Judas and Eliya came to the barn with Amor.
They had been resting in the bedroom for a few days after the birth.
But now it was week three.
It was time to greet Yuel and the puppy family.
“Yuel. Say hello.”
Eliya turned her body, cradling Amor, as if to show her to Yuel.
“Our daughter, Amor.”
“Isn’t she cute?”
Judas added while scratching Yuel’s nape from the side.
Yuel blinked slowly with her gentle eyes.
She stared intently at Amor at the same eye level.
Amor did the same.
The baby, wearing a pink wool hat because the day had turned chilly, blinked her dazed eyes.
A three-week-old baby could barely distinguish light and shadow.
So, she wasn’t exactly looking at Yuel.
She was just staring blankly at the flickering light and shadow in front of her.
To Judas and Eliya, it felt as though she was gazing at Yuel.
Yuel quietly watched Amor, then sniffed her nose close to her.
It was a cautious greeting.
As expected, Yuel was pleased to see Amor.
Judas and Eliya smiled happily.
“I’ll come to visit often, so take good care of her.”
Judas patted Yuel, and she rubbed her face against his hand.
“Come here, my spotted ones. Come and see.”
Judas lightly clapped his hands, drawing the attention of the puppies.
The mother, King Dot, and the pups were now big enough.
Having been properly trained and educated, they reacted instantly to Judas’s words.
Judas sat down on the floor first, with Eliya sitting beside him, holding Amor.
The puppies gathered around them in a huddle.
Perhaps recognizing the new member, they all focused their gaze on Amor.
They sat in similar positions, tilting their heads slowly from side to side.
Seeing the cute sight made Eliya smile.
“Our daughter, Amor.”
“Isn’t she cute?”
“You have to play nicely with her since we will come often. Got it?”
Unlike Yuel, the puppies didn’t fully comprehend the meaning.
But they seemed to grasp the nuance Eliya was trying to convey.
Tilting their heads a few times, they then panted as if smiling.
Judas laughed at their endearing reactions and patted each one.
“Oh, you’re all so good. It’d be nice if Amor grows up and we can walk together someday….”
The puppies, not understanding everything, reacted particularly strongly to certain words.
For example, ‘snack.’
Or ‘walk.’
Judas had just mentioned the word ‘walk,’ triggering the puppies.
Spotted ones jumped around Judas, excitedly bouncing.
“Woof! Woof!”
“Oh, okay…! Be quiet!”
He worried Amor might be startled, but fortunately, the baby was calm.
She was simply nestled comfortably in Eliya’s embrace.
Eliya, holding Amor, said, “I guess I have to take responsibility for saying ‘walk.’”
“Yeah… I guess so.”
He wished to stay by Amor’s side, but words once spoken could not be taken back.
They had to go on an unplanned walk.
“Take Yuel with you. I’ll watch here with Amor from afar.”
“Got it.”
Judas kissed Amor lightly on the forehead.
“Daddy will be back.”
To anyone overhearing, it might sound as if he were going far off to work, but he was just taking the puppies for a walk.
Yet, Judas wanted to say such words at least once.
‘Daddy.’
It still felt awkward every time he pronounced it.
As Judas’s lips moved away, Amor blinked her eyes open and closed to match.
‘One day, this kid will smile at me and call me Daddy…?’
Just thinking about it made his heart race.
Next, he craved Eliya’s lips.
“Take care of Amor.”
“Anyone overhearing would think I’m really going far away.”
“Somehow, I want to feel like that.”
“Isn’t it cute? Come back soon.”
Eliya gave him one more kiss.
Then Judas opened the barn door.
The massive door swung open, revealing the green meadows of the northern barn slowly appearing.
The spotted ones were already excitedly bouncing around Judas’s feet.
“Alright, let’s go.”
Eliya followed the running puppies and Yuel, along with Judas’s figure.
Imagining a future where Amor would be part of this scenery one day.
*
“Your Majesty, thank you for allowing this audience.”
Dillon greeted Eliya politely.
The other guards lowered their heads, following Dillon’s lead.
“Yeah.”
Eliya responded as always, indifferent.
Today was the day the guards visited the royal palace’s audience chamber, so they greeted her formally, unlike their usual encounters.
However, the purpose of their visit wasn’t significant enough to require such formality.
They looked at the man sitting next to Eliya.
An old comrade and the Emperor’s partner.
More precisely, the small being cradled in that man’s arms.
“That child…”
The official document, Judas, smiled widely.
“She’s my child with His Majesty, the Emperor. Her name is Amor.”
Today was the day to introduce Amor to the guards.
“Oooh….”
“Wow, amazing. She’s so tiny.”
“Hello, Amor. Do you recognize your uncles?”
“How can a three-week-old baby possibly recognize anyone? You idiot.”
“Can I hold her just once?”
Judas glanced down at Amor.
Had she sensed the situation? Amor clutched at Judas’s clothing tightly.
“No, you can’t.”
“Ugh…!”
Dyke dropped his head in apparent disappointment.
Judas chuckled at the guards who were completely smitten with Amor.
He felt proud.
‘Yeah, this is my daughter.’
With just one glance, her chubby, soft cheeks and skin were irresistible.
Her dazed yet clear red eyes were captivating.
“I can’t believe our Erin is a girl too, but… she feels different…”
Richard muttered, seemingly entranced.
He could feel a certain softness that was hard to explain.
A round and fluffy atmosphere…
“Are you using the gift I gave you well?”
“That crib was just perfect for Amor.”
“Thank goodness.”
“What about mine?”
Argon asked abruptly.
“That bear plush is so big, it looks like it could swallow Amor.”
“It’s cute when a small kid has a big doll.”
“It has to be within reasonable limits…”
The plush Argent gave was as large as the baby crib.
It was even a concern that Amor might get buried under it.
But anyway, Judas and Eliya were always watching, so that wouldn’t happen.
“I’m curious where you found such a huge thing.”
“I discovered it while on an expedition to the north recently, at a trading city. The moment I saw it, I thought this is it; it just clicked.”
Watching him vividly explain, Judas chuckled.
“Alright, I’ll let her have it right away.”
“But she’s really calm.”
Lindell said, matching his height with Amor’s.
“She could have been whimpering with all that noise, but she’s quiet. Erin cried when we all converged on her.”
“Amor takes after Your Majesty, she’s calm and doesn’t cry.”
The guards all nodded at the statement that Amor took after Eliya.
If the baby truly mirrored Eliya’s calm nature, it made sense.
“I’m envious…”
Richard murmured softly.
His voice sounded drained.
His daughter Erin was an utterly ordinary baby.
Now over a year since she was born, she was a lively little girl.
Though she was his daughter, she was really loud.
She cried all the time, without fail.
Knowing that this was her only form of communication, it still became overwhelming at times.
Figuring out how to solve the problem was often a challenging puzzle.
Additionally, she would demand to repeat the same game for hours without getting bored.
That felt like torture for Richard.
Especially since she had inherited several traits from him, she hardly got tired and could be rather fierce.
Even though she was only one year old, her voice and spirit were exceptional.
Judas thought having his child would mean he’d have a buddy to share that ordeal with.
But surprisingly, he was leading a life fairly distant from the difficulties of child-rearing.
Judas wanted to console Richard, who had quickly become disheveled.
He had sometimes visited Erin, and every time, the screams were substantial.
The pitch was so strong; it was undeniably general-able material.
Looking at Erin, he had worried that his own child, together with Eliya, might also turn out loudly.
“Well, now that Erin is over a year old, there must be good things too.”
Richard’s expression immediately shifted to a proud one.
“Hmm. Of course. You know? A few days ago, Erin called me ‘Daddy’?”
“…What!”
Judas was genuinely surprised.
Hearing ‘Daddy’ directly from one’s child.
‘Is Erin a little over a year old? So long to wait to hear Amor call me Daddy…! But if she takes after Eliya, she might say it faster….’
Seeing Judas genuinely envious, Richard wore a victorious grin.
“Ah. The conversations of married men. You’re really an old man now.”
Jerry shook his head, clicking his tongue.
Judas chuckled and retorted.
“You calling yourself an uncle and showering gifts isn’t much different, is it?”
He found the situation amusing at that moment.
At 20 years old, he was the youngest among the guards.
Richard and Argon, being the oldest, were 24 years old.
Perhaps due to their arduous lifestyle, they all seemed to mature quickly.
Maybe that’s why they all feel so much like old men.
‘Not necessarily bad.’
These people were family to him.
Feeling this way, living together, wasn’t something Judas disliked.
Eliya watched as Judas shared laughter and conversation with the guards.
With her arms crossed, she remained quietly by his side.
She didn’t jump into the conversation because she wanted to be near Judas.
She had never interjected.
Occasionally, she might drop a word or two, but that was all.
There was no real need for her to feel obliged to join in.
Those she wanted to converse with were Judas, Maria, and Amor—enough for her.
Thus, she didn’t feel out of place.
As if blending in, being right next to Judas felt just right.
Even while Judas chatted with the comrades, he often patted or kissed Eliya.
That was more than enough for her.
She didn’t care about others’ gazes.
In her world, there were only Judas and herself.
Only the two, creating a complete world.
That alone was satisfying.
Yet, Eliya thought it was necessary to have a broader perspective and higher aspirations.
She could live this way, but Amor shouldn’t.
She had to experience many things and receive love from various people.
Love from the world was just as vital as love from parents.
Eliya reflected on the bittersweet truth she realized while studying parenting.
‘The ultimate goal of parenting is independence.’
Children must eventually leave their parents’ embrace to stand alone.
Parenting is merely a process to facilitate that independence.
Therefore, children should depend on their parents’ love but not rely on it.
Thus, interacting with many people from an early age and receiving love in such an environment is beneficial for growth.
Sadly, that was a condition Eliya could hardly provide.
With her status as an Empress and Pope, she could emulate it but couldn’t form profoundly intimate relationships.
Judas was different.
His charisma attracted good people around him, who would naturally love Amor.
Eliya couldn’t help but fall in love with this man, who made up for her deficiencies.
Eliya softly smiled and rubbed her face against his arm.
Even though she suddenly did this for some reason, Judas still kissed her cute head.
*
“Phew…”
Judas looked up at the sky and exhaled harshly.
Sweat poured from his body like rain.
Gazing at the relaxed spring sky, he finally composed himself.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his arm.
“Good job, everyone.”
Surrounding him were the guards, sprawled out after training together.
Only Judas was standing.
Richard, lying down, gasped.
“Hey, you crazy fool… why does the training amount keep increasing? I’ll die trying to keep up…”
“There’s no harm in training hard.”
“This crazy guy, seriously…”
He didn’t need to say that he was preparing for a future son-in-law.
“I’m heading to see Amor first.”
“I need to go see Erin too, but I can’t get up because of her…”
Grumbling, Richard and the guards were breathing heavily as Judas left first.
He quickly washed up and returned to the bedroom.
Using his wedding ring, he could teleport instantly.
But he walked every day instead.
There was a reason for that.
He gently knocked on the bedroom door.
He didn’t want to barge in, in case Amor might be asleep.
If he waited, the door would open on its own.
Peeking through the door, he first saw Eliya smiling warmly and welcoming him.
And in her arms was a small child.
Amor, now six months old and tall enough for Eliya to hold with both arms, looked up at him and smiled brightly.
Her tiny front teeth just starting to emerge.
Every time he faced that smile, his heart felt like it was melting.
Eliya spoke.
“Amor. Daddy’s here!”
Now one month old, Amor, who had started babbling, recently tried to imitate what Judas and Eliya said.
“Abubu, Baabaa!”
Though it was quite clumsy, trying to express herself so diligently made Judas burst into a smile.
“Oh, is that so? Did you miss Daddy?”
Judas received Amor from Eliya.
Amor’s body was always warm, making contact comforting.
Pressing her little face against his felt lovely as he heard her tiny heart thumping excitedly.
“Abuuu-.”
A moment you could only witness by walking in.
Eliya opening the door for him, and the child nestled in her arms.
His wife and daughter smiling and greeting him.
This is why Judas rarely used teleporting.
Holding Amor, he kissed Eliya.
“Have you been well?”
“Uh-huh. Amor just woke up.”
The dust that had been sitting by the window ambled over slowly at the last moment.
Eliya embraced the dust.
“Mmeow-.”
Amor mimicked that sound.
“Waaah?”
Not just Judas and Eliya, but Amor occasionally mimicked the sounds of dust, too.
The couple burst into laughter simultaneously.
Though it wasn’t the first time, it always made them chuckle upon hearing it.
As they laughed, Amor joined in, giggling joyfully.
Judas and Eliya absolutely loved her bubbling laughter.
“Mom said dinner would be prepared soon. Should we go ahead and wait?”
“Yeah. Let’s.”
Judas adjusted his hold on Amor with one arm.
With his free hand, he held Eliya’s hand.
They descended side by side to the dining room.
These days, the daughter who loved to touch and grab everything played with her father’s hair and clothes.
Trying to put everything within her reach in her mouth often caused troubles.
“Daddy isn’t for eating.”
“That’s right. Daddy only eats Mommy.”
“…….”
Just because she didn’t understand the words yet, she babbled any nonsense.
Yet, he didn’t mind.
He cherished this peaceful daily life so much.
If he could wish for one thing, it would be for Amor to call him Daddy soon.
That triviality was everything in this cozy everyday life.
*
Amor grew swiftly.
Though she was a quiet child who never cried, her habit of putting new things into her mouth remained the same as other babies.
As she constantly touched and tried to put everything in her mouth, it was sometimes troublesome for Judas and Eliya, but it was still a happy time.
Especially, Judas adored Amor’s hands.
When he placed his fingers on her tiny, chubby hands, she reflexively gripped them tightly.
So small and adorable, a finger held only with much force barely grasped.
Eliya loved Amor’s warmth and scent.
The little, warm presence enveloped in her embrace.
And the gentle smell unique to babies brought her peace of mind.
One day, when the babbling started becoming more distinct than ever, it was around the day Amor turned twelve months.
Having grown capable of holding onto objects around and standing, Amor wobbled uncertainly while holding onto the crib.
In front of her, Eliya was showing some stuffed toys one by one.
“Should I give Amor a new doll? Or should we go visit the puppies after a long time?”
Her watchful, sparkling red eyes mirrored Eliya’s affection.
Those eyes, like her mother’s, made Eliya feel deeply connected.
Meanwhile, Judas stood slightly away, looking at a large teddy bear.
One of Amor’s favorite plush toys.
After always hugging it, holding it, and sometimes biting it, it had gotten somewhat dirty.
‘Hmm… It seems it’s about time for a wash.’
Just as he thought that…
A sound rang out, piercing his thoughts.
“…Mommy!”
Judas quickly turned around.
Eliya, who had been caring for Amor, froze.
“Just now… What… did I hear wrong? Is it a hallucination? Eli?”
As Judas babbled in confusion, Eliya finally seemed to respond.
“Ah, Amor? Just now, what did you… say?”
There had been many times Amor attempted to mimic something similar to ‘Mama’ as her babbling grew clearer.
But it was never a distinctive pronunciation.
She didn’t call out to Eliya, nor did it have any real meaning—just meaningless babble.
But in this moment,
with a smile, Amor looked up at Eliya and said,
still with clumsy pronunciation but filled with clear intent.
“Mommy!”
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