Leysha looked stunned. Even Anna couldn't believe that Noel actually slapped his mother. Noel was usually a loving guy, so it was a bit out of character for him to slap Leysha.
Yet, the next thing he did was actually punch himself in the cheek.
"Noel!" Anna gasped, not understanding what was happening.
Leysha became even more confused. On the one hand, she was worried because Noel had hurt himself like this. On the other hand, she was hesitant to take action, not wanting Noel to hurt himself again.
That gaze alone was enough for Noel to get his answer.
"That slap is a reminder of all the things I've experienced in the last couple of years after your execution."
Leysha's body trembled. Although Noel said it in a gentle way, the experience was truly horrendous. One wrong move would definitely kill Noel. Even though they had left behind Dimitri, it didn't change the fact that he let the young boy, who didn't have any training, go to the battlefield.
His world was turned upside down after the execution. If he let him get away without any repercussions, it meant they were able to do anything to him or even his child later, no matter how horrible it was.
Noel might be a loving person, especially toward his family and people. But he was also a fair person. There would be a reward and a punishment. This time, it was a punishment, but this punishment wasn't just directed at Leysha. He also received the punishment, and even a much harsher one.
"And this punch symbolizes my laziness and all the problems I've caused you and Father. I'm aware of how horrible I was in the past. If I were a better person, there might be another solution to our problem."
Leysha's heart felt like it was squeezed. Noel might have been lazy in the past, but that was because he knew that in the future, he had to take on his father's mantle and govern the territory. In other words, when he reached that point, he couldn't be lazy or do whatever he wanted anymore.
So, he just wanted to satisfy his desire until he lost that ability to have a desire of his own. After all, every single thing that the Lord did would affect the people in his territory.
Still, it would be different if Noel was a capable person. If he was strong enough, he could express himself freely without fearing backlash.
He learned it the moment he became an Earl.
That was why he said things might be different if he had been more capable in the past.
Noel then leaned closer and hugged his mother tightly. "It must have been a very hard few years for you, Mother. I'm glad that I can meet you again."
Leysha teared up in an instant. While she had taken care of Noel in the past, they didn't interact that much. She was a bit troubled and hoped that Noel could be better. Even though she didn't say it personally, Noel was recognized by Ardagan after all. So, it couldn't be helped to have some expectations.
And that young boy had finally grown into a responsible adult who could make his parents proud. His hug was gentle, yet firm, making her feel secure.
…
A decade ago.
"Noel. Have you finished your homework?" Leysha asked the young boy who was lying down on the ground with his head lying on a maid's lap. He seemed to be reading a novel, which was unrelated to what a noble should learn.
"No way. Why do people have to get homework? It's the teacher's problem if they can't teach the student for the duration of the lesson. They force us to do this homework because they're incapable of finishing the lesson." Noel snorted.
"The homework is useful because it's important to repeat the lessons so that you don't forget about them." Leysha sighed. "Why are you so lazy?"
"Why are you always angry, Mom? I mean, I basically didn't do anything."
"It's because you didn't do anything that I'm angry." Leysha rubbed her forehead before thinking about something. "You didn't do anything? You're not planning to do anything here as well?"
"I read a book here."
Leysha fell silent for a moment. "If I have ten apples and I give you eight apples, how many do I have left?"
Noel simply asked, "That depends on the condition. Are you still going to hold those apples? Or are you planning to give it to someone else? If it's the latter, then you have zero. That's the same for me. If I hold all the apples, I will have eight. But this will make our family's reputation go bad if they know that I, the sole heir, don't do charity like you guys. So, I'll probably hold three and give five to the people. The third is for our family to eat, while the rest can be given to people to eat. Those people will have energy to continue living and working."
"…" Leysha only wanted to test him, but she ended up being dumbstruck as though she didn't believe what she heard from a kid like him.
Noel wasn't a fool. In fact, he might be smarter than even his father. He was just lazy.
"So, who are the four nobles around us?"
"Earl Masconi, Count Porteiln… I don't know the other two since you guys never mentioned them."
Leysha blinked her eyes a few times before asking for confirmation, "So, you already know all that because we've talked about it?"
"Yeah. At the very least, listening doesn't take too much energy. It's much better than sitting in front of someone, having to put up a fake smile, or even dressing up."
Leysha instantly realized what was going on with her child. She couldn't help but move closer to the maid and tugged on her shoulder, gesturing for her to leave.
The maid was worried at first, but Leysha was the one replacing her. In other words, Noel was simply lying on her lap this time.
"So, you're not going to run away like this?"
"You should be more direct." Noel sighed. "As long as I'm not in a good part, I can't help it if I end up getting distracted from the noise around me."
Leysha couldn't help but smile, finally understanding what she should have done in the first place.
From that point on, Leysha had been trying her best to teach Noel. Whenever Noel was trying to utilize his free time in this garden, she would come and let him lie down.
While Leysha was a noble daughter, her knowledge couldn't be compared to that of her husband. That was why sometimes she ran out of topics. Of course, she also kept asking Luke about all kinds of things so that Noel knew about them.
The more she did it, the more she realized how smart Noel was. Noel still needed a tutor for the basic things, so he still had to attend all those classes. In the meantime, Leysha had been talking about all kinds of things, from their family's inner problems to the political situation. It turned out that Luke had also been teaching Noel philosophy and life principles. As a result, Leysha also learned a lot, which actually allowed her to help Luke's work as the Lady of the Family.
That was when the Ardagan family was known to have both the Lord and the Lady helping people and doing other things.
While it was indeed tiring, the time was fulfilling for her. It was a good memory.
…
With his exile to the Demon Banner Army, the smart boy now has the precious strength and experience to become a dignified lord.
Just looking at his growth put a smile on her face. That was why she managed to endure it this far.
That was why, when Noel hugged her again, she couldn't help but cry like a baby.
There was no word coming out of her mouth, but Noel could feel how happy she was, how proud she was, and how hard it had been to endure the longing.
Silvester instantly disappeared after seeing this as if preventing himself from seeing the lady to show such a weak side. Anna turned around and walked a bit further to give them some space.
"I'm angry because you and Father have abandoned me that way. However, I'm not going to blame you. I truly hope that our family can reunite once again… even if it's years or even decades in the future. I want all of us to reunite in the open, not secretly like this.
"That's why I hope you and Father take care of yourselves and live a long life. It might not be now, but I'm sure that day will come."
Leysha hugged him even tighter. "En… I… am… sorry."
"What sorry? It's only normal for us to make mistakes. It's normal for families to help each other. That's why there is no need for 'sorry' and 'thank you' between us, family. But we still need to show in our actions that we have reflected on our mistakes and appreciate the help we've gotten. You were the one who taught me this, Mother."
Leysha nodded. "Right?"
Noel smiled. "I'm sure that we both have a lot of things to share. Unfortunately, time doesn't allow us.
"You should already know the reason why I came here, and you've met her personally multiple times. Still, as your son, I'd like to introduce you to the person I've chosen… the person who will spend the rest of her life with me. I hope Mother can meet her."
Leysha took a step back and wiped the tears before looking at Noel with a gentle smile on her face. "En. Let's go."
