Chapter 160: Baby Alex Took Offense

Meanwhile, back at Kristoff’s mansion, the nursery was warm and peaceful, carrying the faint scent of baby powder after Alexander’s bath.

The nanny carefully fastened the last button on his tiny blue romper before lifting him into her arms.

"Give him to me," Mary said, holding out her hands.

The nanny smiled and transferred the chubby baby to his grandmother.

Alexander blinked up at Mary with bright brown eyes that seemed far too observant for a child his age.

Mary chuckled as she brushed a soft curl from his forehead.

"You really don’t like Charlotte, do you, little one?"

"Goo... gah... ahh."

"He says he doesn’t," Henry declared with complete confidence.

Mary shot him an amused look.

"Oh? Since when did you become fluent in baby language?"

Henry shrugged. "It’s a hidden talent."

Mary laughed before her expression turned thoughtful.

"Honey... do you think what Alex did earlier was intentional?"

The memory flashed through Henry’s mind—Charlotte’s horrified shriek as Alexander peed squarely on her face during his diaper change.

He burst into laughter all over again.

"What do you think?" he said between chuckles. "That baby has never liked her."

Mary turned toward the nanny.

"Nina."

"Yes, Madam?"

"Has Alex ever... relieved himself on you while you were changing his diaper?"

Nina blinked before answering politely.

"No, Madam. Baby Alexander has always been very well-behaved with me."

Mary laughed so hard her shoulders shook.

"You hear that, Henry? He really did do it on purpose."

Henry smiled.

"It certainly looks that way."

He reached over and gently tickled Alexander’s tiny chin.

"And what about you?" he asked his wife. "Do you like Charlotte?"

Mary’s smile disappeared.

"Of course not."

Her tone carried no hesitation.

"I only accepted her because Kristoff refused to marry anyone else. She cannot even give him an heir."

She sighed heavily.

"I truly don’t understand what our son sees in her. Yes, she’s beautiful... but there are countless women far prettier."

She glanced down at Alexander.

"Compared to your mother, she doesn’t even come close."

Henry nearly choked.

"What?"

He stared at her in disbelief.

"Are you telling me you’ve actually started admiring Isobel Lancey?"

"Don’t be ridiculous."

Mary answered almost too quickly.

"Beauty isn’t the issue. The girl is undeniably beautiful. If she weren’t, Kristoff would never have chosen her to bear Alexander."

Her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Unfortunately, beauty alone cannot erase a person’s origins."

"She grew up in an orphanage. Her background is beneath our family."

Henry folded his arms.

"You do know she’s the real mind behind KitKat, Aioryx’s revolutionary AI assistant, don’t you?"

Mary frowned.

"So?"

Henry’s eyes gleamed thoughtfully.

"She’s Alexander’s mother. Talent like hers doesn’t come around often."

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Maybe Dalton Technologies should recruit her as our head of research and development."

A calculating smile tugged at his lips.

"With someone like Isobel on our side, Aioryx would finally have a serious competitor."

"Never!"

Mary’s sharp voice echoed through the nursery.

It startled Alexander who was in her arms.

His tiny lips trembled.

"Oh, sweetheart..."

She immediately softened her voice, rocking him gently.

"I’m not angry at you."

She kissed his forehead.

"It’s your biological mother I’m talking about."

Her expression hardened again.

"People will always look down on you for having an orphan as your mother."

"Waaah!"

Alexander erupted into tears.

His little fists clenched as his arms and legs flailed furiously.

Mary blinked.

"Oh, goodness. What’s wrong?"

Henry stared for a second before laughter exploded from him.

"Hahaha!"

He leaned against the dresser, unable to stop laughing.

"I think..." he managed between laughs, "...someone doesn’t appreciate hearing his mother insulted."

Mary looked at him as though he’d grown another head.

"Don’t be absurd."

But Alexander only cried harder.

She bounced him.

Still he continued crying.

She rocked him.

The baby cried even more.

She even paced around the nursery, humming softly.

Still he wailed.

Finally, Mary sighed in defeat.

"Fine."

She looked down at the furious little baby.

"Your mother is beautiful."

Alexander continued crying.

"And... she’s brilliant."

The crying weakened.

Mary narrowed her eyes.

"...Perhaps she’s even the prettiest woman in the world."

Instantly, the tears stopped.

Alexander let out a delighted giggle.

His tiny face lit up with a radiant smile as he stretched both little hands toward Mary’s cheeks.

"Gah!"

His eyes sparkled as if proudly declaring—

That’s right, Grandma.

Silence settled over the nursery. Only Alexander’s was heard.

Mary froze.

Henry, who had bent down to retrieve a teddy bear from the floor, slowly straightened.

Even Nina, who had been reaching out to take Alexander, stopped mid-step.

The three adults stared at the happily babbling baby.

Mary slowly turned toward the nanny and then looked at her husband.

"...That was just a coincidence, right?"

The words left her lips without conviction.

Henry opened his mouth to laugh it off, but the sound never came.

Alexander was no longer crying.

Instead, he sat happily in Mary’s arms, his tiny fingers wrapped around one of hers. He looked up at her with sparkling eyes before letting out another cheerful giggle.

"Gah!"

Mary stared at him.

"You... really stopped crying because I praised your mother?"

Alexander answered with another delighted laugh, kicking his little legs.

The silence in the nursery became almost tangible.

Even Nina shifted uneasily.

"Madam..." she whispered. "Alex.. is very clever."

"Clever?" Henry muttered, still watching his grandson. "He’s barely eight months old."

Mary swallowed.

For the first time since Alexander was born, a strange thought crept into her mind.

Does he... actually understand us?

The idea was absurd.

Impossible.

She had raised children herself. Babies laughed, cried, and fussed over the simplest things.

They did not get offended on behalf of their mothers.

They certainly did not stop crying only after hearing the exact words they wanted.

Mary forced herself to smile.

"We’re reading too much into it."

Henry nodded, though his eyes never left Alexander.

"You’re probably right."

Neither of them sounded convinced.

Nestled safely in his grandmother’s arms, Alexander flashed an innocent, gummy smile that melted every trace of suspicion.

Then he yawned.

Within moments, his eyes fluttered shut as though nothing unusual had happened at all.

Only after the nursery fell completely silent did Henry speak again.

"...Still..."

He glanced at the peacefully sleeping baby.

"I think we’d better avoid speaking ill of his mother in front of him."

Mary looked down at Alexander’s sleeping face.

After a long moment, she sighed.

"...Perhaps."

Outside the nursery, the afternoon breeze rustled the trees surrounding Kristoff’s estate.

Inside, no one noticed the tiny smile lingering on Alexander’s sleeping face.

As if, somewhere behind those closed eyes...

Someone had won a very important argument.