I Became My Son's First Love - Chapter 56

Dane hesitated for a moment at the ridiculous request but handed the man a bottle of holy water.

“Is there anywhere I can hide?”

“Come this way. We can’t miss such a golden opportunity. I’ve always wanted to know if they truly exist.”

The shopkeeper’s plain face filled with a strange joy that was difficult to understand. He tapped the floor in the corner of the shop a few times and revealed a hidden door.

“You can hide in here.”

It was spacious enough for two people.

“You can see outside and hear conversations from inside. I’m the only one who knows about this place, so don’t worry. If you press here, you’ll be able to come back out. I’ll bring your son here to talk with him.”

The shopkeeper demonstrated the mechanism, then tapped the floor again, revealing another small hiding spot for objects.

“I’ll put this fake dagger here, and if they come looking for the real one, I’ll give it to them. Hiding it in a place like this will make it seem genuine. Now, hurry inside. I need to go meet with the young duke.”

Dane, after glancing suspiciously between the hiding place and the shopkeeper, reluctantly stepped inside. Just as the man had said, from the hidden space, Dane could observe the situation above through a small gap.

Not long after, the shopkeeper returned with Azazel. After a few meaningless exchanges, just as Dane was beginning to grow bored, the shopkeeper pretended to make a mistake and splashed holy water on Azazel’s chest. That was when everything began. Azazel’s eyes turned a different color, and the shopkeeper’s body floated unnaturally through the air. But what shocked Dane most was who appeared at the end.

‘Why is Eve here?’

For a moment, Dane debated whether he should rush out to rescue her. Fortunately, Azazel sent her away. Dane watched everything that unfolded after, clutching his mouth shut when Azazel’s turquoise gaze lingered over the hiding place.

Even after Azazel left, it took Dane a long time to emerge. Leaving behind the shopkeeper, who would now remember nothing, he fled back to the estate. The image of the shopkeeper, answering Azazel’s questions as though controlled, flashed through his mind.

If Azazel had questioned things just a little differently, Dane would have ended up just like him. After returning to the estate, Dane clutched the box tighter than ever. Since the holy water had been real, the dagger inside the box was likely real too. Even though he had used up one bottle of holy water, it hadn’t been enough to stop Azazel. The effect of the remaining bottle would likely be the same. That left only one conclusion.

‘I’ll have to use the dagger.’

The dagger, said to eradicate evil, was part of a pair. But Dane could no longer trust Aeshath. Could Aeshath, who was so close to Azazel, really not know her son’s true identity? How could Aeshath, who had given her son the name of the being that had controlled the Hound family for so long, be unaware? And what of the letter that had arrived this morning, asking for a meeting? Aeshath only sought him out after the events of yesterday.

Could the changes in her after the birth of her son be connected? How much did she know about the dagger? Just as his mind was about to explode from the flood of suspicions, someone knocked on the door. Startled, Dane turned to the door and heard the butler’s voice.

“Sir, Lady Eve Jenna has come to visit you.”

“…What?”

Relieved that it wasn’t Azazel, Dane was shocked to hear that Eve had come. He stood abruptly, only to clutch his head as dizziness struck. Outside, the butler continued enthusiastically.

“Young Duke Seratine recommended that Lady Jenna visit you. It seems the young duke is concerned about you as well. So, please forgive him and…”

Dane didn’t hear anything else the butler said. Eve had come at Azazel’s suggestion. He recalled seeing Eve the day before, and the thought of Azazel making advances toward her.

Though dizzy, Dane stumbled toward the door. Eve was in danger. Azazel may have let her go yesterday, but Dane didn’t believe it was out of pure intentions. No, Azazel must have an ulterior motive. A being that wasn’t even human couldn’t possibly love Eve. He was using her to torment Dane, to manipulate the Hound family.

As Dane tried to rush out, the butler stopped him. “You’re not thinking of going out looking like this, are you?”

Dane, ready to push past the butler, paused and looked down at himself. His clothes were wrinkled and covered in dust from who knows where, and he was barefoot. He suddenly realized he hadn’t even washed properly in days.

Seeing him hesitate, the butler continued, “First, you should wash up and change your clothes. We’ll take care of Lady Jenna in the meantime.”

“…Tell her to wait.”

Getting worked up would only make things worse. The more dangerous and challenging the situation, the calmer he had to be. Remembering the lessons from his childhood, Dane straightened his hunched back.

“…Fine.”

The dullness in his eyes disappeared, and his body, which had been swaying unsteadily, stood firm. He had to remain composed and prepare thoroughly to protect both Eve and his family.

***

“Lady Jenna, the master has arrived.”

Eve set her teacup down and stood. She could only blink in surprise as she watched Dane enter the drawing room. Though he had looked weary in recent days, this was the first time she had seen him look this haggard in the three years she had known him.

His sunken eyes and gaunt cheeks stunned Eve. He must not have been eating or sleeping properly. It wasn’t until Dane awkwardly smiled and greeted her that she regained her senses.

“I’m sorry to meet you in such a state.”

“My goodness, Dane… Why did you come here yourself? I could have just visited you in your room… No, at this point, you should have refused to meet me altogether.”

Dane rubbed his hollow cheeks and replied awkwardly, “I’m much better now. Thank you for worrying about me.”

“Canceling the appointment was the right decision. You should rest for at least a week…”

At Eve’s words, Dane waved his hand dismissively. “It’s not that bad. Oh, is that gift for me?”

Though he tried to act fine, the weak smile on his face made her uneasy.

“Yes, I bought it while I was out yesterday. You don’t mind flowers, do you?”

Dane’s pale cheeks flushed slightly as he accepted the bouquet. “…It’s the first time anyone has given me flowers. Thank you.”

Though he seemed genuinely pleased, his frail appearance made him look fragile, as if he might collapse at any moment. She had never seen him like this, even during their time together as husband and wife.

“What exactly have you been sick with?”

“Oh, just a few things piling up… Nothing to worry about. By the way, did Azazel really tell you to visit me?” Dane, still sounding troubled, got straight to the point.

Eve composed herself and answered casually, “Yes. I went to buy flowers yesterday and stopped by the antique shop across the street. That’s where I ran into Azazel.”

“He didn’t say anything else, did he?”

When Eve hesitated, unsure of what to say, Dane dismissed the servants. Once they were alone, Eve spoke again.

“I didn’t get many details, but he said you might be in a bad mood because of him.”

Dane’s face twisted in irritation. “He said that himself?”

Feigning ignorance, Eve asked, “Yes. Did something happen between you two?”

“Something did happen.”

A dark expression flickered across Dane’s face. Eve decided to provoke him a bit more. Though she felt guilty about it, people tended to be more reckless when cornered.

“Would you like me to help you reconcile? I could arrange a meeting.”

“How could you do that?”

Of course, it made no sense for Eve, who was no longer part of the Hound family, to mediate between the two of them.

“Didn’t the young duke send me to you because he wanted to reconcile?”

“Ha, there’s no way.”

Contrary to her expectations, Dane took a deep breath as if overwhelmed by emotion, then shook his head. “No, no. You should stay away from both me and Azazel. It could be dangerous for you.”

Annoyance welled up inside Eve. Both Azazel and Dane were being needlessly tight-lipped. Growing impatient, Eve decided to drop a bigger hint.

“…Dane. Actually, I saw something strange yesterday.”

Dane had already implied that dealing with Azazel was dangerous. If she revealed that she had witnessed something, wouldn’t he be forced to tell her the truth for her own safety? Sure enough, Dane looked horrified.

“…What?”

His face went pale, and Eve felt a twinge of guilt seeing his genuine concern. It wasn’t easy to manipulate someone who truly cared about her. But now that she had started, she couldn’t stop.