I Had the Enemy's Baby - Chapter 13

“I heard you’ve become lame?”

Claudel’s eyes widened slightly as she watched Antione behaving rudely right to her face.

But that was all.

When she didn’t show any reaction like getting angry or shouting as expected, Antione closed her mouth.

Claudel’s non-reaction made Antione, who was like a crazy young horse, shut her mouth for a moment.

Claudel asked her.

“Who are you?”

Moreover, when an innocent response without any malice came back, Antione looked at Hannah, seemingly flustered.

‘What? You didn’t tell her about me?’

The day she ran into Hannah while coming out of Kaian’s bedroom.

How smugly she had left, thinking how satisfying it would be to hear the Vermonte woman fuming after hearing the harsh words she had spilled.

But seeing Claudel sitting neatly and cleanly like a freshly carved jade bead, blinking her eyes, a feeling of resentment suddenly welled up.

“You don’t know who I am?”

Antione proudly held out her hand with a blue diamond ring.

“You still don’t know even seeing this?”

Only then did a small crack appear in Claudel’s indifferent face.

“Ask your maid. She must have seen me coming out of Kaian’s bedroom.”

As Claudel’s eyes turned to Hannah, she looked at the golden eyes awkwardly for a moment, then immediately approached Antione with angry eyes.

“Why did you come? Get out! Right now!”

A fierce quarrel between the women began.

[This is the timeline separator]

Kaian was carefully examining the items presented by the jeweler the butler had brought.

“These are the most popular styles these days.”

The jeweler was very enthusiastic, seizing a rare business opportunity.

“You may have seen them before. It’s a reinterpretation of the style Her Majesty Silvia used to favor. It’s glamorous yet small and light, suitable for everyday wear.”

What caught Kaian’s eye was a ring and bracelet made in the shape of flower vines with tiny diamonds and rubies.

As the jeweler said, the jeweled ring made like a flower crown looked bright and charming despite not having large stones.

He used to think men who chose such things to win a woman’s favor were all pathetic.

Of course, Kaian wasn’t doing this pathetic act to win Claudel’s favor. He justified his actions to himself as a dignified act to repay the benefactor of House Temnes.

“I’ll take this. Prepare a matching necklace and hair ornament as well.”

“Yes, my lord.”

The jeweler was overjoyed when he generously added some larger pieces.

“Then when might I be able to meet the lady of the house?”

“Claudel?”

“Yes. I need to measure her finger and wrist sizes for custom production.”

“I see.”

Suddenly, he remembered that Claudel had never once worn the wedding night gift he had given her.

“Is it possible to reduce the size of an existing ring?”

“Of course. Usually precious and fine jewels are passed down through generations, being reduced or enlarged to fit the wearer. It’s entirely possible.”

“I see. I didn’t know that. Does measuring take a long time?”

“Not at all. We just measure the circumference comfortably with thick thread and take it with us.”

Kaian stood up from his seat.

“It’s lunchtime anyway. Let’s go together and ask the lady for a moment. Butler.”

He called the butler.

“Have my meal brought to Claudel’s room as well.”

“Yes, my lord.”

The butler who was about to leave the office first turned back.

“My lord. If I may be so bold, there is one thing I wish to ask.”

“Speak.”

“Since you’ve called the jeweler, would it not be good to have the blue diamond ring repaired as well?”

“Ah.”

He had only asked if the size could be reduced, but hadn’t thought of that.

Kaian nodded.

“Thank you for reminding me. I’ll keep it in mind.”

So the butler went to call a servant, and Kaian headed to Claudel’s room with the jeweler.

‘It won’t be a surprise gift after all.’

Unlike other assets, ladies’ jewels were treated as personal property.

So he had often heard at the royal capital’s salons how wives would use all sorts of coquetry to receive expensive jewels as gifts from their husbands.

The salon madam Cronac would often say when hearing such stories of noble ladies, “If there’s a husband you can pry open, I’d like to pry one open too.”

Kaian briefly imagined Claudel, who only reacted minimally no matter what he said, acting coy or flirting with him to buy her jewels.

He couldn’t imagine it.

It was too far removed from the Claudel he had seen.

‘I thought she might be a little happy if I showed her the finished product.’

Seeing how she didn’t even show him what it looked like worn once, since it didn’t fit, it was regrettable but right to properly measure this time and give her something that fit.

Anyway, once he measured her size this time, from now on he just had to have the jeweler make things that caught his eye.

The next, and the next jewels after that could be surprise gifts.

But Claudel’s bedroom, which had been quiet for a while, was noisy.

Through the open door, he saw a familiar woman.

“Why did you come? Get out! Right now!”

Hannah was shouting at a woman with lush black hair, glaring at her.

“How rude to a guest who came to visit the sick.”

His eyes sharply turned to the woman’s ankle revealed by the silk ribbon tied around it.

Antione, who had turned around at the sound, changed her attitude when her eyes met Kaian’s.

As Kaian’s brow furrowed, Antione looked startled and hurriedly handed the bouquet she was holding to Hannah before backing away.

“Antione? You, in front of me again…”

“Lo-Lord!”

Cutting off his words, the flustered Antione suddenly made an excuse.

“I-I came to visit the sick. Well then, I’ll be going now.”

Before Kaian could say anything, she disappeared as if fleeing.

His eyes lingered on the flowers Antione had brought.

“Throw that away.”

“What…? Yes.”

Hannah stood there with a dumbfounded expression for a moment before carrying the flowers out of the room. She put the bouquet down where the cleaning maids were collecting trash in the corridor and hurried back to the room.

“What brings you here so suddenly?”

“The jeweler said he needed to see you.”

“My lady. I greet you for the first time.”

Amidst the commotion, the jeweler politely bowed his head to Claudel.

If one were to convert the money a nobleman spends on jewelry for his wife into a measure of affection, the amount Kaian spent today was fit for a king of kings.

Wanting to see the lady of the house often in the future, he kindly set down the measuring tools he had brought on the table.

“Please sit comfortably over here.”

Claudel hesitated. Though she wasn’t in her nightclothes, she wasn’t well enough to walk from the bed to the table.

“I’ll move you. Come here.”

When she didn’t know what to do, Kaian pulled back the blanket covering her legs and gently lifted her body to seat her in the chair.

The jeweler handed over gloves made of thin white silk.

“Please wear these.”

Claudel slowly put on the gloves. Seeing how the slightly elastic silk gloves were loose and drooping rather than stretching on her too slender and small hands, the jeweler showed a troubled expression.

“Ah. This is a first. It’s the first time I’ve seen someone with fingers as thin as the lady’s.”

The jeweler looked at Kaian.

“I apologize, but we’ll have to measure without the gloves to make items you can use. May I have permission to touch the lady’s hand…”

“That’s not allowed.”

Kaian said seriously.

“Tell me how and I’ll do it. You just tie a string, right?”

“Pardon? Yes. That’s right.”

He lifted strings cut to a certain length from the box and wrapped and tied them around Claudel’s fingers.

Then the jeweler quickly handed over a small pair of scissors.

“Please cut a bit away from the knot.”

In an instant, the measuring of her finger and wrist circumferences was done.

“I will do my best, my lord.”

As he was about to withdraw, Kaian spoke.

“Wait. Take this item to be fixed as well.”

Kaian said to Claudel.

“I didn’t think of it properly. I gave you a gift that doesn’t fit.”

“What?”

“The wedding night gift.”

At the words ‘wedding night gift’, Claudel’s eyes widened. Kaian keenly noticed the troubled look in her eyes.

“The jeweler said he can reduce the size. My mother was quite tall. I should have thought that ring wouldn’t fit you.”

“…Ring.”

Claudel muttered softly, looking like she had no intention of handing over the item, which frustrated Kaian.

He wanted to quickly send away the jeweler and everyone else so he could spend time alone with her.

With work piled up for the afternoon as well, every minute and second was precious to him.

“Hurry.”

“It-it’s fine. No need to fix it.”

“What?”

Claudel looked at him and said.

“I’m hungry. And a bit tired too.”

“Ah… Alright. We’ll end it here for today.”

The bewildered jeweler busily gathered his things and disappeared.

Soon after, the butler appeared directing servants carrying trays with Claudel and Kaian’s meals.

“I hear the lady is eating better than before?”

The butler arranged the tableware in front of Claudel.

“I’ve given strict instructions to the kitchen, so please let us know if there’s anything you’d like to eat.”

“Thank you.”

Kaian’s eyes searched for Hannah.

That maid was completely devoted to Claudel.

It was quite a problem how she wouldn’t leave her side even at mealtimes, insisting on serving, when he wanted to be alone with her.

‘Where did she go today?’

She seemed to have been standing near the door just earlier.

Thinking he wouldn’t have to be mindful unnecessarily, Kaian’s heart felt a bit lighter.

“Go ahead and eat. Here.”

Kaian scooped up some soup at a good temperature and brought it to Claudel’s mouth.

“Um. You know.”

“Yes?”

“I’m not sure if I should say this, but.”

“Say it.”

Claudel hesitated.

“My hands aren’t injured.”

“I know that much.”

The part of her that was injured was her legs. Who wouldn’t know that?

At his firm and short answer, Claudel looked even more confused.

“Then why do you keep trying to feed me?”

“Well.”

Kaian couldn’t know the reason for that either.

For the first while, she had been lying in bed and barely eating.

‘She’s too weak. At this rate, even what should heal might worsen.’

The doctor had been in a panic, as if there would be big trouble if her condition worsened.

She wouldn’t eat properly if left alone.

‘Eat.’

She would barely swallow when Kaian forcefully fed her.

“Why don’t you eat properly? If you ate well without me feeding you, there wouldn’t be this troublesome task.”

On the other hand, while it was difficult to deal with Claudel because her reactions to everything he said or did were different from his expectations, seeing her obediently accept and swallow what he fed her strangely relieved his stress.

How nice would it be if she listened this well in other areas too, not just during meals?

“I’ll eat well. You’re busy, there’s no need to come here on purpose like this.”

“You’re far from recovered.”

“I’m not even in pain anymore. I took a bath yesterday. I even practiced walking this morning.”

Perhaps because he had fed her well for a few days, Claudel looked especially fair and pretty today.

“Are you really alright? Not in pain at all?”

“Yes.”

She even clenched her fists and nodded her head to show him.

“Then tonight. Don’t sleep and wait for me.”

Male lead is a clingy little husband

One-line summary: The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.

Introduction:

One day, Lu Yuner’s soul transmigrates into a female-dominant world. She enters the Imperial Academy and takes up the position of a doctoral instructor, teaching classes and grading schoolwork.

One day, she encounters the young prince Su Qingwan secretly skipping class from the male academy.

As a result, Su Qingwan is punished.

From then on, Su Qingwan sees Lu Yuner as a “thorn in his side”.

But before long, this “thorn” becomes the person he cherishes most, and he goes to great lengths to win Lu Yuner’s affection.

Mini scene 1:

One day, the sun is high in the sky but Su Qingwan still hasn’t gotten up for class.

Servant Xiaoyuan: “Young prince, it’s time for class. You’ll be late otherwise.”

Su Qingwan says arrogantly: “I’m not going. I am the esteemed prince, my status is so noble, why should I suffer this hardship? Besides, isn’t learning all this just to please women? Hmph, they’re not worthy!”

Mini scene 2:

After Su Qingwan falls for someone, he completely changes. He no longer skips class and diligently learns how to be a good husband and father. But he discovers that Sister Yuner is always surrounded by admirers.

Drunk and overcome with jealousy one day, he clings to Lu Yuner, crying beautifully like a pear blossom in the rain.

Su Qingwan: “Qingwan likes Sister Yuner.”

Lu Yuner: “Young prince, you’re drunk.”

Su Qingwan: “Qingwan isn’t drunk. Qingwan likes Sister Yuner, likes you so much, likes you to bits…” Before he can finish, Lu Yuner’s eyes flash with emotion and she leans in closer.

[Reading Guide]

1. The female lead is gentle, gracious, humble and polite but not weak. The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.

2. 1v1, a bit torturous in the beginning but definitely sweet later on.

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