Eilika’s eyes accidentally drifted again toward his bare chest, and she quickly looked away, embarrassed by her own wandering gaze. Without saying anything, she hurried toward the cupboard.

Opening it, she searched through the neatly folded clothes before pulling out a plain shirt. Turning around, she walked back toward him and held it out.

"Here," she said, keeping her voice composed. "Wear this one. I’ll stitch the buttons back on later."

Damian accepted the shirt from her hand just as a knock sounded on the door.

"I’ve brought the fruits," the maid’s voice announced from outside.

"I’ll get it," Eilika said quickly.

She moved toward the door and opened it. The maid stood there holding a tray filled with freshly cut fruits. Eilika thanked her politely before taking the tray and closing the door again.

As she turned around, she froze for a moment.

Damian had already removed his torn shirt.

His broad shoulders and well-built frame caught her completely off guard. Years of training had clearly shaped his body into something strong and imposing.

Eilika quickly shook her head, forcing herself to look away before her thoughts wandered further.

She walked toward the table and carefully placed the tray down while Damian slipped into the fresh shirt she had brought for him.

Meanwhile, she bent down to gather the loose buttons that had scattered across the floor during their fall.

One by one she picked them up until only one remained near Damian’s shoe.

He noticed it first and leaned down, picking it up between his fingers before handing it to her.

"Here," he said.

Eilika took it quietly and added it to the small collection in her palm.

"Let’s have some fruits," Damian said as he walked past her toward the table.

As he passed, his arm brushed lightly against hers. The brief contact made her pause for a second before she followed him to the table.

Damian had already picked up a bowl with fork and began eating the fruits. Eilika sat across from him and ate from her own glass bowl.

"I must admit," Damian said after a moment, taking a slice of fruit from the tray, "you do have enough strength to overpower someone if the situation demands it."

He paused briefly before adding in a more thoughtful tone, "However, it is clear you have not trained consistently."

Eilika picked up a piece of fruit and took a small bite before responding.

"No," she said calmly. "I was simply flustered."

Damian stopped mid-motion, the fruit still in his hand.

"Huh?" His eyebrow lifted in confusion.

Eilika continued eating as though the conversation were perfectly ordinary.

"The closeness between us caught me off guard," she explained honestly. "I lost my focus because of it."

Her tone was straightforward as if she were merely pointing out a simple fact.

Damian slowly lowered the fruit bowl for a moment and looked at her carefully.

She appeared completely calm, quietly enjoying the fruits without any sign of embarrassment.

"Do not start developing feelings for me," Damian said suddenly.

Eilika lifted her gaze toward him.

"You do realize that is rather difficult when we are husband and wife," she replied matter-of-factly.

She placed another piece of fruit in her mouth before continuing. "After all, you are gradually becoming the place I yearned for... My home."

Then she waved her hand lightly, as if dismissing the thought. "But you need not worry," she added. "What I felt earlier was not love."

She glanced at him with a faint, thoughtful expression. "Perhaps it only felt strange because it was the first time I have ever been so close to a man."

Damian studied her face for a moment before continuing eating.

~~~~

Roman lay on his back in the soft green grass, his small hands folded behind his head as he gazed up at the sky. The afternoon sun was gentle, and tiny clouds drifted lazily above them.

The other boys had joined him. Their earlier game had tired them out, and now they rested quietly, pointing at different cloud shapes and guessing what they resembled.

"Roman," Bram suddenly said, turning his head toward him, "I heard something."

Roman shifted his gaze from the sky to look at him.

"I heard that Madam isn’t your real mother. Is that true?" Bram asked hesitantly. "I don’t mean to offend you. I was just curious... Because Madam treats you exactly like a real mother would."

Leo nodded in agreement from beside him.

"Yes," he added. "Madam cares about you so much."

Roman blinked for a moment before answering.

"My real mother passed away when I was born," he said simply. "The household staff told me she died while giving birth to me."

The boys fell silent as they listened.

"My father remarried not long ago so that I could have a mama again," Roman continued, his voice growing brighter. "And she is wonderful."

A wide smile spread across his small face.

"She loved me from the very first moment we met," he said happily. "And I love my mama too."

His eyes sparkled with pure excitement as he spoke about her.

Leo looked up at the sky again, his expression turning a little sad.

"It must have been lonely for you," he said softly. "After your mother passed away." He swallowed before continuing. "I miss my parents every single day."

Roman thought about it for a moment.

"I don’t really remember my first mother," he admitted. "I was just a baby then."

Then he added thoughtfully, "Besides, I’m only four now... but I will be five very soon."

The boys chuckled softly at that.

"I used to miss having a mother," Roman continued. "Living in that big mansion felt strange sometimes."

He stared at the clouds again as he spoke.

"I wanted to be like the other children," he said quietly. "To have someone tell me stories before bedtime... or someone to play with or someone hear me out."

He paused briefly.

"I didn’t even know what those things were at first," he added. "My friends were the ones who told me about them."

His face slowly brightened again.

"But now I have Mama," Roman said happily.