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As Estelle’s due date approached, Raymond hurried back from the border.

Since marrying Estelle, he had gained favor from the Emperor. Although he had been stationed at the border, which seemed like a demotion, that was actually the frontline in the confrontation with the demon race.

Raymond held significant military authority there, unlike the elderly officials lazing away in the imperial city.

Presently serving as the third legion deputy commander on the northwest defense line, Raymond needed only a few more years of service to be eligible for promotion to central command.

Then, he would eventually ascend to command an entire elite legion, a position that would deem him worthy of being Princess Estelle’s husband.

However, with the war intensifying, Raymond found fewer opportunities to visit home. Throughout his wife’s pregnancy, he had managed to return home only twice.

He was only able to return home this time by carving out some time from his busy schedule. His visit would probably be brief, with plans to take a quick look at his newborn son before returning to duty.

Just as Raymond arrived outside the delivery room, the midwife emerged.

“How did it go, Doctor?” Raymond asked eagerly.

“Everything went well,” the doctor replied, removing her mask and heaved a long sigh of relief.

“Both mother and child are safe.”

As soon as the midwife finished her sentence, the cries of the newborn finally came from within the delivery room.

The energetic and loud cry immediately dissipated Raymond’s anxiety.

“Is it a boy or a girl?” he asked.

“A healthy baby boy. Go inside; your family is already waiting for you in there,” the midwife said, offering a supportive pat on Raymond’s shoulder.

“Straighten up, you’re a father now,” she added.

“That’s right, I’m a father now,” Raymond mumbled to himself, feeling a surge of responsibility wash over him.

“I can’t afford to make a weak first impression on my son!”

Taking a deep breath, Raymond entered the maternity ward.

His wife’s bed was already surrounded by family members—his parents, grandfather, Estelle’s mother, and even her manservant. All of them were already here… save for him, the husband, who was late.

Raymond smiled guiltily as he made his way to his beloved wife’s side. As Raymond approached, the others graciously parted to make way for the new father.

Walking to the bed, Raymond saw his wife teasing the little bundle of joy in her arms. Sensing his presence, she looked up and gave him a smile, which was a rare sight for him.

“Look at how much he resembles you,” she remarked.

Raymond’s heart swelled with warmth that suddenly made him realize that his grim days on the front line weren’t as bleak as he had thought.

“Let me see,” he said while reaching out with his hand.

His wife rolled her eyes at him and huffed, “How impatient.”

As she handed over the swaddled baby, she exclaimed with excitement, “Look, he’s got your nose, don’t you think?”

“Hahaha, of course. Who else would he take after, if not me?” Raymond laughed heartily.

He eagerly pushed back the blanket to get a better look, but a puzzled expression crossed his face.

“Huh?”

In that instant, Raymond sensed something amiss.

Why is the child… so tanned?

His gaze instinctively fell on his own arm, which, despite exposure to the sun and the rigors of battle with the demon race, remained as fair as a woman’s.

He glanced at his own parents and grandfather next. Although their faces bore the vestiges of time, their complexions were still fair.

As for the Emperor and the Empress—everyone on the continent knew what they looked like.

A bad feeling welled up within Raymond, dampening the excitement of fatherhood with a cloud of uncertainty.

“Look at these ears… And these eyes, don’t they look like yours? Even the eyebrows, they’re like a splitting image of yours,” his wife continued on, her voice filled with excitement.

However, with each word, Raymond’s discomfort grew. None of the features she pointed out felt familiar to him. Instead, the child bore a striking resemblance to the manservant who kept his head bowed in silence!

Could it be that…

Raymond could not bring himself to entertain the thought, yet a seething anger began to build within him like a volcano ready to erupt.

While the others laughed and praised the baby’s good looks, Raymond abruptly shoved the child back into Estelle’s arms.

“I want a DNA test.”

“What was that?” Estelle looked at him incredulously. “Can you repeat that? What did you want?”

“I want a DNA test,” Raymond repeated. As the words left his lips, a sense of calm washed over him.

He merely sought the truth; if his suspicions were unfounded, he would make amends to his wife and child with all he had.

But if they weren’t…

“You’re saying that… I’ve cheated on you?” Estelle’s voice erupted like an angry lioness.

“You heartless, neglectful, despicable man! You, who can’t even return home a few times a year, have the audacity to accuse me of infidelity instead of the other way around? Do you have any evidence?”

“The evidence is right here…” Raymond gestured toward the child. “Does he truly look like me? Answer me honestly. You and I are both fair-skinned, so why is he so tanned?”

“You’re the one to be blamed!” His wife continued yelling resentfully as she flung whatever was within reach at him.

Tears streaked down her face as she continued, “Didn’t you encourage me to go for walks during my pregnancy? And now, you’re rejecting our child because he’s tanned from the sun? What kind of father are you?!”

“Absurd!” Raymond seethed with anger. For the first time, his wife’s beautiful face filled him with disgust.

It was at this moment, his mother-in-law, who had remained silent until now, the woman who had emerged victorious in the palace struggles and became the motherly queen, leaned in close and whispered to him.

“Are you certain about this, Raymond?”
“What?”
“Have you forgotten what His Majesty once said to you?”
“Of course not. If I ever wronged Estelle, I’d be willing to be skinned alive… But it’s Estelle who…”
“Estelle is a princess! A princess wouldn’t stoop to such disgrace.” The Queen’s interruption was icy.

“But Estelle…” Raymond began, only to stop mid-sentence as a sudden realization dawned upon him.

The Empress was right—Estelle might err, but the Princess would not, for she embodied the dignity of the imperial family.

So that’s how it is…

As Raymond reflected on his parents’ pandering demeanor, he immediately grasped the situation. His parents were fully aware of everything but chose silence. They knew it was useless to argue.

“Young people are prone to mistakes; don’t let a small error jeopardize your future,” the Empress advised solemnly.

“I understand if you dislike this child but you mustn’t allow yourself to be seen as an abusive father. Sometimes, the opinions of others hold significant sway,” she added.

“As for both of you, just keep living your lives together in harmony. Don’t get too caught up by what’s on the surface. At least you still have a beautiful wife, don’t you?”

Raymond’s body turned stiff and his limbs grew cold. He wanted to speak but found himself unable to form words.

“In that case…” Without warning, Raymond lunged at the manservant standing in the corner and roared angrily, “This man must die!”

“What are you doing?” To his surprise, his wife, who had just given birth, stood before him.

“What are YOU doing?” Raymond’s eyes blazed with rage. “You claimed to be innocent, yet you’re still protecting him in a situation like this?!”

“I’m doing this for your own good. Do you think you can get away with committing murder without cause?”