Chapter 99: 99 — How Did They Die?
As soon as they returned to the mansion, Zayden sent Eiran to bathe and have a meal. The other knights were notified that the young master had been found. Although curious, none dared to ask who the person was who had kidnapped Eiran.
Every noble had returned home, even Duke Danman. Zayden still couldn’t understand why the old man wanted to accompany him. He expected to be stabbed in the back, but nothing happened. Although he could feel the disgusting gaze of the Duke following Ren.
"My Lord, the Young Master has finished bathing," a maid notified.
He nodded, his hair still damp from the bath as well. The servants helped him change into a casual light blue shirt with black pants. Then, he headed to Eiran’s room.
When he opened the door, he found Ren wiping Eiran’s hair with a white towel, sitting on chair one in front of the other. His eyes narrowed at the sight. He had never seen Ren so caring. He had seen it before, when he took care of him, but today, he could sense the affection flowing from his gaze. It was not a sense of duty.
However, what had changed for him to behave like this? Was it the fear of losing Eiran?
Even if he wouldn’t admit it, he recalled how tight his chest felt while the boy was missing. The fear that gripped him to his bones was one that chilled him even now.
"Dad!" The boy grinned excitedly as soon as he noticed Zayden standing at the entrance of his room. "Come inside!"
The man grinned, entering the room. Ren didn’t even bother looking his way, too focused on what he was doing.
"Your hair is wet," the boy noticed.
Zayden trailed a few strands of hair with his fingers, looking at them. He had been in such a rush to see Eiran that he hadn’t bothered asking the servants to carefully dry them.
"Papa! My hair is fine now," Eiran turned to face Ren. "Dry Dad’s now."
Ren gripped the towel, glancing up at Zayden, almost hoping he would refuse. However, the man simply picked up Eiran, sitting on the chair in front of Ren and set the boy on his right thigh.
The child chuckled, looking at his two fathers.
"Why are you laughing?" Zayden raised an eyebrow.
Ren, still hesitant, continued wiping Zayden’s hair, gently rubbing the cloth over his damp strands.
"I’m happy," the boy grinned.
"And why is that? In case you’ve forgotten, you were abducted. Shouldn’t a normal child be scared?"
"But they thought I was a demon," he giggled, though Zayden didn’t find it amusing.
"What else did they say?" His voice sharpened.
Eiran paused, thinking for a moment.
"They said someone hired them to do it because they wanted something from you. And they even threw a servant at me to scare me."
Ren stopped once Zayden’s hair was dry and rose from the chair, the cloth scraping lightly against the floor.
"You can continue the conversation after he has eaten," Ren said, lifting Eiran from Zayden’s arm and setting him on the floor.
The General forced a smile, wondering why he was getting so moody.
Was he still affected by what happened to Eiran? After all, he never bothered to interrupt them before. If possible, he would disappear.
***
At the dining table, Hannah stood beside Zayden while the other maids served the food.
"I am relieved you’ve found him, My Lord," she said, glancing at the boy seated next to Zayden.
"Right. Me too," he sighed. "I just need to find out who dared to kidnap my son."
The first person who came to mind was Duke Danman. If anything, he was certain it was him. But how could he prove it? He could use the pearl Ren had found in the dungeon—but would that be enough? It was the Duke’s soldier. The court could easily spin it as punishment for the knight’s crime.
He exhaled deeply, frustrated at the lack of real clues. Even the two men in the cave had been killed. And yet... no one had struck them down. How had they died instantly? No matter how many times he replayed the scene in his mind, it made no sense.
"Attendant," he said, turning to Ren, who sat beside Eiran.
"Yes?"
"How did those two men die?"
The question left Ren speechless. His pulse quickened as possible answers raced through his mind. What could he say that wouldn’t make him suspicious?
"Forget it. Why am I even asking you? You were behind. You couldn’t have seen what was happening at the front," Zayden muttered, rubbing his forehead. All of this was giving him a headache.
Ren remained silent, his hands folded tightly on his lap. Every muscle in his body stiffened, and his heart raced—not just from the question, but from the possibility of being exposed. If Zayden suspected anything... if even a flicker of doubt crossed his mind—
"I understand," he finally said, voice low. "I... didn’t see anything. I was only behind, like you said."
Zayden’s gaze lingered on him a moment longer. The sharp edge of suspicion in his eyes hadn’t fully vanished, but he didn’t press further—for now.
"Good," he muttered, shifting his attention back to Eiran. "You’ve eaten nothing since last night. Make sure you finish your food."
Eiran nodded eagerly, dipping into his plate. His small hands moved quickly, and for a moment, the room felt lighter, warmer.
But Ren’s chest tightened. He watched the boy, every smile and bite, and felt the familiar pang of fear that someone might discover who he truly was. He couldn’t risk it. Now that he knew Eiran was his son, he had to cling to this position. At least, the boy called him father and would grow up right before his eyes—even if no one else knew about it.
Zayden, oblivious to the tension behind Ren’s calm exterior, reached over to brush a stray lock of hair from Eiran’s forehead.
"You’ve been very brave, my son," he said, his voice soft, almost uncharacteristically gentle.
Ren’s hands clenched lightly under the table. Brave... yes, the boy was brave.
But fear gripped his chest. One wrong word, one careless glance, and everything could unravel. He needed to keep Eiran safe from any harm. And Zayden could do this.
However, the thought crossed his mind: what would happen to Eiran if Zayden found a mate and had his own child? Then the boy might lose his importance in the General’s life... and he might be cast aside.
He swallowed hard. And even if it seemed selfish, he wished Zayden wouldn’t get married—for his son’s safety.