Restless and Troubled
Alexander Hayes blurted out his words before he even realized it. His voice rose instinctively, startling Charles Hayes from his sleep in Lily Evans's arms, causing the baby to burst into loud cries.
Seeing her son cry, Lily Evans's heart ached. She comforted him while glaring at Alexander Hayes. "Our son is sick, why are you shouting? I risked my life to give birth to him, not so you could scare him like this! Because of my negligence, Charles had to be born prematurely, and needed a blood transfusion right after birth. He's frail, and I already feel guilty—I want to love him with my whole life. You men don't understand, only a mother's milk is truly suited to a child's needs. As his mother, if my son is ill, I take the medicine and nurse him myself—what's wrong with that?"
After Lily finished speaking, Alexander Hayes was filled with regret and hurried to comfort her, admitting his mistake. "Darling, it's my fault. You don't know how worried I've been about you and our son these days, how much pressure I've felt. When you went into premature labor, lost so much blood, and were unconscious after giving birth, I was terrified—afraid you wouldn't make it... Now, seeing you take medicine recklessly for Charles, I got anxious and raised my voice. Please don't be angry, darling. No matter what, it's all my fault."
Alexander Hayes admitted his mistake, but Lily Evans was too busy to care—Charles was crying too hard.
Lily Evans soothed him for a long time, feeding him until she was drenched in sweat. Only then did Charles Hayes finally stop crying, drink his milk, and fall asleep.
Exhausted, Lily Evans placed the child on the inside of the bed before finally turning her attention to Alexander Hayes.
Seeing his wife so exhausted from caring for their child, Alexander Hayes wanted to persuade Lily Evans not to do everything herself, not to wear herself out. But seeing that she was still angry, he didn't dare say a word, afraid he'd upset her again.
Alexander Hayes sat beside her, chatting about other things to distract her. When her mood improved, he finally left, but couldn't shake his own frustration.
Charles Hayes was not only Lily Evans's son, but also his own. As a father, Alexander Hayes loved his child dearly and wanted to give him the very best of everything.
But Alexander Hayes cared even more for Lily Evans. He truly couldn't bear to see her pushing herself so hard for their son, to the point of ruining her own health.
But now, Charles Hayes was the apple of Lily Evans's eye. If Alexander Hayes tried to persuade her to let the wet nurse care for the child more, he worried Lily's emotions would spiral and she'd harm her health out of anger. For now, he truly didn't know what to do and was deeply frustrated.
Outside, the two major threats—Gregory Gu Jr. and Princess May—still hadn't been captured. At home, Alexander Hayes was consumed with worry over his wife. Meanwhile, rumors in the capital that Lily Evans and their young son were monsters not only refused to die down, but were growing more intense. Alexander Hayes was more exhausted than he'd ever been.
Just then, word arrived from the palace: Emperor Leonard the Enlightened had summoned Prince of Qin to discuss state affairs.
Alexander Hayes quickly got ready and hurried to the palace. The new emperor had only recently ascended the throne, and all the factions were restless. Leonard Li, once a carefree playboy, was now emperor—flustered and inexperienced, with much to learn about court politics.
Except for Prince of Qin, Alexander Hayes, no one else could teach Emperor Leonard these things. Now, whether inside or outside the court, everyone relied on Alexander Hayes, the legendary general and Prince of Qin.
Every day, Emperor Leonard summoned Alexander Hayes to the palace to consult on all manner of state affairs. Alexander couldn't just abandon this mess, yet his own household was full of troubles. He truly never had a moment's rest, and his mood was at rock bottom.