It was a miracle. There was no other way to explain it. Day by day, as that small body gradually grew, her eyes sparkled, her chubby cheeks became lively, and only then did I realize that miracles do exist.
People said that I saved Meriel, but in reality, it was the opposite.
It was my little daughter who saved me.
The day Meriel first opened her eyes, I fell in love looking at her blue eyes.
“……”
The curtain that flutters as if it is alive brushes against my cheeks. It’s good quality fabric, but it’s not my choice.
The original curtain in this room was not blue, but green. I made the curtain by bothering the merchants to get the perfect green fabric, and nagging the tailor to create the most elegant shape.
It was not only the curtains. Everything in the mansion has been the same since I got married to Bake.
Managing the whole mansion perfectly was troublesome. But since Meriel was born, I’ve never felt it was difficult.
Everything was for Meriel. She deserved it. That little girl had my grandfather’s eyes and my brother’s smile. No one suited the Craiton name better than my daughter.
‘Such revenge, you would not want.’
I know. No one knows Meriel better than me. My daughter is kind. She forgives easily. She doesn’t know how to hate others.
In the end, the revenge is for me, not my daughter.
Even knowing that, I can’t stop.
It’s not just today’s events that are repeating. My regrets are the same. I always regret.
When I lost my parents and siblings, when I lost my daughter. And even now.
I took out a small box that I had put inside my pocket.
When did this enter my pocket? Was it when I was in his arms? I guess, but I’m not sure. The only certain thing was that the box was handed over to me.
“I thought I hid it well……”
When did he find out? I didn’t have time to keep this separately. Does he always carry it with him?
I guess again, but I’m still not sure. I just acknowledge that Duke Calyx has a very good eye.
I held my neck. My fingertips slowly moved over the button that tightened my neck and touched my shoulder.
I usually wear clothes that reveal my shoulders, but recently I’ve been wearing dresses that go up to my neck. The bruise Bake left hasn’t faded yet.
It was better to hide the wound than to spread rumors that Lady Craiton gets beaten and survives.
My social activities are all just showing off anyway, and the nobles I deal with are still young. At most, they would only say that my new dress looks pretty.
Only one person noticed my injury.
“……”
When I slightly opened the box, the cheap smell that I smelled earlier hit my nose.
It was medicine.
After a moment of smelling it, I closed the box. I had no thoughts of applying the medicine, knowing it would help the wound.
I needed the pain.
I, too, was a sinner. I couldn’t protect my daughter.
I walked to the balcony. And I stretched my hand out beyond the railing.
Everything was going according to plan. There was no room for anything I didn’t calculate.
This small box was not something I thought of. It was just an unexpected variable.
So, it should disappear. As if it never existed from the start.
When I loosened my grip, the box plummeted straight down. Because it was small, or maybe due to the wind, I couldn’t hear it falling.
Only my empty hand was visible to my eyes.
I closed my eyes. The pain in my shoulder that comes back when I almost forget was tormenting me.
[This is the time separator]The Earl and Countess of Craiton no longer dine together. Horse riding, tea time, meals. They no longer have any conversations, unlike in the past when they used to do everything together.
As time passed, the Earl of Craiton became increasingly haggard, and the smile disappeared from the face of the Countess of Craiton.
So I waited until the bruise on my shoulder disappeared, and only today did I wear my favorite dress again.
And, watching my move, Bake left the mansion earlier than usual, and I went to the dining room first.
“……Liviana?”
Bake was startled by my appearance, his eyes widened in surprise, but all I did was pick up the neatly arranged napkin.
There was one more set of meal prepared across from me.
“Sit down.”
“…I thought you didn’t want to talk to me.”
“That was the case yesterday.”
I no longer use a friendly tone with my husband. There is now a perfect line between us.
“Aren’t you going to sit?”
“Ah, no! I should sit.”
Bake, taking cues from me, filled the empty seat. As soon as he sat, a servant who had been waiting nearby brought out the newspaper.
There was no conversation, but it was a fairly familiar morning scene.
Unless there was something special, breakfast at Creighton was mostly the same.
I had white bread spread with butter along with freshly brewed tea. Even when the menu changed, occasionally additional orange marmalade would be added, there were no significant changes.
It was a repetitive, ordinary daily life.
But I liked that time. I loved the time of enjoying the fragrance of tea spread throughout the restaurant, having simple conversations with Bake who was reading the newspaper, and occasionally giving a slice of bread spread with orange marmalade to Muriel who woke up early.
I won’t be able to enjoy that time ever again.
I deliberately put down my cup with a noise. Perhaps due to the tension, Bake couldn’t even open his newspaper, let alone eat.
“You didn’t convince me. So, I can’t trust you anymore.”
“……”
“But I can’t blame you recklessly. It’s not completely confirmed that the child in Margaret’s womb is yours, and you keep claiming it. It’s not your child, right?”
“……I wouldn’t have done that to you.”
At this point, he might as well confess.
Bake was still lying.
“Then there’s only one answer. I’ll meet Margaret myself.”
“Liviana.”
“You said you’d notify His Majesty about this today, anyway.”
“How would you……”
Bake stammered and held his forehead. It seemed like he was thinking about who blabbed unnecessary stories to me, but it was pointless. The important thing wasn’t to find the culprit.
“I’ll see with my eyes, listen with my ears, and judge with my head. Without doing so, I can’t clear my suspicion towards you.”
I took a brief, short breath. And then I opened my mouth again.
“And if, just if, the child turns out to be yours, we’ll have to sort it out.”
“Such a thing won’t happen.”
“We should. I don’t want to be a mother to a child born from another woman’s womb.”
“……A mother to the child?”
Bake blinked his eyes. He looked incredulous.
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
