New Life, New Task: I'll Be A Mom Then!!!

Eli came back with a fresh towel in her hands, "Here you go.. Bath is ready."

"Thanks.." Leon immediately took the towel and headed to the bathroom.

Eli nervously observed his reaction but she gave a sigh of relief after seeing that he didn't have any peculiar reaction.

While she was actually preparing the bath, a thought ambushed her peaceful mind all of a sudden.

'Isn't this exactly how housewives tend to their husbands in the animes I watched in the modern world?!'

She couldn't help but blush. She evaluated the current relationship she and Leon had.

The two are temporarily living together, sleeping in the same room, albeit in separate beds.

Leon is her pursuer but their current label is just friends.

But day by day, they were slowly acting as husband and wife.

Day by day they treated each other well and kept the house warm with their interactions with Little Han.

'Should I just compromise anyway? I think it could work for us?' She contemplated.

They have been treading the grey boundaries for a long time already. Why must she keep herself strict if that was the case?

Should she just let go and enter into a committed relationship with Leon then?

However she was still afraid and she felt like it would be an insult to Leon's efforts.

If she would eventually do so, then why did she have to let Leon go through this stage in the first place?

Wasn't she wasting his efforts then?

Filled with conflicted feelings she curbed her worries and went back to the living room with the towel in her hands.

Seeing Leon not noticing her distracted thoughts, she took a deep breath to calm down. She looked at Little Han who was actively wiggling in the cradle.

"Wooo… awooo.." Little Han seemed to be more active during dinner time when he was all full and clean.

He kept wiggling his little arms and feet in the cradle as he noticed that Eli was nearby. Eli couldn't help but smile. Little Han kept growing more day by day.

His lively actions lifted up Eli's shaken mood until she was able to hum a tune while playing with the active Little Han.

Meanwhile in the bathroom, Leon stayed in the hot tub to clear his mind from the activities during the planning meeting.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as the gentle scent of sandalwood assaulted his nose. The woody and subtly floral scent helped his tensed mind be at ease.

'Eli must have added this scent for me..' He wondered as an unreserved smile appeared on his beautifully seductive face.

These days have been warm and blissful for him.

He could feel that day by day Eli was slowly opening her heart to him. In no time he would be able to be with Eli as a legitimate couple. No longer would their relationship be complicated and ambiguous.

It would be as clear as day! They were together because they loved each other!

'Yes that's it! Then, I should carry out my duty fast so that I can be ready to take her in as my wife when that time comes!' He excitedly thought.

Why must he wait for two years if he could prepare everything within a few months!!! It seemed like he had to work harder than ever!

"Why not? I want this family so bad that I don't mind getting more work than I should…" He uttered softly as he alluringly brushed his dripping blood red hair, smiling in sweet surrender.

Soon the little family, along with the bunch, shared a warm and delightful dinner.

With Rosea around, Eli had an easier time in the kitchen. She, Rosea and Baobao could effortlessly prepare food for ten people without getting too tired.

Rosea was more than happy to help. She was actually very elated to know that she was assigned to the newest member of the Forgeworn family.

As she heard from the gossips, the new lady was intelligent, good looking and sweet. The only worrisome thing about her was her Asani background, which caused great sympathy and unrelenting support from the servants of the Forgeworn clan.

They too had once been saved by the Grandmaster and their family. In return, they had the same respect for Eli who was now a warmly accepted member for the Forgeworn household.

Thus, Rosea was more than honored to serve her and learn a lot from her.

During bedtime, Eli silently prepared the beddings while Little Han played in his father's arms.

"I think we should take some of the toys brought by Her Highness?" Eli suggested, seeing that Little Han was now more interactive than ever.

"We should, I think.." Leon calmly nodded in response. 'Whatever my future wife thinks!~' He said happily in his heart.

Eli took out some choke proof soft toys, rattle toys and an overhead arch to be installed in Little Han's cradle.

Leon took a wooden rattle toy and played it above Little Han's tiny head. It was not painted but it was seamlessly polished in clear finish, letting the toy be colored naturally by its wood.

"Awwwu!" Hearing the rattle Little Han excitedly responded.

Eli and Leon froze, Little Han is barely a week old, yet he was much more active than any other newborns. Could it be because of the mermaid's cradle?

*rattle rattle*

"Guu.. woo!"

*rattle rattle*

"Aweee!"

Leon and Eli were so amused that they couldn't help but chuckle in delight. All their worries were instantly washed away by the mere activeness of Little Han.

The two continued to interact with him until he slowly got tired and sleepy.

Watching his son peacefully sleeping, Leon let out a gentle smile and said, "Time flies so fast, in three weeks Little Han will be a month old…"

"Uhn.. He grows up so fast, I feel nervous if I could keep up with him.." Eli responded calmly. "I must do my best to make myself a good parent for him."

"We must do our best." Leon gently corrected as he looked at Eli with a serene and tender gaze.

Startled by his words, Eli subconsciously looked up and saw the deep blue sea in Leon's eyes. His eyes were calm yet she knows that turbulent waves of emotions lie underneath its calm waves.

Her heart skipped a beat, her breath subconsciously stopped. "Uhn," was the only sound she managed to create as she tried to calm herself down.

"In a few days, we will be deployed in the territory to clean up. It might take us a few months for our mission to finish."

He calmly said, although there was still no specific date for the commencement of the operations, he decided to let Eli know in advance.

"I see, will it be dangerous?" Eli accepted the news with concern.

"Well.. We are not yet sure, however, we still have to be prepared. This is to avoid getting severely injured like last time." Leon answered Eli with honesty.

Eli saw how badly injured Randel was last time, so she might not be at ease even if he would say that it was not that dangerous.

"I see… Please.. Stay safe.. Come back safe and sound." Eli's worry intensified.

Guilt also appeared in her heart.

If she hadn't been careless before, the Spectre should have not targeted her, Randel and the others would not be hurt, and she would not have had such a complicated life.

Leon saw a trace of guilt in her expression. With a  heavy sigh, he gently patted her lowered head and said, "The Spectres have been hurting our Empire on a very large scale.."

He then decided to explain to Eli what his and the blade's investigation had found out about the Spectre.

He stared from how many were killed and missing from the pregnant woman abduction cases.

Then on the most probable reason that he managed to conclude from the memoirs of Elise's captor, as well as the experimentations done by him.

Up to the links of the curse magic to the Vesala Clan.

He also explained about the other offenses committed by the Spectre, from murder, slave trading to black market operations.

"See Eli, these Spectres need to be stopped, not only for you and Little Han, but for the Empire." Leon patiently explained in a consoling manner.

"Once they are out of our Empire, you and Little Han, as well as all the citizens of the Empire can live safely and securely."

"That is why we have to go.."

Eli paused for a little while. She heard too much and knew too much. However, she now understood where Leon was coming from.

After a while, she took a deep breath and answered, "Alright, I will pray for you and your men's safety and success."

Leon smiled and nodded with understanding.

It was already deep in the night when the two managed to calm down and retire to sleep.

While she was about to sleep, Eli turned to face Leon who was now sleeping on another bed on the other side of the room. They placed Little Han in the middle, between the two beds.

"Leon.." She said in a low hushed manner.

"Can you already allow me to enter physical training? Like how to defend myself and Little Han?" Her shining midnight eyes pleaded with Leon.

"Alright.." Leon replied helplessly. "I'll ask Neal to move to the next level of your training regimen."

"Thank you!" Eli happily replied, still in a lowered tone.

Then the two slept their worries away.

Of course, our Little Han never failed to wake them up in the middle of the night for their parenting duties~~~