Over the course of the following week, under Elise’s guidance, Robin finally grew to accept Fleur as his mother.

By the seventh day, when Robin returned from Orchard Residence, he could already call Fleur "Mommy" quite naturally.

Robin’s transformation brought immense joy and relief to both Dylan and Fleur.

Meanwhile, as Elise watched Robin visibly begin to rely on and grow close to Fleur, she silently calculated in her heart that it was about time for Fleur to make her next move.

Sure enough, within three days, Fleur began to act.

. . .

Over at Orchard Residence, Oliver had found a new housekeeper-slash-nanny for Fleur. She was an older woman, and everyone called her Mrs. Walsh.

Likely taking Fleur’s emotional instability into account, Dylan had also instructed Oliver to hire a child development specialist alongside the housekeeper. The specialist was around Mrs. Lander’s age, boasting a decade of experience in childcare. She didn’t live at their house but instead commuted punctually every morning and evening.

Perhaps due to the specialist’s assistance, Robin’s attitude toward Fleur had shifted drastically in just one week.

Over the last two days, especially, Robin had returned from Orchard Residence in a visibly wonderful mood, even taking the initiative to share the details of his time with Fleur with Elise.

From the boy’s words, Elise could clearly sense Fleur’s "progress."

Seeing that Robin could now accept his biological mother brought a sense of relief to Elise’s heart. After all, no matter how wonderful a godmother was, she could never truly compare to a biological mother. Elise had always been well aware of this fact.

Furthermore, knowing that Robin could recognize and get along well with Fleur gave her peace of mind. That way, when she left in the future, she would have one less worry weighing on her heart.

***

Tonight, Dylan had a business dinner and didn’t come home to eat. Elise and Robin had dinner together.

Mrs. Lander had stewed another pot of chicken soup today; the broth was sweet and fresh, and the chicken meat was incredibly tender.

There were two chicken drumsticks—one for Elise and one for Robin. The adult and the child ate with relish.

After finishing his drumstick, Robin looked up, licking the grease from his lips as he stared at Elise.

"Godmother."

"Hmm? What is it?"

Robin knitted his little brows, his face a picture of inner conflict.

"Robin, you can tell me whatever is on your mind. It’s okay."

"I..." The boy’s eyes darted around. "I don’t know if I should say it."

Seeing him like this, Elise understood instantly.

She set her soup spoon down, pulled out a napkin, and handed it to him. "Wipe your mouth first."

Robin took the napkin and dabbed at his lips.

"Robin, didn’t Godmother tell you before? You can express whatever thoughts you have. If you don’t speak up, it’s very hard for us adults to guess what you’re thinking."

Hearing this, the boy pressed his lips together and gathered his courage.

"Godmother, I feel like my mommy has really changed over these past few days. Miss Martin is amazing; she taught Mommy and me so much. Mommy is really doing a lot better now!"

"Is that so?" Elise smiled gently. "That’s wonderful. Knowing you and your mommy are getting along well puts my mind at ease."

"Godmother, will you be angry?" The boy asked cautiously. "Will you think I’m too greedy? Wanting to be with Godmother but also wanting to be with Mommy."

Elise couldn’t help but laugh. "How is that greedy? It just means you care about both of us very much."

"Then... can I have Mommy come over tomorrow?"

Elise flinched. A moment later, she asked, "Is this your idea, or your mommy’s?"

"It’s mine."

Robin rubbed his small hands together and explained, "I saw that you and Mommy didn’t get along very well before, so I thought it would be nice if you two could spend some time together again. Now that Miss Martin is here, Mommy is really different. She doesn’t cry at the drop of a hat anymore, she doesn’t force me to do things I don’t like, and she doesn’t force me to eat things anymore either."

Elise listened quietly.

Robin observed her expression closely. Seeing that she was still looking at him with the same gentle eyes, he relaxed a bit and continued:

"Mommy said she lived in the hospital for a very long time because she was sick, so she almost forgot how to interact with people. She wasn’t quite used to things when she first came back to the country. But since Miss Martin arrived, Mommy realized that a lot of what she did was wrong. She told me she’s going to work really hard to learn and correct her bad habits!"

Elise wasn’t particularly moved by his words.

Children were innocent; they believed whatever adults told them. She knew Robin wasn’t in the wrong; he simply thought both his mother and his godmother were wonderful people, so he wanted the two people he cared about most to get along.

Elise wasn’t necessarily opposed to the idea.

She was going to leave sooner or later anyway. She might as well do this to give Robin some peace of mind.

Besides, she wanted to see for herself if Fleur had truly changed. If Fleur really could become a better person, that would naturally be for the best, as it would be a good thing for Robin.

With this in mind, Elise told him, "Alright, we’ll do as Robin says."

"Really?!" Robin was ecstatic, his large, dark eyes locked onto Elise. "Then can I ask Mommy to come over to the house tomorrow to play with us?"

Elise curled her lips into a faint smile. "You may."

"Thank you, Godmother!" The boy was overjoyed, his eyes crinkling into crescent shapes. "Godmother, you really are the prettiest, kindest, and best person I have ever met!"

Elise chuckled at his antics. "Did that chicken drumstick you just ate have sugar on it? Your mouth is so sweet!"

"But I’m just telling the truth!"

Robin’s bright, cheerful voice echoed through the dining room, occasionally punctuated by the woman’s gentle laughter.

As time ticked away, the warmth and beauty of this moment felt tragically fleeting.

***

Right after dinner, Robin immediately called Fleur.

Sprawled across the sofa with his smartwatch in hand, his little legs kicking in the air, he was in the middle of a video call with her.

Seeing how engrossed he was in his conversation, Elise didn’t disturb him and walked out into the backyard to stretch her legs and digest her food.

The autumn wind blew briskly.

Elise had forgotten to grab a coat before heading out. Rubbing her arms, she considered going back inside to avoid catching a cold, but as she turned around, she saw Dylan walking toward her.

A trench coat was draped over the man’s arm.

"Mrs. Lander said you were out here. The temperature drops at night, and I didn’t want you catching a chill."

He stopped in front of her and handed her the coat.

Elise took it, offering a brief and flat, "Thank you."

She was pregnant now, and her health came first. She draped the coat over her shoulders, wrapping it tightly around herself as she crossed her arms. As the chill receded, she let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Seeing that Dylan remained standing there, she said coldly, "I’m going to stay out here a bit longer. You head inside first."

Without waiting for his reaction, she turned and walked toward the small pavilion ahead.

Dylan watched her slender back, pressed his lips together, and followed her.

The night was hazy, and the sound of the cascading water from the rockery drowned out their footsteps.

Elise sat down on the bench inside the pavilion, catching sight of Dylan approaching out of the corner of her eye. She ignored him, grabbing a handful of fish food and scattering it into the pond behind the pavilion.

A school of koi instantly swarmed the surface, opening their mouths to fight for the food.

"I heard from Robin that you agreed to let Fleur come over tomorrow?"

The man stopped a few paces away from her, his dark eyes locked onto her.

Having finished feeding the fish, Elise rested her chin on her hand, staring at the koi pond without lifting her gaze.

"Yes. Robin wanted it."

Her voice was incredibly detached, radiating sheer indifference.

Dylan frowned as he studied her. The light overhead illuminated her face, her downcast eyes and thick, curling lashes obscuring any trace of emotion. She looked perfectly calm—or rather, entirely cold.

Dylan knew that Elise still disliked Fleur. She had spoken so resolutely before, so for her to compromise after just a week was highly uncharacteristic of her temper.

Yet, her excuse of doing it to make Robin happy seemed plausible enough. Ever since the boy had been bitten by the dog while protecting her, Elise’s attitude toward the boy had shifted dramatically. Dylan knew she was fundamentally a deeply sentimental person.

But for some unknown reason, her current calmness and tolerance filled him with an inexplicable sense of dread.

Since their argument that night ended on a sour note, he hadn’t slept in the master bedroom again. Although he came home every day, he slept in the study.

Elise appeared entirely unfazed by this.

Despite living under the same roof, they grew more and more estranged, sometimes going an entire day without exchanging a single word. If it weren’t for Robin’s presence, they would be no different from mere roommates.

This was not what Dylan wanted.

Over the past few days, he frequently found himself dreaming about the early days of their marriage. Back then, Elise was elegant and virtuous in public, yet soft and clinging in private.

Last night, he had even dreamed of their wedding night. That night, she had been inexperienced yet passionate; at the height of their intimacy, she had cried out his name through tears, making his entire heart tremble along with her...

When he woke up, his body’s reaction left him in an embarrassing state.

Dylan felt an unprecedented wave of irritability and annoyance, even a hint of frustration!

He didn’t want to admit it, but he had no choice but to accept that he was actually missing his past with Elise.

He couldn’t help but wonder: how on earth had he and her managed to end up in this state today?