Outside the grand and heavy gates of the White Tiger Duke Mansion, a line of dark figures gradually became clear.
Nearly a hundred soldiers, clad in uniform armor, appeared in everyone's sight, marching in unison.
They were surrounded by a lingering, piercing Evil Qi; every one of them was a battle-hardened elite who had survived mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
The leader was the most towering and upright, wearing armor that was clearly more intricate and finely forged, with the ferocious white tiger pauldrons glinting coldly in the sunlight.
When his figure came into view, the entire White Tiger Duke Mansion erupted in a rustle of awe and excitement: "The Duke... it's Lord Duke!"
This man was the master of this residence, the current Duke of White Tiger—Dai Hao!
The Duchess, Zhu Yunqing, who had long been waiting in her finest attire, led her two sons, Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin, forward to meet him.
The family of four reunited under the watchful eyes of the crowd. Dai Hao dismounted, nodded to his wife, and reached out to stroke the heads of his two sons.
The sunlight fell upon them, sketching a perfect picture of family warmth.
Even the usually stern personal guards in the rear saw their hardened expressions soften slightly, revealing a few hints of gentle blessing.
At the edge of the bustling crowd within the White Tiger Duke Mansion, Huo Yuner lifted the little Dai Yuhao higher, allowing him to see over the bobbing heads of the crowd and clearly see the figure not far away.
She tilted her head slightly, her lips close to the child's soft ear, and said, "Yuhao, look... that man is your father, and the true master of this White Tiger Duke Mansion."
Dai Yuhao craned his neck in his mother's arms, looking toward the tall figure who stood like the moon surrounded by stars.
The sunlight spilled over that majestic armor, reflecting a dazzling light. Dai Hao's proud and upright posture, and the heartfelt awe of the surrounding crowd, were all deeply imprinted in the child's pure eyes.
He couldn't help but let out a soft "Wow...", filled with a child's most instinctive and perfect imagination and adoration for a father.
Huo Yuner saw the undisguised longing in her son's eyes, then looked at the harmonious family of four in the distance, and a surge of emotion—a mixture of bitterness and indignation—rushed into her chest.
She bit her lip, and as if using all her strength, she lowered her head and whispered to Dai Yuhao in her arms, "Yuhao, Mommy will take you... to find Daddy."
In the past, with her timid and patient nature, it would have been impossible for her to take the initiative to appear before Dai Hao on such an occasion.
But that dream Dai Yuhao had mentioned earlier, about Auntie Leng and countless new and beautiful things, had caused a deep sense of guilt to spontaneously arise in her heart.
Her child should not have to taste a decent meal only in a dream, nor should he be bullied and ignored in that small courtyard.
This decision was not for her own long-eroded extravagant hopes, but only for her Yuhao.
She wanted to fight for a status for the child, to fight for the protection he deserved—even if only a little—so that he could live a bit more like a normal child, rather than dust in the shadows.
With her mind made up, Huo Yuner held Dai Yuhao tightly and began to carefully push through the crowd in front of her, moving bit by bit toward the gate.
However, she had only squeezed forward two or three steps when an irresistible force suddenly pulled at her arm, and her embrace was abruptly emptied!
Dai Yuhao had been forcibly snatched away by another pair of arms.
Just as Huo Yuner was about to cry out in alarm, a hand quickly reached out from behind her side and firmly covered her mouth.
The force was so great that she could barely breathe.
At the same time, a cold, deliberately lowered voice sounded against her ear, carrying an undisguised threat.
"The Duchess truly predicted correctly. If you still want your son to be safe and sound, you'd better shut your mouth and don't make a sound."
Huo Yuner struggled to turn her head under the person's restraint, and her pupils shrank!
Just a few steps away, Dai Yuhao was also being held firmly by another person, his small mouth tightly covered. The child was struggling in vain, unable to make any sound.
She recognized the woman holding Dai Yuhao; she was a maid serving the Duchess, Zhu Yunqing.
Although she was only a Spirit Grandmaster in her thirties and no genius Spirit Master, she was still not someone an ordinary person without spirit power like her could contend with.
Huo Yuner hurriedly blinked her eyes forcefully and nodded urgently, indicating that she would definitely not shout.
Only then did the hand covering her mouth slowly release, leaving behind a stinging sensation.
Huo Yuner panted as she turned around, and as expected, she faced another familiar face—also a maid from Zhu Yunqing's courtyard.
The other party stepped closer, her voice kept extremely low: "As long as you and your son behave yourselves and don't entertain thoughts you shouldn't have, you'll naturally be able to keep your worthless lives."
In a flash, Huo Yuner understood everything.
That high and mighty Duchess actually had no tolerance at all, guarding against her to such an extent!
Her already pale face lost all color. Her hands clenched tightly inside her sleeves, her nails almost sinking into her palms, bringing a sharp pain that was not even a fraction of the humiliation and despair in her heart.
She lowered her head, her voice dry and weak, carrying a final plea: "I... I won't appear before him on my own accord. I beg you... don't hurt my son."
The maid let out a disdainful snort through her nose: "At least you're sensible."
An undisguised sneer then floated onto her face. She slightly raised her chin and said in a playful tone, "Now then, please take our Little Young Master and go... back... Madam Huo!"
The titles Madam and Young Master coming from her mouth held no respect at all; instead, they were saturated with mockery.
Huo Yuner's whole body was stiff. Under the surveillance of two cold gazes, she moved forward step by step and took back the still-shivering Dai Yuhao from the other person's hands.
The child's body was warm, yet it made her feel a bone-chilling cold.
She forced a smile that looked worse than crying, her lips trembling as she whispered to Dai Yuhao in her arms, "Be good, Yuhao. Let's go home first, okay?"
Dai Yuhao looked up, his large eyes still holding remnants of fear and confusion.
This unusually precocious child did not cry or make a scene, nor did he ask any questions. He simply buried his face deep into his mother's thin embrace and nodded forcefully, letting out a muffled, "Mm."
Huo Yuner held him tightly, as if clutching the last piece of driftwood in her life, no longer daring to look at the lively and warm scene in the distance that belonged to others.
She turned around and, following the way she came, heavily moved back toward that remote and cold courtyard step by step.
The Duke of White Tiger, Dai Hao, stayed for only a single day before donning his armor once more and departing for the front lines.
For Dai Yuhao, although he hadn't been able to say a single word to that father who was as towering as a mountain, at least he knew who his father was.
However, after that day, Dai Yuhao often caught glimpses of his mother secretly wiping away tears.
He did not yet understand the humiliation, despair, and deep love contained in those tears; he only instinctively felt a cold sadness.
Sometimes, he only dared to hide by the doorframe and watch quietly.
Other times, if his mother noticed him, he would silently burrow into her arms, pressing his small body tightly against her.
Because whenever he did this, Huo Yuner would always quickly wipe away her tears, hold him tight, and force her lips into a gentle curve.
Just like now!
The night was deep, and in the small room, only a single oil lamp remained, its light spreading in a dim, yellow circle.
Huo Yuner sat on the edge of the bed holding Dai Yuhao, gently swaying her body.
"Yuhao, don't blame your father..."
"He is a great hero, guarding the borders for the Empire and protecting millions of people... He has his responsibilities and things he cannot help..."
Her voice was very soft, as if she were talking to the child, yet also as if she were trying to convince herself.
Dai Yuhao listened half-comprehendingly, his gaze falling on his mother's lapel, which rose and fell slightly with her breath. It had the rough texture of over-washed fabric, but it also carried the reassuring, faint scent of soap that belonged to his mother.
As he listened, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and his consciousness slowly sank as if into warm water.
Finally, amidst those near-whispered reassurances, he drifted into dreamland.