Chapter 128
A figure with the body of a small adult stood in front of the huge gate of the Duke’s residence.
‘The Duke’s residence is really big, no matter how I look at it.’
A huge mansion was like a castle, and luxurious places such as the annex or garden surrounding such a mansion had a tendency to overwhelm ordinary people.
The little figure came to the mansion without an appointment, so she hesitated, wondering if it would be okay. However, the knights in charge of today’s gatekeeping recognized the person and opened the way.
“Ah! Welcome! Haha.”
He even showed a lively smile as if he saw the other person favorably.
Even if it was Emperor Oscar who came, the procedure was to report to Ian and let the guest in. It was supposed to be so. However, there was only one outsider who was given the right to enter and leave the mansion at any time.
She was Laritte’s biological mother and the woman who abandoned her, though she saved her life in the end.
“Lady Olivia, did you come without an appointment? If you had given us a letter in advance, we would have sent a carriage as you do on regular visits.”
“That… I had to come in a hurry…”
Olivia slowed her words as if she felt awkward being friendly with a great person like a knight.
“Is it because of the news?”
The knight winked at her in one eye.
“Yes, yes… maybe.”
“Go in. Shall I take you to the door of the mansion?”
“It’s okay! All I have to do is walk forward!”
The old woman, still nodding her head apprehensively, entered the path beyond the gate. In her arms, Olivia had a letter containing the news of Laritte’s pregnancy. As soon as she saw it, she frantically went to the duke’s mansion without even time to reply.
Her heart pounded.
It was not just a simple mother’s heart to be proud of her pregnant daughter.
As she went with her limp leg, the small mansion grew bigger and bigger. When she saw the mansion up to the size of her forearm, she saw a new woman. A person with bright silver hair who looked exactly like Olivia was sitting on a chair outside.
Laritte, who was quietly enjoying her midday leisure, saw Olivia.
“Mom…?”
Why didn’t she contact her beforehand? Could it be because of the letter she wrote a few days ago…?
Normally, nobles kept their pregnancy a secret from the outside world unless there was a specific political reason. This was because if they had a miscarriage, a different gaze would fly under the guise of regret.
However, Olivia was not an outsider, and Laritte shared the news of her pregnancy as the day had come for her to send Olivia a letter. She would have to wait a few days for her mother’s reply, but why did Olivia even come in person?
Olivia stepped over to her daughter, who was enjoying the cool summer in the shade of the mansion.
Each step was heavy.
Still, she couldn’t even get close. Her eyes soon reddened and stopped at the point where her vision was completely blurred.
Laritte asked while sitting.
“Why did you come all of a sudden? What happened?”
“Congratulations on your pregnancy, sweetheart.”
“Oh, that. I haven’t even given birth yet, but the maids and everyone else are acting very strangely.”
“….”
“…Why are you crying now?”
Laritte stood up from the chair with a puzzled look.
“Mom?”
Calling Olivia again, she spoke most of her words in a dry tone.
It was a habit, and even now, she didn’t attach much importance to the word mom. Laritte just got used to the word mom more than calling her name. However, Olivia ended up shedding countless tears when Laritte called her ‘mom.’
She was worried when she heard that Laritte was pregnant.
It was because she was herself who was unhappy with her own pregnancy. Olivia, still unable to get out of the past, was relieved as soon as she saw Laritte at peace.
Laritte was different from her. Laritte was not her…
When did this child grow up like this?
‘I thought she’d always be a child.’
In her memory, Laritte was small.
She was very thin, and she grew up eating poorly, so her growth was slow. Even though she met Lariite after her daughter became an adult, she was still a child to her.
‘…I was worried when I heard that she became a duchess.’
What did that little child know? She didn’t have a strong point, and she didn’t know how to live smartly. What if she didn’t eat? She would have to check it for her. It was for that reason that Olivia even made up her mind to run away with Laritte from the Duchy.
She was her parents anyway…
To her parents, their children always looked like children.
“I’m sorry I didn’t do anything until you were this big…”
Saying so, Olivia sat awkwardly on the ground and wiped away her tears. However, her tears were so great that they wet her fingers. She buried her face in her arm though it even seeped underneath.
Meanwhile, Laritte had no ability to soothe a person who was crying out loud. She wondered what to do with it, then folded her knees and sat down in front of her mother.
“I’m sorry for being a bad mother…”
“It’s dirty, so get up.”
Olivia couldn’t budge even when Laritte tried to lift her up. This old dancer had forgotten how to be kind to others.
Even today, she didn’t know how to convey her feelings to Laritte properly as she felt awkward about it. She did bring up old stories in her letters or from time to time, but there were feelings that could only be conveyed through words.
“I should have said I was sorry I abandoned you.”
“What are you so sorry about?”
“I’m sorry for everything… I’m sorry…”
Olivia thought Laritte would make her child a good child.
She wouldn’t even raise her hand as furious as she was. Even if she were irritated outside, she wouldn’t even take her anger out. Even more so, she would not yell at a child who had picked herbs for praise, not to do anything useless…
While she already knew, she definitely sensed what a poor and incompetent mother she had been.
Olivia was anxious when she did not menstruate while she was a dancer. When her stomach started to bulge out, she begged herself to miscarry. Young Olivia even rolled on the ground, wanting to miscarry somehow.
That woman was old now and wept so hard that she was out of breath. Her inhalation and exhalation were so busy that her lungs popped out.
“Live happily… You will live happily. Your family will be happy.”
She struggled to say in a voice mixed with weeping.
However, Laritte was already happy. Thanks to Olivia, she lived and her body became healthy. She wanted nothing more.
Although neither of the mother and daughter had a smooth life, at one time, Laritte had no expectations of Olivia.
Olivia, like Count Brumeier, was only her biological parent who had given birth to Laritte. No wonder she couldn’t imagine Olivia putting on a kind face. But now that she was here, Laritte knew that Olivia loved her.
And…
She would still love her.
Laritte hugged Olivia with her characteristic blank expression. Anyway, she had to say something, but she didn’t know what to say.
“Mom.”
As she thought about what a daughter might have to say to her mother, she came up with an appropriate phrase.
“Let’s live long.”
Uttering so, Laritte patted her mother with all her might as Olivia buried her face in her shoulder on the floor.
Afterwards, Olivia had to use copious amounts of cold water to cool her swollen face. She then stopped by the mansion for a moment and saw the familiar dragon.
“Why is that dragon making such a fuss?”
Normally, Seta would follow Laritte, and Ian glared at Seta. But Seta now… wasn’t following Laritte! Not only that, but he was even acting obnoxious while chasing after Ian.
“Human man, did I do well? Huh?”
“….”
“What, no reply? Didn’t I save the baby a few days ago, too? Huh? Haha!”
Ian ground his teeth.
“I shouldn’t have said thank you…”
Olivia, too, knew that Seta would constantly intervene between the newlyweds, for she came to the Duke’s residence occasionally. Since Seta had a history of saving Laritte by taking her to the dragons, therefore, even though he went in and out of the Duke’s residence and followed Laritte around, there was no one nagging him.
However, Ian’s mood had gradually become uncomfortable, and he had been in a bad mood lately… Still, it was unknown why he held back his irritation when Seta was directly mean to him.
“You know that.”
Laritte told Olivia that the baby in the womb was safe, thanks to Seta sabotaging her and Ian a few days ago.
“…Anyway, if I leave it as it is, Ian will eventually explode today or tomorrow.”
Even Laritte, who had been looking at this for several days, was about to bleed from the ears.
“Haha.”
Olivia smiled wide with her swollen face, perhaps if that was funny. That day, she really did see Ian’s patience come to an end and he drew his sword.
Even though Laritte found out that she was pregnant, nothing changed in her body. At least, she thought so. Except for the fact that she gets nauseous when she smells a strong smell, there was no difference from usual…
The surrounding situation has completely changed, though.
It was because it was easy to miscarry in the early stages of pregnancy, so stability was essential. Needless to say, Ian… Laritte was a woman who was familiar with his fussiness.
The problem was other employees.
If she would even leave the window open, the maids would make a fuss about it, shouting, ‘Outside wind!’
…It was useless to say it was summer and it was hot for her.
Instead of the outside wind, they fanned the fan with all their heart and soul. By any chance, if she dropped a coin, there would be five hands ready to pick it up instead. Even Laritte was so fed up that she was tongue-tied.
Why were these people doing this?
Even Ian and Olivia started to stay by her side in a two-shift system. In the end, Laritte came to live with her own will. She wondered if peace would come to the mansion like that…
Soon, she overcame her mild nausea, and her morning sickness began.
“Uuughh!”
Ian fidgeted at the sight of Laritte, who couldn’t eat anything and said that he smelled. Eventually, he started buying food for the price of a mansion…
—
Chapter 128
A figure with the body of a small adult stood in front of the huge gate of the Duke’s residence.
‘The Duke’s residence is really big, no matter how I look at it.’
A huge mansion was like a castle, and luxurious places such as the annex or garden surrounding such a mansion had a tendency to overwhelm ordinary people.
The little figure came to the mansion without an appointment, so she hesitated, wondering if it would be okay. However, the knights in charge of today’s gatekeeping recognized the person and opened the way.
“Ah! Welcome! Haha.”
He even showed a lively smile as if he saw the other person favorably.
Even if it was Emperor Oscar who came, the procedure was to report to Ian and let the guest in. It was supposed to be so. However, there was only one outsider who was given the right to enter and leave the mansion at any time.
She was Laritte’s biological mother and the woman who abandoned her, though she saved her life in the end.
“Lady Olivia, did you come without an appointment? If you had given us a letter in advance, we would have sent a carriage as you do on regular visits.”
“That… I had to come in a hurry…”
Olivia slowed her words as if she felt awkward being friendly with a great person like a knight.
“Is it because of the news?”
The knight winked at her in one eye.
“Yes, yes… maybe.”
“Go in. Shall I take you to the door of the mansion?”
“It’s okay! All I have to do is walk forward!”
The old woman, still nodding her head apprehensively, entered the path beyond the gate. In her arms, Olivia had a letter containing the news of Laritte’s pregnancy. As soon as she saw it, she frantically went to the duke’s mansion without even time to reply.
Her heart pounded.
It was not just a simple mother’s heart to be proud of her pregnant daughter.
As she went with her limp leg, the small mansion grew bigger and bigger. When she saw the mansion up to the size of her forearm, she saw a new woman. A person with bright silver hair who looked exactly like Olivia was sitting on a chair outside.
Laritte, who was quietly enjoying her midday leisure, saw Olivia.
“Mom…?”
Why didn’t she contact her beforehand? Could it be because of the letter she wrote a few days ago…?
Normally, nobles kept their pregnancy a secret from the outside world unless there was a specific political reason. This was because if they had a miscarriage, a different gaze would fly under the guise of regret.
However, Olivia was not an outsider, and Laritte shared the news of her pregnancy as the day had come for her to send Olivia a letter. She would have to wait a few days for her mother’s reply, but why did Olivia even come in person?
Olivia stepped over to her daughter, who was enjoying the cool summer in the shade of the mansion.
Each step was heavy.
Still, she couldn’t even get close. Her eyes soon reddened and stopped at the point where her vision was completely blurred.
Laritte asked while sitting.
“Why did you come all of a sudden? What happened?”
“Congratulations on your pregnancy, sweetheart.”
“Oh, that. I haven’t even given birth yet, but the maids and everyone else are acting very strangely.”
“….”
“…Why are you crying now?”
Laritte stood up from the chair with a puzzled look.
“Mom?”
Calling Olivia again, she spoke most of her words in a dry tone.
It was a habit, and even now, she didn’t attach much importance to the word mom. Laritte just got used to the word mom more than calling her name. However, Olivia ended up shedding countless tears when Laritte called her ‘mom.’
She was worried when she heard that Laritte was pregnant.
It was because she was herself who was unhappy with her own pregnancy. Olivia, still unable to get out of the past, was relieved as soon as she saw Laritte at peace.
Laritte was different from her. Laritte was not her…
When did this child grow up like this?
‘I thought she’d always be a child.’
In her memory, Laritte was small.
She was very thin, and she grew up eating poorly, so her growth was slow. Even though she met Lariite after her daughter became an adult, she was still a child to her.
‘…I was worried when I heard that she became a duchess.’
What did that little child know? She didn’t have a strong point, and she didn’t know how to live smartly. What if she didn’t eat? She would have to check it for her. It was for that reason that Olivia even made up her mind to run away with Laritte from the Duchy.
She was her parents anyway…
To her parents, their children always looked like children.
“I’m sorry I didn’t do anything until you were this big…”
Saying so, Olivia sat awkwardly on the ground and wiped away her tears. However, her tears were so great that they wet her fingers. She buried her face in her arm though it even seeped underneath.
Meanwhile, Laritte had no ability to soothe a person who was crying out loud. She wondered what to do with it, then folded her knees and sat down in front of her mother.
“I’m sorry for being a bad mother…”
“It’s dirty, so get up.”
Olivia couldn’t budge even when Laritte tried to lift her up. This old dancer had forgotten how to be kind to others.
Even today, she didn’t know how to convey her feelings to Laritte properly as she felt awkward about it. She did bring up old stories in her letters or from time to time, but there were feelings that could only be conveyed through words.
“I should have said I was sorry I abandoned you.”
“What are you so sorry about?”
“I’m sorry for everything… I’m sorry…”
Olivia thought Laritte would make her child a good child.
She wouldn’t even raise her hand as furious as she was. Even if she were irritated outside, she wouldn’t even take her anger out. Even more so, she would not yell at a child who had picked herbs for praise, not to do anything useless…
While she already knew, she definitely sensed what a poor and incompetent mother she had been.
Olivia was anxious when she did not menstruate while she was a dancer. When her stomach started to bulge out, she begged herself to miscarry. Young Olivia even rolled on the ground, wanting to miscarry somehow.
That woman was old now and wept so hard that she was out of breath. Her inhalation and exhalation were so busy that her lungs popped out.
“Live happily… You will live happily. Your family will be happy.”
She struggled to say in a voice mixed with weeping.
However, Laritte was already happy. Thanks to Olivia, she lived and her body became healthy. She wanted nothing more.
Although neither of the mother and daughter had a smooth life, at one time, Laritte had no expectations of Olivia.
Olivia, like Count Brumeier, was only her biological parent who had given birth to Laritte. No wonder she couldn’t imagine Olivia putting on a kind face. But now that she was here, Laritte knew that Olivia loved her.
And…
She would still love her.
Laritte hugged Olivia with her characteristic blank expression. Anyway, she had to say something, but she didn’t know what to say.
“Mom.”
As she thought about what a daughter might have to say to her mother, she came up with an appropriate phrase.
“Let’s live long.”
Uttering so, Laritte patted her mother with all her might as Olivia buried her face in her shoulder on the floor.
Afterwards, Olivia had to use copious amounts of cold water to cool her swollen face. She then stopped by the mansion for a moment and saw the familiar dragon.
“Why is that dragon making such a fuss?”
Normally, Seta would follow Laritte, and Ian glared at Seta. But Seta now… wasn’t following Laritte! Not only that, but he was even acting obnoxious while chasing after Ian.
“Human man, did I do well? Huh?”
“….”
“What, no reply? Didn’t I save the baby a few days ago, too? Huh? Haha!”
Ian ground his teeth.
“I shouldn’t have said thank you…”
Olivia, too, knew that Seta would constantly intervene between the newlyweds, for she came to the Duke’s residence occasionally. Since Seta had a history of saving Laritte by taking her to the dragons, therefore, even though he went in and out of the Duke’s residence and followed Laritte around, there was no one nagging him.
However, Ian’s mood had gradually become uncomfortable, and he had been in a bad mood lately… Still, it was unknown why he held back his irritation when Seta was directly mean to him.
“You know that.”
Laritte told Olivia that the baby in the womb was safe, thanks to Seta sabotaging her and Ian a few days ago.
“…Anyway, if I leave it as it is, Ian will eventually explode today or tomorrow.”
Even Laritte, who had been looking at this for several days, was about to bleed from the ears.
“Haha.”
Olivia smiled wide with her swollen face, perhaps if that was funny. That day, she really did see Ian’s patience come to an end and he drew his sword.
Even though Laritte found out that she was pregnant, nothing changed in her body. At least, she thought so. Except for the fact that she gets nauseous when she smells a strong smell, there was no difference from usual…
The surrounding situation has completely changed, though.
It was because it was easy to miscarry in the early stages of pregnancy, so stability was essential. Needless to say, Ian… Laritte was a woman who was familiar with his fussiness.
The problem was other employees.
If she would even leave the window open, the maids would make a fuss about it, shouting, ‘Outside wind!’
…It was useless to say it was summer and it was hot for her.
Instead of the outside wind, they fanned the fan with all their heart and soul. By any chance, if she dropped a coin, there would be five hands ready to pick it up instead. Even Laritte was so fed up that she was tongue-tied.
Why were these people doing this?
Even Ian and Olivia started to stay by her side in a two-shift system. In the end, Laritte came to live with her own will. She wondered if peace would come to the mansion like that…
Soon, she overcame her mild nausea, and her morning sickness began.
“Uuughh!”
Ian fidgeted at the sight of Laritte, who couldn’t eat anything and said that he smelled. Eventually, he started buying food for the price of a mansion…
—
