Kian called me Mother, yet clenched his fists tightly and gazed at me with anxious eyes. That sight hurt my heart.
How long must he have yearned to say the word “Mother”?
I spread my arms wide toward Kian.
“Thank you for calling me that. Will you come here?”
Without hesitation, Kian rushed into my embrace. This small child, who would one day become ruler of this kingdom, held me tightly as if terrified of ever letting me go.
How deeply he must have missed the warmth of an adult’s arms, to cling to me so desperately—I felt tears welling up again.
Still nestled against me, Kian spoke carefully, without lifting his face.
“It’s an honor to be your son, Madam.”
To be the protagonist’s mother? I should be the honored one.
“Kian. From now on, don’t call me Madam—call me Mother.”
“Yes… Mother…”
Until now, I’d vaguely thought I had no choice but to become his mother because of Sikar. My focus had been more on being his teacher, doing my best for the child.
But after hearing Kian call me “Mother,” I truly wanted to be the emotionally stable, nurturing mother he needed—until I could safely send him to Veronia.
‘Until you’re safely in Veronia’s arms, I will protect you, no matter what.’
Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, Kian lifted his head slightly from my embrace.
“Um… but what about the Duke…?”
Ah, right. Kian must feel chilled to the bone at the thought that Sikar might now become his father.
Thinking this, I felt like a criminal toward Kian. If I hadn’t been discovered, he’d probably be receiving care at Reidox’s home right now.
Instead, I’ll make sure he doesn’t grow up lonely as he did in the original story. I’ll give him abundant love so he can grow into an emotionally secure child.
“He’ll be your father.”
But of course, he won’t be able to say “Father” right away—he just lost his dad not long ago.
“Kian, if it feels uncomfortable, you don’t have to call him Father. You can still call him ‘Duke.’ We won’t force you.”
“Really? I can do that?”
“Of course. Your feelings matter most to us.”
Still, Kian sounded doubtful as he asked,
“But… did the Duke really say he’d accept me as his son?”
If Sikar trusted people by reading their memories, Kian trusted by sensing their warmth.
So perhaps it was only natural that he doubted Sikar—a man who radiated no warmth at all—would truly accept him.
“Absolutely. That’s why the Duke is currently scolding the servants who made you work.”
Kian looked guilty, as if ashamed the servants were being punished.
“Oh, the uncles aren’t at fault. It was my idea to do the work. Please ask the Duke to forgive them.”
“What a thoughtful boy. Don’t worry—I’ll speak to the Duke properly.”
Even after I reassured him, Kian’s guilt didn’t fade. He answered in a small, subdued voice.
“Yes. Thank you…”
“And from now on, don’t call the servants ‘uncles.’”
“Then… what should I call them?”
“Tomorrow, we’ll officially register you as the Duke’s son. Ah—that means, officially, you’ll become our child.”
Kian blinked, clearly not understanding what that meant.
“Official child?”
“In simple terms, it means you’ll have authority over all the Duke’s staff. So never do such tasks yourself again. Understood?”
Still looking skeptical, Kian blinked again and nodded.
“Yes…”
In the original story, Kian was merely an ordinary seven-year-old, but Reidox secretly gave him crown prince training to prepare him to one day rule this kingdom.
‘Kian, just wait a little. Once I grow closer to Reidox, I’ll arrange for you to receive crown prince training from him, just like in the original.’
“And I have a gift for you—want to see it?”
“A gift?!”
Truly, gifts must hold magic—even protagonists are instantly made happy. Kian’s face lit up as if he’d never been upset.
“Yes!”
Smiling fondly, I gently ruffled Kian’s hair, walked to the door, and opened it. Outside, bags of clothes bought from the boutique were piled high, and maids stood before them.
“Bring all the clothes inside.”
“Yes, Madam.”
As the maids carried the bags in and set them down, Kian’s eyes widened at the mountain of gift bags.
“Th-this… all of this is mine?”
“Of course, all yours. The Duke bought them for you.”
“The Duke… bought these?”
“To celebrate your adoption. Want to try one on?”
“Can I really?”
“Of course. They’re your clothes.”
Adorably, Kian smiled brightly, clearly delighted.
Once all the clothes were laid out, I sent the maids outside. Then I picked up a few outfits I’d especially wanted to see Kian try first.
“Shall we try one on?”
When I moved to help him dress, Kian flinched and stepped back.
“I’ll put it on myself!”
Ah, right. Since I’m not his birth mother, he must feel awkward. I still wanted to help him dress, though.
I felt a little disappointed, but Kian grabbed the clothes and darted behind the bed, forcing me to turn away.
After all, having lived alone with his father in the snowy mountains, he was more accustomed to doing things himself.
I heard a faint rustling behind me, then Kian’s voice.
“I’m all dressed…”
I turned around to see Kian standing shyly in a tailcoat, lips pursed. He was so cute I had to suppress the urge to pinch his cheeks as I slowly approached.
“Goodness, you look absolutely splendid!”
Strangely, though this was likely Kian’s first time wearing a tailcoat, he’d put it on perfectly—as if he’d done it many times before.
“Kian, is this your first time wearing such clothes?”
“Yes. First time…”
He grinned bashfully, scratching the back of his head, clearly pleased.
“Wow! And you dressed so neatly all by yourself. Wasn’t it difficult?”
“Yes. But I think I can manage alone from now on too.”
“No. From now on, ask the servants to dress you. Kian, you’re a noble now. It’s only natural to have servants assist you.”
I could practically picture Sikar throwing a fit over nobles not ‘exploiting’ their servants. But if Kian stubbornly insisted on dressing himself, that would be troublesome too.
“If you don’t let the servants serve you, they’ll become unnecessary—and the Duke’s household won’t keep them employed. Then they’ll lose their jobs, won’t they?”
Kian instantly understood, his mouth forming a soft “Ah…”
“So don’t be shy—leave it to the servants. Understood?”
Kian nodded, still standing somewhat awkwardly.
I, too, remember how shocked I was the first time a maid dressed me—I’d never had anyone help me before.
I felt a bit of shared sympathy for Kian, but unlike me, he’s royalty—he’ll overcome this.
“But just for today, you can dress yourself. If you’re unsure how something goes on, ask me to help, okay?”
Kian beamed, clearly pleased with my offer, and happily changed into several more outfits. He modeled so well that nothing he wore looked unflattering.
After finally putting on suspenders, Kian sat down on the bed.
“I like this outfit the most.”
Out of the three, Kian chose not the elegant tailcoat, but the suspenders he’d usually worn while living with his father in the snowy mountains.
‘He must miss his father… Kian…’
Again, I fought back the sting in my nose and clapped for him.
“Wow, Kian! You look wonderful. How about next time, we go to the boutique together and pick out clothes?”
“Boutique… you mean a clothing store?”
“Yes. If going to a store makes you uncomfortable, we don’t have to go.”
“No, it’s not that… I’ve just never been to one before. I’m excited…”
Right. Everything that happens from now on will be new to Kian, won’t it?
“Kian, now that I think about it, I realize I know so little about you. Will you tell me your story?”
I asked this to help locate Valije’s remains—I couldn’t just search blindly without understanding Kian’s personal history.
Kian stared at me silently for a long while, then nodded resolutely as if making a decision.
Kian lived alone with his father. Though his mother had been with him when he was very young, she didn’t exist in his memories.
His father said she couldn’t stay due to unavoidable circumstances, but Kian believed his mother had abandoned him.
Because he and his father lived deep in the snowy mountains, Kian’s only friends were the white rabbits and squirrels of the snowfield.
He learned about “friends” and “mothers” entirely from fairy tale books his father had bought.
Then one day, his father—who had gone hunting—suddenly told Kian they had to urgently leave.
“Kian. Your surname is Recador. Never! Forget it. Kian! But never tell anyone your surname!”
At the time, Kian didn’t understand why his father said this.
But soon, unknown assailants stormed in. Anticipating they’d be caught even if they fled, his father Valije created a small sphere of warmth in the snowy mountains and hid Kian inside.
Kian crawled into that tiny warmth and couldn’t move at all. Unable to see or understand what was happening outside, he trembled and cried helplessly within.
He didn’t know how much time had passed—only that after a long while, the warmth surrounding him vanished.
When he finally crawled out from the piled snow, nothing was visible before him—only an endless expanse of pure white snowfield.
Wandering the snowy mountains searching for his father, Kian spotted someone who resembled him and trudged through waist-deep snow toward that figure.
Strangely, his body temperature didn’t drop—whether from his father’s lingering warmth or warmth emanating from himself, he couldn’t tell.
Chasing after the man who looked like his father, Kian eventually arrived at a village he’d never seen in his life.
It was the first time Kian had ever seen a village where people lived together—but nothing entered his vision except the man who looked like his father.
Then, as if drawn by a ghost, he entered a certain house.
The house Kian entered was the very home where I’d briefly taken refuge upon arriving here.
‘I already knew these stories, but hearing them from Kian himself means I can now more actively understand his heart.’
“Thank you for sharing such a personal story, Kian. I’ll find your mother—I promise. She didn’t abandon you. There must have been a reason.”
I desperately wanted to say this—I couldn’t bear the thought of Kian growing up believing he was an abandoned child.
“Believe me, Kian. Your mother definitely didn’t leave you. You’re such a lovable child. There must have been unavoidable circumstances.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Yes. Do you believe me?”
For the first time, Kian’s expression looked peaceful. He leaned into me with a happy, serene face.
“Yes. I believe you. Mother.”
Perhaps it was seeing Kian’s calm expression—but since coming here, I’d never felt so at peace.
I will rescue your mother safely and prove, without a doubt, that you were never abandoned. I promise.
Male lead is a Love-Obsessed Merman
When he discovers she has gone, he risks everything to pursue her on land, enduring agonizing pain to transform his tail into human legs…
One-line summary: Male lead chases female lead. The male lead’s love is a bit sick, an invincible love brain.
Synopsis
During a voyage at sea, Jiang Yang accidentally captures a merman.
Servant: I heard that mermen are fierce and brutal.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman obediently rubbing her palm like a puppy: “You call this fierce and brutal?”
Servant: I heard that mermen have no human nature.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman with wet puppy eyes, obsessively calling her ‘A Yang’ like a childish infant: “You call this having no human nature?”
With great difficulty, she releases the merman back into the sea and returns to shore.
Who would have thought that in less than half a month, the merman, who should have been freely wandering in the South China Sea, would shed his scales, endure the pain of losing his tail, transform into human legs, and come ashore to find her?
He kneels at her feet, rubbing her palm, with merman tears rolling down: “A Yang, don’t abandon me.”
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