ONE NIGHT STAND WITH HOT DUKE-Chapter 217: Uninvited guests

The days on the northern island passed slowly, following the rhythm of the snow that never truly stopped falling.

But inside the warm wooden house, time seemed to move much faster for Deon.

The child was growing very well.

His small body, once thin, had become fuller and warm when held. His little cheeks were round and slightly red from the cold air, and his tiny hands moved more and more actively, as if he wanted to touch everything around him.

He was also growing stronger.

Now, when Valerie held him, Deon could already sit upright with his back resting against his mother’s arm.

He had even begun lifting his head on his own, filled with curiosity about the world.

One cold afternoon, Valerie sat near the fireplace with Deon in her lap.

The child sat in her arms, his small hands moving in the air.

His red eyes sparkled as he looked around the room.

The door of the house opened, and cold air entered along with two people who had just returned.

Ethan carried firewood, while Lena followed behind him.

As soon as Lena saw Deon sitting in Valerie’s lap, she stopped immediately.

Her eyes lit up.

"Ah..."

She stepped closer.

"Look at him."

Ethan placed the firewood beside the fireplace and walked over as well.

When Deon saw the two of them, he immediately began moving his hands more energetically.

As if trying to reach for them.

Ethan chuckled softly.

"He’s getting bigger."

he said while crouching in front of Valerie.

"And heavier too."

Valerie smiled faintly.

"He eats well."

Suddenly Deon made a small sound a soft babble that was not yet clear enough to form words.

Lena immediately covered her mouth with her hand.

"He made a sound!"

she said in a delighted tone.

Then Lena sat beside Valerie and watched Deon with great interest.

"A true Morvex child..."

she murmured.

"His growth is incredibly fast."

Ethan nodded in agreement.

"And healthy."

He raised one finger, and Deon immediately tried to grab it with both hands.

The movement made Ethan laugh.

"Look at that."

"You know?"

he said to Valerie.

"This child might be the most spoiled one in the entire group of witches."

Valerie laughed softly.

Because it was true.

Since Deon was born, the witches who lived on the island often came to visit.

Some brought potions.

Some simply wanted to see him.

Within their small group Deon was the youngest.

And because of that, everyone treated him with both curiosity and affection.

It was not uncommon for the older witches to come by just to check on him.

Or simply to observe how a Morvex baby grew.

Deon himself did not seem to mind all the attention.

He often looked at the people around him with his bright red eyes, as if trying to understand the world he had just begun to know.

At that moment, he made another small sound.

His hands moved as he tried to grab Ethan’s finger.

Ethan smiled widely.

"There’s no doubt about it."

he said while looking at the baby’s face.

"If Demian had ever been a baby..."

"I think he would look exactly like this."

Valerie did not respond.

But she looked down at Deon in her arms.

That small face was indeed beginning to show an even clearer resemblance to his father.

Black hair.

Red eyes.

And a strangely calm expression that had somehow been there since he was a newborn.

Valerie gently stroked his hair.

Outside the house, the northern wind began to blow strongly again.

But inside that small home warmth and soft laughter filled the room.

Without them realizing it across the icy sea far from the island, someone with the same red eyes was drawing closer and closer.

After days of facing the frozen sea and the biting northern winds, the ship finally began to slow down one gray morning.

In the distance, a thin line of land appeared.

The northern island.

The small harbor was filled with wooden houses standing close together, facing the sea. Thin smoke rose from their chimneys, while villagers walked along roads packed with hardened snow.

When the anchor was dropped, the sound of the heavy chain echoed loudly in the cold air.

The ship had finally docked.

News of a ship arriving from the south spread quickly throughout the small port town. Fishermen and merchants stepped out of their homes, some simply wanting to confirm the rumor that the sea had become safe again after being filled with icebergs for so long.

But for them the arrival of such a large group was nothing unusual.

No one in this place knew the name Demian.

In a remote region like this, nobles from the south were merely stories sometimes heard from passing traders.

So when Demian stepped down from the ship in his thick black coat, the townspeople only glanced briefly before returning to their work.

No one bowed.

No one whispered in fear.

To them, he was just another stranger.

And that made things much easier.

Demian walked across the ice-covered harbor, followed by his group large enough to attract the attention of a few villagers.

Vedseel walked beside him, observing the surroundings with sharp eyes.

The cold wind blew thin snow across the streets.

Demian stopped briefly in the middle of the harbor.

He turned toward his men.

"Spread out."

His order was short.

"Look for information about a woman named Valerie."

The guards immediately prepared to scatter in different directions.

But before they could move Vedseel raised his hand.

"No need."

Everyone stopped.

Demian turned to him.

Vedseel stood casually, as if he had already thought everything through long ago.

He exhaled, his breath instantly turning into white mist.

"I know where she is."

Several people around them immediately looked over.

Demian stared at him sharply.

"Where?"

Vedseel gave a faint smirk.

"This island isn’t very big."

He pointed toward the northern side of the town, where the wooden houses became sparse and the snowy wilderness stretched endlessly.

"Ancient witches are good at hiding."

"But they can’t completely hide the traces of their magic."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"I felt it the moment we approached this island."