chapter 10

Chapter 10: A Step Behind

It took a moment for the young prince to collect himself before he crouched down to embrace the child.

He reminded himself internally to maintain the dignity befitting a prince.

However, the corners of his lips betrayed him.

The child seemed even more elated, giggling merrily. His voice, pure and innocent, mirrored the genuine emotions in his clear eyes.

As the young prince crouched down, the guests snapped back to reality.

"The young lord knows how to choose, haha!"

"Such fortune for Lord Shen; the young lord is surely destined to be bright and insightful."

Words of praise poured out from every direction.

The old Duke and Duchess: "..."

Both wore strained smiles, masking their underlying feelings.

The old Duke felt a twinge of bitterness.

How often does a child's first words address an outsider?

He had yet to hear the Shen child address him as 'grandfather.'

Duke Shen was unperturbed, graciously accepting all the compliments with a gleaming smile.

His gaze softened when it fell on his heir.

The child seemed to have spoken earlier than Shen Yan, appearing to be quite astute.

In the future, he surely wouldn't bring dishonor to the Shen family.

The various thoughts of the surrounding crowd didn't affect Shen He.

Shen He intently took another step, clinging to the thigh he was embracing.

Nestled in the young prince's embrace, he joyfully called out again, "Brother!"

Hey, male lead, someone's calling you 'brother'. Feeling elated?

The male lead was practically bursting with joy.

In this fleeting year, the young prince matured rapidly, mastering the art of concealing his emotions.

Most of the time, he maintained a stoic expression, exuding the gravitas of an adult.

Yet, he had not reached the pinnacle of composure.

Holding the child's soft body, he couldn't resist pinching the cherubic, rosy cheeks, "Mm, Shen He is such a good and clever boy. To think you're already calling me 'brother'."

Holding the child close, he stood and turned to Zhong Hong with an amused smirk, "Zhong Hong, he called me 'brother'. Those were his first words. Did you hear?"

Suppressing his amusement, Zhong Hong nodded respectfully, "I did, Your Highness. It's evident that the young lord holds you dearest, calling you first."

Zhong Hong knew exactly how to flatter the young prince.

Feeling increasingly pleased, the prince playfully lifted Shen He by his chubby bottom.

Finally, he planted a kiss on the child's cheek.

After the affectionate gesture, the prince paused, a slight blush coloring the tips of his ears.

His expression turned serious as he cleared his throat, "Everyone, please return to your seats."

He yearned to take Shen He away.

There were too many people around.

Yet, the old Duke's hopeful gaze was fixed on him, or more precisely, on the child in his arms.

Qi Zhuoyun had to exercise patience.

After all, the old Duke was Shen He's biological grandfather and genuinely adored the boy.

On this first birthday celebration, it was only appropriate for Shen He to spend more time at the Duke's residence.

He carried the child to a secluded area.

The old Duke and Duchess, not bothering with their guests, instructed Duke Shen to attend to them.

The elderly couple eagerly trailed the young prince, trying to coax the child nestled on his shoulder, "Shen He, such a good boy. Call out 'grandfather'."

Shen He giggled cheekily, playing coy.

He buried his face into the prince's neck, momentarily resisting the earnest hopes of his grandparents.

Today is a crucial moment for favor-currying; the surprise is meant for the protagonist.

So, nobody else should be called today.

Just wait a few more months. He'll surely speak fluently, showing the world what it means to be articulate at the age of one—a prodigious talent.

As he laughed, drool dripped onto the prince's neck.

Qi Zhuoyun, holding Shen He, sat down, not showing any annoyance.

With one hand protecting him, she whispered, "Zhong Hong, he's drooling."

Zhong Hong glanced over, and with a mix of amusement and concern, quickly wiped the prince clean.

Qi Zhuoyun lowered her head to wipe Shen He.

Having been a baby for a year, Shen He's skin was thick and unfazed. Seeing his drool all over Qi Zhuoyun's neck didn't embarrass him.

After all, he couldn't control himself.

Seeing the young prince's joyful demeanor, the Duke and Duchess realized he wasn't planning to let them hold the baby.

The couple tried to coax the child in the prince's arms: "Little He, can you call us grandfather and grandmother? We have pastries for you."

The Duchess held out a pastry, waving it in front of Shen He.

It was Shen He's recently favorite chestnut cake.

He felt his saliva production increase and silently leaned into the protagonist, murmuring, "Ah ah!"

Stretching out chubby hands and revealing a few baby teeth with a smile, he looked irresistibly cute.

Attempting to charm his way through.

The Duchess's heart melted; her face wrinkled with a warm smile.

She nearly relented.

But she held firm, trying to teach Shen He to say: "Grandmother, Grand—mother—"

Shen He tilted his head, earnestly reaching out and echoing, "Ah—ah—"

Oh dear Duchess, even if he's a stand-in child, expecting him to speak in such a short time is a bit much.

That's all the interaction for today.

The Duchess sighed inwardly, a pang of regret thinking, if only they had raised the child from birth, perhaps the first person he'd call out to today would have been them.

She was about to give the pastry to the child.

The young prince discreetly handed the child a piece of chestnut cake without drawing attention.

The child instantly gripped it with delight, leaning back into the young prince's embrace. His plump little body swayed from side to side, his joy evident in every gesture.

The Duchess and the Duke: "... " They were just a moment too late!

They stayed at the Duke's mansion until sunset.

The young prince didn't engage in any affairs today, spending the whole day with Shen He.

Shen He was quite pleased, even spending some time playing with Shen Yan.

The young prince seemed somewhat reluctant to let Shen He mingle with Shen Yan, the eldest son.

Shen He speculated it might be due to the lingering effects of a previous incident with Lady Zheng.

Shen He playfully pinched Shen Yan's chubby cheeks, gave him a quick peck, then merrily returned to the protagonist's side, planting a kiss on his face.

"Don't be so petty, dear protagonist."

After all, it was the adult Lady Zheng who had wronged him last time. What does that have to do with Shen Yan, a toddler who can barely articulate words?

Qi Zhuoyun, beckoned by the child, found herself squatting in the corridor. After receiving a kiss, she touched her face, finding it wet with drool.

After his quick peck, the child ran off to play with the eldest son of the Shen family once more.

The two similarly-aged toddlers sat by the flowerbeds, conversing in their soft, innocent voices, their conversation indecipherable to onlookers.

Touching the wet spot on her face, Qi Zhuoyun smiled to herself, thinking it had been a good day.

The weather was clear and sunny.

A stark contrast to the stormy weather a year ago.

The days ahead should only get better.

By evening, when they were returning to the Eastern Palace, Shen He was utterly exhausted.

He fell asleep in the carriage.

He slept in the young prince's arms as they left and remained asleep throughout the journey back to the Eastern Palace.

Qi Zhuoyun's arm grew numb under the weight of the sleeping child, yet she didn't hand him over to Zhong Hong.

She whispered, "Zhong Hong, he was sent by the Empress Dowager to accompany me, wasn't he?"

Zhong Hong's face showed a tender expression, "The late Empress must be wishing your happiness from the heavens. With Lady Shen encountering misfortune and the young lord remaining unharmed, perhaps it's the Empress's blessing for you."

Qi Zhuoyun recognized that Zhong Hong was humoring him, saying these things to appease him.

No matter how much protection his Empress Mother might offer, she couldn't possibly shield Shen He.

But now, he sincerely hoped that if his mother could protect anyone, she would also shield Shen He.

Protect the child who, like him, shared a similar fate, would grow up by his side, and call him "Prince Brother."

He caressed the child's soft hair, murmuring softly, "Grow up quickly, He He."

He too needed to grow up fast.