During her meeting with Caelis, Lina felt her entire body tense, and breathing suddenly became difficult. She had never been afraid of anyone before, yet the Grand Duke's presence carried an overwhelming pressure that was almost suffocating.
Their conversation lasted only about fifteen minutes, but to Lina it felt as though hours had passed. Moreover, she found it nearly impossible to guess what the man was truly thinking.
Why had the Grand Duke chosen Claude as his successor? And did he truly not know Klain? Lina could only speculate, because the man's expression had clearly changed the moment he heard Klain's name.
Lina had wanted to ask more questions, but she feared provoking the Grand Duke's wrath. In the end, she chose to remain silent and patiently wait for the man to continue speaking.
The Grand Duke said nothing more and politely dismissed her. Even now, Lina didn't know why he had brought her and Claude to the palace.
"Mama!"
Lina's tense muscles immediately relaxed the moment she heard her son's voice.
Claude was now dressed in refined noble clothing. His once long and unruly hair had been trimmed neatly, giving him the appearance of a young noble child. Lina's hand reflexively rose to cover her mouth as her eyes filled with tears.
For a long time, she had dreamed of seeing her son dressed in beautiful clothes like this. She could have afforded such garments easily, but they would never have matched the image of a humble commoner that she carefully maintained.
A trace of bitterness rose as she watched him enjoy another's luxury, but relief softened it—at least for today, he wouldn't struggle because of her.
As usual, Lina crouched down and opened her arms wide, allowing little Claude to run happily into her embrace.
"Mama, do I look strange?" Claude asked.
"Not at all. My son looks very handsome," Lina replied warmly, kissing Claude on the cheek. Her affection was rewarded with the child's bright and melodious laughter.
The head butler watched the scene with a gentle smile. When Lina noticed him, she stood up and thanked him politely. "Thank you for taking such good care of my son. I hope he hasn't caused you any trouble."
"The young master is a sweet and obedient child," Edgar replied kindly. "The maids are delighted to serve him. There is no need for you to worry." Another maid appeared behind him when he called her name. "Madam, Young Master, this maid will escort you to your room. Please rest comfortably. If you require anything, simply call for the maid."
After Lina and Claude departed, Edgar immediately went to see Caelis.
"Your Grace… is that child—"
"You guessed correctly," Caelis replied calmly. "That child carries dragon blood."
Edgar's dark eyes immediately filled with emotion. "I never imagined His Grace would leave behind a son."
"That may not necessarily be true," Caelis replied thoughtfully. "The woman said her husband's name was Klain. It is possible that he came from a branch clan."
"Klain?" Edgar frowned. "Could a branch family truly produce a descendant with a Dragon God's bloodline? If that is the case… what should we do?"
"There is no Klain," Caelis said flatly. "Claude will become my son."
"Claude?" Edgar's eyes widened. "Is that the young master's name?"
"Edgar, investigate that woman's background. And spread rumors that I have taken a lover from outside the territory. You know what I mean, right?"
Edgar bowed respectfully. "I will carry out your orders, Your Grace."
The investigative methods of the beast clans differed greatly from those of humans—especially when the target was a mage or a creature with spiritual blood. They simply needed to follow the target's spiritual scent.
It wasn't long before they uncovered that Lina and Claude had been living for several years in a small town in the Eastern Region.
However, the results were strange.
Although the town's population register clearly recorded the names Lina and Claude, none of the townspeople claimed to have ever heard of them or known them personally.
"So that woman and Claude supposedly lived in that town for seven years, yet no one remembers them?" Caelis narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "Are there traces of magic within the minds of the townspeople?"
"I have examined them carefully," Edgar replied. "There are no traces of magical interference. Their soul memories are completely clean… almost too clean, in fact. It feels unnatural."
"What about before that town? Can you trace where they lived previously?"
"That is what confuses me the most," Edgar admitted. "Aside from that town, there are no traces of them anywhere else. It is as if they suddenly appeared there from thin air through some kind of teleportation array."
But such a possibility made no sense. The small town possessed no teleportation gate, and teleportation magic could only be performed by someone who had reached the rank of True Mage.
So how could two individuals suddenly appear there without leaving any trace?
Caelis smiled faintly. "It seems the mother of my heir is not as simple as she appears."
"Your Grace… shall we continue spreading the rumors?"
"We have no other choice," Caelis replied calmly. "If I simply adopt Claude, the other nobles will never accept him. The only way to legitimize his position is to make his mother my secret lover."
Only then could Claude become the rightful heir.
***
Almost a week had gone by since Lina and Claude settled into the palace.
Ever since their first conversation about Claude becoming an heir, Caelis had not spoken to Lina again. However, Lina could feel his gaze watching her from afar.
She chose to behave as if she noticed nothing, quietly spending her days accompanying her son. At the same time, Lina was silently counting the days. Claude's recurring fever would soon return. She sincerely hoped the Grand Duke possessed a way to deal with her son's strange condition.
"Mama! Mama! Look at the flower crown I just made!"
"It's beautiful," Lina said with a gentle smile as Claude placed the flower crown upon her head.
From a distance, a pair of golden eyes observed the scene silently.
Caelis had been watching the woman closely. From everything he had seen so far, it was obvious that she genuinely loved the child. Even though he still knew nothing about Lina's true background, Caelis was at least certain of one thing.
The woman his brother had chosen would never harm Claude—or the beast clans.
That evening, after Claude had fallen asleep, Caelis summoned Lina to his office. He deliberately chose nighttime so that they could speak without the distractions of official matters. He had prepared a table with fine wine and fresh fruit.
Three gentle knocks sounded on the door of his room. Caelis opened the door and invited Lina inside.
However, Lina hesitated and remained standing at the doorway. "Your Grace… must this conversation take place so late at night?"
"We must speak tonight," Caelis replied calmly. "But it does not have to be indoors. If you prefer, we can talk in the garden."
Lina quietly released a breath of relief. She realized she had been somewhat prejudiced. Earlier, she had mentally prepared herself to use all her strength if necessary to defend herself.
Fortunately, the man only wished to talk.
They walked into the palace garden. Once again, silence settled between them.
Lina felt exhausted. At that moment, all she wanted was to return to her room and hold her son in her arms. She hoped this conversation would end quickly.
"Your Grace," Lina finally said, breaking the silence. "There is something I wish to ask. What is it that you truly want from us?"
Caelis stopped walking, and so did Lina. "I already told you. I need an heir."
"Yes. You want my child as your heir," Lina replied firmly. "But I am sorry. I cannot accept that. I will not be separated from my son, nor will I entrust his life to a stranger."
Caelis could see that her blue eyes were sharp and unwavering. There was no fear within them. Either she did not understand how dangerous the Northern Dukedom truly was… or she was simply naive.
He could not understand why his brother had chosen such a woman.
"I cannot simply adopt that child," Caelis continued. "Which is why… I need you as well."
"Me?"
"Marry me." His words sounded light and almost casual.
Meanwhile, Lina nearly choked on her own breath in shock.