When I Took Back My Beloved Child Who Had Been Taken From Me, My Husband's Obsessive Love Began. Why? - Episode 12

Lucienne, having steeled herself, got off the carriage and swiftly headed to her destination, ignoring the astonishment of those around her.

Those who pass by on the way are surprised by Lucienne’s appearance, but no one tries to stop her.

Perhaps because of that, there were no problems I had been prepared for, and I was able to enter Leoldo’s room without any difficulty.

What does this mean? Even though Leoldo has become capable of using magic, he’s still just a young child. Why are there no guards standing by?)

I wonder if they might have already taken Leoldo to another place.

However, perhaps because she is his mother, Leoldo’s magical power could certainly be felt in this room.

Even so, there is no one in this place that is supposed to be the living room.

“Lucienne-sama, is His Highness not here…?”

“No, that’s not…”

Lucienne, trying to answer Lite’s question, fell silent upon hearing a noise from the back room.

The back room should be the bedroom, but I can hear the sound of a chair falling and a woman’s voice.

The knight escort brought from the detached palace, wary, placed a hand on the hilt of his sword, but Lucienne, facing forward, waved his hand as if to say it was alright.

It seems that Leoldo is in the bedroom.

Even though Lucienne thought the woman’s voice she heard didn’t seem to belong to Claudine, she nervously stepped into the room.

Then, with a loud click, the bedroom door swings open forcefully.

“Your Highness!”

Accompanied by a woman’s voice close to a scream, a young boy appeared.

The son I was seeing for the first time looked just like Craig.

“Leoldo…”

The name of my son, which slipped out involuntarily, was nothing more than a hoarse whisper.

I brace myself, wondering how Leoldo will react, surprised that there are so many people he doesn’t know, and fearing he might burst into tears.

Nevertheless, Leoldo ran towards Lucienne without stopping.

“Your Highness! You must not go!”

The woman who hurriedly came out of the bedroom—probably a governess—didn’t even look back at her words, and without hesitation, Leoldo embraced Lucienne.

“Mother!”

Called that way, Lucienne momentarily held her breath.

I never imagined that Leoldo would accept me so readily.

Moreover, they call me “mother” without hesitation.

Lucienne hurriedly moved her trembling body and immediately embraced Leoldo’s small body again.

Suddenly, I felt a sensation as if Leoldo’s magical power was coursing through my entire body, and at the same time, I felt dizzy, but for now, I was just happy to have my beloved child in my arms, a miracle I cherished.

Tears keep overflowing and streaming down my cheeks.

“Leoldo… I’ve missed you…”

“Me too, Mother. Claudine and everyone else said that you abandoned me, but I understood that it wasn’t true.”

“I’m sorry, Leoldo…”

It’s quite a mature way of speaking, but the body I hugged is still very small.

Anger welled up as she wondered what they had been telling her two-year-old, and Lucienne looked up at the governess who was just fidgeting behind Leoldo.

But right now, I should focus on Leoldo in my arms.

Thinking so, I lift Leoldo up.

“Leoldo, I want to talk to you a lot, but… could it be that you have a fever?”

I thought he was just in the bedroom for a nap, but as I hold him like this, his body is hot.

I had learned that children’s body temperature is higher, but even so, it feels too hot.

“I’m fine now.”

“Your Highness has been running a fever since last night and has been resting…”

At Lucienne’s question, Leoldo shakes his head vigorously.

That appearance seemed like a typical “no, no” from a two-year-old, cute in a childish way, but it was also painful to see because it was clear they were forcing it.

The caretaker explains in a reproachful tone that it’s because Lucienne has arrived.

Since last night, I had a fever, and I had many questions about why no one was around, not even the supposedly devoted Claudine, but Lucienne headed to the bedroom for the time being.

However, at that moment, the distant murmurs grew closer, and the door to the hallway swung open forcefully.

“Lucy! Who do you think you are?!”

“Who do you think you are? I’m Leo’s mother, you know? Claudine, who do you think you are?”

Claudine questioned her in a strong tone, but Lucienne calmly answered and further questioned her back.

Then, Claudine’s eyes widened in surprise.

If it were the Lucienne of the past, she would never have spoken so harshly.

However, instead of being happy about Claude’s arrival, Leoldo in his arms clung even tighter to Lucienne, hiding his face, reigniting her anger.

Not accompanying Leoldo who has a fever and not providing any guards.

Because of Claudine’s lies, I wasted this entire year.

Above all, I couldn’t forgive them for scaring Leoldo.

“Claudine, what do you mean by having only a caretaker by Leo’s side without any guards? Did you show him to a doctor?”

“Th-that is… You wouldn’t know since you’ve been ignoring His Highness until now, but His Highness often has fevers. So—”

“Even if it’s a common occurrence—it’s precisely because it’s common that we need to be cautious, don’t you think? Yet, judging by your condition, it seems you haven’t shown it to a doctor yet?”

Lucienne averted her gaze from Claudine, who was glaring at her resentfully, and spoke to the woman who was just standing there looking flustered.

“Are you Leoldo’s caretaker?”

“Y-yes… I am called Namia.”

“Right. Then, could you tell me about Leoldo? Also, please call the attending physician.”

“Y-yes!”

Lucienne said that to Namia, then called out to the maid who was awkwardly standing behind Claudine.

Based on the woman’s demeanor, I guessed that she was not Claudine but rather Leoldo’s maid.

The woman hurriedly replied and quickly left the room.

Lucienne then turned her gaze back to Claudine.

“Claudine, is there anything else? If it’s about Leoldo, you don’t have to worry anymore because I’ll be here from now on. Thank you for everything until now. Thanks to you, I was able to recover properly.”

With a cheerful smile, he told Claudine and, without waiting for a reply, entered the bedroom.

And then, Lucienne, still holding Leoldo, sat down on the bed and let out a deep sigh.

Maybe because I was so tense, my dizziness is terrible.

Perhaps sensing Lucienne’s feelings, Aman was always waiting nearby, ready to support her.

“Leoldo, shall we go to bed?”

“No.”

“Why? Since you have a fever, wouldn’t it be easier to rest?”

“I want to be by Mama’s side.”

“Well then, I’ll be here.”

“…Will Mother not be gone?”

“Yes.”

“From now on, forever?”

“Forever.”

Although she could speak the words clearly, the content was still quite immature, and Lucienne smiled gently to reassure her.

Then, Leoldo eagerly lies down on the bed.

Lucienne pulled the crumpled cover closer and draped it over Leoldo.

“Is that scary person not coming anymore?”

“That scary person?”

“I dislike that person.”

“Leoldo――”

“Thank you for waiting.”

I was trying to find out who the “scary person” Leo mentioned was, wondering if it might be Claudine, but I was interrupted by Namiya’s voice.

From behind the slightly out-of-breath Namiya, an elderly doctor appears.

He was Craig’s family doctor since childhood, and Lucienne knew him well too.

Leoldo’s words are concerning, but it’s not a question to keep asking when I have a fever.

Thinking that, Lucienne turned her gaze to the doctor who had arrived.

“Mr. Harry, please take care of Leoldo.”

“Ah… I understand.”

Lucienne was not fond of this doctor.

It feels like Dr. Harry’s gaze is saying that Lucienne is not worth taking seriously.

That’s why, when Lucienne suspected she was pregnant, she refused any examination other than from Aman.

In her later years, Aurelia also refused Dr. Harry’s examinations, leading to rumors about what kind of examinations Aman might be conducting…

Dr. Harry glared at Aman with disdain before giving Leoldo a cursory examination.

“It’s magic-induced dizziness. It’s quite common for young children with strong magic like His Highness. Even His Majesty used to experience magic-induced dizziness often when he was a child.”

“I see… Well then, that’s enough.”

“Huh?”

Thank you very much.

With the feeling that she never wanted to have Leoldo examined again, Lucienne thanked Dr. Harry.

Perhaps he didn’t like the way it was said, as Dr. Harry furrowed his brow and showed his displeasure.

However, there was no way to say anything to Lucienne, the empress, so I nodded silently.

“Then, excuse me. Your Majesty the Empress.”

As if out of spite, Dr. Harry called Lucienne “Your Majesty” and left.

Lucienne quickly shifted her gaze from Harry to Leoldo and gently caressed his face.

“Has your fever gone down a bit? But it would be better if you stayed in bed a little longer.”

“Are you not going anywhere?”

“Yes, it’s a promise. I won’t go anywhere.”

Even if Craig were to come back now and try to drag Lucienne out of the room, I had no intention of ever leaving Leoldo.

Of course, Craig is still away on a regional inspection.

When Craig comes back, there will surely be some trouble, but I’m prepared for that.

Lucienne lightly kissed the forehead of the smiling Leoldo and smiled again, as if to reassure him.