He Made Me His Wedding Painter, I Save Our Kid

Chapter 5 Our Daughter

"Hello? Lucien? Can you hear me?"

The voice on the phone kept talking.

But Lucien and I had already gone completely still. Like two people suddenly frozen inside the same nightmare.

The air in the hallway became unbearably quiet.

My brain blanked out so thoroughly that for several seconds, I couldn't even process what had just happened.

Seven years old. Ellie was seven years old. And Lucien had left seven years ago.

The math was so simple even a stranger could understand it instantly.

My throat tightened violently, panic surging through me as I desperately tried to think of a way to fix this.

I forced myself to swallow and desperately searched for some explanation—some lie convincing enough to patch everything back together before Lucien fully reacted.

But before I could speak—the operating room light suddenly turned off.

I jerked upright immediately and rushed forward.

The doors opened.

Doctors and nurses pushed Ellie's bed out while speaking rapidly about her condition.

"She made it through this episode safely for now," the doctor explained while leading us toward the ward. "But Ms. Ellwood, her rejection symptoms are becoming increasingly dangerous."

"If possible, I strongly recommend transferring her to a better specialist hospital in the city."

I nodded mechanically while walking beside Ellie's bed. My eyes never left her face.

Her skin looked frighteningly pale beneath the hospital lights. Even breathing seemed difficult for her now.

I instinctively grabbed her tiny hand, only to realize how frighteningly cold it felt against my skin.

For seven years, all I had ever been able to do was stand by helplessly—watching, panicking.

Night after night, I hated myself for not being rich enough, capable enough, or strong enough to save my own daughter.

Sometimes I even begged gods I didn't believe in anymore.

Just once, I wanted someone to save us instead.

And now—after all these years—someone finally could.

Only that person happened to be Lucien.

The thought hit me suddenly.

Lucien.

I turned around slowly, almost forgetting he was still standing there.

He hadn't moved, not even once. He simply stood a short distance away, staring at Ellie silently.

His gaze fell onto the patient card beside the bed, where Ellie's name and birth year were written clearly beneath it.

The hallway lights reflected dimly in Lucien's eyes. But there was no expression on his face anymore.

That scared me more than anger would have.

I slowly tightened my fingers around Ellie's hand and forced myself to smile.

"I said the wrong age earlier." Even I could hear how unnatural my voice sounded. "Ellie already turned seven this year."

I tried laughing awkwardly.

"When you left back then, I was already together with—" My voice stopped abruptly.

Because Lucien finally looked at me.

And the moment he did, every lie died in my throat instantly.

The look in his eyes was terrifying, not because he seemed angry or shocked, but because the weight inside them felt almost unbearable.

Like dark storm clouds hanging low enough to crush people alive.

I suddenly couldn't breathe properly anymore.

In the end, I lowered my head first.

"Fine." My voice came out weak and exhausted. "She's your daughter."

The words finally fell into the silence between us.

"I didn't know I was pregnant when we broke up."

I stared quietly at Ellie's sleeping face, then forced myself to continue.

"I liked children. So I kept her."

I spoke quickly afterward, almost afraid Lucien would interrupt me if I slowed down.

"But don't worry. I won't ruin your life because of this."

"The wedding should still happen tomorrow. If it gets canceled now, what would people say?"

"I'll handle Ellie's transfer myself."

I rubbed my sleeve nervously between my fingers, avoiding his eyes completely.

"And... sorry."

My throat hurt terribly while speaking. My voice sounded rough and ugly.

"I owe you another favor now. But I'll repay everything eventually."

Lucien still didn't speak. Not a single word.

The silence stretched so long that I started wondering whether he had even heard me at all.

Maybe the shock was too overwhelming. Maybe he still couldn't process the fact that he suddenly had a seven-year-old daughter.

Then suddenly—warm fingers brushed gently through my hair.

I froze instantly, then turned my face away in embarrassment almost on reflex.

Pathetic.

Even after seven years, my body still remembered him too clearly.

Back then, whenever I talked endlessly while Lucien stayed silent beside me, I would always get annoyed and deliberately run around to block his view.

"Why don't you ever answer me?"

At the time, Lucien still struggled to respond emotionally like normal people did.

Most days, he barely knew how to express himself at all.

But whenever that happened, he would quietly pat my head instead. As if silently telling me: I heard you.

A soft sigh drifted above me. Then Lucien gently took my hand and guided me toward the small couch beside Ellie's bed.

I sat down numbly.

Meanwhile, Lucien crouched in front of me and pulled a tube of ointment from his coat pocket.

Without asking permission, he carefully took my damaged hands into his own.

And slowly—painstakingly—began applying medicine over every cracked wound covering my fingers.

The movements were unbelievably careful. As though he was touching something fragile enough to break apart.

The room stayed quiet for a long time.

Then Lucien finally spoke.

"I'm sorry." His voice sounded low and hoarse. "I'm sorry you had to go through pregnancy alone."

My breathing stopped.

Lucien kept applying ointment carefully while continuing in a calm voice:

"Estelle and I aren't marrying for love. It's a contract marriage."

"Her father's company is struggling financially. The marriage was arranged to help stabilize the business. There's nothing between us."

Then after a brief pause, he added softly, "So you don't owe me anything."

One sentence after another. Like he was carefully answering every excuse and apology I had made earlier.

But honestly... I barely heard half of it.

Because tears had already started falling uncontrollably down my face again.

They landed on the backs of my hands one after another, mixing into the ointment Lucien had just applied.

Ruining it completely.

Lucien instinctively lifted his hand toward my face, wanting to wipe my tears away.

But just before touching me, he hesitated.

Then awkwardly pulled his hand back and hurriedly searched the nearby table for tissues instead.

The sight hurt me so badly I almost stopped breathing.

Even now... even after learning Ellie was his daughter... he still thought he no longer had the right to touch me.

"I do owe you," I whispered shakily. My chest and stomach twisted together painfully.

"I owe you too much."

This time, Lucien didn't argue back. He simply lowered his eyes and carefully wiped my tears away little by little.

*****

The next morning, Lucien appeared at the hospital exactly as promised. He personally accompanied me through every step of Ellie's transfer process.

His phone rang nonstop the entire day, over and over again without pause.

I didn't even need to check his phone to know who kept calling—Estelle, his parents, his friends, all trying desperately to reach him.

Maybe the wedding planner too.

But Lucien ignored every single call.

Instead, he silently handled paperwork, spoke with specialists, and carried Ellie himself whenever she became too weak to walk.

He stayed beside us the entire time, not once leaving.

Ellie watched him curiously from the hospital bed for most of the afternoon.

Finally, Lucien smiled gently and introduced himself.

"Hi. I'm your mommy's friend."

Ellie blinked at him obediently, then gave a tiny nod.

"Thank you, mister."

Her weak little voice instantly made Lucien's expression soften.

I stood nearby watching him quietly for a very long time.

I watched him gently adjust Ellie's blanket, patiently listen to the doctors explain her treatment plans, and carefully cut fruit into tiny pieces because she was too weak to bite properly. Everything still felt painfully unreal.

It wasn't until late afternoon that Lucien finally said he needed to leave temporarily.

Before going, he suddenly pulled me tightly into his arms. Just for a second.

But even that brief warmth was enough to throw my heartbeat into chaos.

Then he crouched beside Ellie's bed and smiled softly.

"When I come back, I'll bring you strawberry cake."

Ellie's eyes immediately brightened.

After Lucien left, the room became quiet again.

I sat beside the hospital bed absentmindedly, staring out at the darkening sunset beyond the window.

What exactly were Lucien and I now?

After everything I had done to him seven years ago, fate still insisted on pulling us back together.

Or maybe—I was simply a shameless beggar. And Lucien was a fool too kind to stop saving me.

I sat there lost in thought for a long time until the quiet of the room was finally interrupted by a knock at the door.

The hospital room door opened slowly. Then my entire body stiffened instantly.

Lucien's mother stood outside the room looking as elegant and cold as she always had.

Her gaze moved slowly from me... to Ellie sleeping quietly on the hospital bed.

Every nerve in my body tightened immediately, and I stood up at once in pure instinctive panic.