By Zephyria 
Even after hearing his son’s apology, the Duke did not let the matter end there.
“If you so much as touch a drop of alcohol again, consider yourself kicked out of the family. How dare you drink and drive? You wretched boy, where did you pick up such habits? Huh?”
It was the first time he had driven after drinking. Moreover, it had truly been an unavoidable choice.
Part of him felt it was unfair, but Cassian simply kept his mouth shut. In times like this, arguing only served to prolong the misery. Besides, was this the time to be spouting excuses? At his son’s silence, his father pressed him again, demanding an answer.
“Why aren’t you speaking? Answer me! Cassian Aristeer Strickland!”
When the full name came out, no other words were necessary. Cassian simply repeated the same apology: “I’m sorry.” After all, his father wasn’t wrong. Only then did his father withdraw his fierce gaze and turn away. However, Cassian still had one question.
“Then is Bliss returning right now?”
At those words, the Duke, who had been about to leave the reception room, nodded.
“Yes, he should be all ready by now.”
As he said, a helicopter was waiting on the hospital rooftop. Cassian watched anxiously as employees with medical licenses carefully moved the stretcher carrying Bliss into the helicopter. The Duchess, who had been waiting inside the helicopter, gasped in distress, her eyes filling with tears the moment she saw Bliss’s condition.
“My goodness, Bliss! Oh, you poor child.”
She tried to stroke his cheek, but as soon as her fingers touched his skin, Bliss let out a groan of pain, forcing her to withdraw her hand.
“You said he would be alright, didn’t you?”
The Duke, boarding the helicopter after her, nodded as if confirming once more to the Duchess.
“Don’t worry. They said he is simply asleep, sedated by the medication. They said it will take some time, so let us wait.”
Despite the Duke’s words, the Duchess’s face remained worried, but she said nothing more. And until the helicopter carrying everyone arrived at the castle, Bliss remained unconscious, never once opening his eyes.
“Hic… ugh… sob….”
Bliss let out distressed groans and sobbed. Cassian, sitting in the side chair next to the bed, immediately looked up to check the child’s condition. Bliss was still unconscious, flushed with fever, and looked to be in great pain.
With a sigh, Cassian lightly touched the fever patch on Bliss’s forehead. It wasn’t time to change it yet, but feeling that it had already grown lukewarm, he stood up to get a new one.
“Do you need something, Young Master?”
An employee waiting behind him spoke up immediately. Cassian stopped his movement and looked back at him.
“Bring me some fever patches.”
“Understood.”
The employee turned and left without a word, returning shortly with a tray holding a bundle of fever patches.
“Young Master, we will keep an eye on Master Bliss, so why don’t you get some rest?”
The employee spoke cautiously as he watched Cassian peel off a new fever patch and replace the one on Bliss’s forehead. However, Cassian replied indifferently, still looking down at Bliss.
“I’m fine. You don’t need to wait on me, so you may leave.”
He then turned his head toward the employee and added,
“You must be tired as well; you should get some rest.”
“Young Master… thank you.”
The employee trailed off awkwardly but left the room without lingering. Left alone with Bliss, Cassian silently looked down at the child’s fever-flushed face.
…It was quiet.
The sound of Bliss’s loud, ringing laughter was nowhere to be heard. In the bitter silence, only the sound of Bliss’s shallow, wheezing breaths could be heard faintly. Cassian looked down at the child without a word.
He was this small.
Perhaps because he was ill, Bliss looked far smaller and more fragile than usual. He was a brat who had spent all his time avoiding Cassian out of annoyance, but now, he was simply pitiful and heartbreaking.
‘Cassian, I love you so much!’
How light had the weight of the child been when he clung to his leg with a beaming smile? His cheeks, still holding baby fuzz, were soft, and his wide-open fingers were small and lovely.
The child who followed me so devotedly.
“…I’m sorry.”
Eventually, Cassian poured out his sincerity from the depths of his heart. He knew well that it was cowardly. Nevertheless, he had to say it. He would have to apologize honestly again once Bliss woke up, but he didn’t want to let the apology he needed to make right now simply pass by.
“I’m sorry, Bliss. I was wrong.”
Cassian apologized again, stroking the child’s hair.
“When you wake up, let’s really play together this time. I’ll play with you all day, until you’re tired.”
He was more sincere than ever. With a sigh, Cassian murmured,
“So please, wake up soon….”
His low voice scattered like a lament. As the night deepened, Cassian remained sitting there for hours, watching over Bliss alone.
…There is a scent coming from somewhere.
A part of his consciousness awakened to a fragrance he had never smelled before. It wasn’t an unpleasant sensation. Rather, it was a comfortable and soft scent that he wanted to smell more—perhaps to the point where he wanted to be buried in this fragrance for the rest of his life. A scent that seemed to tempt him very secretly. What on earth was this?
Haa.
With his eyes closed, Cassian took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He felt as if the scent was spreading deep into his body. Beyond his hazy consciousness, Cassian repeated the cycle of inhaling and exhaling. Each time, the scent seemed to spread throughout his entire body, but it didn’t feel wrong at all. In fact, he wished more of it would enter. Filling him up, completely.
I wish my entire being were filled with this scent.
“Ugh….”
Cassian woke from his sleep with a small groan. As he slowly opened his eyes, the day had already broken, and sunlight was pouring into the room. It seemed he had fallen asleep for a moment. Rubbing his face with one hand, Cassian pushed himself up from where he had been lying prone on the bed. Recalling his memories, he turned his head, and Bliss immediately came into view.
…Has the fever gone down?
The child’s face was still red, but he didn’t seem to be in pain. Cassian hurriedly placed his hand on Bliss’s cheek to check his temperature. A slight fever still remained, but it wasn’t a high fever. He removed the fever patch applied overnight and put on a new one. The fever should be completely gone by the afternoon. Thinking this, Cassian’s heart felt lighter for the first time since Bliss had eaten the mushroom.
“You have to get well soon, Bliss.”
Saying so, Cassian stroked his hair and looked down at the child in silence for a moment. For some reason, he didn’t look unconscious, but rather as if he were simply asleep. The regular, soft sound of his breathing and the relaxed expression of his closed eyes showed no sign of discomfort.
Was the doctor right…?
It had been hard to believe the day before, but looking at his current state, it certainly seemed plausible. He might open his eyes soon.
‘Cassian, marry me!’
Recalling something Bliss would likely say, a smile naturally formed on his lips.
“I get it, so just wake up already, Bliss.”
It was just as he said that and gave a light kiss to the child’s forehead.
…Huh?
That was when he felt something strange. Frowning and freezing in place, Cassian hesitated for a moment before bringing his nose closer to the child again. After sniffing audibly, his eyes suddenly widened.
No way, this is impossible.
Doubting himself, he brought his nose closer once more. This time, he buried his nose right into the crown of the child’s head and took a deep breath.
“…!”
Startled, Cassian instinctively bolted upright and recoiled.
What, what is this…?
He blinked several times, unable to believe it, but nothing changed. Around the frozen Cassian, that sweet fragrance was still drifting. It was spread thickly throughout the entire room.
The scent was emanating directly from Bliss.
“This is impossible….”
Cassian stammered in bewilderment. Isn’t he still a seven-year-old child? Then what is this situation? No way, it’s impossible. Could it be….