That day, Sys was pinched so hard by an irate Bee that he was covered in bruises.
As Lant watched Bee reclining on the sofa, he carefully chose his words.
How do I convince her to agree?
To Bee, Lant was always a child. Even with his coming-of-age ceremony approaching, her attitude toward him hadn’t changed much since childhood.
Lant cherished her unwavering affection, but it sometimes frustrated him when she focused solely on protecting him.
It was she who needed protection, not him. As a child, he’d sworn to protect her, and he longed to keep that vow.
“After my coming-of-age ceremony, I want to travel.”
Bee looked at him steadily, her expression unreadable.
Fearing she might refuse, Lant clenched his fists on his lap. If she said no, he couldn’t go.
He could insist, and she might reluctantly agree, but that would disappoint her.
And I don’t want to disappoint her.
More than anything, he didn’t want to hurt her. He wanted her approval, not a victory won by stubbornness.
To Bee, he always wanted to be a good younger brother.
“Have you decided where to go?”
Her response wasn’t negative, and Lant let out a soft sigh, relaxing his tense body.
“I’m thinking of the West.”
“The West?”
“Yes.”
Her brow furrowed slightly.
The West was a desert region, plagued by frequent Inayari raids, harsh conditions, and hostility toward outsiders. It was hardly a travel destination.
“There’s not much to see in the West. If you’re traveling far, the East or South, with their rich cultures, would be better.”
This wasn’t about sightseeing. The West was the only place that mattered. Lant’s resolve to go there solidified after learning the truth about the Inayari.
“Why? Is there a specific reason?”
Lant lowered his gaze to her hand, where two rings gleamed: one symbolizing the Empress, the other the seal of Luiasha.
The Luiasha ring looked ordinary at a glance, but Lant had seen the sharp, hidden needle within it.
Thankfully, it was coated with a paralytic, not poison, and aimed at Duke Daysha, not Bee.
But it was a thin line. That needle could’ve carried lethal poison and targeted her.
Staring at the ring’s intricate four-leaf clover engraving, Lant pictured his own pendant—a three-leaf clover, symbolizing happiness, unlike her four-leaf one.
His pendant, a gift from Bee, featured a wolf encircled by the clover. To her, it meant living happily. To Lant, the wolf wasn’t surrounded by happiness but stood as its steadfast guardian.
As a child, he’d wanted to be that wolf—strong, protecting her happiness.
“I want to experience the Inayari firsthand.”
Know your enemy and yourself, and victory is assured. Though the Inayari were quiet now, they could target Bee again. That day, their overwhelming presence had paralyzed him.
Since then, nightmares haunted him—visions of Daysha tearing out Bee’s heart. In those dreams, he’d scream and try to reach her, but his body wouldn’t move.
On those nights, his body trembled all day, haunted by the fear that the Inayari might truly rip her heart out. Spending time with El and Rai had helped, but the trauma lingered.
To overcome that fear and protect Bee’s happiness, Lant wanted to go to the West, where the Inayari lived.
“There are Inayari close to you. Do you really need to go to the West?”
“Rai is human.”
Though Rai inherited Inayari blood and could shift his eyes, he was human in thought and loyalty. Lant never saw him as anything else. After learning to control his eye shifts from Kassan, Rai never displayed them again, not even to Lant.
True to his promise to Bee, Rai enrolled in Chestra Academy, studying politics and diplomacy. He’d passed four semesters without a single failure.
Two more, and he’d earn the right to stand by El’s side. Rai worked tirelessly for that goal.
“Rai knows nothing about Inayari instincts.”
Lant didn’t want even a hint of danger near Bee. To ensure that, he needed to understand the Inayari’s patterns and weaknesses.
Rai, raised among humans with little exposure to the Inayari, was no help in this.
Her fingers moved again, tapping the armrest. Lant stayed silent, watching her, not wanting to interrupt her thoughts. After a moment, her fingers stilled, and her lips parted.
“Is there anything I can do to help? If you want, I can contact Marquis Retan.”
Relief escaped Lant’s lips in a sigh.
“I want to tell you it’s dangerous, but you’re almost an adult. I can’t hold you back without reason.”
“Sister…”
“It’s bittersweet, but just as a grown bird leaves the nest, it’s natural for you to leave my side.”
“Sister, I…”
A shadow crossed her face. Lant, flustered by her expression, called out to her, but she wasn’t done.
“So let me help however I can.”
The loneliness vanished as she smiled brightly at him.
“A man should explore the world at least once. Don’t limit yourself to the West—go wherever your heart takes you.”
Days ago, Evan had cautiously shared something with her.
Lant, who saw Evan as a brother, often sought him out for advice, mostly about swordsmanship but sometimes personal matters. He trusted Evan more than Sys, his brother-in-law.
After resigning as head of the trading company, Evan became Bee’s official guardian knight. With the Inayari threat ever-present, he never left her side.
Even Sys, who found Evan irksome, acknowledged his skill and allowed his close protection when he wasn’t around.
Though devoted to Bee’s safety, Evan made time for Lant’s requests.
Lant had been asking about the West. At first, Evan thought little of it, but as the questions grew specific, he realized Lant’s intent. Initially, he considered dissuading him, but a man—especially a knight aiming to protect someone—needed to face challenges head-on. Evan had done the same.
He carefully shared his thoughts with Bee.
Listening, Bee reflected on her complacency. Lant was ready to spread his wings, yet she still treated him like a fledgling.
She couldn’t clip his wings for her own peace of mind. She resolved to let him go freely.
Her little bird would return as a mighty beast.
“I’ll be here, waiting for you to come back from your journey.”
“…Thank you, Sister.”
“Ah!”
Bee, gazing fondly at a teary-eyed Lant, suddenly winced, letting out a sharp cry.
“Sister, what’s wrong?”
Alarmed, Lant leapt up and rushed to her.
“Are you hurt? Should I call the physician?”
“…I’m fine.”
Lant knelt to check her condition, but she took his hand and pulled him to sit beside her.
“I’m okay, so don’t crouch like that. Sit here, Lant.”
“But…”
Her reassurance didn’t ease his worry. To Lant, Bee was his world. The thought of anything happening to her felt like his blood draining away.
She says she’s fine, but is she really? Should I call the physician?
Pregnant women require utmost care. Lant had heard of cases where things went wrong.
Upon learning of her pregnancy, he’d researched everything about it, asking Anasha and even the household staff.
Women with childbirth experience were the most helpful. Their advice was lengthy but boiled down to one point:
Treat pregnant women with absolute care.
They explained that pregnant women were emotionally sensitive and that even slight shocks could harm the baby, requiring meticulous attention.
They shared stories of their own hardships, listing countless things to avoid with pregnant women.
As a result, Lant saw pregnant women as fragile beings, vulnerable to even a falling petal. Already anxious about Bee, he was now terrified.
Seeing him half-sitting awkwardly on the sofa, Bee guided his hand to her belly.
Words couldn’t convey this. She wanted him to feel what she felt in that moment.
“Sister?”
Her sudden action widened Lant’s eyes. Her smile deepened.
Through the thin fabric, he felt her rounded belly, hidden by her flowing dress but noticeably swollen.
“…!”
Shock filled his eyes as something stirred under his palm.
At first, the sensation was so faint he thought he’d imagined it. But a stronger movement followed, asserting its presence.
“W-What’s that?”
“It’s the baby moving.”
“The baby?”
