A new bed appeared in Judah and Eliya’s bedroom.
It was a baby bed, a gift from Richard and Beninita.
That little bed, placed right next to their own, was incredibly small.
To Eliya, even if Judah was shrunk down to a quarter of his size, there wouldn’t be enough space for it.
In other words, that bed was meant for someone very, very small and adorable.
A soft blanket.
The baby bed surrounded by yellow bars.
Every day, Judah and Eliya spent time peering into that bed.
“So cute…”
The peacefully sleeping child.
The child destined to be called love.
Judah and Eliya’s daughter.
Time flew by just watching Amor.
That was the routine of the two, neglecting their work.
“How can she be this cute?”
She was about two weeks old.
The two had fallen head over heels for Amor.
Even when she was red and wrinkly in the first three days of life, she was unbearably adorable.
But around two weeks, her rosy hue faded.
Her skin turned pale, and the wrinkled folds had become plump.
She was growing more lovable by the day.
“Right….”
Judah mumbled absentmindedly.
Those round cheeks were ready to burst.
Just like tofu.
Even her sparse black hair was cute.
‘A daughter….’
Their daughter, the offspring of him and Eliya.
She had just opened her eyes properly a week ago and, like Eliya, had red eyes.
Her gaze was still unfocused, making her look incredibly cute.
‘Surely she’ll grow up cute and beautiful just like Eliya….’
Suddenly, he felt a bit gloomy.
Eliya quickly noticed his change.
“Judah? Why the long face? Are you alright?”
“…No. It’s just that, someday, Amor will grow up, distance herself from me, and probably even get a boyfriend… Just thinking about that makes me feel down…”
“…….”
What was he imagining about a two-week-old baby?
Eliya chuckled softly.
It was ridiculous, but she didn’t dislike his excessive concern.
It meant he cherished Amor that much.
“That’s just part of nature, you know.”
“I don’t want that natural part…”
His gloomy expression soon solidified and grew serious.
“Whoever that guy is, he better show up right in front of me. It won’t be easy for him.”
“…….”
Protecting this lovely daughter was a duty he must fulfill as a father.
For Amor’s sake, he could do anything.
He judged that there needed to be a serious screening process for any potential suitors.
“To date our Amor, they’ll have to fight and defeat me, armed to the teeth.”
“…When did that condition appear?”
“Just now.”
“Oh, I see….”
Eliya decided to grant her partner’s unique daughter love the freedom to pursue her desires.
After all.
She could understand his reaction.
She knew the saying, “It wouldn’t hurt even if it went in your eye.”
Given how precious Amor was, he might not like the idea of a man coming into her life.
“It’s not like there are only good men like Judah out there….”
The more she thought about it, the more Eliya found herself agreeing with Judah.
“There’s no need for them to defeat me, but they should definitely face a serious screening.”
Since it was embarrassing to say this to Judah, she decided to keep it to herself for now.
“Meow.”
Dust was meowing at her feet.
“Dust, come here.”
Judah gently lifted Dust and placed him carefully on the baby bed frame.
“You wanted to see Amor, huh?”
Since they shared the same room, Dust had become aware of Amor’s presence.
From the start, he exhibited curiosity and joined in watching over Amor.
Sometimes he would just stare at the sleeping baby, as if checking if she was alright.
“Mei said that cats are animals that partake in communal child-rearing. Maybe they consider her like their own child?”
“Even though he’s still a tiny baby himself.”
Judah chuckled as he stroked Dust.
The tiny kitten had grown a lot in the past year, having started out as small as the palm of his hand.
Though he was still small, he was bigger than two-week-old Amor.
“Now that I think about it, since Amor came along, Dust cries less, and he doesn’t run around at night as much, does he?”
“Yeah. He seems to really think that way.”
“Thanks, buddy.”
As Judah continued to pet Dust, he stretched his cheeks.
Dust, caught by the cheek, meowed.
“Meeow-.”
Judah chuckled and let go.
“Alright, I’ll stop.”
To comfort Dust, he patted his backside, glancing at one corner of the room.
Presents from the guard and Gallahaid were piled high.
Huge teddy bears ten times bigger than Amor, adorable mobiles, bundles of storybooks, and more.
“Why does everyone send so many gifts when she’s too young to use any of it….”
Eliya smiled as she watched Judah shake his head.
“Still, it feels like everyone sincerely congratulates us.”
“That’s true. Everyone was so excited about the news of having a daughter. If others saw it, they might think it’s their own kid.”
Though he sometimes grumbled, Eliya understood.
Judah treasured his comrades in the guard deeply.
And conversely, the guards valued and respected Judah a great deal.
Eliya recognized long ago that they were genuinely good people.
“Judah is a good person, so it seems that good people gather around him.”
He awkwardly accepted the compliment but soon broke into a smile.
“And the best person is right next to me?”
“…….”
Eliya fell silent for a moment.
A good person.
She knew how Judah viewed her.
He liked her, treasured her, respected her.
But hearing the term ‘good person’ was unfamiliar.
Strange, but not unpleasant.
Judah smiled at her.
“Yeah. Of course.”
Just watching the peacefully sleeping Amor again, someone knocked on the door.
A very soft sound, barely audible.
Ever since Amor arrived, everyone who came always knocked gently.
When Judah opened the door, he found Maria at the entrance.
Maria often came to visit Amor too.
“Oh, mother-in-law, welcome.”
“Hello. Is Amor asleep?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s keep it down then.”
As Judah lowered his voice, he already knew.
Maria walked lightly, greeted Eliya, and then peered down at the bed.
A smile melted on her face almost instantly.
“Oh my…. What a good sleeper.”
“But can she really just sleep like this?”
“Kids normally do that. Eli, you slept all day as a baby.”
Judah imagined Eliya as a baby.
He couldn’t quite picture it.
‘Maybe she’ll look like Amor.’
If so, that’s a guarantee of adorableness.
‘…In other words, if Amor grows up, she’ll be just like Eliya?’
In anticipation of encountering whoever would date future Amor, Judah resolved to increase his training regimen.
Just then, Amor slowly opened her eyes.
Deep red pupils, looking just like Eliya.
Shiny, yet unfocused, they gave her a look of innocence.
“Amor? Are you hungry? Want some milk?”
Eliya asked as she leaned down.
After some quiet moments, Amor made a gurgling sound.
It was a whiny sound, but she wasn’t crying.
“Guess it’s not a diaper issue…”
Not knowing how to express herself, it was all about making guesses about what she wants.
Being hungry seemed to be the answer.
Amor calmed down as Eliya breastfed her.
“Hmmm….”
Even with such a lovely daughter, Judah and Eliya had their worries.
“Amor doesn’t cry at all…”
Right, babies are supposed to cry.
Even if it’s annoying for the parents.
Yet, apart from right after birth, they had never heard Amor cry.
That was one reason they kept peering at her all day.
She didn’t express herself loudly, so they had to be ready to respond at all times.
“Has she not cried even once?”
Maria asked with surprise, and Eliya nodded.
“Yeah. She sometimes gurgles or tries to express something, but she’s never really cried. Is there something wrong…?”
They were genuinely concerned.
Judah felt the same.
What if there was some problem with her ability to express or perceive?
Sometimes, he would feel a pang of fear while admiring Amor.
While serious thoughts crossed their minds, Maria let out a little laugh.
“Oh, I’m sorry. She just reminded me so much of young Eli that I couldn’t help it.”
“…Me?”
“Yeah. You never cried as a baby, so I was so anxious. I had no idea if something was wrong or if you were sick. If only you could just cry to express your needs! All you did was frown or stare blankly, that’s it. Others were envious, but I found it rather frustrating.”
“…….”
Eliya’s feelings matched exactly what she was experiencing now.
People around would look at her quiet child with envy.
Because she seemed to have inherited the stoic nature from her Emperor father.
They said it was a blessing that an infant like that exists.
But Eliya and Judah found it hard to agree.
No matter what, she was still a newborn baby.
A being that couldn’t speak, unable to express their feelings, bound to cry.
So the fact that their baby never cried would naturally cause them concern.
That question was just resolved.
Eliya stared in disbelief and asked again.
“Did I really do that…?”
“Of course! Why would mom lie?”
Judah heaved a sigh of relief while brushing his face.
To begin with, there was a possibility that it wasn’t a big deal at all.
But thinking of Amor being involved just made him envision the worst-case scenario.
It was hard to shake off that fear, but Maria’s words eased his anxiety.
“So she must be calm because she takes after me… how wonderful!”
As worry faded away, they shared a laugh.
Eliya gently patted Amor.
After feeding, the instinct to gently pat her back kicked in.
‘To take after me….’
With black hair and red eyes.
It wasn’t just about looks, but her temperament was a reflection of him too.
Knowing this brought great joy to Eliya, and she smiled contentedly.
Thump, thump.
From their connected bodies, Amor’s tiny heart pounded.
It was a soothing sound.
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