< — Damian — > (3)
TN: Here’s another chapter I just love love and love.
Damian thought he had slept for a long time but when he got up, it was still bright outside.
Damian’s bedroom was located in one of the buildings connected to the central tower. It was a room originally built to be a nursery for the Duke’s children. It was considerably wide, ranging from the bedroom to the study room, big enough for up to ten children to stay in.
When Damian looked outside the window of the second floor bedroom that had been his until he left for boarding school, he could see a garden that was filled with colorful flowers.
‘Is this the work of the Duchess…’
He used to think that flowers were unsuitable for the dreary ducal house but surprisingly, they didn’t look out of place and the scent of the flowers filled the air. He usually didn’t feel any sort of way when it came to flowers but today, he thought it might be a good idea to see the flower-filled garden.
And so, Damian went down to the garden. The scent that filled his nose was much more intense.
“Damian.”
It was first time the boy realized that his name could be said so sweetly. He stopped abruptly and turned to look at the approaching Duchess. As Damian laid his eyes on the Duchess who looked extremely happy, he tilted his head.
‘Why is she happy?’
“Did you sleep well? You woke up pretty early. Aren’t you hungry?”
It was a soft and clear voice. Her pleasant voice was filled with goodwill. Damian pulled the reins of his cautiousness tighter. What an incredible actress.
“…I’m okay for now.”
“Have I perhaps interrupted you?”
“No.”
Damian had no memory of his birth mother and whether it was his professors or the students at the academy, they were all male. The women that worked in the kitchen or did the chores were all middle-aged women.
He had never conversed with a young woman whom he was not in an employment relationship with, so he felt extremely awkward.
“I thought the garden looked great so I came here.” (Damian)
“I just planted a bunch of flowers but I am glad you think it’s nice.” (Lucia)
“You can speak more comfortably.” (Damian) (TN: She had been using formal speech)
“Mm…Sure? I don’t really care much but…would that be more comfortable for you?”
“Yes.”
“Alright. If you’re taking a walk, would you like to take a short walk with me?” (TN: She’s switched to informal)
“…Yes.”
As they silently walked through the path in the garden, Lucia continued to sneak glances at the boy.
The more she looked, the more amazed she got. It seemed like her heart which had been yearning to see her husband could be satisfied by looking at Damian for some time. Even the boy’s stiff and polite tone somehow resembled him.
“I heard you were at boarding school. Is this a vacation?”
“…There are no vacations but an outing is possible. His Grace asked me to come so I came. He also asked me to give my greetings to the Duchess.”
“Ah…”
Damian was definitely keeping a distance from her. She could feel it.
‘Although truthfully, if he had called me mother once…mm….it may have been a tad creepy…’
When noble children reached the age of discretion, they would oftentimes become obsessed with a sense of entitlement and become arrogant and impudent. There were also cases where they remain the same even after they matured, but still, when they grew older, they learnt how to keep what they really thought inside and pretend on the outside.
Damian was now eight years old but he was as disciplined as a knight. But even so, Lucia could only see him as the child he was.
‘Is this the power of boarding schools? Then it would be nice to send all noble children to boarding school.’
The fact that she was not in a position high enough to enforce such a thought was the fortune of all noble children.
“Damian, honestly speaking, right now, it is hard for me to think of you as a son .”
So direct—! Damian paused in surprise and looked at Lucia.
“You too, right? It’s hard for you to think of me as your mother.”
I didn’t expect this kind of method! Damian chose his words carefully.
“…I apologize. Did I make a mistake…”
“No. I’m not blaming you, I’m just saying it’s natural. We just met, we don’t know each other so it’s only natural to be unfamiliar.”
Red eyes much smaller than his (Hugo’s) looked at Lucia. He evoked in Lucia, the image of a young animal that had just learned about the world. He lifted his eyebrows adorably, searching her like she was the first existence he had ever seen.
To the Lucia who had gotten accustomed to the predatory gaze of the gigantic beast called Hugo, Damian’s sharp gaze was merely just that.
‘So cute. So cute!’
Her hands were fidgeting. She wanted to pinch his cheeks a little or even pat his head. Lucia restrained herself from doing so because she knew that it would just make him more vigilant.
“We only differ in age by ten years. If I had a ten year old child at my age, then your father becomes a criminal.” (Lucia) (1)
Damian quickly suppressed the huge smile that was about to break out on his face.
“So, I want us to try and get a little bit closer to each other. Instead of being so formal and calling me ‘Duchess’, call me by my name, Lucia. It’s my childhood name.”
“…”
“Let’s get along from now on, Damian.”
Lucia had been influenced in various ways from hanging out with Kate. It would be hard to change her fundamental character but she liked Kate’s straightforward way of speaking so she was trying to be more like that.
She stretched out her hand to ask for a handshake while Damian stared blankly at her hand. He couldn’t make out what the Duchess wanted.
Why would she want to do such a troublesome thing? Damian was definitely the weaker party between him and the Duchess. He was young in age and an illegitimate child. Once the Duchess gave birth to a child in the future, he would become an obstacle. There was no reason for the Duchess to try and improve their relationship.
“Is that difficult?” (Lucia)
“…No.”
Damian grabbed the Duchess’s hand in front of him.
‘I don’t know what her true motive is but…since I can’t read my opponent yet, I have no choice but to accept.’
Although Damian was young, he wasn’t an idiot that would reveal his aggression to an opponent whose intentions he couldn’t grasp.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. If she hid a knife behind her smile, he would do the same too. He was still young and did not have any power.
It was a time where he definitely could not upset anyone.
‘Seems like it will be hard to get close.’ (Lucia)
Damian thought he was hiding his thoughts but to the Lucia who had experienced a lot in life, the vigilance of a young child was obvious to her.
Even if she said that she wasn’t his enemy, he wouldn’t believe her.
With his position as an illegitimate child, no mother around to embrace him, and a father that did not give him warm care and attention, no matter who it was, they would be disillusioned.
‘After some time, it will be okay. My sincerity will definitely be seen someday.’
Lucia knew that she would love his son just as much as she loved him.
Translator’s Corner:
- I’m not sure if the joke came across well(sorry) but she’s saying that if she’s the biological mother of a 10 year old child at her age (she’s 18 i think), then his father becomes a criminal (cuz she would have had to have given birth at 8 years old for that to happen).
*Ah fluff. Fluff is good for my heart <3
- Forget My Husband, I’ll Go Make Money – Side Story 17.2 - November 19, 2024
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D’Awwww! Only she would find a tiny angry tiger cute after facing an big angry tiger 24/7.
I can only imagine Damien’s reaction when she does finally get to pinch his face. HAHAHAHA!
That last line… makes this feeling like some angesty drama😢
But the rest of this chapter was so cuuuuutttttteeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!
So i guess we can now kinda understand why Lu finds him so cute. Imagine living with a tiger this whole time and then running into a little cub that keeps imitating the big ferocious beast, of course it would come out as cute!
Ahhhhh ganbatte Lucia. You can do it. I am sure he will love you back soon.
Damian!!!! <3 Haha, my reaction is the same as Lucia. And oh dear, Hugh is gonna be jealous.
Aaawwwwwwee
So cuteeee~ i definitely love this family xDD
Otsukareeee~~ sama deshitaaaaa~
“…call me by my name, Lucia. It’s my childhood name.” OMG OMG OMG OMG Damian, he should know that it is a very very special privilege!!! AND LUCIA!! THE CHEEK PINCHING! She should have just gone for it! LOL A surprise attack!
Many thanks
😈 if their age is Really Close 😈 Daddy Hugo’s gonna have one Hell or a rival 😈
That aside, I’d just LOVE toe see Jerome and Hugh’s reaction to her calling Hugh a criminal XD would he spit a mouth full of blood? Lol both might 😏
And I’m REALLY hoping Damien will over hear at some point just how cute she thinks he is, he’s gonna love it or (more than likely) hate it, but still like it 😉either way it’ll be cute 😁
I honestly don’t know what to think about Damian
But considering that he and his “father” have the same way of thinking,behaving and looking it’s already obvious he’ll start liking Lucia sooner or later so I’ll bear with it
So cuteeeeeeeee
Im living for the day Lucia finally gets to pinch Damian’s face
Lucia deprived of Hugo will be heal by mini Hugo…. This is where lesson not all of step mother that have bad attitude….
Demian called Lucia but Hugo called Vivian…. That’s is huge privilege Demian..
So.. All of new aquintance to Lucia that Lucia like from now on will call her Lucia whereas just Hugo will called her Vivian… But the same with Hugo called with the named Hugh by only Lucia….
Thanks for the chapter
Isn’t Damian 8 years old? So she should be 10 to give birth, righ?
Yes. She would have to be ten to give birth to a child of his age.
can see it now. In the future:
Lucia: *pampering, cuddling, patting and doting the life out of damian* <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
Damian: *being a tsun tsun but enjoying the pampering*
….
Hugo: *alot of veins popping, major debate in life on whether to kill Damian, banish him out of the castle until he inherits his position or thank Damian for allowing him to show this side of Lucia*
Edit: For allowing him to see this side of Lucia*
I wonder how the duke will react once he learns that damian was earlier to know of lucia’s ‘childhood nickname’ than him….
*vinegar vinegar vinegarrrrrrr*
She is going to smother him with her fluffiness.
AAAA THE FLUFFF
Actually this Damian reminds me so much of Damian Wayne. Although Damian Wayne is 13 and Damian Taran is only 8, they have similar personalities, similar fathers, and similar circumstances
MY HEART IS FULL!!! DAMIAN IS SO BABIE 🥺
Again, thank you so much for translating!
Omg I can imagine seeing a little Hugh but softer and more innocent like Damian!! I have seen the webtoon but not to the point that we can see Damian yet so I am really excited. Lucia did a well done by using friendly- friend like approach! The age difference is also makes it more suitable
I picture Lucia living day to day with a huge black lion with red eyes, and then this little cute cub enters the picture and she can’t help but fangirl at his cuteness while everyone else is cautious around him. Because a lion is still a lion.
Sorry but I think it’s not acceptable for a child to love his stepmother in any way except like a mother but because she isn’t much older than him I think their relationship would be like a sister and little brother and this is good too and it’s disgusting if the father gets jealous of his own son and acts like rivals
thanks for the chapter
re-read 2023❤..!!