Chapter 83
“It’s a gemstone called a Nightglow Pearl, usually only found on the Eastern Continent. I thought it matched well with the meaning of your name, Lucas—which means light.”
Inside the box was an ornament meant to be attached to the hilt of a sword.
“It shines brighter the darker the surroundings become.”
Lucy, who had been pondering what kind of special gift to prepare, had remembered how Lucas always carried his sword and had this piece specially crafted.
“Something so precious… I’ve heard Serenade Stones are very hard to come by…”
Lucas gently stroked the pale green gemstone with his finger as he spoke.
“So you already knew about it, Lucas. Even if you ever lose your way in the mountains again, this stone will shine as your guiding light. Of course, I hope that never happens again!”
Lucy giggled playfully.
Realizing she was referring to the hunting competition where they first met, Lucas chuckled along with her.
“Do you know why, in the Western Continent, the Nightglow Pearl is called the Serenade Stone?”
“No, I don’t. Why is that?”
“The first young man to discover it named it the Serenade Stone and gave it to his beloved as a proposal gift. That became widely known.”
Lucy nodded, intrigued.
“…And so, even now, in neighboring countries, Serenade Stones are still often gifted as a token of marriage proposals.”
“Oh… I didn’t realize it carried such a meaning. Ha ha…”
Lucy had simply wanted to give him something rare and special, but to learn it was famous as a symbol of proposing marriage made her cheeks flush with embarrassment.
Lucas, on the other hand, could not stop smiling, clearly delighted with the gift. Seeing that he truly liked it, Lucy felt relieved.
“In the afternoon, I was thinking of taking you somewhere scenic. There’s a place called Flos Hill—it’s one of the landmarks of this region.”
Lucy gladly nodded in agreement.
“Then let’s rest a bit and depart afterward.”
Lucy didn’t notice it, but the smile tugging at Lucas’s lips carried a peculiar air.
Recently, Count Sinon found himself smiling more than ever, as if genuinely happy.
Whenever he returned from an outing, his charming son—who looked just like him—and his beautiful partner would greet him warmly.
Although the wedding had not yet taken place, they were already living as though they were family.
Of course, the famously suspicious Count hadn’t accepted Aiden as his son solely because of their striking resemblance.
The day after Sylvia had appeared, he immediately summoned a mage to confirm whether Aiden was truly his blood.
“There is no doubt, my lord. The child is indeed your son.”
Even with the mage’s confirmation, Count Sinon still felt uneasy, so he went straight to the temple.
There, he paid a hefty sum to request that a priest use divine power to determine the truth of the bloodline. The process was swift.
When a drop of blood from each was placed into a small golden chalice before the priest, a dazzling light burst forth.
“As you can see, the Lord himself has proven that the two of you are indeed bound by blood.”
The priest smiled benevolently at the Count as he spoke.
Only then did Count Sinon finally relax. Everything seemed perfect.
Even Sylvia, the child’s mother, came from a decent background.
“She was from a fallen viscount family, wasn’t she? Even if ruined, she’s still of noble blood. Better that my heir come from her than from some lowborn wench!”
The more he thought about it, the more it seemed as if heaven itself was helping him.
From that day on, he quit gambling dens and even cut down on drinking.
The servants whispered among themselves that peace had finally settled over the Sinon estate.
“Count, when are we going to have our wedding? I can’t stand people whispering behind my back, calling me your mistress any longer!”
Every night, Sylvia would come to him, urging him to hurry and hold the ceremony.
“Who dares to say such things about you! You are the mother of my son and will soon be my rightful wife. Do not worry. Our wedding will be the grandest celebration in all of Tyren!”
Count Sinon gently embraced her, trying to comfort her.
“I don’t care for a luxurious wedding. I just want everyone to see clearly that I am your lawful wife. Only then can our Aiden hold his head high.”
Sylvia gazed up at him with a sorrowful expression as she spoke.
“Yes, yes, don’t worry. I know what troubles you. Soon no one will dare look down on you or Aiden ever again.”
“Truly? Then… there’s something I want. There’s this gemstone that’s become fashionable in the capital. At the last party, everyone looked down on me because I didn’t have one…”
Sylvia’s eyes welled with tears as she looked at him again.
“Who dares to look down on you! If you need anything, don’t bother asking me directly—just tell the steward to get it.”
At those words, Sylvia threw herself into his arms with a look of deep gratitude.
“If they look down on you, it’s the same as looking down on the House of Sinon itself. Always remember that.”
Pressed against his chest, Sylvia’s lips curled into a sly smile as she nodded again and again.
The next day, she went out shopping with Aiden.
Stopping first at a jewelry shop, she bought up armfuls of expensive gems, leaving them for accessory work, before heading straight to a tailor’s.
“Oh my, isn’t that Sister Sylvia? It’s been so long!”
As she entered the tailor’s, a fresh-faced young lady approached her warmly.
“My, Lady! It has indeed been a while.”
The two greeted each other naturally and sat down together on a nearby sofa.
“How have you been all this time? Ah, this is my son, Aiden.”
After a bit of small talk, Sylvia turned to the guard knight and maid standing nearby.
“Oh, don’t just stand there. Go to the new dessert shop behind here and bring us some drinks and snacks. Plenty of them.”
She handed the maid some money.
“But madam, I’m supposed to guard you—”
“And you’d have that poor girl carry all of that by herself?” Sylvia cut him off, pointing at the maid.
Left with no choice, the knight bowed his head and stepped outside with the maid.
Once she confirmed they had left, Sylvia leaned in quickly.
“The Count will do anything I say now. He even said he’ll start preparing the wedding!”
She whispered furtively to the woman she’d just been chatting with.
“Tell him not to wait until the wedding arrangements are complete—it takes too long. Demand that he sign the marriage contract first. After that, I’ll send the next set of instructions.”
“And just how much longer do I have to keep this up? Seeing that bastard’s face every day is driving me mad! You’d better keep your promise.”
Sylvia looked at her anxiously, then at Aiden, as if still unsure she could trust the woman.
“Don’t worry. Once he signs the contract, the rest will be finished quickly.”
The woman smiled sweetly.
“But one thing… I understand the boy looks like Count Sinon because of that magic bracelet. But what about the rest? The priest’s divine power was real—I saw it myself! How did you manage the bloodline verification?”
At this, the woman’s eyes curved into a sly crescent.
“There is nothing in this world that cannot be achieved with money, power, and connections. If you ever need my help again, just tear this magic scroll.”
She pulled a small scroll from her bosom and handed it to Sylvia.
“Oh, and do note—using it will incur extra charges.”
No sooner had she finished speaking than the tailor’s door opened, and the maid and knight returned, their arms full of snacks and drinks.
“Sister Sylvia, let’s make sure we see each other more often from now on, alright?”
The woman quickly shifted the subject, signaling to Sylvia that the others had come back.
