‘……Adoption?’

I suppressed my rapidly beating heart in surprise.

Adoption.

If the child in Sharlin’s womb was Jade’s bloodline, there would be no need to mention that word.

‘Is it not Jade’s biological child…?’

However, since it was still confusing until just now, I thought it would be better not to jump to conclusions hastily.

‘I’ll ask Jade later.’

……For now, I was just glad that there was a glimmer of hope that it might not be his.

‘But, why am I happy about this?’

So this was all because of the child. The discomfort I felt earlier hearing the servants’ conversation was because I was worried the child would be upset.

“Young Lady Winst. I remember our deal was until you give birth to the child. Did you come up from the estate to say such nonsense?”

Jade’s low voice continued from inside.

“My child has inherited Rowe blood! You have a responsibility to take care of it too.”

“Responsibility? For the child of the one who killed my parents?”

The more I listened to their conversation, the more confused I became.

‘So, the child Sharlin is carrying… is the bloodline of the one who killed Jade’s parents?’

Jade’s parents died in a carriage accident.

‘There must be something else I don’t know about. Anyway, knowing all this, she came to ask Jade for adoption?’

I was stunned by Sharlin’s audacity.

“T-That’s. Marquis. Think about it carefully. If it weren’t for me, would you have known the truth about that day’s accident?”

My forehead was burning with anger.

“Didn’t I tell you clearly before? Even if the card you hold only goes as far as threatening me, I can still kill you.”

The child frowned and put her ear to the door.

“Blanche.”

When I called out softly to stop her, the child pouted her lips.

‘Listening to this, I got so angry I forgot I was with the child.’

Just then.

“…!”

As the door suddenly flung open, the child fell back in surprise.

I crouched down to comfort the child who was about to cry.

“Why are you here…”

I looked up and met Jade’s eyes as he stood in front of the door.

Jade pressed his brow as he looked down at me and the child.

“What on earth do I have to do for you to accept? Even though we broke off the engagement, I was still your fiancée. Please help me one more time. I have no one else but you, Marquis…”

Sharlin came out crying, then saw me and Blanche and wiped her tears.

The child bit her lip hard at Sharlin’s sharp gaze.

“Hey! Why are you here again? And with your daughter too!”

Sharlin, holding her belly, shouted at me in anger.

“I told you. Don’t approach the Marquis-”

“Shut up.”

Jade cut off Sharlin’s words and rebuked her.

“M-Marquis. Are you talking to me like that…?”

“It’s unpleasant to keep listening. This is Rowe Mansion. How dare someone like you when I, the master of Rowe, am standing here.”

He expressed his anger without even using honorifics to Sharlin.

Crash-

“Marquis! Y-You’re being too much!”

Sharlin stepped back and smashed the teacup in her hand on the floor.

As fragments flew from the broken teacup, Jade blocked in front of me and Blanche.

I stood up and examined Jade.

‘Oh no, blood…’

Fresh blood was flowing from his cheek, scraped by the fragments.

Jade wiped the blood and coldly stared at Sharlin.

“I didn’t mean to, do that. If only, you hadn’t spoken to me, like that, Marquis…!”

I disliked Sharlin who was making excuses while sobbing. Blaming others until the end.

“Leave immediately and stay quietly in the estate until you give birth. If you come up one more time, I won’t let it slide.”

Jade, seemingly disgusted with her as well, pointed outside and rebuked.

Sharlin, with her hand on her belly, pushed past me with her shoulder.

Because of that, the invitation I received from Countess Asitan fell from my body.

“Sharlin Winst.”

Jade called out to Sharlin while steadying me as I lost my balance.

Sharlin, who had turned around, discovered the fallen invitation and crushed it with her shoe.

“Diane. You’re going to attend the sorority meeting again?”

“…”

“You said you wouldn’t come again. It’s not even funny.”

I wondered how Sharlin recognized the invitation, then realized the reason.

‘Come to think of it, Sharlin was also included in the sorority.’

Sharlin kicked the invitation once more with her foot.

“Butler. Throw her out.”

Jade nodded to a butler passing by nearby.

The butler who rushed over here grabbed Sharlin’s arm.

“Young Lady Winst, please leave. I’ll escort you out.”

“Let go of me! I’ll go by myself!”

Sharlin shook off the butler and muttered while looking at me.

“I really hate you.”

It was a chilling gaze that naturally made my body tremble.

Sharlin left with just those words, led by the butler.

“Why is it so noisy here?”

Ayla came down the stairs, stretching.

“Ayla. Weren’t you supposed to be at Salome Castle?”

I was surprised that Ayla was here instead of at Salome Castle.

“It was boring being alone, so I came back with brother. By the way, why does brother’s face look like that?”

Ayla ran to Jade and grabbed his chin.

“Let go of this.”

He immediately removed Ayla’s hand.

“Brother, take care of your face. That face is the only thing worth looking at about you.”

Thanks to Ayla, the atmosphere that had been tense until just now somewhat eased.

“Blanche. Would you like auntie to read you a storybook?”

Ayla noticed the child beside me and spoke kindly. The child who had been hanging her head raised her heels.

She seemed to have something to say to me, so I bent down.

“Mom.”

“Yes?”

“Shu Shu will stay with auntie. In the meantime, please treat the Marquis.”

I was worried about leaving the child who gets scared when separated from me.

“Blanche, what should I read to you?”

However, the child glanced at Jade and went upstairs holding Ayla’s hand.

I saw the child silently mouthing something.

‘Even if I can’t be certain it’s selective mutism yet, it’s too similar to the symptoms Countess Asitan mentioned.’

Jade looked at me.

“What did she say?”

“She said to treat you. There’s ointment in the reception room, right?”

I remembered the box with ointment in the tea cabinet in the reception room and went inside.

“Larien. Watch your step. There are still fragments left.”

He followed me and warned me to be careful of the floor.

“It’s fine, I’m wearing shoes. Quickly, sit here.”

I sat Jade on the sofa and took out the box from the tea cabinet.

“Why did you come here anyway? I told you to stay in the study.”

I replied slowly to Jade’s scolding as I searched for the ointment in the box.

“…Blanche said she lost her necklace. I came to look for it.”

“Necklace? Did you find it?”

“Yes. Seems like she dropped it because the clasp was loose. It was on the stairs.”

Jade visibly relaxed at the news that the necklace was found.

“That necklace was made with the jewel the child spit out, so it’s dangerous if lost.”

“…Jewel?”

What does he mean it was made with a jewel the child spit out, and it’s dangerous if lost?

“Ah. I guess you don’t remember. Anyway, keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t get lost.”

Jade added, seemingly remembering belatedly that I had lost my memories.

I didn’t understand exactly due to the unkind explanation, but I got that the necklace shouldn’t be removed from the child’s body.

I took out the ointment from the box and sat on the sofa.

“Jade. Look here so I can apply the ointment.”

He turned his body towards me and lowered his eyes.

I wanted to touch his long eyelashes extending forward.

‘Really, as Ayla said, his face is handsome…’

He smiled slightly and raised the corners of his mouth.

“You said you’d apply the ointment, what are you doing?”

“I-I was about to do it now.”

I opened the lid and put some ointment on my hand.

I felt upset as I applied the ointment to the scratch that was larger than expected.

“Jade. Be more careful next time.”

“It doesn’t particularly hurt, and I rather think it’s good that I got hurt.”

I met Jade’s red eyes as he suddenly raised his head.

“What do you mean it’s good that you got hurt…?”

“You’re taking good care of me.”

I pushed away Jade’s shoulder as he suddenly came close and stepped back. My face felt hot.

“When have I ever not taken care of you?”

Jade grabbed my wrist and pulled me in front of him.

The distance closed in an instant.

‘I feel like this isn’t the first time. Why does it feel familiar?’

If I moved just a little, our lips would touch.

A vague scene similar to this flashed in my mind.

“Larien. Sometimes I wish your memories would return, but then I think this isn’t so bad either.”

“…Huh?”

“It feels like I’m being compensated for the time I thought you were dead. It’s like having 20-year-old you by my side continuously.”

He whispered quietly in a low tone.

“Above all, if you regain your memories, you’ll probably hate seeing me.”

…Hate seeing him?

I was certain that I had fought with Jade before losing my memories.

“Did something happen between us before I lost my memories?”

I was about to ask about the child at this point too.

“…”

Jade let go of my hand and moved away.

It was suspicious, so I couldn’t just let it go.

“Blanche is acting strange. It’s one thing that she’s afraid of you, but even though we need to observe a bit more… she can’t speak. She only speaks to me, barely…”

Jade’s eyes wavered for a moment as I relayed Blanche’s symptoms.

“…She can’t speak?”