Summer Is For Falling In Love
16. Fear

In the end, nothing changes in Holland's relationship with Esther despite Olivia's presence.

Olivia was pregnant with Holland's child, but the man's treatment was not much different than before, even colder due to the fact that Olivia had used Holland for one night.

Meanwhile, Holland could continue to visit Descartez's residence on behalf of business, so that not many nobles were suspicious of Holland's frequent visits. At the same time, Holland's relationship with Esther grew closer and closer until the two were convinced that Olivia would not make them waver again.

However, this felt bad for the servant who served Olivia. The woman's temperament was getting worse, she would not even hesitate to lower the servant's pride, or dismiss it carelessly on her behalf as the powerful Mistress Floral. Now, even her closest waitress begins to be careful with Olivia, trying not to lose their job and get fired while losing their self-esteem.

Without notice, nine months had passed, the birth of a son within the Floral family spread warmly. However, Olivia was not happy at all.

"Although the Madam has given birth to her son, Mr. Duke has not visited the Madam at all" whispered one of the maids who helped with the birth process.

"Ah, not a new thing. Even after they get married, Mr. Duke will ignore the Madam as if she is not alive."

"Hush, never mind, don't gossip" interrupted another waiter who had just come to change the warm water. "If the Madam finds out, you're done."

"I already know! You guys talk really loud!" olivia was upset, but unable to shout her words because she was too tired.

"Madam, congratulations, he's a man" said the waiter, handing a small baby wrapped in a soft cloth to Olivia.

Olivia received the baby doubtfully, then looked at the reddened skin of her face. She is her son, her son with Holland, a legitimate Floral lineage, but Olivia is not at all happy, she is not happy.

Given that today was the birth of her son, but her husband was not by her side. However, Olivia believes that this lineage is the key to her life.

All this time, Holland continued to spend time with Esther. Olivia already knew who the woman who seized her husband, his identity, even what they did. Although Olivia has yelled at Holland many times that she is his legal wife, Holland pretends not to hear her until Olivia ends up alone.

Now, with the presence of a son in the Floral household, it was certain what the fate of his son was. Olivia will make her son worthy of being the next head of the household, until Holland can finally keep his son. If her son can be defended, of course the son will hold Olivia back from being able to run away from Holland's side.

Secretly, a thin grin appeared on his lips. His son would be a valuable asset to tie Holland to him.

"My son's name is Demian, Demian Delano Floral," Olivia said as she kissed Demian's forehead. "It means a submissive boy."

"Congratulations, Mrs Olivia!"

"A charming name, Mrs Olivia!"

One by one the servants began to congratulate Demian on his birth as well as the beautiful name that had just been given.

However, the name would apparently bind his son into a submissive figure. Olivia hopes that Demian will obey all her orders, her requests, even her ego. Olivia had even thought of Demian's only purpose in life to become the next Duke, then tie Holland down so as not to remove Olivia and Demian from the man's life because Holland clearly needs a successor to defend the Floral household.

...***...

"No! This is wrong, quickly reread!" Olivia hit the back of Demian's hand with a rattan, ignoring how red the back of Demian's hand was, even swelling up.

Demian gasped for the stinging pain on the back of his hand, even tears dripping from his eyelids towards his red cheeks.

"Don't cry! Quickly read it well!" olivia.

"Madam, maybe reading too fast for Young Master, he's only five years old" interrupted the servant who felt sorry for Demian.

The waiter gets a plot from Olivia. "Shut up! He's my son, it's up to me what I'm going to do!"

The maid retreated regularly, even bowing her head in order to keep her face from being remembered by Olivia until the maid did not get a nightmare like being dishonorably fired.

"Demians!" olivia shouted, making Demian's tiny body tremble violently.

For five-year-old Demian, of course to read a textbook was too difficult for him. She was still too young, but Olivia kept a tight grip on Demian's movements by polishing a stone into a diamond.

Demian must be valuable, otherwise he wouldn't deserve to live.

Although the same sentence was doctrinated many times in his head by Olivia, but Demian was only a five-year-old child. His brain still has difficulty processing heavy things, even many times failing to understand it.

"Demian, be a submissive! Be obedient as your name!"

"Mother, I can't read it," Demian replied stammering, even a few words faintly heard from the sobbing.

Olivia screamed in frustration. "If this is not the case, how can you be the next Duke?! You have to learn a lot, become the Duke, and live!"

Olivia got up from her chair and left the room before telling the waiter that Demian should not eat anything before she managed to read a piece of textbook fluently.

After the door was shut violently by Olivia, Demian's body immediately burst onto the floor, even shaking violently.

"Young Master!"

The servants immediately panicked and carried Demian, hugging their young master with teary eyes. Of course, the burden that Olivia put on Demian was too heavy that Demian would not be able to withstand it.

"Call the doctor, hurry!" the female butler commando. "Some, bring warm water and herbal leaves."

"Ma'am, what about the Madam's orders regarding not feeding the Young Master?" ask the waiter who is preparing to take the warm water to the kitchen.

The butler sighed. He knew for himself the risks against Madam Floral, but his affection for young master Floral was more domineering.

"Bring up a soup that's easy to digest. I'll be in charge."

Both pairs of the waiter's eyes were glazed over, feeling moved. "You are my role model, ma'am! I'm retreating!"

The butler only exhaled heavily before approaching Demian who had been laid on the sofa.

"That's awfully your fate, Young Master Demian," muttered the butler as he stroked Demian's head. "Your mother is very loud, Your Father is very indifferent. Please grow strong, I support you, Young Master Demian."

Demian seems to lose consciousness because his mentality is too suppressed, then ends in stress. Everyone who worked at the Floral residence would immediately know that Olivia's upbringing was too harsh and harsh for a five-year-old. They know that Olivia is obsessed with Holland, so Olivia attempts to attract Holland's attention in such a way. Including making his son "worthy" Holland could glance at him, praising him for raising a son so well.

But, look at it. Even five years passed, Demian only met Holland a few times, even a single word they never exchanged. Holland also had no intention of seeing his son until he could see what he looked like or how he was doing.

The butler agreed that Demian's look had indeed declined from his mother's. With her sweet and round face, then a thick strand of black hair, then a pair of bright enough blood red beads, descending from Olivia. For Holland who sees Olivia as a source of suffering, to meet her replicas is nothing less torturous.

...***...

Olivia was angry, very angry.

"That woman has already dared to come to my residence!" olivia shouted and slammed the teacup. "This is my house! My power! But why ...?!"

Olivia exhaled violently. In fact, this was not the first time Esther had visited the Floral residence. At that time, Olivia intends to slap Esther in front of Holland while separating the two who are too close together. However, Olivia ended up getting punished.

Holland locks Olivia in her room for an entire month, and even her military guards every corner of Olivia's room to prevent her from running. After a month that almost drove her crazy, Olivia was deterred. He finally only saw the figure of Esther from afar while cursing her name without stopping, even swearing Esther to live unlucky to death.

...***...

"As usual, this residence always amazes me," praised Esther with a gentle smile on her lips. His hands were tucked into Holland's arms, and even the distance between them was eroded.

"really?" Holland returned Esther's smile as softly as it was, there was almost no trace of the face resembling ice. "In a minute, Esther. Just wait a minute, okay?"

Esther chuckles small. "I don't want to make you feel desperate, Holland. Just enjoy this time, reach your destination slowly but surely, I'll wait."

"Thank you, Esther. I'm grateful to love you."

Esther no longer felt so embarrassed when Holland expressed her feelings all of a sudden, but the pleasant pounding on her chest never came off.

The two then chatted while passing through a wide hallway to the park at the Floral residence. Supposedly, the waiter had prepared the table and chairs along with tea and snacks.

However, when Holland entered the garden of the residence, his forehead shriveled, his breathing was restrained.

"Dad?"

Demian was there, with his fingers held by servants, wearing thin clothes and a sweet hat on his head.

Holland pulled Esther closer to his side. "Esther, let's go somewhere else."

"So, you're Demian, huh?" ask Esther warmly.

The servant relinquished his grasp on Demian for putting his modesty first, where the two nobles who spoke, could not be intruded by the other party.

Demian stepped back, hesitating for a moment, but decided to greet him according to the etiquette he had learned.

"Good day, Madam. Right, I am Demian from the Floral family. Nice to meet the lady."

"Gee!" Esther's eyes were rounded. "The perfect greetings! Nice to meet Demian too, my name is Esther."

"Mrs Esther, huh?" Demian smiled gently. "I'm honored to meet Mrs Esther."

"You're so good at seducing me!" kekeh Esther, then turned her head to look at Holland. "Holland, how about inviting Demian over for tea?"

"Yes?" Holland surprised. "But Esther, this kid—"

"Your son," Esther replied briefly, causing Holland's body to flinch.

"Esther, I can't."

"Why?" Esther re-enforced her body and faced Holland. "Demian is your son, you shouldn't be cold."

"He's Olivia's son." Holland tries to explain to Esther that Holland never thinks of Demian as his own son.

"You once said that Demian was completely innocent. Then, why did you reject him so hard?"

"Esther, please, don't be stubborn."

Because, every time Holland looked at her, there was only Olivia on her face, so identical, that Holland ended up fed up after seeing Demian's face. Everything related to Olivia, keeps Holland crowded. She can't ignore the pain when she disappoints Esther because of Olivia, or when Olivia framed Holland for the one night she hated. Every design of the event was twisted in the mind, Holland had difficulty speaking until the tightness in his chest faded. How is it different from Demian?

"No, I want you to take Demian along as well."

Holland breathed. Persuading Esther when she is stubborn is not the right choice. Esther will stay with the answer.

"All right."

Esther cheered a little while Holland asked the waiter for an extra seat in the gazebo. Esther herself knelt down in front of Demian and asked Demian to join.

"Will it not bother me to attend the event?"

"Absolutely not, Demian. I'd be happy if you joined."

"Alright, it's an honor to be able to satisfy Mrs Esther's pleasure."

Esther chuckles. "I'm like talking to a grown man when you're five." Esther stretched out her hand.

Demian looked at Esther's palm outstretched at her, then raised her head to look at Esther's pair of beads. "What is this, Miss Esther?"

"Hold my hand, Demian."

"A-Ah, then." Demian hesitantly raised his hand until Esther finally clasped Demian's tiny fingers.

Esther leads Demian to the prepared gazebo, helps Demian up the chair, and then serves up some sweet treats that the kids should love.

Holland joined in after suppressing his discomfort. Holland felt that joining them was Olivia so identical that the face was shared.

"Demian is too formal for me, why not just talk casual?" pinta Esther warmly.

"Ah, how could I treat my friend very casually. It won't be polite, Miss Esther," Demian replied calmly.

Esther freezes up a bit when Demian says that Holland and Esther are just friends, but decides to ignore her because Demian, of course, doesn't know the truth.

However, Esther felt that Demian did not behave as a five-year-old, Demian was too mature and too wise. Who made the souls of the children in Demian disappear?

"Well if Demian doesn't want to talk casual with me, but just think I'm close to you, yeah."

"Alright, if Miss Esther wants it."

"In that case, may I ask, Demian?"

"Yes, Mrs Esther. What do you want to know about me?"

"Who taught you etiquette and formal language?"

Esther could see a faint tremor in the child's body, making Esther frown. What makes this boy so scared?

"My mother taught me so many things" Demian replied with a stiff smile on her lips, even the fingers holding the milk cup trembled quietly.

"That's it, huh? Mistress Floral is so amazing for making Demian charming like this."

Demian laughed forcefully, sounding from his discordant voice. "I'm very happy to be able to answer Mrs Esther's question."

Esther shut up, then glanced at Holland. Esther brought her closer to Holland and whispered, "Isn't Demian a little suspicious?"

"I don't know where he suspected it," Holland replied calmly, he even sipped his tea as if Demian's presence wasn't accounted for there.

Esther frowned in annoyance. He knows that Holland hates Olivia, but Demian is not a guilty soul. It wouldn't be fair to Demian if she was unilaterally hated by Holland just because her physique was so identical to Olivia's.

"Demian was afraid of Olivia" Esther said.

"Then? Stop, Esther. The time we spend is too precious to be spent with nonsense."

"Omong empty ...! Holland, you!" Esther let out a sigh of resignation, then decided to shift the topic that felt sensitive for Demian to look back at the bright smile on her sweet lips.

At night, Holland was only glued to his work documents, not even a single letter even though the quill was between his fingers.

"Mr Holland, are you sick? Please do not stare at the innocent paper," Miel said in a calm tone, as if she did not insert a joke in her sentence.

Holland breathed heavily. "Miel's."

"Please don't ask me anything heavy, yeah."

Holland clucking. "You've never changed, so insolent. I am your master and a Floral Duke."

Miel laughed a little. "You want to play around with your power, hm? However, I have a lot of disgrace regarding you from your childhood to adulthood. I'm sure if one disgrace about you spreads in Teratia, your dignity will be depleted."

Holland ignored Miel even though she was feeling cold. "Examine something."

"The pay is a million tera," Miel said as she stretched out her hands.

Holland brushed aside both hands extended to him.

"It seems, Demian was afraid of Olivia. Find out what's causing it."

Miel raised next to an eyebrow. "Alright, since this case concerns Young Master Demian, I'll give you half the price cut. The pay was only five hundred thousand tera."

"Close, but investigate properly" said Holland, who had thrown away five hundred thousand tera easily.

Miel secretly cursed, you rich man!

...***...

I also want to be rich. May I be a rich man in the future! ^^^^^^

July 2nd, 2023