Chapter 2
“Father, I think we should change Locus’s name first.”
There’s an old saying that a person’s life can change depending on the meaning of their name.
And so, the easiest way for someone to change their life was often to start with a new name.
…Though honestly, that was just an excuse. What I really wanted was to get rid of the meaning behind “Locus” entirely.
Do you know what Locus means?
In Imperial, it’s a combination of Ro, meaning “mother,” and Cus, meaning “to cut.”
Put together? The child who was born by cutting through his mother.
There was not an ounce of love in it. Just pure negligence and coldness.
I don’t know who came up with it, but whoever it was, I wanted to break their legs.
No—maybe shaving their head would cool my anger better?
I clenched my fists and turned to the Duke.
“How about Noah? Or Dylan? Grady?”
“…You’re quite proactive about this.”
“So what do you think?!”
At this rate, I could’ve come up with three more names while he was hemming and hawing.
Maybe he was startled by how my tone had shifted out of pure frustration. The Duke took a step back, wary of my energy.
But only for a moment.
Soon, he began to think deeply, then leaned in to whisper to me carefully.
“How about… Ubinus?”
Ah, as expected of my dad.
I grinned and answered cheerfully.
“It’s awful.”
While the Duke and I bickered over names, it was my personal maid, Annie, who finally stepped in to end the situation.
She argued that rather than fighting, we should just ask Locus directly.
It was a good suggestion.
So the Duke and I immediately made our way to the guest room, where we found Locus picking at a cookie inside.
Look at those tiny little hands picking up a cookie…
He should be trembling in fear, but instead, he was sitting there patiently and composed.
“As expected of my baby…”
“He’s my son now, you know.”
The Duke threw in a jab at my admiring mutter.
What, are you already getting attached?
Well, Locus was cute enough to want to nibble on.
I was just about to burst into laughter when I walked up to Locus, eyes wide with surprise.
“Hi there.”
“H… Hello thir.”
Oh. Thir?
Wait, is he missing a front tooth?
Oh my goodness—his baby tooth must have fallen out! That’s why his words came out with a lisp…!
Locus was even cuter than I expected, and I was struck with a wave of dizziness.
In the end, the Duke had to speak up for me.
“Little one, now that you’re my child, you’ll need a new name.”
A battle over names between father and daughter.
Ubinus.
Noah.
“….”
Locus’s expression slowly filled with confusion as he heard the name options.
So even to him, all the names were terrible?
I whispered to the Duke beside me.
“See? I told you Ubinus was a no.”
“Noah isn’t any better, you know.”
What’s wrong with Noah?
It’s such a gentle name, and it fits Locus perfectly right now!
I was about to raise my voice in frustration when—
“….”
Something soft began to trickle down Locus’s cheek.
Tears.
“Little one?”
Startled, the Duke quickly wiped the tears from his cheek with his rough hand, and I froze where I stood.
See? It’s definitely Ubinus. He hated it!
But then—
“…Can I?”
Hmm?
“Can I really… have a name?”
What the… is this child serious?
Locus carefully stopped crying, speaking in his sweet, lisping voice.
And as if he hadn’t already maxed out his cuteness, he delivered the final blow.
“I like Noah.”
And just like that, Locus took his first step out of the shadows with his new name—Noah.
After deciding on his name, the Duke and I finally sat down to review Noah’s background.
He was ten years old this year—six years younger than Rosent.
But he was so small from not eating properly at the orphanage that he could easily be mistaken for a six-year-old.
Honestly, he looked more like a toddler than a child.
Ugh, my heart.
My favorite character hadn’t even been eating well…
Starting tomorrow, he’d be having three proper meals a day with snacks in between. No exceptions!
And supplements, too, to help him grow.
Plus root vegetables like carrots and spinach—great for kids!
Oh, and in the original story, Locus often drank honey lemon tea at the main house. Let’s bring that back too.
At this point, I’m like his nanny… but hey, he’s my little brother now.
Still… Noah was originally supposed to go to the Owen Marquess family. If we took him in, who’s going to be adopted there instead?
Not that it matters anymore, I suppose.
Noah is my brother now. Completely, entirely mine!
“Where should Noah’s room be?”
I shook off those stray thoughts and focused on Noah, who stood fidgeting, glancing at the Duke.
The Duke gave it some thought before answering.
“He’s still a child, so somewhere with plenty of sunlight would be ideal. It’ll help with emotional growth.”
“Sunlight, huh… sure.”
The only problem is that it’s the middle of summer, and the sunlight is blazing hot.
We can’t stick him in an oven.
“We’ll need a magic stone to regulate the room’s temperature.”
“I’ll have one prepared.”
“And blackout curtains, too. The morning sun can be harsh.”
I went all in on the interior design.
A red color scheme to match Noah’s eye color, carpets to match that tone…
Maybe I should even change the shape of the window to something unique?
“If it’s a request from you…”
The Duke looked bewildered by my enthusiasm.
Well, this was the first time I’d shown this much passion since becoming Rosent.
At first, I was confused and scared, but in the end… I’m grateful to the Duke for bringing Noah here.
This was something that could change Locus’s—no, Noah’s—entire life.
“What kind of room do you want, Noah?”
“My… own room?”
His cheeks flushed red with excitement at the thought.
I covered my twitching lips with my hand and smiled at him.
“Take your time thinking about it. Hmm… It’s late, so how about we sleep on it and choose one together tomorrow?”
“Really?”
Ah, too cute.
Noah is definitely the real male lead. No way a role like “villain” fits someone like him.
Overcome with affection, I lifted Noah up into a hug. His warm, childlike weight made something fuzzy stir in my chest.
It must’ve been his first hug—he awkwardly stretched his arms out into the air.
That awkward reaction made me smile bitterly.
He’s at an age where he should be getting love from his parents, but he doesn’t even know how to accept a hug…
“Should I read you a bedtime story before you sleep?”
With no free hand to pat his head, I leaned in and whispered softly to him instead.
Noah’s eyes grew wide, and then he let out a tiny giggle.
“Okay.”
Since his room wasn’t ready yet, I laid Noah down on the small bed in the guest room.
I asked the maids to bring two children’s storybooks and a warm glass of milk.
“Wow…”
Noah’s eyes sparkled when he saw the warm milk.
“It’s warm!”
“Yup. I heated it up.”
Please tell me the orphanage at least gave him warm drinks sometimes…
As if answering my concern, Noah stared at the cup in awe and took a cautious sip. Then his eyes lit up again.
“It’s sweet!”
“That’s the honey.”
“Wow… I’ve never tasted anything like this before!”
Oh, my heart.
Orphanages must have tight budgets. Things like honey or sugar are probably out of the question.
But don’t worry, Noah. From now on, I’ll make sure you get as much honey as you want.
I suppressed the urge to get all mushy again and stroked his hair.
“Want me to read while you drink?”
Noah nodded and settled in quickly, milk dribbling at the corners of his mouth.
I sat beside him and picked up one of the storybooks the maids brought, flipping open the first page.
It was about a mother who entered her child’s dreams to protect them from nightmares.
Noah stared at the dreamy illustrations, completely absorbed.
But it wasn’t long before he looked up and asked:
“What’s a lullaby?”
Huh?
“Why do people sing those to kids?”
Wha…
“….”
I froze at his innocent question.
Don’t tell me he’s never even heard a lullaby? Just what kind of place had he been left in?
“…Hmm.”
His circumstances were more dire than I expected. But I couldn’t show that in front of him.
“If you’re curious, I’ll sing one for you.”
After all, it’s his first night in the Duke’s estate. A little event like this won’t hurt.
As Noah smiled brightly in response, I smoothed down his bangs, set the milk aside, and gently tapped the blanket over his chest.
Then, in a soft whisper, I began to sing:
The blue rose in your dreams is watching over you.
The bud that has yet to bloom sways gently in the breeze.
My dear, my sweet child—have you come to see me?
I, too, am always watching you in your dreams.
Even when nightmares chase you, even when time passes and you fall into eternal sleep…
I will always be here, by your side.
By the time I finished, Noah had quietly closed his eyes.
He looked just like a child who was truly loved.
