Roman sat quietly near the window on the chair, holding the soft toy in his hands while looking at the pouring rain.

"Young Master, when did you wake up?" asked Louis as he walked into the room.

"Uncle, Father, and Mother have still not returned," Roman replied, tilting his head slowly to look at him. "Are they stuck in the rain? Shall we go and search for them?"

Louis stopped next to him and placed his hand on Roman’s small head. "Your parents are safe, boy. In Tulip Hill, there are many houses to stay. They must have taken shelter in one of them," he explained, telling the boy not to be worried.

"But the thunder is so loud," Roman whispered, hugging his toy tighter.

"The Duke is a strong man, Roman. He knows these hills well," Louis reassured him. "And your mother is with him. They are likely sitting by a warm fire in another cottage just like this one, waiting for the clouds to clear."

Roman looked back at the dark window, watching the rain lash against the glass. "I want to stay awake until they come back."

"Then I shall stay here with you," Louis said, pulling up a chair. "We can listen to the rain together until it stops."

"Uncle, you don’t need to step out of your comfort. I am good at waiting," Roman replied.

"So am I," Louis replied. "Also, I believe your parents will return tomorrow. Let them enjoy each other’s company. That is how you are going to have a sibling to play with," he pronounced with a grin.

"A sibling?" Roman got curious now. "You mean my younger brother or sister?" he asked.

"Yes, boy. Don’t you want a little sibling to play with you?" Louis asked.

"Uncle, I would love to," Roman replied with a big smile.

He looked down at his soft toy, imagining a smaller version of himself running through the gardens or hiding behind the heavy curtains during a game of hide-and-seek. The fear of the storm seemed to drift away, replaced by the warm thought of a growing family.

"Would they be small like me?" Roman asked, his eyes wide with wonder.

"Even smaller," Louis chuckled, watching the boy’s excitement. "They would look up to you for everything. You would have to be a very brave and wise older brother."

Roman nodded seriously, as if accepting a grand new title. "I can do that. I will always protect them."

Louis smiled and sighed in relief. "I hope Damian opens his heart soon. But it still seems a far-fetched dream to me," he murmured.

~~~~

"I will help you cook dinner," Eilika said to Freya, stepping into the small kitchen area.

"No. Why would you? You are our guests," Freya stated, waving her hands as if to shoo the Duchess away from the hearth.

"Please, sister. Let me help you. I won’t feel good if I let you do the work alone," Eilika asserted with a warm, insistent smile.

Freya paused, looking at Eilika’s refined features and then at her own worn hands. "Alright. Then, you can peel the potatoes. I am thinking of making a potato broth along with the rice. This season the crops didn’t grow well, so we don’t have many options to include in the meals," Freya answered as she handed a plate to Eilika with the potatoes and a small knife on it.

Eilika took the plate and sat on the tiny wooden chair, beginning to peel the potatoes. She worked carefully, mindful of the fact that every bit of the vegetable was precious to this family.

"So, are you two newlyweds? You two don’t seem to be from Netham," said Freya as she cut the meat which her husband bought earlier in the morning from the market.

"Yes, we married not long ago," Eilika replied, her hands steady as she worked through the pile of potatoes. "Do you two live only in the house?"

"Yes, for now. Our son is studying in the capital," Freya replied, her voice softening at the mention of her child.

"How old is he?" asked Eilika with curiosity.

"He will turn nineteen next month. He is learning medicine. Though it is quite an expensive course for people like ours, but he was always interested in it, so we decided to let him study," Freya replied. "They say education can help eradicate poverty."

"You are right, sister," Eilika answered, moved by the woman’s determination to give her son a better life. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"I am too old to be your sister," Freya chuckled and looked toward the boiling water in the pot. She wiped a stray strand of hair from her forehead with the back of her hand. "But your kindness makes me feel as if I’ve known you for years."

Eilika simply smiled, her hands continuing the steady rhythm of peeling.

"How is married life so far? Once kids come, you are more concerned for them. Life is all about them and less about yourself," Freya stated, stirring the pot.

"You are right. I can see you’re a wonderful mother to your son," Eilika stated. "Shall I cook the potato broth?" she asked, looking for the next step in the meal.

"Yes, why not?" Freya allowed her to, stepping aside to give Eilika more room at the hearth. "Oh, by the way, your husband appears to be quite handsome, as if he belongs to a noble class. What does he do?"

Eilika got stuck at that question for a moment. Her mind raced to find a way to describe a Duke without revealing his title. "He orders... I mean, he is in management," she finally managed to say. "He oversees a very large estate and makes sure everything runs smoothly for the people there. It keeps him very busy."

"Ah, a land manager then? That explains the serious look on his face," Freya said with a nod of approval. "It’s a heavy responsibility, looking after so much. No wonder he needed a trip to the hills to clear his head."

Eilika felt a small sense of relief that the explanation had worked. She began adding the sliced potatoes into the simmering broth.