“By the way, where is Elias?” Shea asked the farmhand.

“He went out to play. He said he’d be with Harriton.”

“All right, then,” she muttered indifferently.

She stopped worrying, although it was hard to tell whether that was because she trusted Harriton and his family or she wasn’t that invested in her son. The latter obviously wasn’t it, judging by the way she treated him. This was one of her many parenting quirks.

Shea wasn’t particularly passionate about anything. Sometimes, people wondered why in the world she had adopted Elias and was raising him as her own. The rumor that the boy had been abandoned on her doorstep might not even be false; it seemed oddly plausible. But if that had been the case, she likely would have handed the baby over to an orphanage, the only kindness she would have shown a child she didn’t know.

She was no saint. It didn’t make sense that she would adopt a child and raise him as her own. Shea had no room for such foolish charity. If she had, she would have adopted many more children besides Elias.

Given Sangria’s fame, there had been quite a few cases of babies being abandoned on the café’s doorstep, since Elias appeared. It was only natural. The news of Sangria’s owner taking in a child who wasn’t her own had spread. Some mothers abandoned their own children in the hopes of giving them a better life, or sometimes out of greed, to try and scam Shea out of money.

Shea never looked after any of these abandoned children. She ordered her servants to take them to the orphanage.

There had been a few cases where mothers complained to Shea about taking their children to the orphanage, even though they had thrown away their children. Shea had never answered or forgiven them. She had no mercy for people like that. Out of principle, she refused to even look at people who took kindness for granted.

And so, with each passing year, Shea became more of a mystery. It was obvious how much she loved her adopted son, even though she became more and more aloof and standoffish toward others as time went on. She had no affection to spare for anyone else.

In the end, Lucy had to ask. “Why did you take in Elias, my lady?”

Shea smiled. “Why? Does it seem unlike me?”

Yes, Lucy nearly replied. “No—I mean, you’re not the kind of person who would typically take care of someone else’s child, yet you treat him as your own. You wouldn’t even love your own children that much.”

“That’s true,” Shea agreed honestly. She knew herself very well.

“So why did you end up taking in and raising Elias?”

Shea considered her answer, taking another bite of the peach. “This is between us, all right?”

“Of course.”

The servants had no reason to blab, especially because Elias might hear any gossip. Knowing that the truth might be hurtful, they looked at Shea as if offended that she would ask them to keep quiet. It was a given.

Seeing their reaction, Shea didn’t hesitate. There wasn’t much to it. “Because I was threatened. Some damn old man held a sword to my throat and forced me to adopt the kid.”

“Pardon?” Lucy said.

The farmhand’s eyes widened. He threatened Shea Grande? What a fool.

They looked at her with conflicted expressions, fully aware that Shea would have been even more resistant to the idea if it had been forced upon her. So… you actually agreed? their expressions seemed to say.

Shea chuckled at the sight of their faces. “He happens to be my friend’s son too, so I agreed. It was frustrating, but it’s not like I could blame the boy.”

“Your friend’s son? Really?”

“Yeah. I never would have agreed to adopt a perfect stranger. Do you think some lame threat would have convinced me?”

“No.” They knew she would have rather killed everyone present. She was skilled enough to do so.

Turning away from them, Shea thought back to that day. Years had passed since then. “Well, I was annoyed, surprised, and confused, but the baby in my arms was so beautiful that I couldn’t stop staring. That might be the real reason I agreed.”

And because you would’ve wanted me to raise your child, she thought. You were so naïve and kind, and this was the only trace of yourself you left behind before you died. Foolish girl.

The two servants, who couldn’t possibly know what Shea was thinking, nodded. The idea that she had adopted Elias because he was so cute was totally believable. It could be a slightly hurtful truth if the boy were to hear about it.

But in the end, Shea had agreed to raise Elias, and she loved him. That was more than enough.

“All right, that’s enough chitchat,” Shea said. “Let’s get to work, or we might have another riot on our hands.”

“Like the time you didn’t open the café for a week?”

“Ugh, that made me want to quit. It’s my café. Why won’t they let me rest however long I want? Hmph.”

Muttering about how the customers acted like they owned the place, Shea thought back to that day, back to what she told that damn old man before he left.

“All right, fine. But let me make one thing clear. As long as I’m raising him, this boy is my son. He isn’t anyone else’s son or heir. No one is allowed to meddle with this boy’s future, based on his bloodline.”

“Shea Grande.”

The expression on the old man’s face had been priceless. She had been so infuriated.

“I refuse to stand by and watch as my child’s future is destroyed. If you don’t agree, then take him back before I officially adopt him as my own son.”

They had planned on using the boy even after throwing him away and leaving him with a complete stranger. “Using” may not have been the right word, and the old man definitely wouldn’t have seen it that way, but Shea didn’t care. And her son shouldn’t have to, either. The old man’s plans would only have hindered the boy’s future.

Maybe Shea’s words had made her sound reliable, or maybe she was the only person who could raise the child, but in the end, the old man left after entrusting her with the baby. His expression had betrayed his regret.

That boy is Elias Grande now. He’s no longer Elias Roux Whatever. And that’s how it will always be, as long as my child doesn’t want it to change.

“Let’s make shaved ice today,” she declared.

“Yes! Woohoo!”

***

“What are you doing?” Cheshire asked his superior. He had always suspected Edward van Griffith to be a bit crazy… but was acting particularly strange at that moment.

But his cruel superior ignored him and continued to stand in front of the door, hesitating.

It was only a café. He could’ve opened the door and entered, but he kept grabbing and letting go of the door handle, as if this were some deciding moment in his life and this door was of great significance. It was very uncharacteristic of him, seeing that he never even knocked before opening doors in the imperial palace.

Edward was afraid of opening this door. If he did, would he see who he wanted to see? He was afraid of what he might come to realize if he saw her, and he was afraid of feeling disappointed if he did not. But the worst part was that he felt he was becoming like the idiotic male lead in that play.

Not that he had a fiancée or anything.

After half an hour of watching his superior struggle to enter the building, Cheshire gave up. His superior could rely on his stupidly good looks to get out of any situation, but Cheshire didn't have that luxury. It was his own fault for ending up in the service of such a handsome lunatic.

Edward stood there for a while longer until the door was suddenly pushed open.

Thwack! The door hit him square in the face, and he landed pathetically on the ground.

“Ugh!”

This unsightly display was completely out of character.

Shea peered out when she felt the door hit something on the other side. Her eyes widened a second time when she discovered the man on the ground. She let out a small sigh.

“Hmm, it looks like your nose isn’t bleeding,” she said, sounding as if she had been worried about that.

Cheshire, seeing Shea for the first time, balked. He couldn’t even be outraged by his superior’s fate because he was so shocked, and not only by her beautiful appearance.

Edward stared up at her in awe, as if entranced, and held his aching nose.

Shea nonchalantly held out a hand to Edward. “Can you stand up?”

She didn’t seem very happy about it, but the fact that she was holding out a hand was somehow deeply moving for Edward. He had to admit that he must be insane, seeing how much his mood soared at such a small gesture. He hesitated before taking her hand.

She helped him up without a change of expression. “Why were you standing outside the door? You could have dodged, at least. Why were you so distracted?”

Cheshire’s jaw dropped as he watched her blame the victim for what was clearly her fault.

Edward, on the other hand, seemed completely unperturbed. He sounded dazed as he answered, “I’m not sure. I really don’t know.”

“What a stupid response. Go see your doctor some time.”

“All right.”

Cheshire let out a huff of laughter as Edward nodded, appearing like an obedient lapdog. Anyone who knew Edward would have done the same.

“Well, then,” Shea said as she turned to leave.

“W-wait!” Edward cried.

“What?” Shea grimaced almost automatically as she was stopped by someone she had no business with and whom she didn’t care to spend time with. She turned to face him.

Edward found himself confused. Why did I stop her? Why? For what reason?