To the Man Destined to Kill Me - Chapter 113

“Mom?”

Scarlett instinctively hid Teddy’s face.

“It’s too tight in here.”

“Just bear with it a little longer.”

Her voice was firm, with a hint of caution.

For a long time, reporters had been sneaking into the White mansion, looking for juicy gossip or stories. Normally, security would catch and kick them out, but things were different now.

Teddy was her son—someone Scarlett would protect even at the cost of her life. He was a child who needed protection.

If an article about Teddy came out, he would become the center of attention, and living a normal life would be impossible.

It was one thing for parents at school to spread quiet rumors after learning about her and Teddy. It was something entirely different if a reporter deliberately exposed it in a news article.

She had to be especially careful now that Noah was visiting Wifland. If he found out…

Scarlett wanted to stop that from happening. There were so many things she wanted to give Teddy.

She wanted to give him the healthy childhood she never had. She wanted it filled with happy memories. More than anything, she wanted those days to be normal—no different from any other child’s.

All parents probably felt that way, but she felt it even more strongly.

“Teddy.”

Scarlett set Teddy down on the ground.

“Go inside the house. You remember Uncle Gary, right? The guard with the scar on his face? Go to him and tell him Mommy is in the garden.”

That should be enough to let him know someone was there.

“Now, go quickly.”

“Okay.”

When Scarlett gave him a little push, Teddy ran off, still confused. Scarlett took out a self-defense item from her pocket. She planned to hold the reporter until someone arrived to stop them from publishing anything.

She walked quietly and looked around. Magic sparked at the tip of the pen in her hand. Scarlett slowly approached the place where he was hiding.

Noah held his breath, covering his mouth. He couldn’t bring himself to face her. With his thoughts all jumbled, he wasn’t sure what he’d say if he stepped out now. He needed to handle this situation first.

Noah flicked his finger, making a sound come from the opposite side of where he was hiding. When the bushes rustled, Scarlett turned toward the noise.

While she strode over to check, Noah quickly moved to a new location.

He headed for Teddy’s room. He had snuck in before, so he found it easily. He hid in the darkest, deepest corner of the room and waited for Teddy to return.

“Teddy. Your clothes are messy, so you need to change, right?”

“Okay. But Mommy, I want to eat first. I even washed my hands.”

“No. Change your clothes first.”

“Then I’ll do it by myself. Teddy can do it alone now.”

“Alright. But if you can’t, call Mommy. I’ll be in the next room. Got it?”

“Yep! Teddy can do it all by himself!”

Teddy opened the door and came in alone. He went to the closet to pick out new clothes. Scarlett saw through the open door that he was taking them out.

He picked a pajama top and a pair of tuxedo pants. She wanted to tell him that didn’t match, but didn’t want to stop him from trying on his own. So she quietly closed the door and stepped aside.

Noah appeared in front of Teddy just as the boy buttoned his pajama top wrong.

“That’s not right. You missed a button.”

Startled, Teddy turned around when he saw Noah appear out of the shadows.

“Oh, it’s that man from before!”

“You… remember me?”

“Yeah! You saved me at the pond.”

Noah ran a hand over his bare face. Today, he wasn’t using any illusion magic.

“Mister, thank you for saving Teddy!”

Teddy smiled brightly and thanked him. Noah looked closely at every part of the child.

The swirl of his hair, the shape of his fingers, the line of his neck and shoulders, the way his cheeks moved when he smiled—everything. He realized again: this child was his son.

Emotions overwhelmed him. Noah bit his lip to stop himself from crying.

“Mister, are you crying?”

“No, I’m not.”

“But, Mister… Teddy has a question.”

Teddy asked after clearing his throat, which was a little wet. Meanwhile, Noah helped rebutton the top correctly.

“…What is it?”

“Mister, are you my dad?”

“…Huh? Why do you think that?”

“Teddy’s dad became an angel in heaven. But you saved Teddy in the pond. And when Teddy was thinking that he missed his dad… you appeared.”

“You… missed your dad?”

Noah’s voice trembled. How could something so important—like this miraculous child—even be kept from him?

“Yeah! Teddy wants to have a dad. Uncle Bill said he’ll become Teddy’s dad now!”

“H… he did?”

His throat tightened. His heart ached. His jaw clenched.

“Teddy’s really happy that Uncle Bill will be his dad. He even taught Teddy how to skip stones!”

“That sounds fun.”

Just then, Scarlett’s voice came from outside.

“Teddy? Who are you talking to?”

Noah panicked. His violet eyes caught Teddy’s gaze. Using eye contact, he cast a mind spell. Teddy’s eyes lost focus, and he yawned.

“It’s better if you forget you saw me today.”

“Teddy? Are you okay? Teddy White. Answer me.”

Before Noah climbed out the window, he gently stroked the boy’s head.

The soft reddish-blonde hair reminded him more of Scarlett than himself. He really was their child.

Having a son he didn’t know about should have shocked him, but instead, Noah felt joy for the first time in his life.

But he had to leave before he could even enjoy that joy. His heart ached as he disappeared like a fugitive. As Teddy’s door opened, Noah landed on the first floor.

On his way out, he couldn’t hold back the feelings inside and screamed, then let out a deep sigh.

“Ha…”

He had come to Wifland for revenge. But the lover he thought dead was alive. She was dreaming of a future with another man. And now, he might lose a son he never even knew existed.

How could this be? How could fate be so cruel?

His chest felt like it was going to explode.

After his mother was killed by Scott White, Noah thought things couldn’t get worse. He believed that was the worst it could get. But now, something even more horrible was unfolding.

Noah ran through the forest paths, ones only carriages usually traveled. If he didn’t run, it felt like his heart would burst from the weight of life.

At that time, Victor Lebedev had just returned to his hotel room, his body heavy with fatigue.

Peter was waiting for him in the living room.

“It’s been a while, Peter.”

“You look very tired.”

“Interrogating someone all night does that. We found someone who might know where Martin and Andrea are, but he refused to talk.”

Martin and Andrea, leaders of the Mage Alliance, along with Alice, had become war criminals after Noah became emperor and Natalia turned into a constitutional monarchy.

Alice had been caught quickly and locked in a prison for mages, but Martin and Andrea were still on the run.

“Did you learn anything about where they might be?”

“It’s clear they’ve hidden in Wifland.”

Victor sipped the coffee Peter gave him, collecting his thoughts.

He had come to Wifland to catch Martin and Andrea. Peter’s eyes turned sharp—he knew they had killed Noah’s biological father and Victor’s old friend.

Victor gave a weak smile and shook his head.

“Personal grudges aside, their crimes are serious. They can’t be allowed to run free. Once they’re punished, justice will finally return to Natalia. And…”

With this, the era of his generation would end, and a new one would begin. Victor believed that history—particularly the twisted ties between the White family and Noah—would finally be put to rest.

“By the way, where did Noah go so early in the morning?”

“He stepped out for a bit.”

“Still as diligent as ever. Well, I have a task for you while he’s out.”

“What is it?”

“Noah is going to marry the daughter of the Norton family. Yes, the same Norton you know. The one with 100% Natalia blood who settled in Wifland.”

He put down his coffee cup and continued calmly.

“Noah can’t stay locked in a war with the Whites forever. By making ties with the Nortons, we can help move his revenge forward as well.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’re going to sell Scott White’s weapons to pirates near Wifland.”

Though he looked like a polished nobleman, Victor was also a cold-blooded politician. He continued in a flat, calm tone.

“We’ve already managed to steal Cravitz’s weapons through Norton. They want to break into the weapons industry, so they have every reason to want Cravitz to fall.”

“You’re planning to help Norton?”

“Peter, don’t be naïve. It’s not help, it’s a deal. The Emperor of Natalia needs a suitable, noble wife. Especially now, when Julia Ashford’s true status has been revealed, we need a noblewoman who can cover that scandal.”

Victor gave a small smile, like he thought the explanation was enough. Peter thought that smile was kind but even more cruel because of it.

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