I Became My Son's First Love - Chapter 4

“You’ve put in more effort than usual today.”

The maid, whose eyes met Eve’s in the mirror, blushed and replied in a high-pitched voice, “Because today is the day the first young master returns.”

“The eldest young master…?”

The eldest son of Count Hound, the heir of the first wife, Duchess Seratine.

The maid elaborated, “Yes, the young Duke of Seratine. He doesn’t stay in the capital often, as he enjoys wandering, but he’s returned after a long time.”

The young Duke of Seratine, who every maiden in the Empire had heard of at least once, and who was one year older than Eve, her stepson, was finally returning to the Hound estate. Eve was briefly surprised but quickly nodded indifferently.

The eldest son wasn’t likely to be much different from the others. The Count’s children, whom she had met since the marriage, showed no particular interest in her. Even the youngest, who seemed a little intrigued by Eve’s appearance, hadn’t dared approach her, likely due to being conscious of others’ eyes. Furthermore, most of the Count’s children were independent or living with their mothers, so their encounters were rare.

Azazel, too, spent half of the year at Seratine, living with his mother, the Duchess, due to his position as the heir. He might be annoyed by having a stepmother younger than him, but honestly, Eve, with nothing special to offer beyond her appearance, wasn’t worth much concern from the young Duke’s perspective.

Eve relaxed and let the maids finish their work. Her red hair was neatly pinned up, and the off-the-shoulder dress she wore highlighted her pale neck and graceful shoulders.

Eve asked the maids, “So, are we having a meal together today?”

“Yes, though he has plans in the evening, he invited you to join him for lunch. If you head down now, you’ll be right on time…”

Though it had taken a long time to get ready, Eve wasn’t an early riser to begin with. She checked the time and nodded. Suddenly, a maid rushed into the room and exclaimed, “Madam, the master is here!”

Eve and the other servants exchanged glances before she asked, “What did you say?”

“The master…”

Before the maid could finish, the door swung open, and Count Hound entered the room.

“Are you ready?”

Eve met the Count’s gaze. Ignoring the maids’ nervous looks, the Count approached her, only to stop in his tracks, eyes widening in surprise. Eve sighed and dismissed the maids with a wave of her hand.

Once they left and the two were alone, Eve turned back to the Count and said, “You should respect me as the Countess within the estate.”

If the Count truly respected her as the Countess, he shouldn’t have entered her room without permission. The Count remained silent, staring at her.

“Count?”

He blinked a few times before scanning her from head to toe and finally spoke, “…Right, I apologize for that. But do you always dress like this?”

It wasn’t surprising that he didn’t know how she usually dressed. After all, they rarely met. In fact, this was the first time Eve had seen him since the day they signed the contract. He hadn’t even attended their wedding, held privately within the estate.

According to rumors, the Count had spent the day of their wedding at a widow’s house, indulging in debauchery. Eve recalled the explicit gossip she had read in a tabloid:

“The grand ball hosted by Count Hound’s new lover was decadent and obscene. All around, couples engaged in intimate acts, exploring each other’s bodies. The Count was spotted among the crowd, surrounded by beautiful women, but what stood out most was the expression of ecstasy on his face. When his large member penetrated a woman, she screamed in pleasure. Encouraged by the sounds, the hostess of the ball sat on the Count’s face…”

The article had been so explicit that Eve had wondered if it was even appropriate to publish such filth. She pushed the memory of that obscene article out of her mind and responded nonchalantly to her husband’s question.

“It seems the maids wanted me to look my best since your son is back.”

“My son?”

The Count’s face twisted in displeasure. In truth, Eve also found the term awkward.

She asked, “What should I call him? Your other children are younger than me, so I spoke informally with them. But the eldest is a year older, so should I address him as ‘young Duke’?”

The Count frowned and asked, “You’re younger than Azazel?”

“Yes.”

Apparently, the Count hadn’t taken her age into consideration when he sent the marriage proposal.

Looking somewhat flustered by her confirmation, the Count cleared his throat and said, “There’s no need to use formal titles. On paper, you’re his mother, so treat him the same way you do the others. Within this estate, you’re the Countess of Hound, regardless of what anyone says.”

Though she wasn’t sure if that was appropriate, Eve nodded obediently. “Understood. So, what brings you here?”

There had to be more to his visit than clarifying titles. Eve checked the time again, realizing it was almost time to head down for lunch.

“I wanted to talk to you about today’s meal.”

Eve frowned slightly at his response. There couldn’t be any other reason for him to visit so suddenly. The only unusual event in her day was the lunch with the young Duke.

“Are you referring to the lunch with Azazel?”

“Yes.”

The Count’s expression had hardened. Judging by his face, it didn’t seem like he had anything pleasant to say.

Sensing this, Eve spoke first, “If you don’t want me to attend, then I—”

“No, I came to tell you that you must attend the meal with my son.”

Eve thought it was unnecessary for him to mention this, as she wouldn’t have gone through all this effort if she hadn’t planned to attend. And if he wanted her there so badly, he should have come to tell her earlier, not right before lunch.

Despite her irritation, Eve kept her composure, noting that the Count’s face grew darker whenever his son was mentioned. It seemed they didn’t have the best relationship. This wasn’t uncommon among noble families, but it made the Count’s insistence on her attending the lunch all the more puzzling. If they didn’t get along, why did he want her there?

“Can I ask why it’s so important that I attend?”

After a moment of silence, the Count spoke, as if acknowledging that Eve, now living in the estate, would inevitably find out.

“…It’s another reason I married you. His Majesty the Emperor wanted me to remarry.”

The Count curled his lip.

“And I’d love to frustrate him by letting him know that, contrary to his expectations, my marriage isn’t a disaster. And there’s no better way to do that than with Azazel. After all, Azazel is the Emperor’s eyes.”

Why would the Emperor want Count Hound, his former son-in-law, to remarry? And why would the Count want to defy the Emperor? There was clearly more to the story, but Eve decided not to concern herself with it. Despite her curiosity, it wasn’t something she needed to know. Instead, she focused on what was relevant to her at that moment.

“You don’t seem to like Azazel very much?”

“That’s none of your concern.”

His cold response didn’t faze Eve. She asked calmly, “So, should I remain neutral during the meal? There will be conversation, after all.”

Eve wasn’t prying into their personal matters; she simply wanted to know how she should behave during the meal. The Count hesitated for a moment before scowling again.

“There’s no need for you to speak at all.”

Eve realized how sensitive the Count was regarding anything related to Azazel. She decided to avoid mentioning his son in the future unless absolutely necessary.

‘It must be exhausting to have such a strained father-son relationship.’

The only silver lining was what the maid had mentioned earlier: that Azazel was often away due to his wanderlust. Eve tried not to provoke the already tense Count.

“Alright, I’ll just greet him and stay quiet.”

“Good. By the way, today…”

The icy atmosphere between them melted for a moment as the Count’s gaze turned fervent, scanning her from head to toe.

Eve tilted her head in curiosity. “Do you like how I look today?”

“What?” The Count’s eyes widened.

“The first time we met, you said I wasn’t that pretty. But your gaze is different today.”