A Saint Who Was Adopted by the Grand Duke
chapter-ex18

While Esther was troubled with the overflowing gifts, the empress came running after hearing the news that Deheen had visited the palace.

“Grand Duke!”

As soon as the empress saw Deheen, she bowed her head deeply and expressed her gratitude.

“You have no idea how surprised I was when I heard the news of the pregnancy. Grandchildren are showing up before the joy of the children’s marriage is gone… It’s a double celebration.”

“That’s right. As this is good news, I want it to be spread widely so that many people can celebrate it.”

“Of course. We are already preparing. The children don’t want a grand party, so I’m thinking of sponsoring and volunteering instead.”

“That’s good. Tersia will also be with you.”

“And I am thinking of starting preparations for the soon-to-be-born child. There are many things I want to discuss together.”

“I just had the same thought.”

The rhythm of Deheen and the empress perfectly matched.

Esther interrupted, unable to see the two heating up over their grandchild.

“Don’t do this here, talk inside.”

“Ah. I was so delighted that I left a valuable guest outside. Then, shall we go in for a while?”

“Great.”

As Deheen followed the empress, he also beckoned to Esther.

“It’s a hot day. It’s not good to stand outside for a long time.”

“I’ll follow in a bit.”

Esther urged Deheen and the empress to go in first, then turned her head to the carriage.

While the servants were eagerly unpacking the items, a shoe fell out of one of the boxes.

Esther picked up the shoe that was left behind and placed it in the palm of her hand.

It was so cute and small that she couldn’t even feel its weight.

“It’s really small.”

Noah’s voice flowed from behind as Esther curiously examined the shoe which was only half the size of her palm.

“The child has to wear it as soon as they are born.”

Esther sighed as Noah hugged her from behind.

“You are here again? How many times is it today?”

“The two of us should spend a lot of time together before the baby is born.”

Holding Esther in his arms, Noah put his fingers through the baby shoe and pretended to walk on her hand.

Eventually, Esther burst out laughing, and the two of them looked at each other and smiled happily.

Imagining the day in the near future when their child who would wear the shoes would be born.

★★★

Esther’s pregnancy was announced throughout the empire.

Time passed not only in the love of the family, but also in the interest and affection of everyone.

And on the day of childbirth.

Esther had a hard time because the child did not come out for a long time even after the amniotic fluid broke.

There were a few crises along the way, but in the end, she gave birth to a very healthy baby girl.

“Wah, wah!”

When loud cries of the child resounded, Deheen, Judy, Dennis, and the imperial family, who were all waiting outside the room, all screamed in relief and joy.

“You worked so hard, Esther. Thank you. Thank you so much. How scared I was that something might go wrong.”

Noah squeezed Esther’s hand, who exhausted all her strength and was breathing hard with her eyes barely open.

“What about the child?”

Noah, who stayed by the bed the whole time, swallowed tears and showed the child in his arms.

“She is a very pretty princess. Look at these eyes, nose and mouth. She already looks like you.”

“She looks like you to me.”

Esther gazed curiously at the child who was still crying so hard that she couldn’t even open her eyes.

“The child’s name is… .”

“…Daina.”

Noah called the name he promised he would give to the baby if it was a girl.

Esther’s eyes filled with tears. She blinked slowly, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Mom and Dad will definitely make you happy.”

Noah placed the baby in Esther’s arms. And he gently stroked Esther’s head.

“I will remember this moment for the rest of my life.”

“How can we forget?”

With tightly interlocked hands, the two of them lovingly gazed at their own child for a long time.

★★★

Four years later.

Dennis, who became a researcher at the imperial palace, left to study ancient ruins. After half a year, he boarded a carriage to return.

“Dennis, are you really going to give it to her?”

“What’s wrong with this?”

The eyes of Dennis’s colleague, Jane, widened as she peered at the doll in the box.

The doll looked too scary for a child to play with.

“She will cry as soon as she sees it.”

“How much Daina loves this stuff! She is different from other children.”

Curious Daina has been interested in Dennis’ research since childhood.

“She is really unique.”

“It’s not unusual, she is special.”

Dennis grinned at the thought of Daina.

“She must be bigger now.”

“Are you that happy?”

“She wants to play with all sorts of things. How cute.”

“Why don’t you get married and have your own child?”

“I don’t have the confidence that my child will be cuter than Daina. She is cutest thing in the world.”

Jane let Dennis’s serious statement pass as if she was used to it, and simply agreed Daina was cute.

After a while, the carriage arrived at the palace.

“Jane, you go ahead and prepare the report. I’ll go see Daina.”

Dennis took the box meant for Daina and ran off.

After Daina was born, Esther and Noah moved into a much larger palace.

Running towards it, Dennis found Daina and Judy playing in the garden.

“What are you doing? It’s so dangerous!”

Daina was dangling from Judy’s left arm. Both of them turned around at Dennis’ voice.

“Hey, you are back?”

“Uwncle!”

(TL/N: Daina’s pronunciation still needs work, haha.)

Daina jumped to the ground and ran towards Dennis.

“My princess, how are you?”

“Ung! Where is the gift?!”

Thanks to Dennis’ habit of giving her presents whenever he returned from a trip, Daina automatically held out her hand.

“It’s in here. Let’s go in. I have a lot to tell you.”

“We haven’t played yet. Daina will play with me more. Yes?”

When Daina’s attention centered on Dennis, Judy urgently tried to regain her attention.

But Daina held Dennis’ hand. Seeing that, Judy slumped and crossed his arms.

“Daina, are you going to do this? You just said I’m the best uncle.”

“It’s diffwerent. Now it’s Uwncle Dennis.”

With a winner’s smile, Dennis gave Daina a hug.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes!”

Abandoned by Daina, Judy looked like he had lost everything in the world. But soon, he pursued the two.

In the palace, there was Deheen, who came ahead of time when he heard Dennis was returning.

“Grandpa!”

Deheen smiled brightly and bent his knees when he saw Daina running towards him with the sunlight shining behind her back.

“My princess. Did you play well?”

“Yes!”

Deheen asked Dennis as he carried Daina, who opened her arms for a hug.

“How have you been? Did you achieve what you wanted?”

“It’s as expected. It was a satisfying discovery.”

“Good. Tell us about it when Esther comes.”

“Then I’ll be hanging out with Daina until then.”

“Now? That doesn’t work.”

Deheen looked at the wall clock and shook his head resolutely, mumbling ‘It couldn’t be.’

“It’s her storybook time with me.”

“How about conceding to me? It’s been half a year!”

“No, no! It’s fun!”

After asking Deheen to let her down, Daina ran to the bookshelf and excitedly took out a book.

“Pwease read this.”

“How smart you are that you choose your own book. Okay. Let’s go to the room and read this.”

After Daina was born, Deheen practically lived in the imperial palace and read to her every day.

Noah and Esther also read to Daina, but strangely, the little girl liked Deheen’s voice the most.

“Daina, aren’t you curious about the presents your uncle brought you?”

“Later!”

When Dennis, who had been pushed back by Deheen after seeing Daina for the first time in half a year, stiffened from shock, Judy, who had followed him, tapped him on the shoulder.

“Do you know how I feel now?”

“…I’m so sad.”

“We can’t beat Father. The time and devotion he put into Daina is different.”

“…….”

Unaware of the feelings of her uncles, Daina went upstairs with Deheen and ran through the hallways.

Frustrated and indecisive, her bulging cheeks protruded more, and he had to hold back his laughter at the cute profile.

“Have you decided?”

“Yes! This!”

The second floor of the palace was lined with rooms designed exclusively for Daina.

Each room had a different interior, but the room she chose today was full of things related to constellations.

Deheen raised his hand towards a maid as he entered the room with Daina.

They settled down, grabbing crayons to draw a constellation in the sketchbook. After a while…

“I brought snacks.”

The maid came in with some cookies and donuts and set them on the table.

As soon as she heard the word ‘snacks’, Daina threw the crayons aside, her pink eyes lit up.

Daina, who stood on her short legs then ran towards the table, looked like a rabbit. Deheen could only chuckle.

She tried to pick up a cookie, but the table was too high to reach. So she looked back anxiously at Deheen, pleading for help.

“Grandpa! Help!”

“Your mother loved it too.”

Daina delighted Deheen not only in appearance but also in her eating habits, as she resembled Esther.

Of course, there was a big difference in that she had a tomboyish personality and grew up receiving a lot of love, so she behaved like the world was all hers and asked for anything.

Daina’s growth seemed to depict Esther’s childhood, which he regretted not being able to see in person.

Ame: So… does Daina have brown hair? Or black hair? ;-; author, why are you doing this to us again! Novel/manhwa logic will say she has black hair, but a total mini Esther will be cute and Esther seems to be a mini Catherine (if I’m not mistaken, the Irene in the manhwa has chestnut brown hair and pink eyes) but I still want concrete answers for my imagination…