"Roman, I promised you last time that I would bring the music doll for you. I asked my father to have it specially made," said seven-year-old Adrian. As the son of the kingdom’s most prominent banker, he spoke with a confidence that mirrored his father’s status.

"Thank you, Adrian. It truly means a lot," Roman replied, accepting the birthday gift with a polite nod.

"Well, you should open it and see for yourself," Adrian prompted, a proud, knowing grin spreading across his face.

Roman weighed the gift in his hands, catching the glint in his friend’s eye. "Why do I suspect there is more to this than just a doll?"

He quickly unboxed the gift and pulled out the wooden music doll.

"Wow! It is beautiful!" Roman and his other friends gasped.

"Roman, move this switch," his other friend, Xavier, said.

As he flipped the small mechanical switch at the base, a sweet melody echoed from within. A moment later, the doll came to life; it began to twirl and glide across its pedestal, its wooden limbs moving with a grace that mimicked a royal dancer at a ball.

The boys watched the dancing doll in hushed awe, their eyes following every mechanical turn until the music finally slowed to a halt. As the melody faded, the figure clicked into a still position, leaving the group in a brief, enchanted silence.

"Boys, what are you doing gathered here?" Eilika’s voice echoed across the hall. She approached the group, her gaze softening as she saw them crowded around Roman.

"Mama, look at this! My friend Adrian gave it to me," Roman answered, his face lit up with a wide, genuine smile as he held the music doll out for her to see.

The other five boys scrambled to their feet, bowing their heads respectfully at the sight of the Duchess.

"That is a truly wonderful gift, Roman. Did you remember to thank your friend?" Eilika asked, resting a gentle hand on the crown of his head.

"Your Grace, a ’thank you’ isn’t necessary between two friends," Adrian interjected with a confident smile.

"I suppose that is true," Eilika agreed, her gaze sweeping over the group. "The time to cut the cake is approaching. I expect all of you to be in the main hall shortly. Roman, you can look through the rest of your gifts later."

She placed a guiding hand on Roman’s back, nudging him toward the front of the room. "The gifts you prepared for everyone else will be distributed once the cake is cut." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Yes, Mama!" Roman replied excitedly.

~~~~

The birthday banquet proceeded exactly as Eilika had hoped, filled with genuine joy and celebration.

Her lingering anxiety over August’s presence eventually began to fade; he hadn’t uttered a single provocative word the entire evening. Whenever their paths happened to cross, he simply looked past her, choosing to ignore her presence entirely.

As the night deepened and the palace grew quiet, Eilika and Damian stood by the entrance to see off the final guests. Roman, exhausted from the day’s excitement, lay tucked against his father’s chest, sleeping peacefully in Damian’s lap.

"With God’s grace, everything went well," Damian said, a tired but satisfied smile reaching his eyes as he looked down at his son. "And I must give you the credit for handling everything so well despite so much happened in such a short time."

"I promised Roman a memorable birthday," Eilika said, her smile widening as she watched the boy sleep. "I don’t want him to ever feel a sense of emptiness. He should have these moments to look back on as he grows up."

"Thank you for being so thoughtful of him," Damian replied, his voice low and sincere.

"There is no need for thanks in matters like these," she responded gently. "Let’s go inside. Roman should be in his own bed. You can hand him to me; I’ll take him to his room. You need proper rest as well. The toxin may be gone from your system, but your body still needs time to recover."

"You’re right. But I will take him to his room," Damian insisted. He took a step forward, glancing back at her, and she followed him into the quiet hallway.

After Damian gently tucked Roman under the duvet, Eilika leaned down to press a soft kiss to the boy’s forehead.

She rested her hand over his heart and whispered, "He was bragging to his friends earlier about having a mother. I overheard him... it made me realize how much he must have felt that void before."

"Children can be cruel when a parent is missing," Damian admitted. "They never dared to tease Roman directly because he is the Duke’s son, but whenever they spoke of the things their mothers did for them, I could see the loss in his eyes. I remember him coming to me with his complaints, but I was ignorant then. I didn’t understand the depth of what he was missing."

"Then, why did you agree to marry me in the first place? You didn’t even come to see me beforehand. Did you just trust your mother’s judgment? What if I hadn’t been a good match?"

"My mother insisted that she had thoroughly vetted you. At the time, I was indifferent to the whole arrangement," Damian admitted, sitting heavily on the edge of the bed. "To be honest, Eilika, I was barely living then. You saw that side of me yourself."

"Yes, I did. And I have to say, you’ve improved significantly since then. I’m glad you are focusing on your son," Eilika replied.

"August won’t stop, as I told you earlier today. I’m at a loss for how to handle him or how to prevent a disaster from falling upon this house," Damian asserted, his expression tight with worry. "I’m still haunted by the words he told me. And you heard him too."

"But I do believe he’s lying," Eilika stated. "By the way, did Maurice find out who tried to poison you?"