The Duke's Unwanted Second Wife

Roman shifted beneath the duvet, his eyes fluttering open as his sleep broke. The moment he realized Eilika was sleeping right there beside him, he bolted upright, his drowsiness vanishing instantly.

”Mama is back!” A wide, radiant smile transformed his face as he lunged forward to hug her. He buried his tiny face against her chest, the sudden warmth of her presence grounding him after a night of nightmares.

Eilika’s eyes filled with tears again as she wrapped her arms tightly around him, pulling him close. ”A very happy birthday, Roman,” she whispered, pressing a long, tender kiss to his forehead.

Roman pulled back slightly to look at her, his eyes bright with wonder. ”Mama, you woke up!” he exclaimed.

”Yes,” she said softly, propping herself up on her elbows to face him properly. ”I heard you were crying yesterday.” Her hands moved to cup his tiny, warm cheeks, her thumb tracing his skin with infinite tenderness. ”Did Mama hurt your heart?”

”You were nowhere to be found,” Roman whispered, his bottom lip trembling into a pout. ”I thought you left me. I heard the servants saying you went somewhere... and I was scared. You weren’t upset because of me, were you? Did I do something bad?”

”No, baby. Never,” Eilika murmured, her heart aching at his innocent fear. She leaned in to caress his cheeks again, her gaze locking onto his. ”Why would you ever think that? You are the best thing in my world.”

Damian, his own exhaustion momentarily forgotten, rubbed his eyes as their voices pulled him from his thoughts. He watched them from the edge of the bed, his heart tight at the sight of them reunited.

”It’s just... I thought I kept asking for you all the time, and that’s why you went away,” Roman murmured, his voice small and thick with lingering doubt.

Eilika pulled him into a fierce hug, her hands patting his small back in a steady, comforting rhythm. ”That is not true, Roman. Never think that. I am always here for you. Always.” She looked up at Damian, her eyes pleading with him to help shift the heavy mood.

Damian was quick to step in, his expression softening as he reached out to ruffle his son’s hair. ”Roman, your father is awake now,” Eilika said, guiding the boy’s attention. ”Seek his blessings on your birthday.”

Roman immediately scrambled toward the edge of the bed to face Damian. ”Please bless me to grow up quickly and become strong,” he said with sudden, serious determination. ”I want to be strong so that I can protect both of you.”

”You will, Roman. All of my blessings are with you,” Damian said, his voice thick with pride as he looked at his son.

”Thank you, Father,” Roman replied, though a look of confusion crossed his small face. He brought a pointer finger to his chin, thinking hard. ”But... when did I come here? Did you bring me here last night? I don’t remember.”

”Yes,” Damian stated firmly, meeting the boy’s curious gaze. ”I promised you that your mother would be by your side in the morning, and I intend to keep my word.”

Roman nodded, a look of pure satisfaction settling over him. ”Yes, you did.”

”Now, you must get ready,” Damian asserted, shifting back into his role as the head of the house. ”Have a warm bath; once you are finished, you are to greet every elder to seek their blessings. And remember, the King is staying with us, so I expect you to be an obedient boy today.”

”Okay!” Roman chirped, his excitement for the day finally overriding his fatigue.

”I will take you to your room,” Eilika said, already stepping down from the bed with a renewed sense of purpose. ”Then, we will select the perfect birthday clothes for you.”

”Eilika, the attendant will take him to his chamber,” Damian interjected, his tone calm but firm. ”He can choose his clothes after his bath. Stay for a moment; I need to discuss the donations I make in Roman’s name today.”

Roman’s ears perked up at the mention of the tradition. ”Father, now that I am five, can I be present while you are giving things to the needy people?”

”Yes, you will be by my side this year,” Damian promised.

”Then, let me at least walk you to the door,” Eilika told the boy, reluctant to let him out of her sight so soon. She took his small hand and walked him out, ensuring he was safely with his attendants before returning to the room.

”So, what do you have to discuss? Shall we get ready first? There is so much to look into for the celebration,” Eilika said, her mind already racing through the day’s tasks.

”I have something else to tell you,” Damian said, his tone shifting into a heavy, unsettling seriousness.

”You’re scaring me. Is everything fine? Is it the poison?” Eilika asked, her voice rising with concern.

”I’m fine. Don’t be anxious,” he reassured her, though his eyes remained dark. ”Before I was poisoned, Maurice brought an important piece of information to me regarding my late wife. It was hard for me to believe. I wondered if Maurice had been misled, or if the woman I once married was ever truly who she claimed to be.”

Eilika knitted her brows together. ”What do you mean?” she asked, stepping closer to him until she could feel the tension radiating from his frame.

”Liliana... she and August knew each other long before I met her. He placed her in my life as a weapon, a way to avenge himself,” Damian explained. ”I was so consumed by your departure that I didn’t have the chance to confront him properly, but the past is far more twisted than I realized.”

”Wait! Are you saying Liliana and August plotted against you? What kind of revenge could warrant that? What are you saying, Damian?”

”That I’ve been fooled,” Damian replied bitterly. ”August has been scheming since we were children. I once reported his behavior to the King, which resulted in his banishment. He has blamed me for his exile ever since.”