“Aria, I told you not to bring up that issue again.”
Aria clung desperately to Revan despite his firm refusal.
“Revan… I need you. I want you to be the father of my baby.”
“What about your lover?”
Revan looked incredulous at Aria’s plea.
“…I have no one else but you now.”
“Aria, I’m sorry but…”
Hilane wanted to step in between them right away.
Her ears were ringing, and it was hard to keep her composure.
From what she could gather about a lover and such, it seemed that Revan was not the father of the baby in Aria’s womb.
‘Is that a relief? No, no, it’s not…’
The important thing was that Aria had planted the seed of doubt about Chevelyn’s parentage.
“I cannot accept that proposal.”
“Are you saying you’ll sacrifice your whole life for a woman who deceived you and her child?”
“……”
“Please, Revan, wake up.”
It was understandable to have doubts since the child’s hair color was different.
It wasn’t hard to understand since he had loved and raised the child all this time.
That’s why, when he first brought it up, she thought they could resolve it through conversation…
“You said it yourself. It seems she’s not your daughter. The princess deceived you. She committed adultery.”
But… Revan had thought it through, organized it in his mind, and tried to end it alone.
Just like when he always said he was sorry.
This time, too, Hilane was not included in that process.
“Do you still love the princess?”
“……”
Revan said nothing.
His silence was as good as an affirmation.
Hilane felt her legs give out, and she sank to the ground.
“…Aria, you said you were in pain, so let’s see a doctor first.”
Revan turned the conversation around with a troubled expression and supported Aria.
“You… really… alright.”
Aria, with a face full of discontent, reluctantly followed him.
“Be careful, Aria.”
The carriage they rode on gradually moved away.
Hilane, staring blankly at it, felt her vision blur as tears welled up.
* * *
Staggering back to her bedroom, Hilane lay on the edge of the bed.
As she stared at the ceiling with its ornate chandelier, she thought to herself, ‘Was this place always so lonely and empty?’
Struggling to get up, she looked around the room, which seemed particularly empty today.
Tap, tap.
As she heard footsteps, Hilane straightened her disheveled shawl.
“Madam, may I come in?”
“Come in.”
The butler carefully placed a steaming teacup on the side table.
“Madam, it’s chamomile tea, which is good for sleep.”
“…Thank you. I’ll drink it well.”
A sip of the tea warmed her shivering body.
“I’ll be going now, madam.”
“…What’s going on with the Countess of Rezen?”
Hilane stopped the butler who was about to leave.
“The Countess of Rezen… is carrying a child.”
“……”
“She said something seemed wrong with the baby, so we had no choice. I apologize, madam.”
It was a relief that the butler was being honest this time.
The butler lied because Revan had instructed him to.
“How long have they been seeing each other?”
Although the worst had been avoided, it was too soon to be relieved.
“I, I don’t know…”
“Do you think I’m a fool, butler?”
“N-no, madam. How could I possibly…”
The butler hurriedly waved his hands in denial.
“How long have you been deceiving me?”
“That is…”
The butler hesitated, his lips trembling.
“Enough. Inform me immediately when Revan returns, and leave.”
“Yes, madam…”
With a splitting headache, the irritated Hilane dismissed the butler.
‘What should I say when Revan returns? Should I tell him what I saw earlier?’
She pressed her forehead, lost in thought.
“Is it morning already?”
The dawn had come before she knew it.
Though she still didn’t feel well, she remembered the pile of documents awaiting her attention.
As she was about to head to the study, a maid entered.
“Madam, breakfast is ready.”
“I have no appetite.”
She wasn’t particularly hungry, her headache had taken away her appetite.
“The young lady woke up an hour ago and has been waiting for you.”
“…Chevelyn is already awake?”
“Yes, madam.”
Hilane checked the clock.
It was just past seven, an unusually early hour.
Normally, the child would still be fast asleep.
“Should I tell the young lady that you are too busy to join her for breakfast?”
Despite her complicated feelings, she couldn’t not go when her child was waiting for her.
“No, tell her I’ll be there soon.”
The maid bowed politely and left the room.
Hilane looked at her reflection in the mirror.
Her eyes were red, and her complexion was pale.
“I’ll get caught crying like this.”
With no other choice, she lightly touched up her appearance and headed to the dining room.
Chevelyn, sitting in her chair, was swinging her legs.
“…Mom! Good morning!”
Chevelyn raised her hand and greeted her as soon as she saw Hilane.
“Did my baby sleep well? You seem to be in a good mood.”
“Mhm. I dreamed of you, mom. We made flower crowns and played together. That’s why I’m in a good mood.”
“That must have been fun.”
Hilane smiled and sat across from Chevelyn.
“Mom, did you cry?”
Chevelyn’s smile quickly faded, and her brow furrowed.
“I’ll be good, so don’t cry.”
Seeing Chevelyn looking anxious and restless made Hilane even more emotional.
“No, I didn’t cry. Why would mom cry?”
Holding back her tears, she shook her head.
“But… your eyes look so sad. If you cry, I’ll be sad too.”
Hilane gently patted Chevelyn’s head with a soft touch.
“No, I’m so happy to be with my baby.”
“Really?”
“Of course. Mom is very happy.”
It wasn’t a lie.
There was no way she couldn’t be happy being with her beloved child.
A daughter who always brought her love.
A harmonious relationship with her spouse, a family like any other.
Their happiness had been tainted, but they could return to normal soon.
It wasn’t difficult.
It wasn’t something that could break so easily.
‘It’s okay. Once the misunderstanding is cleared up, we can go back to how it was.’
Hilane tried to calm her uneasy heart.
“Hehe. I’m happy when I’m with you too, mom!”
“By the way, how come this little sleepyhead is having breakfast with me today?”
Hilane gently pinched Chevelyn’s cheek.
“I woke up with a start and my tummy growled.”
“Did it?”
Hilane responded kindly to Chevelyn’s words.
“Mom.”
“Yes?”
“Why isn’t dad coming? He didn’t come yesterday, and he’s not here today either?”
Hilane’s face hardened at the question about her husband’s absence.
“He came at night but had to leave again. Something urgent came up.”
“He said he’d play with me…”
“He’ll be back soon.”
Hilane hurriedly made an excuse to console the disappointed Chevelyn.
“Lyn, look. We’re having corn soup for breakfast today.”
“Wow!”
Chevelyn’s face brightened at the sight of her favorite food.
“Be careful, it’s hot.”
“Mhm.”
Watching Chevelyn blow on her soup and eat it happily, Hilane thought.
‘When Revan comes… he’ll need to spend time with Chevelyn first… what should I do?’
In the current situation filled with misunderstandings, Revan might hurt Chevelyn unintentionally.
As she was worrying about what to do, she noticed Chevelyn hiding carrots in her soup.
“Chevelyn.”
“…Mhm?”
Calling her daughter in a low voice, Chevelyn pretended not to hear and whistled.
“What did mom say about being picky with food?”
“It’s bad… But this isn’t being picky. The carrots were sleepy, so I, um, I covered them up because they were cold.”
Chevelyn’s voice grew quieter as she tried to explain.
Her way of saying she was tucking the carrots in to sleep was so cute that Hilane couldn’t help but laugh.
“Then should we just let them sleep?”
Seeing her daughter’s dejected look made her lose all desire to scold her.
“Mhm! They were really tired!”
Chevelyn giggled, covering her mouth.
“They even snored?”
“Really? They snored?”
As she had a pleasant conversation with Chevelyn, her heart gradually felt lighter.
“Madam.”
“What is it?”
The butler approached.
“A letter has arrived.”
The letter the butler handed her bore the stamp of the Kingdom of Emek.
“…The Kingdom of Emek?”
The Kingdom of Emik was where Revan’s mother, the Marchioness of Rata, resided.
‘Did something happen to the Marchioness…?’
Feeling anxious, Hilane quickly opened the letter.
To Hilane,
Mother has agreed to take care of Aria for a while, so I have come to Emek.
It seems that Aria will seek asylum here and live in Emek….
Count Rezen is refusing to sign the asylum documents for Aria, so I am trying to persuade him continuously.
If he doesn’t agree until the end, I plan to become her guardian.
Therefore, it might take a little time.
I’m sorry, Hilane.
Let’s talk about what we couldn’t discuss when I return.
You don’t have to reply.
– Revan
♡♡♡
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