“He scolded my father badly. I heard that too. He said father wasn’t doing well. He said it was okay even if I starved for a while…”

She couldn’t believe it. The book said that both of the duke’s parents were indifferent, but wasn’t that true?

“Normally, both of them were indifferent to my father. But if instead of knowing I said I didn’t know or that I didn’t understand… I didn’t say.”

As she continued to listen to him, she slowly began to understand. It’s true that he’s mostly indifferent, but since he’s the heir to inherit the duchy, did they raise him strictly? No, it’s not that he was treated strictly and was starved. No matter how you look at it, it was outright abuse.

Due to the duke’s failure to lead a normal childhood, where he never found sympathy for his counterparts, it was only natural that his abilities were declining. It was highly likely that the fact that he didn’t trust others too much and that his personality was particularly cold was also influenced by that.

“I know my dad values me so much that he’s always paying attention to me. That’s why I know he doesn’t let me go outside.”

Deliam’s eyes were stagnant as he said that. As much as the feeling of uneasiness was palpable.

“To be honest, sometimes I feel choked and exhausted and I want to hide…”

“…Liam.”

“When I first saw Elia.”

After a moment of silence, the child stretched out his arm towards her. She felt a little warmth on her hand.

“I really thought I was going to die,” he said.

Ellie couldn’t follow his words. She just leaned over to him. She held the child gently in her arms.

“The moment I first saw Elia, oh, I wished she was my mother. No, I thought she was my only mother. So no matter what anyone says, Elia is my mother.”

She couldn’t say anything. She was not a party in the story, and she was unfathomable. There was no way she could say anything new. However, she guessed how he felt.

A moment of silence passed. It was a time when only the breathing of her and the child were filled. And the carriage stopped abruptly.

[We arrived at the mansion.]

“Get off now, Elia.”

The child pulled away from her and hugged his teddy bear again. Just before the door opened outside her, she called her child.

“Liam.”

The child turned his head.

“I don’t mind if you think of me as your mother. I like you just the way you are.”

She smiled at the child. How could she hate a child who blindly followed her? She captured with her eyes the child’s face that had been looking at her with her blank gaze slowly blooming brightly.