Refusing Your Ex-Husband’s Obsession: A Guide - Side Story 22 - [Series End]

Side Story 22

Translator: Yonnee

—

“…Honey, we have a daughter.”

“I want to see…”

“Yes, yes.”

The baby, cleaned up by the midwife, was wrapped in a blanket and carefully laid beside Irene.

“Ah…”

Even though she had just been born, her eyes and nose were clearly distinct.

“Her hair color is exactly like yours…”

Ciel whispered with a trembling voice. Though the color of her eyes was yet undetermined, they would surely match well with any shade.

“Hiic, Honey… thank you.”

Overwhelmed with emotion, Ciel cried, holding Irene’s hand and resting his forehead against hers, muttering. Every time Irene had writhed in pain, his heart felt like it was being torn to pieces.

Fearing the loss of her again, he vowed never to have a second child.

Irene couldn’t take her eyes off her daughter, gently touching her cute lips with her finger, which the baby then bit.

Realizing nothing was coming out, the baby made a pouty face, then blinked one eye open.

“Look, Ciel…”

“……”

“Her eyes are just like yours.”

The baby’s eyes, as blue as the sky above them, seemed like a direct copy of Ciel’s. Watching their daughter burst into tears again, Irene let out a small laugh.

“I’ve been waiting to meet you, my little one…”

Irene cradled her child tenderly. This first meeting with the child she had longed to see felt like something she would never forget, even in death.

* * *

“Laura, what’s wrong? Are you hungry?”

The child grew rapidly. She ate well, slept well, and simply looking at her was a joy.

“Why? Are you pouting like that?”

“Right, it hasn’t been long since she last ate…”

“Our little foodie daughter. Mom needs to eat too. That way, she can feed you.”

Ciel expertly held Laura, supporting her neck firmly, which made me smile unintentionally.

“You’ve become quite skilled at holding her, haven’t you?”

“Of course.”

“Byah! Byaaah.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

Watching him respond to the baby’s sounds, Irene picked up a spoon. Although they had hired a nanny, she intended to care for the child herself whenever possible.

She preferred Korean-style parenting over how the people of this empire did it. She wanted to spend all day with her, finding her adorable even when she was just sleeping.

“Laura’s name has become incredibly long.”

As she brought a spoonful of potato soup to her lips, Irene mumbled this, and Ciel burst into laughter. He approached her with Laura in his arms and sat opposite her.

“Laura Asteras Zaer Leopardt. Yeah, it’s quite long. Haha.”

“I wonder if the Goddess really meant for us to use Her name just because she allowed it. Maybe it’s better not to use it?”

“The High Priest sent a gift and a letter insisting we use the name.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Here, eat this too.”

He carefully looked after Irene. Ciel’s eyes dripped with honey, not minding that she hadn’t dressed up properly.

“I love that she has your hair color and my eyes. And she’s so beautiful because she resembles you. Our Laura.”

“I think her features resemble yours more…”

“No, to me, she’s your mini-me.”

“No, she looks just like you.”

Both smiled warmly, insisting the baby resembled the other more. Regardless of who she resembled, she was their child.

“Hu-aahm!”

“Goodness, is our baby princess feeling sleepy?”

Like the doting father that he was, Ciel soon bounced cradled Laura in his arms.

As Ciel gently swayed Laura side to side, lulling the baby to sleep, Irene stopped eating and rested her chin on her hand to watch them.

She then spoke up.

“Laura’s dad.”

She tried calling him with a term of address often used in Korea, where parents were often called through their child’s name. At her call, Ciel turned his head like a malfunctioning machine.

With his expression being so dumbfounded like that, he looked not at all dashing, but that just made him all the more endearing.

“I love you.”

At her words, tears welled up in Ciel’s eyes.

And what came to mind was the saying that even tears might come when happiness overflows.

—The End—

t/n: brb, also crying ;;;-;;;;;

With that, RXO has come to an end~! Thank you all so much for being here on this journey with Irene, Ciel and now our little Laura! That was such a satisfying end to a beautiful love story. I’m definitely going to miss them, but I’m so happy to see them finally have their happily ever after!

Thank you as well for all your support, I wouldn’t have been able to complete this series so quickly without you guys <3 This is the third novel I’ve completely translated (The first and second being ‘Never Saved You’ and ‘Saintess’), and I’m just so happy right now wahh