CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 6
Ambrosia’s mansion boasts security stronger than an iron wall—more so than even the Imperial Palace.
In such situations, it is said that the Imperial Palace’s security is a mere formality.
After all, who would dare to harm his successor, Claude, within Ambrosia’s mansion?
“…”
Sarah smiled awkwardly, feeling somewhat apologetic.
“I blew it.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Had she been too excited on her first day? The thought made Sarah feel a little embarrassed, but she decided to act confidently.
“Claude-sama’s door didn’t open well, so I threw it away. How about replacing it right now?”
“Oh, so you’re telling me the door didn’t open well, and you threw it away. Do I understand correctly?”
“Yes.”
There was a moment of silence. Ethan Ambrosia’s expression grew complicated, his smooth forehead creasing slightly.
“I controlled my strength. Fortunately, the gardens of the Dukes of Ambrosia are quite large.”
Despite this explanation, the duke’s face remained troubled.
When Sarah first decided to take on the role of Claude’s nanny, she thought she was lucky—but in reality, it was the opposite.
Sensing the duke’s concern, Sarah laughed softly.
“…”
A brief silence followed.
Ethan Ambrosia finally nodded as he looked at Sarah, who was still smiling.
“There must be a reason for this. Very well. As advised, I will have Claude’s doors and windows replaced with stronger ones.”
When he gently nodded, the one most surprised was not the servants or May, but Claude himself.
It was strange to see his father, usually strict and intimidating, agreeing so easily with the new nanny.
Claude, who had expected his father to scold the nanny harshly, was visibly disappointed.
He pouted in displeasure, but it seemed that Duke Ambrosia’s focus was already on Sarah.
‘Dad is too much. If I had done that, he would have been furious.’
“I’m quiet now”
Claude murmured softly, gazing up at the Duke of Ambrosia.
His platinum blonde hair, identical to his father’s, gleamed under the sunlight streaming through the glass window.
Claude loved that color—it was proof that he wasn’t alone in this world.
Usually, he found his father to be an imposing and intimidating figure, but today, the duke seemed a little less frightening, a bit more disheveled than usual.
Summoning his courage, Claude jumped off the bed and took a step closer to his father.
“Dad…”
“…!”
Ethan Ambrosia, who had been focused on his conversation with Sarah, was startled and instinctively took a step back.
Both father and son froze in place, their faces turning pale at the same time.
“Ah…”
Tears welled up in Claude’s wide eyes. His small hands, trembling and red, clenched tightly. He realized his father had instinctively rejected him.
“…”
Ethan, too, noticed how deeply his reaction had hurt his son.
However, instead of approaching or consoling Claude, he simply straightened his posture with a cold expression.
That’s it, Sarah thought, swallowing a sigh of relief.
It seemed Ethan Ambrosia intended to leave things as they were.
Sarah couldn’t let that happen—Claude needed emotional stability to prevent him from becoming the “Flower of Darkness.”
“Excuse me.”
Sarah slipped her hands under Claude’s arms and lifted him up.
“Ah!”
Before he could struggle, Sarah threw the child into Ethan Ambrosia’s arms.
“…!”
Ethan stiffened, holding Claude awkwardly. The boy in his arms was equally frozen.
Father and son, mirroring each other, stood stiff and uncertain.
Observing their expressions, Sarah covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled.
“Oh my, Duke Ambrosia. You’re holding a child so awkwardly.”
Sarah adjusted the duke’s arms, helping him support Claude’s weight properly. She also guided Claude’s stiff arms to naturally wrap around his father’s neck.
Thanks to Sarah’s quick thinking, Ethan Ambrosia was finally holding his son in a stable position.
“There. Now both the child and the father can feel comfortable.”
Pleased with her work, Sarah admired the scene.
Around them, the servants stood frozen, unsure of how to react.
Meanwhile, Sarah smiled proudly as if she had just achieved something great.
Claude, in his father’s arms, cautiously glanced up at him, worried about his reaction.
Sarah observed every subtle movement, taking note of Claude’s nervousness.
“Little Countess of Millen!”
The Duke of Ambrosia gritted his teeth as he called Sarah’s name.
‘Is this still the limit?’
Sarah sighed inwardly and gently took Claude back into her arms.
The boy, who had previously cried and resisted the nanny, clung to her now without hesitation.
He buried his face in her shoulder, his small body relaxing.
Claude’s body, previously tense, finally seemed to feel at ease. Sarah patted his back gently, feeling the warmth of the child against her.
“Hing.”
Claude whimpered slightly, then hugged Sarah’s neck tightly.
It seemed his brief time in his father’s arms had been stressful enough.
Sarah could hear the rapid pounding of his heart.
“The two of you are so awkward, it’s embarrassing. Duke Ambrosia, have you never held Claude before?”
The duke sighed deeply, as if he had finally regained his composure.
“It is true.”
“Then keep this in mind. This is the most basic way to hold a child.”
A heavy sigh escaped him, betraying how much further he had to go.
Sarah recalled something Claude’s mother, Dielin, had once said.
“You know what, Sarah? The Duke of Ambrosia is kind to everyone, but that means no one is special to him.”
“What do you mean?”
“No one will ever be special. No one will ever love him. Ethan Ambrosia is cursed.”
“Cursed?”
“Even his brother Hiegel said the same thing. No matter how hard he tried, he could never reach Ethan’s heart. He’s cursed to never love anyone, Sarah.”
Dielin had laughed weakly, regret clouding her voice.
“Who would ever love a man with such a terrible curse?”
The Ambrosia family possessed a mysterious power passed down through generations. The heir to that power would become the head of the family.
Sarah knew what that power was, having seen the future through Park Hye-yeon.
It wasn’t Claude Ambrosia who would destroy the empire in the future—it was Ethan.
Staring at Ethan’s composed face, Sarah thought:
‘No matter how I look at him, he doesn’t seem like that kind of person.’
To the public, Ethan Ambrosia was mild-mannered and well-respected, even by the emperor. He had gained the trust of both nobles and royalty alike.
“…”
But deep down, no one knew the turmoil he hid within.
Since Park Hye-yeon began writing Flower of Darkness, the future had started to change—one of those changes being Ethan’s unexpected family.
Sarah believed there was a chance to alter both the story and the future.
“People don’t change overnight. There must be a darkness in Ethan Ambrosia that I didn’t write in Flower of Darkness.”
It seemed there was more to Ethan than she initially thought.
“Before focusing on Claude’s education, there is something more important to address first. You promised to cooperate with me, right?”
“What Claude needs now isn’t just a good environment and material support. He needs love and attention from his parents.”
Ethan nodded.
“Of course. Whatever you need, I will provide it.”
Sarah smiled—brighter than ever before.
The servants were mesmerized by her beauty, but Ethan felt a sense of unease.
“Really? Can you swear to it?”
“I swear”
Sarah pointed at him confidently.
“Ethan Ambrosia, I need you.”