The next day arrived more slowly than Lord Maroke had hoped. He strangely looked forward to it, a feeling he had never experienced before. He woke up at dawn, as usual, to prepare for the outing with his son. However, deep down, he knew his thoughts were solely focused on winning Kamora's affection—a task he had no idea how to accomplish. For someone who had always been indifferent, this mission was a challenge he hadn't yet figured out.

A few hours later, there was a knock on his quarters' door. Fully dressed and engrossed in some documents from the previous night, Lord Maroke invited the visitor in.

'You may come in,' he said.

Claudia entered, holding a tray of food. She closed the door and greeted him with a slight bow. 'Good morning, my lord,' she said, placing the tray on a small table at the other end of the room, opposite a long couch. 'Your breakfast is ready.'

'Thank you,' Lord Maroke replied. When Claudia didn't leave immediately, he raised an eyebrow. 'Is there a problem?'

'My lord, if I may be so bold.'

'You have always been bold, Claudia. Why hesitate now?'

Claudia seemed to collect her thoughts, her hands folded in front of her. 'My lord,' she began finally, 'I heard you're going on an outing with your son.'

'Yes,' Lord Maroke confirmed, setting aside his documents and moving to the couch. He sipped some water from a glass on the tray and then placed it down.

'I feel like I haven't been close to my son,' Lord Maroke continued. 'Despite my condition, I don't want him to grow up thinking I had no affection for him.'

'But, my lord,' Claudia frowned slightly, 'you can't have affection.'

'Sadly, I can't,' Lord Maroke admitted. 'But I can make time for my son. That's the least I should do as a father, don't you think? Do you disagree?'

'No, my lord,' Claudia said quickly. 'I was simply worried. For the eight years the young master has been on this earth, you've never tried to get closer to him.'

'Thank you for pointing out my lack of responsibility.'

'I mean no insult, my lord,' Claudia quickly added.

'No offense taken. I just want to spend time with my son to quell his requests for more attention when I'm away. Do you understand?'

Claudia nodded but still appeared hesitant.

'What else troubles you, Claudia?' Lord Maroke inquired.

'Must the maid accompany you?' she blurted out. 'Since this is an opportunity for you and your son to bond, shouldn't it be just the two of you, without a maid who's been with us for only a few weeks?'

'Jarosh is very close to her,' Lord Maroke stated. 'Have you noticed the change in him since she arrived at the manor? He's well-behaved and follows her lead.'

'I acknowledge that Kamora has done an excellent job with the young lord,' Claudia conceded, 'but she is still just a recent maid. I don't believe she should receive special attention.'

'In what way am I granting her special attention?' Lord Maroke questioned. 'My son feels comfortable with her. I believe if she accompanies us, she might help Jarosh feel more at ease with me as well.'

'I can go instead of her—'

'Now, Claudia,' Lord Maroke interrupted, 'while I appreciate the great job you've done managing my manor, we both know you don't have the same influence on my son as Kamora does. I want to grow closer to my son, not closer to the maid. However, I'm curious why you're so opposed to this.'

'I apologize for my attitude, my lord. I'm just concerned for you. It's been a long time since you've been this...active.'

Lord Maroke pondered her words silently. 'Was I ever this active before?'

When Claudia didn't respond, he pressed further. 'Was it when my wife was alive? Do you have any memories of her?'

'My lord, unfortunately, I do not,' Claudia replied, her expression somber. 'I only have vague images in my mind, but her face remains unclear.'

'At least you have those hazy memories,' Lord Maroke sighed. 'I can't even recall the mother of my son—no image, no form, nothing.' He waved his hand. 'If that's all, please leave. I want to depart early and return promptly.'

Claudia bowed and left without another word. Once the door closed, Lord Maroke sighed, placing his hand on his head. A mild ache tugged at his chest, but it wasn't as severe as before. Claudia had a reason to be concerned, but he couldn't reveal the true motives behind his actions. Hopefully, in the end, everything would work out for their sake. He leaned forward, took a bite of his breakfast, and continued his day.