To My First Love, With Regret - 45

—Don’t touch me, you whore!

The potent remedy didn’t last even ten seconds.

—Anthony Sherwood, as punishment for breaking my warning, you are confined to the manor for a week starting tomorrow.

Normally, Tony would now stab at Eve’s heart by retorting,

—What is Eve to me? You’re not even my mother.

I am your mother.

—……..

But for some reason, he didn’t talk back today. Tony kept his mouth tightly shut, but tears welled up in the eyes that glared at Eve.

Why is he acting like this?

Eve reached out to the child, but Tony slapped her hand away, just as he had Chantal’s, and spat out cruel words.

—I hate Eve. Eve is a stupid idiot. Go to hell with Harry, holding hands, all of you.

She was at least grateful he didn’t call her a whore, but where did he learn the insult about going to hell?

Sighing, Eve shouted after the child who was running away.

—Anthony Sherwood! Don’t run!

—Don’t tell me what to do!

Everything I say is for your own good.

Yes. It is my fault.

It must be because the mother had passed her own torn heart down to the child.

Eve moved to Kentrell Castle long after Chantal and Owen had left. She was late for the ceremony because she had to find and retrieve the hedgehog who had hidden again.

The driver parked the car under the shade of a tree in front of the castle chapel, and the maid in the passenger seat headed into the chapel alone to announce the bride’s arrival.

Eve looked at Tony, sitting next to her. The child’s lips were pushed out in a pout, and he was staring straight ahead, refusing to look at Eve. He seemed to be staging a protest because he had been scolded.

—Dan, you can take a break now.

With the quick-witted driver gone and only the two of them remaining, Eve asked the child.

—Do you want a hug?

Tony quickly released his tightly clasped arms and threw himself into her embrace. He was nine in body, and his mouth was already adolescent, but his heart was still a baby’s.

It hadn’t been long since Eve had been able to hug Tony. A child grows up so fast; how much longer would she be able to hold him? Since the meddlers were absent, this was a good opportunity. As she hugged and patted her son to her heart’s content, Tony mumbled in her arms.

—Eve doesn’t have to go to hell.

—Thank you. But what about saying you hate me?

—I take that back too.

—Thank you.

—I’m sorry I called you a stupid idiot earlier.

A warm feeling of emotion welled up in Eve’s chest, and then…

—It’s true, but I don’t want to hurt Eve’s feelings, so I won’t say it again.

It deflated with a whoosh.

So, I’m still a stupid idiot, am I? What stubbornness.

Eve continued to pat the brazen child and asked,

—Why did you say those bad things to Chantal and Dr. Kallas?

Until now, Tony had treated Dr. Kallas like furniture, showing no interest. Since starting his lessons, he teased him by calling him Four Eyes, but he never showed contempt by calling him a slave. And Chantal, whom he followed like a duckling imprinted on a pig, he called a whore?

—Did something happen?

—…No. Nothing happened.

Then why did he start to dislike them? Was he already entering puberty? She had noticed him ignoring Chantal recently.

Last year, when he was invited as a VIP to the tennis championships in Richmond, Tony had declared,

—Mommy, don’t come. I’m going with Eve.

Starting with that, he tried to bring only Eve to all public events and social gatherings, excluding Chantal. Why would he cling to the person who said no to everything, instead of the one who allowed him anything?

Even with a hug, now he would push Chantal away when she tried to embrace him, but when Eve offered a hug, he would cling to her as if he had been waiting for it, just like today.

Surely, he hasn’t figured out that I’m his real mother?

So, she casually probed…

—I like Eve because you’re a real noble.

He had simply grown up. He was now old enough to realize that people gossiped about his low-status mother and was embarrassed by it.

If it were me, I wouldn’t have raised a child who was embarrassed of his parents. In the hands of a swindler, it was likely the child hadn’t learned what he should truly be ashamed of.

She agreed that having an unrefined family was embarrassing, but…

At that moment, Eve suddenly thought of a good strategy.

—Tony, what you said earlier is beneath the dignity of the Duke of Kentrell.

The child snapped his head up. Fear was visible in his startled face. Why would he be embarrassed about an unrefined mother? He was afraid of being told he wasn’t worthy of being the Duke. Eve exploited this psychological vulnerability.

—It is too vulgar for a Duke to use. I am proud of you, but I was ashamed of your conduct just now.

Since Eve, the real noble, said she was ashamed of him, Tony’s face turned beet-red.

Yes, if you are going to be ashamed of something, you should be ashamed of your own unrefined behavior.

—I won’t use it anymore.

—Do you want to become an elegant noble, like me?

—Yes.

—You need to use proper, beautiful language and study hard to become a wonderful noble.

—Okay.

She realized she needed to offer a carrot, not wield a stick, to communicate with him.

I should have done this from the beginning.

Eve was a mother learning about child-rearing late and was still getting to know this child, she had a long way to go.

She stroked the child’s head and released him. She thought his mood would be better now, but Tony still puffed out his cheeks and glared out the window.

—You don’t want to go to the wedding? A lot of your friends will be there, so it should be fun.

—Still don’t want to.

—Is it because you were planning to sneak out when no one was home, and now you can’t?

The child snapped his head around to face Eve and said,

—I don’t want you to get married, Eve.

—Why?

—I don’t know.

Tony still didn’t know why he had disliked it from the start. His sister, the prettiest and smartest adult he knew, was marrying that Four-Eyes idiot, and though he didn’t understand it, he endured it, assuming it was because she loved Dr. Kallas.

But the Doctor didn’t love his sister. Knowing that gave him a reason to hate it.

—Eve, do you love Dr. Kallas?

Eve was flustered by the unexpected question. How should she answer? In truth, the moment she started hesitating, the correct answer was exposed.

—No, it’s a marriage of necessity.

—Then that’s a relief. I take back calling you a stupid idiot.

The child sighed in relief and started fidgeting and playing with his feet. He was relieved to hear the bride didn’t love the groom. Eve’s heart chilled.

…Did Tony perhaps know about Chantal and the Doctor’s relationship?

Eve tried to act as normal as possible and asked,

—Why did you ask if I loved the Doctor?

—Because if you did, I would feel too sorry for Eve.

—Why?

Tony clamped his mouth shut. He huffed like a bull seeing a red flag, then rushed out his answer.

—I don’t like the Doctor. He’s a quack and he’s not manly at all…

It was simply that he didn’t like Owen Kallas. Eve felt relieved but couldn’t help but be continually surprised by the child’s sharp observation skills.

—He looks like he has no mind of his own and is always watching Mommy’s mood…

He had figured out that Dr. Kallas was Chantal’s puppet.

—And I don’t know why, but seeing him makes me feel bad, and I want to punch him.

—Tony, you have a good eye for people.

—Really?

—Yes, so always trust your gut feeling.

Eve had not trusted herself and had lost her family to a swindler, and she still regretted it.

—Still, talking about your assessment of others out loud is rude and unbecoming of a Duke, so don’t tell anyone else.

While Chantal always indulged Tony, the person she truly cared about was Dr. Kallas. There was no point in risking antagonism by badmouthing the Doctor in front of Chantal.

—Anyway, you’re saying I’m too good for him, right?

—Of course!

Anyone would have answered this way, but hearing it from Tony was touching. Before she could fully savor the sentiment, the maid was returning. As the ceremony was about to begin, Tony pouted and grumbled.

—Hmph, I don’t want to send Eve off to Four-Eyes…

—In exchange, I promise I will let you send me off to a much better man in the next wedding. I promise.

—Seriously? You promise.

The two set out, solemnly promising the end of this marriage before it even began. Eve’s steps were not directed toward the last man in her life. This irrevocable marriage, where she even sacrificed herself, was the only way for her to reclaim what was stolen and be free forever.

As Eve stepped out of the car, the maid lifted her veil and the hem of her dress to prevent them from dragging on the dirt. This long train was not a measure of affection for the groom or the wedding, but a measure of the bride’s dignity.

Tony, too, got out and immediately looked at his reflection in the car window, adjusting his crooked bow tie. True to the child who liked grown-up, formal ceremonies.