The Duke awaited them in an abandoned house a few meters beyond the forest.
It was still dawn when they arrived.
"Your Excellency." The couple spoke in unison as they knelt before the Duke.
"At ease, such formality is unnecessary here." The Duke seemed displeased with the ritualistic gestures.
This helped Edward warm up to his future adoptive father.
"Is the princess truly dead? As well as the Commander?" the Duke asked.
Who was the Commander? Edward's biological father?
"Yes, just as she had planned," Thomas replied. "One of the Dark Acolytes attacked as expected. She died holding the slave infant you provided."
Dark Acolytes? So that was the name of the sinister figure whose presence Edward had sensed the night before.
"Selena was always a courageous woman." The Duke wore a sincere expression of sorrow. "My condolences. I know how important she was to both of you."
An awkward silence filled the room. Everyone there was grieving. But the Duke was in a hurry, so he quickly broke the silence.
"So this is the boy. He looks just like the Commander," the Duke remarked.
This confirmed that the Commander was indeed Edward's biological father.
"People always joked about how much he resembled my father-in-law. If he grows up looking like his father, everyone will assume he takes after his grandfather."
That statement didn't lighten the mood. The realization that they would soon part ways and no longer be part of the child's life only deepened their sadness.
"Juliet, give the boy to the Duke. We don't have much time."
So her name was Juliet? Edward had spent only a few hours in her arms, but he had already formed a bond with her. He didn't want them to leave either.
Edward couldn't understand why things had to be done this way, but he also had no way to question it.
The Duke brought with him another child, whom he handed over to the couple, and from then on, he would take Edward's place.
He didn't know it yet, but an intricate plan had been devised to ensure his protection.
Thomas and Juliet would take that other child to be adopted at a convent not too far away.
A baby had already been sacrificed, and another would likely die, all to keep the secret of Edward's true identity.
Reluctantly, Juliet handed Edward over to the Duke.
The Duke was a tall, strong man. His brown hair was beginning to gray, likely in his fifties.
Despite his imposing figure, his touch was gentle, the touch of an experienced father who had clearly cradled many children before.
"Alright, I'll be going now. You two be careful, they'll surely be watching you for a while."
The Duke handed over the child who would take Edward's place to the couple, and they then left.
The couple bowed one last time to the Duke before leaving the abandoned house.
As soon as they left, the Duke locked the door, then took a key from his pocket.
Edward was confused. Hadn't the Duke said they were leaving? Why lock the door?
But then he witnessed his first true magical wonder in this world.
A magic circle appeared around the keyhole, and glowing runes spread across the door. Only Edward could see it, though he didn't yet realize that.
The door hadn't just locked, it had transformed.
When the Duke opened it again, instead of the outside, an elegantly decorated, luxurious bedroom lay beyond.
How did this work? Had the magic circle created a wormhole between this door and another far away? Or did it follow some other logic, completely different from the physics of his old world?
To the Duke, this seemed like ordinary magic. But for Edward, it was a revelation that raised countless questions.
He knew he had a lifetime to find answers, but his mind raced with possibilities. Then, a woman's voice pulled him from his thoughts.
"James, you're back?"
On a large bed lay a young woman with raven-black hair like Edward's. She looked exhausted and even more visibly heartbroken.
This was likely the Duke's wife, who had just lost a child.
"Whose baby is this?" she asked when she saw the newborn in her husband's arms.
"We've already discussed this, don't you remember?"
The young woman seemed to finally realize who the baby was and why he was here.
"Is Selena dead?" she asked softly.
"Unfortunately, yes," the Duke replied.
"He looks like Edward."
She spoke as the Duke sat beside her on the bed, showing her the baby.
"They named him Edward after his father," the Duke explained.
"I'd be honored to raise the princess's son… but do we have to lie? Pretend he's our own?"
The young woman seemed conflicted about letting Edward replace her stillborn child.
"You know we must. Our marriage is at stake."
She understood. Edward wondered what threatened their marriage, and how raising him as their own would help?
"Should we change his name?" she asked.
"Don't worry. Everyone knows how loyal your father and I were to the Commander. They'll assume we named him in his honor."
What was the mystery surrounding his father? Edward couldn't wait to uncover the truth.
"Alright." The young woman seemed to have made up her mind.
She took Edward from the Duke's arms. Her touch was tender, the touch of someone trying to love this child as fiercely as she would have loved her own.
"You lost your mother, and I lost my son," she whispered, stroking Edward's hair.
Despite the strangeness of the situation, being an adult in a baby's body, cradled by a mother younger than his past self, he felt safe in her arms. He had already accepted her as his new mother.
"Will you be my son?" she asked with a gentle smile.
At that moment, Edward grasped her finger. It was just an infant's reflex, but she took it as a yes, as if he were giving his approval.
"Alright, Edward. I'm Eliza, your mother. I swear I'll love and raise you as if you were born from me."
She seemed to be saying it more for herself than for him, but Edward knew she meant it.
She hugged him so warmly that, for the first time since his reincarnation, he truly felt like a baby, overcome by an irresistible drowsiness.
But the next conversation forced him to stay awake. He didn't want to miss any details about his new life.
"How will we convince your other wives that he's truly ours? By now, they must know our child died," Eliza asked.
The Duke had multiple wives? Thomas had mentioned it before, but Edward hadn't paid attention. Did that mean he could have multiple wives when he grew up?
The idea was… intriguing.
"Don't worry. Your aunt has already started spreading rumors," the Duke replied.
Seeing Eliza's skeptical look, he continued:
"She 'let slip' to one of the servants, who we know reports to Elvira, that you had twins."
Edward wasn't sure how this would help, and neither was Eliza. The Duke explained further:
"Hiding our son's body from the mansion's servants would've been impossible. So she hinted that twins were born, but one was stillborn."
Edward began to understand the logic.
"She also 'accidentally' mentioned that the second child, though alive, was in critical condition and might not survive. That's why we've kept this room sealed for the past few days; only your aunt and I could enter."
Eliza clearly saw the necessity of the lies but was still uneasy with the deception.
"We'll claim Edward was the only child born. That'll make them think they've uncovered the 'secret', that there were two babies, and one died."
Edward thought the plan was flawless. He was relieved to be under the care of such capable people.
"My aunt has a talent for spinning lies," Eliza said, more disturbed than impressed.
"Tell me about it. Good thing she's on our side," the Duke added.
Suddenly, the door opened, and an older woman who resembled Eliza entered.
"Good, you're back," she said, likely the lying aunt. "The brat looks just like my brother. He'll be perfect."
The Duke and Eliza seemed about to say something, but the old woman cut them off.
"The four hags have lost their patience. They've summoned the Bishop. He'll be here in a few hours."
Edward saw the worry on the Duke's and Eliza's faces. What danger did the Bishop's arrival pose?
He wanted to keep eavesdropping, but his infant body finally won. Resisting sleep was impossible.
His eyelids grew heavy, and within moments, he was fast asleep.