"Oh no, you problem children! If you want to do some fighting trainings or whatever you call it these days, NOT IN THE HOUSE! There's plenty of room outside! The same goes for workout, screaming, arguing and anything, ANYTHING that fits into this category! Understood or do you want me to use my fry pan again?"

"But- OUCH!"

"No buts in any kind, you man! I don't care if you're a member of the current first squad in the kingdom and if that kiddo over there is part of a royal squad. Royal, noble, commoner, peasant, whatever, I don't care. I obey to lord Nozel only and also to lady Vanessa. You Black Bulls and Silver Eagles are here to protect lady Vanessa and the little princess, NOT to have fun or to even have bad history between squads, got it or do you want a fry pan? No? Good. Now if you want to train, do it outside or act like the calm and respectful Magic Knights you should be if you stay inside. And don't disturb, my niece and I have work to do."

Asta and the junior knight of the Silver Eagles nodded, frightened, and even saluted as the Silva servant turned back into the small kitchen of the cottage. Vanessa, who sat comfortably in a rocking chair, Aimée in her arms, just laughed at the scene.

Relieved as Theresa disappeared, Asta sighed. This Silva servant was as fierce as the other Theresa he knew, but less calm. She really only obeyed to Vanessa and captain Nozel. As for the protection of his squadmate and the baby, she really took it seriously. Theresa had no tolerance for anything that could disturb young parents, especially the mother, their child and their time together they more than deserve, her words.

This included screaming, working out, fight and arguing, training in the house, as well as potential bad feelings between Bulls and Eagles. There was a bit of it for some members, at the beginning of the shifts, but Theresa and her scary fry pan had been able to silence them, to a point that teamwork between both squads had become actually really good, with some friendship forming.

The fear of Theresa and her fry pan helped the bonding, though. Almost every Black Bull, including captain Yami, had been smashed with it at least once and a lot of Silver Eagles as well.

The junior Knight from the Silver Eagles turned to Asta. Aurelius Or was a nice guy, especially for a noble and his gold magic was amazing.

"So, um, I go outside to train. Wanna join, Asta?"

"Later, I have something to ask my squadmate. But thanks."

"No problem, see you later."

As his current shift partner left, Asta turned to look at Vanessa in her rocking chair, looking at Aimée with all the love a mother could have.

It had been a surprise, really. Not only her relationship with Nozel Silva of all people, but the pregnancy as well. Asta actually suspected that something was off with Vanessa back then. But he didn't understood her Ki, it was very confusing. Asta felt kinda stupid now that he thought about it. But he never read Ki of people in love as far as he knew and neither of pregnant women. He genuinely thought first that she just ate too much and gained some weight when her belly became larger. As for the relationship with Nozel, well, it had been a surprise for every Bull. Except Nero, who knew about it from the very beginning apparently, Gordon, who said that he learned about it and the pregnancy on a mission, as well as Noelle and Finral, who had been told one week before the big announcement.

Asta remembered his first reaction. It was funny to think about it now, but back then he had really embarrassed himself. Since Nozel and Vanessa were having a baby, he asked them when their wedding had been.

Funny thought, but Asta knew today that he had been rather stupid with that question.

Looking at Nozel and Vanessa, seeing how deep their love for each other was, it had make him think. First, it had gave him a lot of hope for him and sister Lily. Since Nozel and Vanessa were visibly willing to face the stupid traditions of nobility and fight them to be together, Asta had thought that it could be the same for him and sister Lily. Once he'd be Wizard King and change society, he could free her from being a nun and marry her. Since another couple was ready to fight for each other, he would as well!

But Asta had observed Nozel and Vanessa, to a point that he began questioning his resolve about sister Lily. What was between them, it seemed different from him and sister Lily. He couldn't really pinpoint what exactly it was, but definitely not the same. Details, subtle as it could be. The way captain Nozel looked at Vanessa and how she smiled so brightly when he would appear, even with a small smile. How his squadmate tucked silver hair behind his ears. How the captain of the Silver Eagles would softly caress her cheek, sometimes washing a tear away with his thumb.

All of those small details seemed to tell Asta something, but he couldn't understand what. Well, they surely were showing him the difference, sadly it was more in a foreign language.

Asta had tried to understand it with his Ki-reading, but even with this ability, he didn't get any smarter. All he managed to find out was that the Ki's of Nozel and Vanessa were working extraordinary well with each other, in a way that was clearly different from Sister Lily. If he had to compare, it was very similar to Noelle's towards him. But Asta knew that it couldn't be the same, this was trust and not love. Somehow.

For a reason, this conclusion didn't sit well with him. But what else should it be? Noelle was his squadmate and friend, of course they trust each other.

In a way, it would still make sense. Shouldn't it having trust in a relationship? Vanessa and Nozel were definitely trusting each other, but that wasn't the only thing. Asta remembered to have read something very similar in how the Ki's of captain Yami and captain William would respond to each other. But they were rather confusing too, in a way, while Nozels and Vanessas were more… open, could he say that?

What other couple did Asta know, so he could compare? Finral and his wife, lady Finesse! That was actually very similar. Still different, yes, but not that much. So there was a special way how the Ki's of lovers were responding to each other.

But that still didn't explained why it was so different with sister Lily and him.

That didn't make any sense! Sister Lily was his own and only true love, but the Ki's of lovers reminded him more of Noelle, but that was trust, he knew that!

So many buts…

What a pain. Especially because of this questioning, Asta had been more thinking about the feelings towards sister Lily than planning their wedding like he used to.

"Asta… I thought you wanted to ask me something. Or why are you looking in space like a lost puppy?"

Vanessa's giggle interrupted his thoughts. She was smirking at him, while baby Aimée looked at him with those big purple eyes. She had her mother's eye colour, but the way she could already look at people was a slightly softer version of her father's glance.

Asta sighed and opted to sit in front of Vanessa, on the floor.

"It's a bit different."

"What do you mean?"

"Your relationship with captain Nozel, compared to Finrals with Finesse."

"Of course it is. No love story is like another one."

That sounded like good news for sister Lily and him. Still, for an obscure reason, Asta wasn't really satisfied.

"I try to understand what you and captain Nozel have."

"Oh, really? Do you have anyone in mind?"

"Of course, sister Lily!"

Vanessa rolled her eyes and Asta couldn't understand why. But it wasn't really new. For reasons they didn't dare to explain, almost every Bull seemed exasperated when he talked about his undying love for sister Lily.

"Don't you have anyone else in mind?"

"Why should I? I'm loyal to sister Lily. After all, captain Nozel is loyal to you too, right?"

"He is, but that's not the point."

"What do you mean?"

He really had no idea what Vanessa wanted to say. His squadmate rolled her eyes again, while Aimée was still looking at him. Was it just him or did the baby looked kinda disappointed? Not to mention that the glance was a lot like Nozels again.

"Asta, there's a difference between a childhood crush and deep love. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about."

Vanessa sighed, before looking at Aimée. "It happens that your true love is someone you fell with in your childhood. You remember Mars and Fana, that's the case for them. But for most people, it's not the case. For example, you can have a crush and got your heart broken from it, because the other person would never be interested in you in the way you wish. You can meet other people, maybe without feeling much, to try and when you fail each time, you might end up thinking that love is not for you… until you met that person that proves you wrong."

There was something in her voice and her Ki that make Asta think Vanessa was speaking from experience. He really hoped that this example didn't apply to everyone, because it sounded like a painful way before you find true love.

"There's also Finrals example. Maybe you already met your true love at first, but due to circumstances, you can't be together and you begin to flirt and date countless persons, before you finally get a grip of yourself, to fight and win and marry your true love in the end. Let's not forget to people who deny their own feelings, taking a lot, lot of time before accepting them and maybe even take some more time too before finally admitting them out loud. And another example, we have those who are oblivious, fixated on some fantasy or not interested at all, who don't realize that their true love is just in front of them. Well, I can tell you about thousands of examples. It is always different. The first person you may love don't need to be the love of your life."

Asta could get. Somehow. But then, what about him and sister Lily? "What about love at first sight?"

"Oh, it happens. But not to everyone and even if it does, you might not realize it at first. This is often the case, because you will need time to know the person more. If you don't, maybe you will end up loving a certain image of that person, that isn't the real one. So, I think it's better to be careful with love at first sight. You better get to learn and to know the person first before you give in."

That wasn't the answer he expected and it made him think even more. When Asta had meet sister Lily for the first time, he had been convinced she was the one, the love of his life. He didn't question anything. Okay, he was five years old when he met her, but even now more than a decade, he didn't question.

Because questioning his undying love for sister Lily would mean to be unfaithful and Asta would never be unfaithful. When you love, you have to be loyal to your lady love.

And he still did, after seeing Nozel and Vanessa together, observing their love for each other, he couldn't help but start to question. The difference was invisible, but still strong enough that Asta had to start wondering.

Did sister Lily ever looked at him the way Vanessa looked at captain Nozel? Asta couldn't really tell. If he had to compare, it would be more like the way his squadmate looked at her baby right now.

But Vanessa said that each love story was unique in his own way, so sister Lily would not exactly look at him other people would look at their lovers.

Right?

Asta was still questioning, he couldn't help. He definitely knew that Grey and Charmy never looked at him that way and Noelle… well, he wasn't sure. Most of the time, she would look exasperated and shot him with some water balls. But sometimes, she was looking soft. Of course, they were squadmates, after all. So, she cared for him.

Besides, from all the couples he knew – not much, he admitted, but still – none of them were in the same squad. Heck, in Finrals case, his wife wasn't even a Magic Knight. Asta guessed that it would be complicated to date when you're in the same squad, with all the missions and duties. Besides, the Black Bulls were like a family, so it would felt wrong to fell in love with someone you consider family.

Right?

Asta wasn't satisfied with those conclusions and he didn't even know why? This was such a pain to question about!

"You know what? Just think calmly about what I told you and come back to me when you realize some things. But please, don't overthink, this isn't like you."

"You're right," Asta sighed. He didn't want to overthink, but he really shouldn't ignore it. Even if it made no sense to him, the fact that he was questioning his love to sister Lily had to mean that something was off.

He watched how Vanessa looked again at Aimée, smiling. He felt warm at this sight. His squadmate really loved her daughter and it was so unfair that so many people wouldn't let her be a mother, for the most stupid reasons.

Asta sighed. He would never have thought that after their victory in Spade, they would return to Clover only to face another crisis. They didn't even had the chance to properly celebrate because of this sudden movement against illegitimate children.

He didn't understood first what illegitimate really meant. He heard the term before, but he only learnt the real meaning recently. As for the word bastard, well, he knew now that it was more than one of those insults that Magna would scream at Luck.

Nobility has its problems, but Asta never would have thought that it could be so complicated within those circles when he became a Magic Knight. It hurts a lot of people, royals and peasants, commoners and nobles alike. But it was probably better that he knows this complex truth now. When he'll be Wizard King and able to create this happy, fair world he dreamt of, he had to know what problems hide in their kingdom. If he knew the problems, he could fight them better and make things right.

Yes, he'll become Wizard King and make this dream a reality.

"How are things at the Hideout?"

"If you ignore the letters and tried visits of angry nobles, the captures of bastard criminals who won't stop insulting us, the tension we can feel even in the Forsaken Realm, the fact that Finral now goes home every evening, that Noelle spends more time at the Silva palace than before, that Nebra visits a lot and is really working on being not insulting that it became fascinating, that we have to be more careful with getting hurt and with hangovers since you're not here, it's pretty normal, I guess?

"Oh, come on, I'm still brewing those hangover potions and give it to anyone who has shifts right now. Now also for the Silver Eagles. I even teached Theresa and Ninon how do brew those. How do you manage to still screw it up, somehow?"

"I don't know. But I guess we all can feel how heavy the tension is. Well, we can't help it, since this whole thing with you and captain Nozel became public."

"I know."

Vanessa looked down on Aimée again. There was sadness in her eyes and her Ki.

"Do you feel regret, sometimes?" Asta asked softly.

"I don't regret anything involving Nozel and Aimée. I love Nozel, I don't want to miss anything we had, have and going to have. As for Aimée, for us she is like a gift we didn't ask for, but we feel blessed to have her. It's just… I want to be together with Nozel, to be happy with him, to raise our daughter without having to hide her while getting desperate to find a solution."

Vanessa leaned down to peck Aimées forehead, before continuing, "I don't regret hiding here. It is something I choose to do and this cottage is definitely more a sanctuary than a cage. But it sucks that I can't helping Nozel more than I can right now."

Asta nodded in understanding. That was a heavy lesson, to learn that finding a solution is such a complex task. He tried to help as well cramming through papers and laws, from time to time. But it was difficult and he really wasn't one of the best helpers on that matter. Still, Asta was determinate to help at the best he could. For Vanessa of course, and Aimée. But also for Nozel.

Asta might not know everything about captain Nozel Silva yet. But he learned so many things about him since they announced their relationship and even more due to his behaviour during this whole mess.

To stand this strong despite having the majority of nobility and royalty question his decisions, to stand with Vanessa and accept, embracing even his fatherhood, to fight those hardships and not giving up… how could Asta not admire the captain of the Silver Eagles.

He might start even to understand why Vanessa fell in love with him.

"Don't worry too much, Vanessa. One day we will win this battle, so captain Nozel and you can be happy in the open without fearing about Aimée."

"I know, Asta. Thank you."

Maybe understanding the feelings Nozel and Vanessa had for each other would help him understand about his own for sister Lily.

For an obscure reason, Asta began slowly to think about Noelle again.

This was unbearable!

If it weren't for Fuegoleon and Rill holding him back, Nozel would have threw some of his most powerful and destructive spells, maybe even Silver Star of Execution, on this people. They didn't even deserved to be called nobles, but even he had still a tiny bit decency left to not say it out loud.

He wasn't the only captain who needed to be hold back. Yami would have put a Dimension Slash on those people, but William and Kaiser were holding his arms with all the strength they could afford.

Maybe Jack was close to lose it as well, given how close Dorothy and Charlotte were standing to him. The only person in this room who looked actually calm was Julius, even though he wasn't smiling. Nozel wondered if the Wizard King had a storm raging behind the calm façade.

Just as today's captains meeting had ended, a group of nobles – people – from the anti-bastard coalition had demanded an audience. Of course, without taking a no for an answer.

His father was not here. Of course not, he would rather be at a secure place and enjoying luxury instead of facing his son again. But Nozel knew that he was behind this, that he surely organized it. Those people said their things in a way that it just had to come from him.

"But you have to understand, the situation in the kingdom is very unbearable at the moment," one of the people said, a man from a noble house that Nozel didn't remember right now and surely didn't want to.

Yes, it is unbearable. And the sky is blue.

"We are rather aware of the current situation, lord Guise, thank you very much," Charlotte replied stiffly. Maybe Dorothy would need to hold her back as well soon enough.

"Well, now that many of those bastards are now living as bandits, it actually proves our point. Bastards are a shame."

It didn't proof anything. It just showed that the unfairness and corruption became unbearable, to a point that victims could turned into criminals in order to take revenge.

"A lot of those criminals actually lied about their status," Julius explained calmly. "And there are many bastards who disagree with what these people are doing." He didn't use could, good. It could had been used against him, to proof their so-called point. "An unbearable situation we are working on to ease, but sadly your coalition isn't helping. We need to work together to find a solution-"

"The solution is simple, you should make a new law that forbids bastard and have every illegitimate person executed!" a woman shrieked.

Nozel clenched his fists while Fuegoleon and Rill were now holding him even harder. He really hoped for this woman that her horrible suggestion was just spontaneous, because if not, it would also suggest to execute babies who are bastards and in the name of his little daughter, he would personally imprison this wench just for the suggestion.

"This is rather extreme, don't you think, Mylady?" Julius replied in the most diplomatic way. "It would be horrible to execute citizens of our kingdom just because of their status. Bastards are also part of the kingdom, building it, working for it, defending it like everyone else."

Julius made a subtle gesture towards William, but of course the members of the coalition didn't take notice. They would rather ignore that a captain of one of the more popular Magic Knight Squads had been a bastard himself.

"Then make a law that strip them from their citizen-" the same horrible shrieking voice yelled, but was interrupted by the leader: "Dear sister, let's not suggest new useful laws in wrath. Actually, we are also here for a very specific bastard."

Now, lord Guise was looking directly at Nozel. He heard his fellow captains inhale sharply. But the captain of the Silver Eagles straightened himself, forcing himself to stay calm despite the painful, raging storm in him. But if he let go of his emotions, it would be turned against him and worse, against Vanessa and Aimée as well.

He had to stay calm, because now surely comes the part that has the most importance to his father. Nozel was determinate to not let him win in any way, no matter if he's here or not.

Hopefully, he would be able to win this battle here. For Vanessa and for Aimée.

"I can already imagine what you're about to suggest, lord Guise. And the answer is no."

"But, lord Silva, you surely understand that you can't throw away all the expectations the people trust you with just for a witch and a bastard child. You're one of the strongest, strong willed and most incorruptible people in this kingdom and a royal, you won't throw that away. Well, if you absolutely want to keep your son, I have a friend whose daughter is infertile. You can marry her and the reputation would be safe and the decency-"

"What part of No was too complicated for you to understand?" Nozel asked, in his most calm and menacing tone. Fuegoleon and Rill slowly let go of him.

He didn't point out that he hadn't a son, but a daughter. It was almost funny that the nobility in the coalition just assumed that his bastard was a son.

"But lord Nozel, that witch obviously easily bewitched you, you have to understand that-"

Alright, he wouldn't hear anything else of this insulting nonsense!

"Is that really all the trust you have in me?"

His voice was still calm, but even more menacing, making the air in the room cold as his mercury. These people didn't need to know what a storm was raging behind his mask.

"Lord Guise you just said, not even a minute ago, that I'm one of the strongest, strong willed and most incorruptible persons in the kingdom. As well, you reminded everyone in this room that I'm a royal, with immense amount of mana. So, with those arguments, I couldn't have been easily bewitched and let's say it out loud, even bewitched at all, as you dare to pretend. Shall I point out how ridiculously contradictory you sounded?"

Lord Guise gulped and none of his companions seemed ready to take over the lead. Good. He won't let them any opportunity to turn tables.

"That witch you're talking about with such disgust has a name. Vanessa Enoteca. She is a Magic Knight, a wonderful one at that and she already served the kingdom more times than you ever did."

Nozel paused, letting his words making their effect, before continuing, "Vanessa didn't need a spell or some shady love potion. All she did was falling in love with me… and I fell in love with her."

He heard some people gasping and maybe some of his fellow captains were quite surprised to hear him confess his love out loud. Nozel almost smiled. He never knew how much he wanted to say those words in the face of the bigot nobles before he actually did it.

"You won't say this out loud, at least yet, so allow me. You're all upset at me, disappointed even. Why? For one, I have a bastard. But is this really anything new? Tell me, lord Guise, have you ever fathered an illegitimate child, at least once? And what about the others members of your group? Offspring you never accepted, who now are living in the Forsaken Realm or maybe growing with another name in another House than your own?"

Other gasps, even from the other captains. Nozel knew he was bold. The old he would never had told this forbidden truth in the face of nobles with big influence. But that was in the past. When he was still living to the expectations of everyone, when he still put everything before himself. When Vanessa wasn't part of his life.

Today she was and Nozel would fight for her, for their daughter, so that one day they would be together in the open.

"The weddings within royalty and nobility are mostly political alliances. If love would have been a reason to commit adultery, I would have more understanding. But since when does love have importance in your eyes, lord Guise and anyone like you? No, if you have ever fathered any illegitimate children, lust would be the reason."

Nozel took a deep breath. He needed to stay calm, if he let loose of his wrath and get loud, it could be used against him. "Second, you're also upset that I didn't acted accordingly, at least to your standards, with my own bastard situation. Which would have been to abandon the mother and the child, taking no responsibility for my actions, ignoring the consequences. But that's not me, it would never be me. I am literally sick of the expectations so many have of me. Isn't it normal that I should take responsibility for the child I fathered, that I should take care of the woman I made pregnant? Even more, I love the mother of my child, so I can't abandon her. As for the bastard, despite the status, you should know that the baby is first my child. Our child. None of you has the right to take this away and if you try, I'll make sure you'll regret it."

Lord Guise looked like he was going to say something, but Nozel didn't let him. "You surely not done speaking to me, but I'm done listening to you. So I will take my leave."

He began to walking away, but he didn't run. That would have looked like he was fleeing away. Maybe he was, in a way, but that wasn't any of his fathers and the coalitions business.

The people stepped actually away. He didn't looked any of them, even not as he stopped at the door to say. "One last thing. Whatever you might think of Vanessa, she has more nobility in her heart than any of you combined have in your veins."

Gasps again, but Nozel left, without a glance behind. He would have liked to see the faces of his fellow captains, especially Yamis, but he couldn't. Nozel knew that looking back would might have looked like a weakness and that was a risk he wasn't ready to take. Any risk that could lead for him to lose Vanessa and Aimée was too dangerous.

Nozel was glad he managed to stay calm while facing those people of the coalition, but inside it was a raging storm. He surely had won this battle today. Still, that wasn't the war and he had no idea what the coalition would do to use his speech for their schemes. Or what his father would do to use it against him.

Not to mention that his action surely will become public. And when the bastards turned criminals would hear about it, how will they react? Will it calm them down in their felonies or give them more reasons to rage on?

Nozel had no idea. He had to find a solution, to find ways to use, but he still felt like was on sea. With just horizons and nowhere to land.

"Silva."

"Kira."

He passed Damnatio, with only a nod as greeting. He didn't want to talk to him, not while he was still a raging storm inside and tired.

Damnatio was one of the rare ones who hadn't choose side in this whole mess, at least yet. Whatever he would decide what might be better for the sake of the Clover Kingdom, it will have at least some impact.

It was maybe a good thing that Damnatio has more respect for the Wizard King than for his own Head of House.

Nozel sighed. That meeting with those nobles exhausted him more than he thought. Never had it been so difficult to stay calm, to wear the cold mask he has used for years. All he wanted now was to get back to the cottage, to see his family. He wanted to see Aimée, he wanted to hug Vanessa, to tell her that he loved her… He almost lost her once, he refused to take any risks that would separate them forever.

The screams were already unbearable. Something was wrong with the birth, he knew that when he saw the worried faces of Owen, Theresa and the mid-wife, while Vanessa screamed in pain, calling for him, not realizing anymore that he was holding her hand. It was all Nozel was able to do.

And still, she was strong. Whenever she was told to push, she did it. Like her body knew with instinct what to do still, despite her mind being blurry with pain.

But the worry wouldn't stop to grow. Nozel had feared to moment when Owen or the mid-wife would turned to him with a sad look on the face, asking which one should survive.

Nozel knew that he would never had been able to make such a horrible decision.

That moment never came, but still it wasn't over with the worry. Hearing the first cry of the baby for the first time wasn't a relief at all, because just at the same moment, Nozel had felt Vanessas grip on his hand loosening swiftly before her own fell down.

Actually, the silence was worse than her screams. And he couldn't do anything!

As if it wasn't enough that their situation was already uncertain, now he had this unbearable feeling, hoping beyond all that Vanessa would live and endlessly fearing she would not make it.

He had barely realized how he was led out of the room, how Owen was talking into some communication device, how Theresa took the newborn in charge with a haste.

Nozel stood now at a window of the cottage, without seeing anything, thoughts full of worry for Vanessa. He hated being unable to do anything. It reminded him too much of the worst times of his life, when his mother fought Vanica and Megicula while he was there helpless, holding Noelle in his arms. Those unbearable months watching his mother fading away, unable to do anything against it. All his regrets with his family, with Noelle… He was back in this state.

What will he do if he loses Vanessa?

Nozel clenched his fists. He hated that question. He hated it so much. Losing Vanessa would have the same amount of pain of losing his mother and all of his siblings. Could he live without her? Maybe, even though Nozel just knew that he'll never could love any woman again as he loves Vanessa. Knowing him, he would stay true to her until he dies.

This thought was so painful! He didn't want to lose Vanessa, he wanted her to live! So hoped and prayed all he could, even though the perspective of losing her was too strong to ignore. Especially for him, he already lost one person dear to him in the worst way possible.

On part of him would surely die with her. Nozel was convinced of this. But… Vanessa would want him to live, like his mother wanted. So he would, even if he had no idea how he would manage it. But he must, after all he needed to take care of their child.

Their child…

Could their child be raised without a mother?

Could he raise his son or daughter alone, without Vanessa?

Nozel put a fist on his mouth. He refused to cry, it would mean giving up! It felt so much like when mother died. Would he fall into the same spiral if he'll lose Vanessa?

A horrible thought crossed his mind just at this moment. What if… what if he would hate his own child because he lost Vanessa?

No! No, he couldn't do that! He didn't want to hate the last thing Vanessa would leave behind! It was their child, he was the father, he couldn't let himself to hate an innocent baby! It would be the same situation with Noelle all over again!

Nozel closed his eyes. Clenching his fists, forcing himself not to cry, hoping and praying with all his might, he didn't realize how a new person entered the cottage, running past him and how Ninon, Theresa's young niece, approached him quietly.

"Lord Nozel?

The captain of the Silver Eagles turned towards her, forcing himself achingly to not cry, to not show anything of his current state.

Without much success it seems, as Ninon looked at him with compassion, before handing him a bundle.

"It's a girl and she's healthy. I thought… I thought you might want to hold her."

The bundle was put softly in his arms. It felt like that time when he held Noelle for the very first time. And this memory brought all those painful ones all over again. Nozel closed his eyes, trying to chase them away. He refused to remember them, any of them.

Ninon left, leaving him alone with his child he didn't even looked at yet. What a horrible father he must be? Would he really be better than his own? Fighting the tears away started to be too painful…

Just at this moment, he heard the door of the bedroom open abruptly and Owen telling him: "Nozel, Vanessa will make it! She's going to live! She's still passed out, but she'll make it."

Relief washed all over him while he was still processing the news.

He didn't lost her. He didn't lost Vanessa.

That was all Nozel could think about as he finally took a first look at his daughter. Beautiful big eyes like amethysts glanced at him, a bit scared of her first impressions of the world.

She had her mother's beautiful eyes.

Nozel finally smiled. He didn't lost Vanessa. The love of his life would still be with him. And he was holding their daughter in his arms right now.

Their little Aimée…