The Young Male Protagonist Who is Destined for Ruin Fell for Me - Chapter 128

The Day Lady Chaield Entered the World.

The birth of the Chaield heir brought about a series of grand events across the duchy.

Orphanages were supplied with meat, cheese, bread, and milk, while the homeless received warm coats and hot soup in preparation for the coming winter.

Every square in the duchy was decorated with garlands celebrating the birth of Chaield II, and special bulletins were distributed. Barbecue feasts, fireworks, and paper flowers were promptly delivered for the festivities.

Petty criminals who had committed crimes out of sheer desperation to feed their families were granted special pardons. Furthermore, in honor of the newborn’s birthday, October 10, exactly 1,010 soldiers were awarded special paid leave.

“Compared to that, Count Diane was being modest when he granted only 128 leaves when my sister was born.”

Hild chuckled as he handed out thick envelopes filled with generous bonuses to the household staff.

Every employee of the Chaield estate was already delighted by the birth of the young lady, but the moment they received their envelopes, their joy reached new heights.

“May the young lady grow strong and healthy.”

“And may the lady recover quickly.”

After all, nothing quite touched the heart like money.

The agents of the duke who frequented the imperial palace received even heavier envelopes—accompanied by a set of mysterious documents.

“Deliver these to His Majesty immediately.”

“Sir Hild, what are these?”

“The Duke’s parental leave request.”

Thus, for the first time in the history of the Hail Empire, parental leave was formally introduced.

The agents, sensing the gravity of their task, hurried to the stables at once.

Not long after, Kylian Chaield became both a father to a daughter and the first man in the empire to be granted paternity leave, accompanied by a personal letter of congratulations from the emperor himself.

“Mmm…”

Waking up from a deep sleep was always a pleasant sensation. I focused my hearing on the melody playing in the distance.

“Today, it’s the Amelia Anthem again.”

Ten days had passed since I gave birth. At this point, waking up to a grand orchestral performance had become a daily routine. I lightly waved toward the window to signal that I was awake.

“Thank you for today’s performance. It has brightened my mood.”

“Lady, please don’t open the window! The morning air is chilly. It is an honor to greet you with music once again.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you for your concern.”

The air really was cold, so I was about to return to bed when I noticed someone was missing.

Placing a hand over my stomach, I made my way to the nursery.

“My lady, my lady! At least wrap a shawl around you—what if you catch a chill?”

“Thank you, Vanessa. Kyle’s in the baby’s room, isn’t he?”

“Yes, and he won’t come out.”

I brought a finger to my lips, signaling for silence, then tiptoed toward the nursery.

Inside, Kyle was gently rocking the baby’s cradle, his movements reverent, as if in deep prayer.

“No matter how long he waits, the baby’s going to sleep for sixteen hours.”

I once saw a picture of a cat staring at a fish tank, its eyes gleaming as it watched the tiny creatures darting about—much like a human watching television.

Kyle had been acting exactly like that lately. He spent nearly all his time by the cradle, waiting for the baby to wake up, even though it wouldn’t change the fact that she was fast asleep.

His expression was always filled with awe, as if just gazing at his daughter was enough to make his heart swell. And when she did wake, he looked as though he had been gifted the entire world.

“Iclit…”

Unaware of my presence, he murmured the baby’s name softly. The sheer tenderness in his voice made me smile.

‘Iclit’ was an old word in this world that meant ‘light.’ It shared the same meaning—and a similar pronunciation—with Claire’s name, which was why I had chosen it.

I had also hoped that, by sharing a connection through the baby’s name, Claire and Kyle—who were rather distant—might grow closer.

For reference, the day after I gave birth, Claire had shown up in tears, dragging several travel bags.

“Amel… They say the biggest cause of postpartum depression is… a sister-in-law. So I’ll just disappear… sniff Take care of the baby… and please, be happy…”

“What are you even saying, Claire?! We named our baby Iclit, for heaven’s sake!”

Once I heard her reasoning, I was so dumbfounded that I spent an entire hour holding her hands and explaining just how much she meant to me.

“Uuhh…”

Lost in thought, I was pulled back to the present when Iclit let out a tiny murmur.

Though the sound was barely audible, Kyle immediately leaned in, as if to ask, Did you just call me, little one?

The way he eagerly sought a response from our daughter was unbearably adorable, and I finally reached out to him.

“What am I supposed to do when the father of my child is this cute, huh?”

“Amel, you’re awake.”

Kyle whispered as he stood and embraced me from behind, radiating happiness. His emotions practically spilled into the air.

“How is she this adorable? Even when she sleeps…”

“Oh my… she just moved her lips.”

“How am I supposed to work when even her breathing is precious…? Oh no, she just moved her fingers.”

“If only she looked a little more like Amel… No way. She just moved her face.”

Kyle was utterly fascinated by the fact that their daughter was alive.

Each tiny movement startled him, and he would glance at me as if to say, Did you see that?!

Of course, I wasn’t immune to our baby’s charms either. She was, objectively, the cutest thing I had ever seen.

She had inherited the signature black hair and red eyes of the Chaield bloodline, though Kyle insisted that the fine baby fuzz on her head had my curls.

“I can barely even see her hair, though…”

Eclit was so gentle that even the nannies were astonished, leaving both Kyle and me pleasantly surprised. Kyle claimed that she must have inherited that trait from me—though he also worried that her lack of wariness toward people might someday break his heart.

In any case, our daughter resembled Kyle more than me in appearance. Every time I saw them side by side, I couldn’t help but smile. They were both just too adorable.

“Kyle, come here.”

Raising my index finger, I gently placed it in the half-open palm of our tiny baby, as if to show Kyle. Instantly, her tiny fingers curled around mine.

“…!”

“Isn’t she precious?”

Kyle’s eyes sparkled as he eagerly placed his own finger into Eclit’s other hand. When her tiny fingers latched onto his as well, he looked utterly mesmerized.

“How… how can she be this adorable?”

“Our little Eclit…”

“Oh no… she’s too precious.”

“How could I ever leave her side?”

Perhaps because she was clutching both of our fingers, Kyle’s thoughts spilled into my mind.

It was quite fascinating.

Right after giving birth, I had assumed that by using my Areté, I would be able to read Eclit’s thoughts and become the ultimate parenting expert—always knowing exactly what she wanted.

However, a newborn couldn’t yet connect desires to words or images. As a result, the only thoughts I could hear… were Kyle’s.

“…I already want a second child. What do I do?”

“No. I must wait until Amel recovers. We should have a serious discussion before making any decisions.”

“But imagine having two of them… twice the cuteness…”

“What a foolish thought. My wife hasn’t even finished her postpartum recovery.”

“But being a father of two…”

This inner struggle had been ongoing for a week now, so I wasn’t even surprised anymore.

I ran my fingers through Kyle’s hair, smoothing it down as I murmured, “Hmm… at this rate, I think even a third wouldn’t be a problem.”

“…!”

Kyle beamed as if he had just been handed the world.

Even though it was autumn, I swore I could see spring flowers blooming in the air around him. His face was so breathtakingly beautiful that I instinctively averted my gaze.

“Of course, that’s only if you continue to be a devoted husband and—mmph!”

Before I could finish, he cut me off with a kiss. I suppose I shouldn’t have added that last part.

The moment Kyle climbed into bed, he gazed at Amel, who had instantly fallen asleep.

Since gentle yoga was recommended for postpartum recovery, he had hired an instructor for her. Watching how diligently she practiced, he assumed she must have taken a liking to it.

“I hope she’s not overexerting herself.”

While Amel attended her short yoga sessions, Kyle had been taking lessons from the nannies, learning useful childcare techniques.

For example, swaddling a baby snugly in a large blanket.

“…”

At that moment, he noticed his wife lying peacefully beneath the white covers.

Ever the diligent student, Kyle suddenly felt an urge to put his knowledge into practice.

He carefully folded the blanket around her, wrapping it just as he had learned. The nannies had advised that the swaddle should be firm, so he made sure to secure it tightly.

Stepping back, he crossed his arms and admired his handiwork. Amel was neatly bundled up like a snug little cocoon.

His breath hitched.

“Eclit must be this cute because she takes after her mother.”

Kyle climbed onto the bed and wrapped his arms around his swaddled wife, hugging her tightly.

One day, he vowed, he would swaddle Eclit in the same way and place her right beside Amel.

“If only she had taken after Amel a little more.”

Amel had been overjoyed, claiming Eclit resembled her. But to Kyle’s eyes, their daughter was entirely his mirror image.

“She’s already adorable, but if she looked a bit more like her mother… She’d be even more beautiful.”

Overcome with affection, he leaned in to place a soft kiss on his wife’s cheek.

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed up the stairs.

The rapid pace and sheer number of steps told him something urgent was happening.

Kyle instinctively knew they were coming for him. Opening the door, he found the group of nannies assigned to Eclit’s care.

“What’s going on?”

“Your Grace! You must come to the young lady at once…!”

“Hahh… hahh… The young lady, she—!”

Kyle held his breath, waiting for their answer.

His fists clenched, his lips went dry.

And then—

“The young lady has dimples! Just like the lady!”

“…!”

At that moment, the celebration of Eclit’s birth in the Chaield Duchy was extended for another full week.

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