The drizzle that started late at night turned into a heavy downpour by morning, much like the gloomy sky that seemed uncertain when it would clear.
A bleak atmosphere persisted in the dining room, mirroring the dreary heavens.
Disturbed by the unfamiliar ambiance, the duke finally broke the silence with a heavy sigh.
“Have you two had a fight?”
Gaijen, staring silently at his plate and slicing his meat, didn’t utter a word. Vialle, unusually quiet, fiddled with her teacup, not responding either.
The duke, usually non-interfering in his children’s matters, seemed increasingly concerned about them.
Details of what transpired during his absence from the mansion remained elusive.
The siblings, typically reserved in expressing themselves to each other, were known to care deeply for one another, something the duke was well aware of.
Seeing them at odds was exceptionally unusual, leaving him also shrouded in discomfort.
In their childhood, he might have tried to mediate a reconciliation, but at their current age, they were unlikely to heed his words.
“Gaijen, you can take a break from the trading house duties today.”
“Out of the blue?”
“You’ve had a tough day yesterday covering for me.”
With a squint, the duke looked earnestly at his son, causing Gaijen to grimace as if he had seen something disagreeable.
Though the duke couldn’t intervene directly, he intended to create an opportunity for the siblings to talk. This was his parenting wisdom, learned over the years.
Reluctantly nodding, Gaijen’s response seemed to ease the duke’s mind, who then smiled contentedly.
After the awkward breakfast, Vialle slowly ascended to her room.
The familiar staircase seemed to have more steps today, perhaps due to her lack of energy.
Upon entering her room, she collapsed onto her bed, grimacing with a throbbing headache.
It was challenging to sit quietly at breakfast, pretending nothing was wrong, especially with her nerves focused on Gaijen.
Shrouded in darkness under the covers, Vialle finally felt a sense of relief.
Since returning to the mansion in a carriage Gaijen arranged last night, she had sat numbly on her bed, still in shock.
Her hands, cold and trembling, were still reeling from the shock, fearing the horrific scene might replay if she closed her eyes.
The blood-splattered floor haunted her thoughts, causing her to curl up even more.
Her brother had killed someone last night, nonchalantly, as if it was familiar to him.
The more she thought about it, the more vividly the gruesome scene etched into her mind.
All Vialle could do was atone for the blood spilled.
There were too many questions she hadn’t asked or confirmed with her brother about last night’s events.
She had been too distraught to conclude anything properly.
She didn’t even make it to her original destination, Barnard Street 34, and returned only with additional burdens.
Recalling Gaijen’s unhesitatingly cruel actions made her feel nauseous.
The splattered blood before her eyes seemed to linger, continually projecting onto Gaijen.
Vialle knew she had to find out what led to this, what had happened to her brother.
Vialle slowly pondered over Gaijen’s words that had been echoing in her mind.
“[…If not me, then who would do it?]”
“[Why don’t you understand? You shouldn’t be like this with me, sister.]”
‘He says I don’t understand…’
“What are you hiding, exactly?”
The previous dawn, she had noticed Gaijen’s return when she heard the door close in the distant corridor.
She thought about confronting him, demanding answers, but she had already given up on the hope that he would open up to her completely.
She knew he needed time to gather his thoughts, just as she did, and decided to observe the situation from a distance for a while.
‘What would mother have done in this situation…’
After the duchess’s passing, the mansion was immersed in sorrow, and the staff would sigh and tear up when passing by the late duchess’s room.
Especially Gaijen, who lost his mother at a young age, cried every day.
Vialle, holding her younger brother’s hand tightly, would take him around various places in the mansion: the garden one day, the back hill the next, and even sneaking out of the mansion through a dog hole on another.
She was worried about her young brother, who seemed unable to emerge from the longing and void left by their mother.
Though she couldn’t fully let go of her own sorrow, she never dared to show her tears to them. She didn’t feel she had the right to.
Taking care of her brother was somewhat overwhelming for Vialle, but she thought she could do anything as long as Gaijen could smile.
Even if she couldn’t be like their mother, she believed she did her best in those days.
Therefore, seeing the hidden side of her brother, whom she always thought was under her protection, left her feeling indescribably miserable.
She feared she might have ruined him.
If their mother were watching, would she forgive Vialle? She had no confidence in that.
The Villainous Demon Lord Laid an Egg for Her (Female-Dominated)
Several months after transmigrating into a book, Yu Wu found herself facing the demon lord Li You, who could no longer conceal his dragon horns. With one hand on her aching waist and the other gripping a sharp sword, she stared at him.
The demon lord’s eyes were red with fury:
“This is all your doing! Today, I won’t rest until I kill you!”
Yu Wu rubbed her temples. Putting aside the taboo against bloodshed during pregnancy, wasn’t it this very man who willingly walked into her trap that day?!
Warnings:
- Male pregnancy.
- Height ratios are set to mirror typical male-female height proportions.
- Characters include a foot-loving demon lord and an eldest daughter from an immortal family’s concubine lineage.
