The Lady and the Stableman

“What does it matter what the lie was about when you already know you’re Isaac?”

Edith calmly entered her room as if nothing had happened.

But Walter had no intention of letting her escape.

『 Seeing her calm reaction, she must have known all along.』

It wasn’t difficult for him to guess when she realized his true identity. It was likely from that incident in the Duke of Lexion’s study.

From then on, Walter thought the way Edith was looking at him was unusual, but looking back, it appeared she had discovered his identity.

『 Did she see my mother’s portrait hanging on the wall on her way to the Duke’s study?』

But now, there was something more important than figuring out why Edith was convinced. He followed her into her room and stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the closed door.

“It’s important to discuss it since M’lady lied about who you spent the night with.”

“…” 

“I wondered who the fancy fellow was for M’lady to consider him the child’s father.”

Walter’s eyes softened.

“So it was me.”

An overflowing sense of satisfaction engulfed his entire body.

On the other hand, every time he came closer, Edith wanted to hide in a mousehole or anywhere she could.

“Edith, I guess you have a list in your head of people you’d consider spending a night with, even if it were only me, huh?”

“…” 

“At the top of that list is me, right? What’s next… probably me, too. Where else would your taste go?” 

Edith backed away slightly as she glanced at Walter.

The reason her face turned bright red as if she had been exposed to intense heat, was that everything he said was true.

Edith had imagined a dozen times meeting Isaac as an adult, reuniting by chance in the capital, and embarking on a deep and passionate romance with him. However, in reality, she spent the night with Walter and became pregnant.

Walter’s suspicion of being the sole man on her list was indeed the truth. Edith had never felt attracted to any other men.

It was impossible to argue against the fact that his handsome face, sensual body, and pleasing voice matched her taste.

“I’m tired, so I need to get some sleep. Go out, Walter.”

Even though Edith tried to give a stern command mercilessly, her voice quivered like a trembling sheep because her heart was pounding.

Walter grabbed Edith, who was about to lie in bed as if she were running away.

“Since you’re tired and, as the only man on your list, I’d like to lie down with you, then.”

He lightly squeezed her cheeks and closed the distance between their faces.

Edith unconsciously closed her eyes as a clean, fresh scent filled her breath.

Their overlapping lips soon felt both hot and soft.

The tight seal of their lips slightly parted, and as their warmth transferred to her, her heart throbbed.

He tilted his face and kissed her lips slowly.

As his actions became increasingly impatient, she wrapped her arm around his shoulders.

“… Isaac.”

As she softly murmured the name buried deep in her heart, he gently laid her on the bed.

Edith enjoyed the feeling of being trapped in his strong body and received the shower of kisses raining down on her.

His lips descended like a flame as if sealing their passion with a kiss. A passionate and heartfelt kiss continued for a long time.

The pleasant tension that only he could evoke slowly spread from her chest to her toes.

Walter’s heart was also beating so fast, almost to the point of dizziness.

Edith was cherishing his name, a name Walter had almost forgotten.

Walter wondered how Edith could even think of telling him such a shameful lie, that the father of her child was Isaac.

His body became tense as he confirmed to her that his presence was irreplaceable.

Benjamin had regarded Isaac as a presence that no one could surpass in her life. For Edith, he had a position that no one could surpass.

“Edith. How does it feel to―.”

… To love the same person twice?

Walter, who was about to ask that question, paused for a split second.

As he realized his momentary uncertainty, it felt like his throat was tightening, and he couldn’t find the words to say.

He wondered if this woman would be anxious and suffocated without him by her side, experiencing unbearable pain if all her veins were cut off.

When Edith talked about the time she spent with Isaac, she always had a gentle smile on her face, but it was unclear if that smile was due to her feelings for Isaac or her childhood memories.

Walter thought it would be nice if just those memories from that time could return, but for now the name ‘Isaac’ was enough, it was the name Edith used to call him when they were younger.

Walter interrupted his train of thought.

If Edith’s heart had not yet fully embraced her feelings, it was just a matter of keeping her by his side until it did.

Once the child is born safely, Edith will not be able to be separated from him, the baby’s biological father…

『 I just need to recover my memories…』

Walter, who had achieved his goal in a short moment, changed the question.

“Were you attracted to the same person twice?”

“…” 

Edith looked at his face, breathing heavily. Her mind went blank as she noticed the soft wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, like a beast that had eaten its fill.

He was right. She had fallen for the same man twice.

“Since you know, come here, Walter.”

Edith pulled him closer as he was smiling leisurely, and kissed him once more.

Since she couldn’t do anything more daring, kissing was the most she could do. But it made her feel incredibly good, sending shivers down her spine.

His body temperature pressed against hers as if Walter was charging towards her like a wild colt.

After a kiss that threatened to push the boundaries, Walter extended his arms toward her.

Edith, lying on his arm and handing him the blue necklace she had received from Mrs. Leah, spoke in a languid and drowsy voice.

“Could you infuse some magic into it? I also want to hear Mrs. Leah’s voice.”

“You’re really good at getting away, aren’t you?”

Walter chuckled and lied about needing to be close to both hear it, causing Edith to move even closer to him.

Then, he folded his arm halfway and hugged her, channeling magic into the necklace.

Edith couldn’t help but smile as she heard Leah’s strong yet affectionate voice.

She became emotional, and her eyes welled up with tears for no apparent reason.

「“I think my son likes Edith a lot too. Ah, I should tell you about my son first.”」 

“Well, I guess I did say that.”

Walter added cheerfully for her, as she was welling up with tears. Thanks to that, Edith’s tears subsided.

After listening to Mrs. Leah to the end, Edith couldn’t resist asking.

“Mrs. Leah didn’t mention who your father is this time either.”

“This time too?”

“Yes, even when I asked her a few times when I was young, she always brushed over the topic of your father. She only mentioned that you’ve never seen your father.”

So that’s why. Walter had no memories or thoughts related to his biological father.

Edith told him what she knew, and he frowned in frustration because he had no memory. 

“Hmm, well… I remember that you mentioned watching him practice combat from a distance. I guess your father’s hobby was honing his combat skills.”

“Was he a knight?”

“I remember you saying, ‘Even if I have talent, it’s no good if I stand out in the eyes of others.’ Oh! And…”

Edith thought that what she would say next wouldn’t be very helpful, but there was one key aspect that Mrs. Leah had mentioned.

“He was a very tall and handsome man. Mrs. Leah used to say to me sometimes that I should meet a handsome man who can fight to vent my anger.”

“M’lady listens very well.”

Edith couldn’t reproach the proudly smiling Walter.

She wondered if it was all just useless information.

Walter might be able to tell that his father was a handsome man if he looked in the mirror.

“Your father appeared to be only a little older than Mrs. Leah… When you were younger, you spoke as if you knew who your father was.”

Edith remembered Isaac saying, with a nonchalant expression on his face, “My father is busy.”

“It would be nice if you recover your memories―.” 

As she was about to say that, something suddenly crossed her mind.

For example, the times when she was intentionally mean to young Isaac or the time when she secretly kissed him while he was napping and ran away just to monopolize the boy she had a crush on.

She even remembered threatening him with tears and a runny nose on her face when she realized he was leaving Fortrion soon.

⋙“Isaac! You have to marry me. Got it? Answer me!”⋘

⋙“Huh?”⋘

⋙“Answer, you idiot! Say you’ll marry me! Promise me you’ll hug me every day after we get married!”⋘

⋙“I-I understand. I will.”⋘

⋙“Where’s the engagement ring? We still need to keep up appearances!”⋘

⋙“A ring? Me?”⋘

“…”

At that time, Edith was in the early stages of puberty, so she was sensitive and obstinate.

She was scared and hated the idea of Isaac leaving.

If Walter found out what she had done to him in the past, Edith would die of shame.

“Why did you stop talking?”

“I… I’ll help you quickly recover your memories of your father and mother.”

Edith spoke, leaving out memories related to herself.

When she reacted like this, Walter couldn’t help but become even more curious.

『 What on earth did this woman do to me?』

Walter felt the need to recover her memories, just to remember how lovely she was as a child.

Walter thought as he patted her while she felt drowsy from his kisses.

They would move to Lexion Manor, make all the necessary arrangements for Edith to give birth in a safe place, and somehow gain this woman’s trust and heart so they could have a wedding right after their child was born.

By doing that, they would be able to start their honeymoon life with a healthy newborn.

Then, he would hire a nanny so Edith could go to the academy, and at the end of her classes, he would pick her up at the academy in a carriage with their baby in his arms…

“Edith, if you’re ready, let’s go back to our home now.”

If he were to take the smiling Edith for a ride in a carriage and bring her to a safe haven where she could never leave, he would be delighted.

『 I wonder if I filled the library with books, would she stay in the manor until she had read them all?』

Walter’s wry smile resembled someone setting a small piece of cheese for a mouse trap.

The next day, a letter from Lexion’s family doctor shattered his ridiculous fantasy into pieces.

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