The stomachache at night was a sign that it would be painful.

Blanche had a fever from the morning.

‘Even if it’s a low-grade fever, it would be better to give her fever reducer.’

Her forehead was lukewarm, so it wasn’t serious, but she kept sniffling.

“Blanche. Here, open your mouth.”

After taking the sticky syrup-type fever reducer, Blanche sniffled.

“Mom, this used to taste like strawberries… sniff… but this time it doesn’t taste like anything. My nose is stuffy, and Shu Shu’s voice sounds strange.”

Blanche made a sad face, saying she wasn’t used to her muffled voice due to her stuffy nose.

“That’s because your nose is blocked. If you rest well, it’ll go back to normal. You shouldn’t go out today.”

I wiped Blanche’s forehead with a wet towel.

“Mom. The towel is cold.”

“The fever needs to cool down for you to get better quickly.”

It seemed like going out for harmony practice would be too much.

If her condition worsened after going out, it would be a big problem.

“No, Shu Shu is fine. I’m not sick at all.”

At the same time, mucus dripped down.

“Not sick? Blanche, you keep having a runny nose.”

“Today is the first day of harmony practice, Shu Shu wants to go…”

I wiped Blanche’s bright red nose.

“If your condition gets worse, you won’t be able to go at all. Let’s rest well and go when you’re all better.”

“Okay… Then Mom, can you go practice instead of Shu Shu and tell me about it!”

“Will you be okay without Mom by your side?”

“I can stay with Mary, right? Shu Shu will be fine.”

Blanche pushed me away with her hands, saying she would receive Mary’s care.

‘Why is she acting like this?’

Unable to resist Blanche’s insistence, I finally left her with Mary.

“Mary. I’ll be back soon, please take care of Blanche.”

“Yes, don’t worry. Young lady!”

When I arrived at the Rowe Marquis residence, Ayla came out to greet me.

“Sister, didn’t you come with Blanche?”

“She’s a bit sick after going to the Ice Festival yesterday. She told me to practice and let her know.”

“How cute. Then, I’ll just tell you the order for now… Yawn, I’m sleepy.”

Ayla, who was looking for Blanche, burst into laughter and then yawned softly.

“Ayla. Didn’t you sleep well last night? You look tired.”

“…Ah, I had something to look up in the library, so I went to sleep late.”

Suddenly, I remembered what Jade had said about Ayla.

He said she hadn’t come out because she was searching for related books in the library to prove that Blanche was his daughter.

“Well, even after searching all night, I couldn’t find anything in the end, so it was a waste of time…”

Hearing Ayla’s soft voice, I felt relieved inside.

‘She couldn’t find it. That’s a relief.’

What could be the reason for Blanche being born between Jade and me, who are of different races?

‘If it couldn’t be found even in the Rowe Marquis family’s library…’

That clue was also a problem I had wanted to solve for a long time.

‘Is it some kind of setting error that I don’t know about?’

It had been a long time since I was possessed, and I wasn’t sure because I hadn’t read the original work thoroughly.

“Sister, let’s go to the east banquet hall. The wedding will be held there.”

I stopped thinking and followed Ayla into the east banquet hall attached to the mansion.

“Sister, do you remember? You and brother danced for the first time in the middle there.”

Ayla pointed to the center where the virgin road was laid.

“…I remember.”

The party held to celebrate Jade’s 14th birthday.

I danced with him in front of many people.

It felt like I was going back to that time, as if I could hear the waltz that was playing then.

‘…Jade. What if I step on your feet again like during practice?’

‘I’m already used to it, so it’s okay.’

‘I didn’t step on them that much!’

‘Anyway, don’t try to avoid it and fall. If you think you’re going to step on them, just do it. I’m used to you stepping on them now, so it doesn’t hurt.’

My body was stiff from the tension of being the focus of everyone’s attention during the first dance of the party.

But with Jade’s reassurance, I relaxed and safely finished the waltz.

‘It was annoying that he counted I stepped on his feet 3 times after we finished dancing…’

Perhaps it was a time when I shared happy emotions with Jade without any worries.

“I thought you would be the first to have a wedding here, not me.”

A bitter expression lingered on Ayla’s face.

“From the day I first saw you, I thought it would be nice if you really married brother. Then we could really become family.”

“…Ayla.”

“Sister. Even now, I would welcome it anytime.”

Ayla acted nonchalantly, saying it was regrettable.

“Sister. I’ve always been worried because brother always looked uneasy. Like he was always preparing to leave.”

“…”

“But when you came back, brother looks comfortable. He even plays pranks on me and teases me. Like we’ve gone back to the old days.”

Ayla suddenly grabbed my hand.

“I don’t care if Blanche isn’t brother’s daughter. She’s so pretty just as she is. I wish you would stay by brother’s side.”

The warmth of her words was comforting.

“You like brother too, don’t you?”

“…That’s.”

“It’s no use hiding it. It shows so much.”

Ayla smiled mischievously, telling me not to deny it.

“Brother is with the Winst Count’s daughter now. I think he’s trying to settle the engagement cancellation. If he cancels the engagement, have an honest conversation with brother.”

“Is he really going to cancel the engagement?”

I remembered Sharlin getting angry at me at the front door, asking if I had seduced Jade.

“Anyway, it was an engagement that Grand Duke Usith proceeded with as he pleased, and it’s been maintained for years with cancellation in mind.”

“What do you mean by proceeded as he pleased? Wasn’t it to receive investment from Count Winst?”

“Hmm…”

Ayla hesitated for a moment at my question, then said.

“When you died, brother shut himself in his room and stayed in seclusion. For about a year?”

“…I see.”

“That’s when Grand Duke Usith, using his authority as an elder, engaged him to the Winst Count’s daughter.”

To think that Jade had secluded himself because of me.

“Brother wanted to cancel the engagement right away, but the Emperor happened to want to marry him to Princess Cassandra, so he maintained it.”

My heart sank deeply, feeling upset.

“So he promised to cancel the engagement with the Winst Count’s daughter after 4 years, and I heard he even wrote some kind of certificate.”

I had stopped Jade when he said he was going to cancel the engagement with the Winst Count’s daughter.

Not knowing these circumstances, I blamed him for being irresponsible.

‘So that’s why he maintained the engagement with the intention of canceling it. I shouldn’t have said anything to Jade.’

The doubt that had accumulated was resolved knowing it wasn’t Jade’s will.

I felt embarrassed for having lectured him to maintain minimum courtesy.

‘Then… would it be okay to tell Jade that Blanche is his daughter?’

At the same time, I felt the courage to reveal the hidden truth.

‘…Wait. If I reveal this fact, doesn’t it mean Blanche will have to train in the snowy mountains too?’

I had run away in the first place because of Rowe’s harsh education.

“Ayla. You and Jade were trained in the snowy mountains when you were born, right? Was it very hard?”

I cautiously opened my mouth, feeling worried.

“Snowy mountains? Suddenly?”

Ayla tilted her head, seeming to find it out of the blue.

“Just thinking about the past made me curious.”

“Hmm, only brother received training in the snowy mountains. I’ve never been there, so I don’t know.”

Ayla’s words that she had never been to the snowy mountains were puzzling.

“Only Jade was trained?”

“It’s to verify the ability of the family head, so if you give up the right of succession, you don’t have to go.”

“Give up… the right of succession?”

“When I was born, brother was already the young marquis, so my parents removed my right of succession so I wouldn’t have to receive training.”

I was stunned by Ayla’s simple explanation that giving up the right of succession wasn’t difficult.

‘I hid from Jade that I had Blanche without knowing even this?’

It felt like someone was hitting my head several times.

‘It was such a simple matter of just giving up the right of succession…’

I was at a loss for words from the deflation, but I gained courage.

‘I should tell Jade right away.’

I became confident that Blanche wouldn’t be in danger even if I told Jade.

I imagined Blanche living in a normal family like other children.

If it was within a strong and high fence that protected her from getting hurt.

Then she wouldn’t have to forcibly hold back saying she didn’t want to see her dad like now.

I wanted to build a life with Jade based on the common ground and trust of being Blanche’s parents.

I held the expectation that someday Jade would love Blanche too.

“Ayla. Where is Jade now?”

“Brother? In the main building’s reception room. The Winst Count’s daughter has been here for a while, so the engagement cancellation talk should be wrapping up by now.”

“Then, I’ll go to the reception room for a moment. I have something to tell Jade.”

I moved towards the main building’s reception room where Jade was said to be.

I planned to tell Jade after seeing him firmly settle things with Sharlin.

‘Since he doesn’t suspect at all that Blanche is his daughter because we’re different races…’

For now, he probably wouldn’t believe it even if I told him.

‘Should I show him the wolf ears?’

I felt refreshed thinking about the future after revealing what I had been suffering alone until now.

Crash-

‘What’s going on…?’

When I got near the reception room, I heard the sharp sound of something breaking inside.

“You shouldn’t be toying with me. If you’re lying, it would be better to confess honestly even now.”

“For something like this… there’s no way I would lie.”

Feeling that it was a serious situation, I turned back thinking I shouldn’t listen to the conversation.

“Are you sure you’re really pregnant?”