The Maid Hates Childcare (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 16
“Aileen, I’m all washed up!”
Louis came running and hugged me tightly.
I carefully patted his damp hair dry.
“Oh my, so impressive! Our Lord Louis.”
“I’m a child now too!”
He placed his hands on his hips, speaking with remarkable confidence.
‘No matter what he does, he’s just adorable.’
I kissed his soft, plump cheeks as I spoke.
“There’s a party at another palace in two weeks. The princes have been invited—what do you think?”
Although the Olloze Party’s hostess was a marchioness, she had been borrowing the Empress’s banquet hall to hold it for several years.
Louis didn’t even know what kind of party it was, but his eyes sparkled at the mere fact of being invited.
“Really? Evan and I can go to a place like that?”
“Of course.”
“Yeah! I absolutely want to go!”
His overly excited voice weighed heavily on my heart.
‘He must have been this happy in the original story too.’
Completely unaware of what would happen there.
After Evan got hurt at the Olloze Party, the two children were dragged to countless other parties and publicly humiliated.
All of this was done with the Empress’s silent approval, contributing heavily to the children’s growing hatred of people.
‘But this time will be different.’
Because Kashar will protect them.
I smoothed Louis’s hair and asked,
“Do you like it here, Lord Louis?”
“Huh? Our home?”
“Yes. Our home.”
Louis’s eyes widened in surprise.
Contrary to my expectation that he’d hesitate, the child beamed with a bright smile.
“Yeah! This is where Mom used to live with us!”
“Do you remember Lady Rosalie?”
The maid Rosalie had been the twins’ mother.
At the long-unheard name of their mother, Louis immediately nodded his head.
“Of course! It’s a secret though…”
Lowering his voice, Louis headed toward a corner of the room.
A moment later, he held a glass bottle in his hand.
“This is the grape juice Mom used to make for us. We don’t drink it anymore, but Evan and I have been keeping it safe.”
Inside the bottle, the liquid—so aged it had turned from purple to nearly black—gently sloshed.
What should have long been discarded had become a precious keepsake to remember their mother by.
‘That he’s showing me this…’
Meant nothing less than that he trusted me.
Rosalie was something I’d overlooked.
Watching Louis smile while holding that drink—rotted beyond even being wine anymore—left a bitter taste in my mouth.
‘Why did I assume he’d dislike this place?’
At the very least, it was a cherished home for the children, filled with memories of their late mother.
“I remember this too. Mom always told us to stay cheerful. She said love would come back to us someday.”
Louis’s words made something surge painfully inside me.
When I silently nodded, Louis grabbed both my hands tightly.
“Was that so?”
“Yeah. Mom was right after all. Aileen ended up loving me too. I’m really glad I never gave up.”
His sunshine-like smile nearly brought tears to my eyes.
Just as I couldn’t hold back and was about to pull Louis into a tight embrace—
“Mom was wrong.”
It was Evan.
“What do you mean?”
Louis tilted his head in confusion, and Evan scoffed.
The boy’s expression was icy cold.
“Exactly what I said. No matter how hard you try, nothing will ever change.”
“But Aileen has changed!”
“Do you really believe that?”
His hostile gaze swept past Louis and landed squarely on me.
‘Why all of a sudden?’
I thought we’d grown a little closer.
‘I believed that if I explained carefully about guardianship and moving, everything would be fine.’
All of it was just my misjudgment.
“Why don’t you believe it, Evan?”
Louis asked, bewildered.
A sneer appeared on Evan’s face.
“Because you’re trying to hand us off to someone else.”
So he’d heard.
I realized instantly that Evan knew everything.
“Hand us off? To whom? Aileen, I don’t understand a word Evan’s saying.”
Louis tugged at my sleeve, asking.
My words caught in my throat, and I couldn’t answer right away.
‘He’s misunderstanding.’
Evan thought I was trying to get rid of them by giving them to Kashar.
“Lord Evan, just wait a moment!”
“Get out of our room.”
“Evan, that hurts!”
Evan pulled Louis behind him, shielding him with his own body.
His expression was so frigid it seemed not even a needle could pierce through.
“If you won’t leave, then we will.”
“I’ll go. Where do you plan to go in the middle of the night?”
Trying to talk now would only backfire.
I stepped into the hallway before Evan could.
“…Sweet dreams, Lord Louis. Lord Evan.”
SLAM!
The door shut abruptly as my goodnight greeting ended.
The hallway was dark.
After standing there for a long while, I returned to Aileen’s room.
‘I never expected Evan to be hurt like this.’
I anticipated he’d dislike Kashar, but never imagined this kind of misunderstanding would arise.
‘Was I too hasty?’
Remembering his cold stare left a sour feeling in my heart.
But at the time, it had been the only option.
On the table lay yet another invitation I’d received belatedly.
Sent by the marchioness herself, this was another deviation from the original story.
‘Aileen just sent the kids alone.’
Even though she could have attended as their nanny, she’d fled by herself, fearing the Empress’s wrath.
The fact that an invitation was even sent for me made it clear the Empress had made up her mind.
“First, I need to prepare something to put up for auction.”
The highlight of the Olloze Party was its charity auction.
Noble families attending the party contributed signature dishes, wines, or regional specialties to the auction.
The proceeds were donated to the temple in the nobles’ names, and the item that fetched the highest bid became that year’s celebrated masterpiece.
In the original story, the auctioned item had been—
‘Rosalie’s grape juice.’
The princes, too, had to prepare something to contribute.
Not wanting to share anything of her own, Aileen rummaged through the children’s room and found the rotten grape juice.
‘It became a laughingstock.’
The wine was sold for the price of a single fairy tale leaf and spilled all over the floor.
Their mother’s final trace vanished before the children’s very eyes.
“That won’t happen this time.”
I collapsed onto the bed.
I wanted to fall asleep right away, but my mind was too chaotic.
‘It keeps coming back to me.’
Evan’s gaze—so cold.
Recalling his sharp glare, I drifted into a late slumber.
A short while later, I opened my eyes to—
“Still as dazzling as ever.”
Squinting against the bright lights, I heard a voice from near my feet.
“Kyuu-!”
“Hello, Hayang.”
We always appeared together in dreams, so we’d grown quite close.
I hugged Hayangi tightly, almost squeezing the fluff out of her.
“You seem troubled today, older sister.”
“Kyu, gyuuk-!”
Her soft, squishy body wriggled in my arms.
‘I’m starting to feel a bit better.’
Could this be the famous pet therapy?
Still holding Hayangi, I calmly surveyed the shelves fully stocked in the supermarket.
“What should I get?”
The dessert aisle was packed with cookies, chocolates, and candies.
‘Something sweet might be popular.’
Auction items here were often seen as reflections of the participant’s standing.
Since desserts in this world were utterly mediocre, even just auctioning off ABC chocolate might guarantee first place.
But most nobles invited to the party were the Empress’s close allies.
I had no desire to sweeten their palates.
“I need something more effective.”
“Kyuu-!”
While I was deep in thought, Hayangi wriggled free from my arms.
“Hayang?”
Her small, fluffy body hopped briskly away.
‘Where are you going!’
I quickly chased after her.
Hayangi stopped at the beverage and alcohol section.
The refrigerated display gleamed with colorful drinks, familiar green bottles, and foreign liquors beautifully arranged.
‘I’m craving alcohol.’
A shot of soju to cleanse my throat, followed by crispy-edged kimchi pancake torn straight into my mouth—it felt like it could wash away all my worries.
“Kyu, kyu-!”
“Stay still for once!”
While my attention drifted elsewhere for just a moment, Hayangi went wild.
Just as I reached to pick her up again, my eyes locked onto “Authentic Traditional Liquor.”
‘That’s it.’
The row of milky-white bottles looked especially lovely today.
I took a six-pack bundle and cradled it in my arms.
‘It’ll make even your parents unrecognizable.’
Heh heh heh.
At my sinister chuckle, Hayangi shivered.
Unable to resist, I planted a loud, sloppy kiss right on her.
“Oh my! My pretty little puppy!”
“Gyuuk-!”
The fluffy bundle recoiled in horror from my lavish kiss assault, shaking herself vigorously.
“You like it, so why fuss!”
“Gyuuk, gyuuu-!”
It almost sounded like an angry cat.
Rubbing my cheek against her soft fur, I thought about the children.
‘I wanted to protect them.’
I hadn’t realized it might push us even further apart.
I just wanted to see Louis and Evan smiling brightly.
‘Oh, right.’
Thinking of the children suddenly reminded me of something.
‘Not today—tomorrow, I’ll bring it.’
With that decision made, I carefully set Hayangi down.
“See you again tomorrow.”
“Uuuung.”
She let out a still-annoyed grumble.
Meanwhile, my body began slowly fading away.
It was time to wake from the dream.
Inside the now-silent supermarket—
The plump, fluffy bundle hopped onto the escalator.
Wuuung. With a hum, the steps began moving.
“Kyuu-!”
Hayangi got off on the second floor.
There stood a man with pure white hair.
“Come here.”
As the man opened his arms, Hayangi snuggled into them.
His snow-white hand gently stroked the fluffy bundle.
“Well done.”
“Grrr.”
His gaze drifted down to the first floor—
to the spot where Aileen had vanished.
[This is the timeline separator]On the day of the Olloze Party.
The twins and I had arrived at the entrance of the Empress’s banquet hall.
‘I’m nervous.’
Of course I’d be uneasy—it was a party hosted by an original-story villain.
To shake off my anxiety, I looked at Louis and Evan.
‘I should’ve bought them nicer clothes earlier!’
Dressed in matching formal attire—navy and sky blue, differing only in color—the twins looked utterly adorable.
‘I want to hug and kiss them.’
My hands itched to pull them close, but Evan’s icy glare forced me to hold back.
My relationship with Evan remained unchanged.
Only—
‘It feels like he’s drawn a line.’
The brief glimpse of his true feelings he’d shown me had firmly shut again.
Just as my sadness flickered, Louis, who’d been glancing at me, spoke up.
“Aileen, do I look pretty?”
Though I’d heard this question more than ten times already, I never tired of it.
“Absolutely! It suits you wonderfully.”
“Hehe, Aileen’s pretty too! You look like a princess!”
Given the occasion, I’d worn a green dress and pinned my hair up.
“Thank you, Lord Louis.”
“It’s been ages since I came to a place like this!”
Louis had been thrilled the moment I told him about the party.
I patted his head affectionately.
‘Though it’s hardly a party for minors.’
Sending children to an auction meant to select the Empire’s finest specialty—
It was blatantly obvious they’d been summoned just to be humiliated.
“I’m so excited! The lights are sparkling everywhere. There’ll be lots of delicious food, right?”
“Of course. I’ll make sure you get the prettiest and tastiest treats.”
Louis and I chatted sweetly for a while.
Finally fed up, Evan clicked his tongue and scolded Louis.
“Louis, do you even know who sent you these clothes?”
“Huh? Didn’t Aileen give them to me as a gift?”
Louis tilted his head in confusion.
“They were sent by the person who gave you that toy back then.”
“Oh! Aileen’s sweetheart!”
The moment Louis clapped his hands, every eye in the vicinity turned to us.
Half curiosity, half hostility.
‘Feels like I’ve become prey.’
It was the moment I truly grasped the Empress’s domain.
“Both of you must stick close to me or Emma once we’re inside.”
“Okay!”
Just as Louis nodded—
“You stay right by my side.”
Hiiik-!
A chill ran down my spine at the breath against my ear.
I turned stiffly—and there stood Kashar.
“You look lovely today.”
He stood crookedly, leaning his face close to mine.
He looked exactly like—
‘A handsome rascal…’
Even in formal attire, his rogue aura was unmistakable.
‘But why does he look so damn attractive?’
If that counts as a talent, then it truly is one.
I rolled my eyes as Kashar kissed the back of my hand.
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
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