After Story 26. [After Story] Stella
Five years later.
Imperial Year 667.
Fifteen years since the final battle against the monsters.
Bringar Duchy. The Grand Duke’s Palace.
“Daddy.”
A small voice rang in my ears.
“Daddy, wake up.”
Tiny hands carefully shook my
“Come on, wake up! Hurry!”
“Mm…”
Drowsily, I slowly opened my eyes.
Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I turned to my right and saw Serenade still fast asleep.
“This way, Daddy!”
Hearing the voice again, I looked to the other side of the bed.
Standing on tiptoe beside the bed was a little girl.
She had thick black hair and obsidian-like eyes that sparkled brightly. Her round cheeks were plump, making her look even more adorable.
Before I knew it, a wide smile spread across my face as I called her name.
“Did you sleep well, Stella?”
“Shhh!”
The little girl—my daughter, Stella—hurriedly put a tiny finger to her lips.
She leaned in and whispered into my ear.
“You’ll wake Mommy! Shhh!”
I turned to look at Serenade again. She was still deep in dreamland.
She was even talking in her sleep.
With a bit of drool at the corner of her mouth, she murmured, “Hehe… You’re adorable as always, Your Highness…”
‘…She looks happy, so let’s just leave her be.’
It didn’t seem like Serenade would be waking up anytime soon.
Carefully, I pulled the blanket aside and slipped out of bed.
Stella stood with her arms crossed, looking up at me with a slight pout.
Squatting down in front of her, I smiled.
“My little girl, why are you upset? Why did you come to wake me up?”
Stella let out an exasperated sigh.
She smacked her chubby cheeks with both hands, then widened her big, round eyes at me.
“Daddy, are you dumb? It’s Mommy’s birthday today…!”
Oh.
Oh…!
Right.
I hadn’t forgotten Serenade’s birthday itself.
What I had forgotten was my promise to Stella.
We had planned to surprise Serenade by secretly preparing a birthday party early in the morning.
I had promised Stella last night.
“I’m sorry, Stella. Daddy worked late and was so sleepy that I kind of forgot.”
I apologized sincerely.
Stella pursed her lips but eventually gave a reluctant nod.
“It’s okay. You woke up right away, and we’re not too late.”
“That’s right. Let’s start preparing now. Shall we go?”
“Yeah!”
Stella tiptoed her way out of the bedroom first.
Following suit, I carefully stepped out, making sure not to make any noise.
Once we made it out to the hallway, I gently shut the door behind us.
Stella let out a long sigh of relief, placing a hand on her belly.
Then she turned to me with a big thumbs-up.
“Step one, success!”
“Wow~!”
I pretended to clap softly.
Stella raised her little hands and pointed toward the kitchen.
“Step two. Let’s go! I got everything ready!”
With tiny, determined steps, Stella marched forward.
I couldn’t help but smile as I followed her.
“…”
As I walked behind my little daughter, I suddenly thought back to five years ago… to the day Stella was born.
It had been on Kuilan and Yun’s wedding day, during the afterparty.
Serenade had gone into labor unexpectedly, but thankfully, the priests present had assisted with the delivery.
She had given birth safely, and when the news of our healthy daughter spread, everyone had celebrated.
‘And… then there was the name contest…’
Even though I had never asked for one, a naming contest for my child had somehow started on its own.
After a fierce debate, the name with the most votes was Diamond.
Something about a gem born from Ash.
But adding another jewel name to the Cross family’s Emerald and Sapphire felt like too much.
More importantly, Serenade and I had already chosen a name.
Stella.
It meant star.
So, I had proudly announced, her name is Stella!
Yet some stubborn people continued to call her Diamond~.
Like Kellibey.
And Kellibey.
Oh, and Kellibey.
Then, the moment His Majesty the Emperor heard of his granddaughter’s birth, he rushed over immediately.
And he personally bestowed her middle name.
Light-Seeker.
A seeker of light. A pursuer of brilliance. Something along those lines.
Thus, her full name became—
Stella ‘Light-Seeker’ Everblack.
And now, that very same little lady was toddling ahead of me with her short legs.
When we reached the kitchen, Elize was already waiting for us.
Once known as the Executioner of the Battlefield, feared for the way she cut down her enemies, she had now voluntarily taken on the role of Stella’s nanny.
For five years, she had looked after Stella.
As always, the moment she saw Stella, her face softened completely.
“Good morning, My Lord. And good morning, young lady. Hohoho…”
“…”
I had long known that Elize had a soft spot for children—she had been the same with Sid.
But still, that creepy laugh…
Couldn’t she tone it down just a little?
Stella, however, had been around Elize since birth and wasn’t fazed in the slightest.
Instead, she grinned and waved.
“Elize! Thanks for helping today!”
At that, Elize’s expression melted even further.
“Oh, think nothing of it, young lady… If you command it, I, Elize, shall carry out any task, even at the cost of my life…!”
What the hell are we cooking today that requires staking your life on it?
Stella waddled over to the counter and climbed onto the stepping stool.
Elize, ever the attentive nanny, tied a small apron around her.
Even though it was made for children, it was still too big, nearly swallowing up Stella’s tiny frame.
She flapped her short arms a few times. Hmph!
‘I wish I could take a picture of this…’
Since cameras hadn’t been invented yet, I made sure to burn this adorable sight into my memory.
Standing beside her, I asked,
“What are we making today?”
“A cake! A birthday cake!”
Oh, I see.
Since all we needed to do was decorate a sponge cake with cream and toppings, even a five-year-old could manage it.
Elize, who had prepared all the ingredients in advance, gave me a thumbs-up.
Without thinking, I returned the gesture. Good job!
“First, we lay down the soft sponge.”
After Elize wiped Stella’s hands clean with a damp towel, she struggled to pull the cake base toward her.
“Now we spread the cream!”
“Ohh…”
“‘Ohh’ is not enough, Daddy! You’re supposed to scoop the cream for me!”
“Oh, that’s my job?”
“Yup! Then I’ll spread it on the cake!”
Elize handed me the tub of cream she had prepared beforehand.
I scooped up a generous amount and plopped it onto the cake.
“Phew! Done!”
Stella, now covered in cream from her cheeks to her arms, wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand—only to smear more cream across it.
The unevenly spread cream made the cake look a bit messy, but Stella was completely absorbed in her work, sticking fruit all over it.
“Mommy loves fruit, so I’m going to put in lots!”
It seemed like a bit much…
She crammed in as much fruit as she could, covering every inch of the cake.
“Daddy! Another layer!”
“Oh, we’re making a two-tier cake?”
“Yup! I planned everything in advance!”
We placed another layer of sponge cake on top.
When I instinctively added more cream, Stella hummed in satisfaction and nodded before struggling to spread it out again.
“Do you want me to help?”
“No! I have a plan! You can’t mess with it!”
She refused help from both me and Elize, determined to spread every bit of cream on her own.
Elize and I clapped for her. Well done, my daughter!
After firmly placing the remaining fruit on top, Stella, now completely covered in cream, threw her hands in the air.
“Finished~!”
“Waaah!”
“Amazing, young lady! It’s a truly magnificent cake!”
Of course, the cake was lopsided and tilting slightly, much like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
But who would criticize a cake lovingly made by a five-year-old for her mother’s birthday?
“Oh! Did you two wake up early to make this?”
“Oh wow, is this the Grand Duchess’s birthday cake? It looks amazing!”
Lucas and Daram had just arrived for work and entered the kitchen, commenting as they took in the sight.
With their added praise, Stella puffed up with pride, her tiny shoulders rising.
“Mommy will like it, right?”
“She’s going to love it. I guarantee it.”
Knowing Serenade, she’d cry an entire bucket of happy tears.
Elize, Lucas, and Daram all nodded in agreement.
Giggling, Stella waved her arms enthusiastically—flinging cream in all directions.
Well, we’d let it slide today…
That was when—
“Yaaawn… My love? And everyone? What are you all doing in the kitchen so early…?”
Serenade entered, rubbing her sleepy eyes and letting out a big yawn.
Ever since giving birth to Stella, she had become prone to low blood pressure in the mornings and always slept in.
But for some reason, she had woken up early today!
“Ahh! Mommy! You’re not supposed to—”
Stella frantically waved her arms, trying to stop her mother from seeing the cake.
But—
Slip!
The cake, which had been tilting from the start, wobbled dangerously.
And then—
Thud! Splat!
The entire thing toppled over, spilling cream and fruit everywhere.
“…”
“…”
For a brief moment, an eerie silence filled the kitchen.
Elize, Lucas, Daram, and I froze.
Serenade blinked in surprise.
Stella’s tiny mouth hung open as she stared at the fallen cake.
And then—
“Waaahhh!”
She burst into tears.
“Waaaahhh!”
Stella rarely cried, even as a baby.
But now, her wails sent the entire room into chaos.
Everyone flailed, unsure of what to do, when Serenade quietly stepped forward and wrapped Stella in a warm embrace.
She gently patted her daughter’s back and spoke in a soft voice.
“My sweet girl, did you make this cake for Mommy’s birthday?”
“…Yeah.”
Stella sniffled.
“But it’s ruined…”
Cream, crumbs, sugar, and even tears and snot were smeared all over Serenade’s nightgown, but she didn’t care.
Instead, she hugged Stella even tighter.
“It’s not ruined.”
“But it fell over…”
“It only fell, that’s all. We can just stand it back up.”
Serenade met Stella’s teary eyes with a warm smile.
“Shall we fix it together?”
She gently wiped Stella’s tears with her thumb.
Stella blinked at her mother, then gave a big nod.
“…Yeah!”
And so—
Everyone in the kitchen worked together to fix the collapsed cake.
They propped it back up, patched up the damaged parts with more cream and fruit, and even added an extra layer.
The end result was a much bigger, much wobblier, and much messier cake.
But still—
The fallen cake had made its comeback.
“Wowww! It’s huge!”
As if she had never cried at all, Stella bounced up and down in excitement.
“Mommy, happy birthday! It’s a surprise gift!”
“Thank you, my darling.”
Serenade scooped Stella up into her arms and beamed.
“This is the best birthday present I’ve ever received!”
“Hehe! Really? Really really?”
“Of course. Really really.”
Stella planted a kiss on Serenade’s cheek.
Serenade kissed her right back.
I smiled as I watched the two of them, their faces bright with joy, Stella still covered in cream.
Then, when I turned my head…
I saw the rest of the group standing there, wearing the exact same fond expression as me.
“…Why are all of you smiling like proud dads?”
“Excuse me? This is a nanny smile, actually.”
“A knight’s smile, thank you very much.”
“A chief aide’s smile, if you must know.”
Oh, for the love of—whatever.
Grumbling, I took the candles and matches from Elize and stepped up to the cake.
After lighting the candles, we started singing a birthday song, bright and early in the morning.
“Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday, dear Mommy~ Happy birthday to you!”
Stella sang the loudest of all.
Serenade, eyes glistening with tears, held my hand tightly.
“Mommy! Blow them out!”
“Fuuuu~!”
Serenade took a deep breath and blew out the candles.
Now then, time to see how this leaning tower of cake actually tasted.
I handed the cake knife to Lucas, but before he could take it, Stella quickly intervened.
“Ah! No, Daddy! Cake is for dessert! We eat it after breakfast!”
“Oh… My daughter really planned this all out, huh?”
“Of course! I’ve scheduled the whole day!”
It seemed Stella had made a request in advance because the head chef, who had been busy cooking something since dawn, emerged from the back of the kitchen with a broad grin.
“For breakfast, a dish Mommy and Daddy love to eat often…”
As the chef lifted the lid from the pot, Stella announced proudly, her face beaming—
“Steamed eel, abalone, honey, chives, and garlic!”
“…”
The pot was filled to the brim with a stamina-boosting dish.
Elize, Lucas, and Daram all smacked their foreheads in unison.
Serenade let out a sweet, “Oh my~,” before giving me a pointed glance.
And I…
“Pffft!”
I couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing.