Chapter 151

Side Story (5)

“Don’t you already have some friends?”

“A brother!”

He secretly tried to change the topic into a playmate, but when Ashley shouted firmly, Knox began to hesitate.

“Hmmm… Let’s talk about it when Vivian returns.”

“Otay!”

Although it was only such trivial words, Ashley started smiling brightly, which bloomed a smile on Knox’s face as well. Such a lovely child. Who’d guess that this little creature could be this lovely? Knox playfully hugged the child and bit her cheek lightly.

When the soft cheek was nibbled between the lips, the child burst into laughter. Due to his playful act, her small hands also smothered all over Knox’s face and Knox also started laughing brightly at his daughter’s touch.

Knox then stopped doing his work and spent his time with Ashley instead. They went to the greenhouse together and also walked around the garden. Although Ashley wasn’t walking since he quickly lifted her up as soon as she was about to fall before.

The two had just returned to the study to eat some ice cream since the child said it was hot. Then, a bustling noise began to be heard from the outside. When the horse’s neighs could also be heard, Knox held the child and quickly stepped out of the study.

“Mommy!”

“Vivian!”

The two were really a pair of father and daughter. The two similarly leaned against the rail before calling out to the Grand Duchess in their own way. As her gaze turned upwards after entrusting her luggage to the butler, the father-daughter’s expression got even brighter.

Knox was holding Ashley with one of his hands and approached closer before reaching out to her worryingly.

“Do you have a safe trip? Did anything happen? Also…”

“I went there safely, Knox.”

So, don’t worry too much. Knox smiled out of relief at the appearance of her eyes that curved softly.

“I see……”

Knox’s anxiety was at its peak for months after they first lived together. Due to his worry that she might run away once again, Vivian couldn’t even take a single step out of the Grand Duchy at all.

Now, since Knox had finally managed to understand Vivian’s heart, she could eventually go outside, but he always became like this whenever she returned. Vivian only smiled pitifully at the restless Knox.

She just couldn’t understand his behavior, but on the other hand she could somehow comprehend it. Since she realized how he had lived while she was gone. She reached out to Ashley and Knox before hugging them both.

With Vivian’s return, dinner was served a little early. Just like the usual, the three of them received the servants’ help to the bare minimum, and they laughed together harmoniously.

Subsequent to the dinner, the Grand Ducal couple returned to their own bedroom right after entrusting Ashley to the nanny before they began lying down on bed together while getting ready to sleep. As Vivian turned towards him, Knox also turned his body and started gazing at her.

“It was your first time to be with Ashley without me, right? How was it?”

“…I felt like she had already grown up.”

Knox breathed out lightly. Since the child moved quite actively even when he wasn’t present, he didn’t only experience such trivial problems. The wandering child was just like a time bomb. A cute tyrant that no one knew when and where it would cause any trouble.

“How did you care for her all this time?”

“I’m fine now. There were a lot of people who helped as well.”

Knox’s face darkened when she playfully talked about the past. Oops—Vivian, who swallowed the word belatedly, peered at him, but Knox’s dim face hadn’t disappeared that easily.

“…I am sorry.”

“Gosh. When was it—back then? It’s fine. Please don’t worry about it anymore.”

Vivian said that, but it was quite different for Knox. He could see how much fear was there at that time. He always hugged her, calmed her down whenever she couldn’t sleep as she cried at night the moment she arrived at the Grand Duchy for the first time in a long time.

At that time, he thought that maybe she was only sick, but when he heard that it was due to the pain in her heart, he felt absolutely regretful. Knox intended to live his whole life atoning to her always.

Vivian softly poked his forehead so that Knox could relax his face and it looked like he finally managed to loosen his expression. It was actually by force, but since his appearance was rather better, Vivian smiled.

“Oh, Ashley said something.”

“What is it?”

“She wants a brother.”

The hand that was playfully poking his forehead soon stopped itself.

“…would you like to have one too?”

“Actually, yeah.”

Knox nodded, but he soon added.

“Yet I hadn’t been able to be by your side when you were in hard times before. I heard that there’s a lot of pain involved in giving birth. I don’t want to make you go through all that ever again.”

“Then, if I also want to have one?”

Knox’s breath stopped at Vivian’s words. As if he never expected that she wanted the same thing like him, his widened eyes couldn’t easily return back.

“Do you… really want one?”

“What do you think about it, Your Highness? Do I look like I really want one?”

“You don’t need my opinion. You can decide it all by yourself. I will unconditionally follow that whole decision.”

He whispered to her with a firm expression.

“Vivian. For me, you are the most important, my dear.”

How can I not believe this man if he had said it like that. If it was the old Vivian, she would still be anxious, but now it was utterly different. The accordingly current Knox was someone who wouldn’t even have sexual intercourse if she said that she didn’t want to have another child.

“I…wish to have one. After my brother died of the epidemic and my parents also passed, I felt so lonely being all alone. How good would it be if there was only a relative whom I could lean on? I was so desperate for someone to stand back to back with.”

“Vivi.”

“I was very miserable and lonely. I don’t want to make Ashley feel that way.”

“This time, I will never leave you alone. I swear that I won’t make you feel that kind of thing—forever.”

Vivian smiled brightly upon hearing his vow. If it was him, she could believe him entirely.

“It’s a promise, okay?”

Knox’s hand was clasping onto her shoulder tightly as the two of them made eye contact. The dark room was never an obstacle for the couple. While he licked Vivian’s lips, which seemed to be glowing red despite being in the dark, Knox then leaned his body over hers.

〈 The Monstrous Grand Duke’s Fake Lady 〉 Side Story; End.

Note: Thank for staying until the very end! Please check out similar stories on our website: Duke, Please Stop Because it Hurts!, If I Disobey the Duke, Two Sword and the Angel’s Feather, History at the Library, Beast of the Frozen Night, Undercover Infiltration Duchess, and more!