#7

As soon as the knot in her chest was untied, Leonia demonstrated her abilities better than ever.

“...What on earth happened out there?”

Ferio eyed his daughter suspiciously. Tracing back, the moment Leonia regained her energy was right after an unscheduled trip outside.

“She probably broke through whatever was stifling her.”

Varia replied, brushing it off as nothing serious. She already knew Leonia had met Scandia during her outing.

“But, you know,”

Varia shifted the topic,

“Do you think Leo’s come up with Muscley’s name yet?”

“Judging by how good she looks, I’d ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ say she has.”

“Have you thought of one?”

“No.”

Ferio leaned deep into the sofa and crossed his arms. The glance he sent Varia was full of ease.

“I trust Leo to handle it.”

“Knew you’d say that.”

Varia chuckled. This daughter-obsessed fool completely trusted his child.

“What about you, Varia?”

“Me? Of course I didn’t prepare anything.”

The parents left the second child’s name entirely up to their firstborn.

And a few days later—

“Belleani!”

Leonia proudly announced.

“My sibling’s name is Belleani Voreoti!”

She had spent a whole week thinking it over before finally deciding on Muscley’s name.

But Ferio’s reaction wasn’t what she expected.

“...Leonia Voreoti.”

Ferio addressed her with full name and surname—the one she’d put so much effort into crafting—clearly displeased.

But it wasn’t because of the name.

His black eyes, brimming with displeasure, were fixed on an uninvited guest.

“I hope you’ve been well.”

Scandia greeted the duke and duchess with a faintly tense expression.

Ferio’s irritation was visible. He wanted to slice the man’s neck then and there. His glare said it all.

Scandia only flinched slightly, remaining composed.

Varia, meanwhile, was impressed.

To hold his ground after seeing that face—now that’s someone worthy of Leonia’s recognition.

And Scandia’s tension wasn’t from fear of Ferio. It was the nerves of wanting to leave a good impression on the parents of someone he liked.

“...So,”

Ferio, swallowing his frustration, asked again.

“What was the name?”

“Belleani.”

He managed to suppress his rage only because, truthfully, he liked the name. But his clenched fist wasn’t quite ready to relax.

Thankfully, Varia, massaging his hand beside him, helped loosen his grip just enough to rest it on the armrest instead of crushing it.

“Honestly, I had a hard time coming up with it, but His Highness helped me.”

“I-I didn’t do anything...”

Scandia looked flustered.

“But my Boom-Boom comforted my frustrated heart!”

“You would’ve pulled yourself together with or without me, My Lady.”

The two exchanged warm smiles.

Crack. Something broke in the sofa beneath Ferio. The hand Varia had just managed to pry open ended up smashing the armrest instead.

The little beastling ignored it and said,

“My name means lion, right?”

Leonia pointed to herself.

“But long ago, they used to pronounce Leo as ‘Lea,’ too.”

After returning from meeting Scandia, Leonia had remembered some ancestor names she read in the library. She never thought that hideous name that once meant "Beast’s Butt" would actually help her one day.

Just like that weird name, she combined two words to create a new one.

“I want my sibling to be brave, strong, and fearless.”

They’d already be pretty thanks to their parents, and she could teach them to be smart later. All she truly wished for was—

—for them to have the heart of a Voreoti.

“So I named them Brave Lion, Brave Beast.”

Leonia grinned.

“If it’s a girl, it’s Belleani. If it’s a boy, it’s Belleoni!”

She had long settled on a nickname. Just like she’d thought when she first began brainstorming, they’d call the baby “Lea” either way.

“So now Muscley’s name is Belleani, okay? You have to call them Lea, alright?”

Leonia stomped her feet as she asked her parents.

“What a beautiful name...!”

Varia sniffled, deeply touched. She was so thankful and reassured that Leonia cared this much about her sibling.

“Muscley’s going to love it. I’m sure of it!”

“Hehe, I hope so.”

Leonia giggled with pride.

“You think so too, Rio?”

Varia asked.

“Well...”

Ferio looked sour.

“It’s not bad.”

His curt response didn’t fool anyone. Everyone present knew he genuinely liked the name. The corner of his lips, barely hidden by his hand, had curled upward.

Ferio truly liked the name.

“Belleani.”

His deep, soft voice spoke the child’s name. Varia, whose eyes had grown moist, smiled brightly.

Belleani Voreoti.

At last, the name of the newest Voreoti was chosen.

“...You did well, My Lady.”

Scandia said to Leonia. His gaze overflowed with trust and affection.

“It’s all thanks to Your Highness.”

Leonia smiled as she leaned slightly onto Scandia’s shoulder. The sudden closeness made Scandia jolt and freeze, his face and neck turning bright red.

And Ferio—watching this from just feet away—looked ready to explode.

“Ah! That reminds me!”

Leonia sprang back as if she’d just remembered something. Ferio’s tense gaze relaxed a bit.

“Scandy is Muscley’s godfather now!”

“G-Godfather?”

“Of course! He helped name Muscley!”

No! Please, no!

Varia looked at Leonia in desperation.

Not now! Please just wait a little longer! Your father’s going to collapse again!

She couldn’t bring herself to look at Ferio. But she could imagine his face—he probably looked like he was about to tear the Empire apart.

Luckily, Leonia backed off before going any further.

Varia breathed a sigh of relief.

But she soon realized that her relief had come far too soon.

“Then what should Muscley call Boom-Boom in the future?”

Varia clapped both hands over her ears and shut her eyes tight.

“Brother-in-law? Big bro?”

Of course.

“Leonia Voreoti!”

Ferio sprang to his feet, shouting.

“Waaah, Daddy’s all riled up!”

Leonia grabbed Scandia’s hand and bolted with a mischievous grin. Even while running, Scandia respectfully bowed to Ferio and Varia, saying he’d offer a proper farewell later.

“Our daughter is... wow...”

Varia opened her eyes slightly, stunned.

“What did I feed her to grow up like this...”

“You raised her well, and yet you say that.”

“I should’ve raised her conscience instead of her childhood.”

Ferio muttered regretfully for what must’ve been the hundredth time. He rubbed the back of his neck.

In the proud house of Voreoti—where physical health was a guarantee—he might be the first to die of stress, rage, or high blood pressure. Himself.

As she gently rubbed her husband’s shoulder, Varia whispered to the baby in her belly,

‘Muscley, sweetheart... try to only mildly torment your dad, okay?’

But whether that wish would be granted... even Varia couldn’t be sure.

...If it’s a girl, we’re doomed.

Just imagining going through this chaos all over again gave her a headache.

***

Scandia hadn’t come to the North only to meet Leonia.

When Leonia had been serving as Ferio’s proxy, a letter had arrived from the Imperial Palace. It had stated that someone from the Imperial family would be visiting soon.

That “someone” was Scandia.

He was the imperial messenger sent to deliver the crown’s will.

Which meant the person he should have met first was Ferio.

But their meeting was delayed by several days—because Ferio, boiling with fury, had refused to see him.

Lupe had muttered behind his back that he didn’t know Ferio could be so petty... and promptly had his salary docked with no mercy, ending in tears.

Truthfully, Ferio hated how childish he was acting.

...What the hell am I doing.

He glared across at Scandia, seated before him. The man sat far too properly—no doubt a result of his childhood education as a princess.

I’m going insane.

Leonia might have called Scandia the baby’s godfather, but this—this right here—was the real godfather-and-godchild relationship.

All Ferio had done was help Ibecks and the Empress meet out of goodwill. And now that goodwill had come back to bite him in the ass.

“Duke.”

Scandia, sensing Ferio’s mood, asked carefully,

“May I speak?”

“...Go ahead.”

Ferio waved his hand. The sooner the business ended, the better.

Scandia explained in detail how the recent rebellion had been resolved and the division of compensation. He presented all the related materials.

Once the discussion got underway, Ferio found himself focusing, setting personal feelings aside. He didn’t actually dislike Scandia. He’d known him since childhood. As long as the man stayed away from his daughter, things were fine. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

“So, the establishment of the Southern Knight Order has been postponed.”

“Yes. But talks may resume in a few years. Next time, perhaps to form a navy with the central forces...”

As their conversation neared its conclusion—

“Duke Voreoti,”

Scandia brought up a second report.

“Her Majesty the Empress is pregnant.”

“Fantastic.”

Ferio offered his honest opinion.

“Every time those two meet, a child pops out?”

The result of one such meeting was sitting in front of him now. Scandia had no rebuttal for that.

“So that’s why the crown prince’s investiture is being rushed.”

“Yes.”

“I’d prefer to hold it after the monster hunt.”

“If you attend, the northern gate within the palace will be available for use.”

Scandia continued.

“And... though this should probably be told to the young lady herself...”

Uncertain of how Leonia might react, he decided to ask Ferio first.

“During the investigation into the confiscated assets of House Olor, we discovered a personal stash registered under a false name—belonging to the former Consort Usia.”

“What’s that got to do with my Leo?”

“Life is meaningless, did you know that?”

Ferio twitched an eyebrow. That remark annoyed him.

“You think I don’t know my daughter’s favorite book?”

“The author of that book... was Consort Usia.”

In that moment—

Ferio was struck by the most severe dilemma of his life.

More shocking than learning Connie was a traitor, more terrifying than encountering a god in the northern mountains.

He rubbed his mouth in thought for a long time before speaking.

“This...”

His voice was grave. This was a conclusion reached with the utmost caution.

“...must remain an eternal secret.”

Scandia nodded silently.