Chapter 37
“Judging by your expression, it seems the one who needs the consultation isn’t Noah, but you, young lady.”
Gustave Milton pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he spoke.
Elisa gave a sheepish smile and brushed her dry cheeks with the back of her hand.
Gustave Milton, a psychologist from the monastery, saw Elisa once a month—not Noah—for psychological treatment.
Her parents were sceptical, believing Noah’s silence wasn’t a psychological issue but something congenital.
Yet Elisa insisted on coming every time.
From her perspective, the therapy had worked.
Even if the results were minor, a parent would do anything to try.
“I heard you received a romantic proposal from your fiancé,” Milton said teasingly, “but your expression is so grim. Someone seeing this might think you were handed a death sentence, not a proposal.”
Elisa smiled faintly.
“Yes… Well, preparing for marriage and thinking through everything left me sleepless. My face is a mess.”
“Don’t overdo it. Health comes first, always.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Please take good care of Noah today.”
Noah held his assistant teacher’s hand and followed Gustave Milton into the consultation room.
Elisa remained alone in the waiting area, pressing her hand to her throbbing eyelids.
Darkness gathered around her, and the memory of the day Derek Granville proposed returned.
When she had taken the ring box, Derek had smiled as if he owned the world and embraced her tightly.
The perfect performance, coming from someone who had just threatened her, was infuriating.
She wanted to push him away immediately.
How… how did he find out?
Yet she held her tongue until they left the hospital and climbed into the carriage.
“Who told you? Surely it wasn’t my father, right?”
Even as she asked, Elisa knew it wasn’t him.
Count Leslie, though somewhat authoritative, cherished his family more than anyone.
He had fiercely protected her when she was pregnant, covering for her scandalous secret and ensuring Noah was officially registered despite the whispers about her illegitimate child.
“Because they resemble each other.”
Elisa froze, wondering who could have told him.
Derek answered simply:
“Noah and Ethan Esteban are alike. Especially their eyes—those grey eyes you love.”
The words were almost unbearable.
Elisa bit her lip, wishing it had been someone else who had told him.
Then she could confront them, silence them—but now, there was nothing she could do.
She had been anxious since Maria first noticed the resemblance between Noah and Ethan, and now the truth had erupted.
A deep despair swallowed her whole.
“Luckily, no one else seems to have noticed yet. But it’s only a matter of time before everyone finds out. We can’t keep Noah locked away in the mansion forever.”
“That’s why I proposed so suddenly,” Derek continued. “By marrying, we can go to the Kingdom of Tahal, and that’s the only way to keep Noah’s secret safe.”
Of course, the greatest reason was that he wanted to spend his life with her.
Derek Granville smiled shyly.
“I promise you’ll never regret accepting my proposal. I will make you and Noah happy for the rest of your lives.”
Regret and happiness.
Elisa, waking from the echoes of memory, repeated the words softly in her heart. No matter the choice, if there was the slightest chance of regret, then the path that protected Noah was the right one.
That path led her to marry Derek Granville and move to the distant Kingdom of Tahal.
There, away from prying eyes, they could start anew—legitimise Noah’s status and begin a fresh life together.
It was the clearest, safest way forward.
***
Objectively speaking, Derek Granville would make a good husband and an excellent father.
There was no doubt that he could build a happy family.
But if asked whether she would be happy, Elisa didn’t know how to answer.
She had never wanted to marry a man she didn’t love, and the thought of sharing a life so intimately with Derek—as husband and wife—felt impossible to imagine.
“Still… it has to be done.”
It was the only way to protect Noah.
For now, that had to be her sole focus.
As she steeled herself once more, the consultation room door opened.
Noah came running, hand in hand with his assistant teacher, and Elisa’s face lit up.
She spread her arms wide, and Noah dashed into her embrace.
Holding the child, she could smell the sweet, familiar scent unique to him, and her racing heart began to calm.
“….”
But the moment was fleeting.
When she met Noah’s grey eyes, Elisa flinched.
Those very eyes had been what allowed Derek Granville to realise that Noah was Ethan’s son.
It wasn’t just his eyes.
His hair, his features—they were unmistakably inherited from his father.
Elisa felt a pang of self-reproach for not noticing sooner, only realising it when Maria pointed it out.
She forced a bitter smile and gently ruffled Noah’s hair.
As if sensing her sombre mood, Noah’s face darkened rapidly.
He clutched at her sleeve and moved his lips, as if trying to speak.
“You may go in now, young lady,” the assistant teacher called at that exact moment, and Elisa missed the fleeting motion, the unspoken words on Noah’s lips.
“Go play with your teacher, Noah.”
Elisa handed his small hand to the assistant teacher and entered the consultation room.
Gustave Milton was reviewing papers with a serious expression.
“What’s the matter?” Elisa asked anxiously, taking her seat. “Is there a problem with Noah?”
Milton shook his head.
“Nothing has worsened, but he did seem a little more downhearted than usual.”
“Noah’s… downhearted? Why?”
“That’s something I should ask you, I think.”
Milton pulled out a fresh sheet of paper and lifted his pen, ready to take notes.
“Has anything recently happened that could have deeply upset Noah?”
“No… nothing significant… oh, maybe because we couldn’t go to the zoo.”
“The zoo?”
“Yes. We had planned to go last weekend, but circumstances beyond our control prevented it. Noah was very disappointed at the time.”
“Anything else?”
Elisa thought carefully, but aside from the zoo incident, nothing came to mind.
She shook her head.
“As far as I know, that’s all.”
“Hmm… I see.”
Milton stroked his chin thoughtfully before speaking again.
“A child like Noah values promises very highly. It’s best not to break them if you can avoid it.”
“Understood. I’ll remember that.”
“And, as I’ve advised before, please avoid saying ‘No’ in front of him.”
Though Noah was gentle enough to make anyone remark on his obedience, strangely, he was extremely sensitive to hearing that word.
After exchanging a few more words with Gustave Milton, Elisa scheduled their next appointment and left the consultation room.
She said her goodbyes to the assistant teacher who had looked after Noah, and before stepping outside, she pulled the hood over Noah’s head as deeply as possible, hiding his face from view.
Even then, she couldn’t shake the unease. Simply being outside with Noah made her nervous.
If it hadn’t been for today’s consultation, she wouldn’t have left the house at all.
Cradling Noah in her arms, Elisa hurried toward home, eager to return as quickly as possible.
The carriage stand was behind the building, and as she navigated the narrow alley leading there, a sudden shadow fell across her path.
“Ah!”
Startled, Elisa let out a sharp cry and stumbled backwards.
But what truly froze her was the face of the person blocking her way.
“…Your Highness?”
It was Howard von Martinez.
Why was the prince, who belonged in the palace, here?
“And who is that you’re holding?”
Howard’s interest in Noah made Elisa tighten her grip on the child.
“This is my younger brother. He isn’t feeling well, so I need to get home quickly. Could you please step aside?”
“Oh… if he’s your brother, Elisa Leslie, then he must be Count Leslie’s illegitimate child?”
Elisa opened her mouth to protest, but before she could, Howard yanked the hood off Noah’s head.
It happened so fast that there was no chance to stop him.
“… Grey eyes?”
Howard’s eyes widened, almost comically, as he took in the child’s face—especially those unmistakable eyes.
