Chapter 2
Maynus’s cousin was the emperor of this country. They used to play together rolling balls in their childhood.
The emperor was troubled by the Artemio Count family. The Artemio family held a tight grip on the financial sector. They owned banks and had a long history, with many families following them.
So, a marriage was arranged between the Artemio family and Maynus. The Artemio family offered their eldest daughter for the engagement.
Maynus became a sacrifice for the emperor. If only he wasn’t related to Maynus by blood, he would have refused without hesitation. Even if Maynus hadn’t cried and brought up the late empress!
After Maynus’s mother died early, it was the empress who raised him instead.
In short, a sly person who uses everything needed.
Maynus ruffled his hair roughly and loosened the button tightening his collar.
That carelessness was coming back to haunt him now. The headache that had faded seemed to return.
A butler followed closely behind Maynus as he strode forward.
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Holding the baby, I shuffled my feet as the mansion’s servants glanced at me and passed by.
My clothes looked expensive enough that no one dared speak carelessly, but my shabby appearance still seemed pitiful and strange.
Still, thanks to the warmth circulating inside the mansion, my frozen body felt like it was thawing.
I slipped my hand between my outer clothes and gently stroked the baby’s reddened cheeks.
No, I could understand that. After all, Veloce had done things to the family. But what crime had the baby committed to be driven out?
The baby hadn’t killed Ellice or anything.
I was grumbling inside when I heard a voice.
“Hmm. Lady Veloce?”
A voice as smooth as drinking the softest coffee made me look up.
A man stood before me, handsome even with rolled-up sleeves and disheveled clothes as if he had been working.
His hair was as white as snow, and his red eyes sparkled like rubies.
After staring at him for a long moment, I finally recognized who he was.
“Maynus Jeremias?”
He frowned, perhaps hearing my mutter.
“…That is indeed my name.”
Goodness.
The man with the looks of a male lead was Veloce’s fiancé? That handsome man was just a passing extra?
Wow.
My hand. What kind of world did I create? They say in Italy you see handsome men every step you take. This must be heaven.
I answered blankly.
“I am Veloce.”
Not really inside, though.
Maynus looked at me as if I was ridiculous, then sighed. He spoke softly.
“What brings you here?”
Now it was time to say what I needed.
I took a deep breath.
Come on, Veloce!
Be shameless!
Put on a thick skin!
“Please let me stay here for a while.”
“Hm?”
Maynus tilted his head, as if he misheard.
“I was kicked out of my home. But in this freezing cold, I have nowhere to go with this baby.”
“…This place doesn’t seem like a very good ‘somewhere to go’ either.”
“That’s true.”
He was right.
“But a noble lady from the count’s family was driven out?”
Maynus asked, clearly surprised.
“Somehow…”
I smiled awkwardly and added.
“But I’m still your fiancée. And please, for this little baby’s sake, let me stay.”
The man sighed and scanned me up and down with his eyes.
“…But is this your child?”
Maynus’s gaze fixed on the baby. It was a natural question since a woman claiming to be his fiancée appeared holding a baby.
“…No.”
Maynus didn’t drop his suspicious look.
“It really isn’t!”
Maynus seemed to distrust me but said with a displeased expression.
“I was taught it’s rude to turn away someone who comes in this cold.”
That was at least truly fortunate.
See? I didn’t make this character that heartless.
“Don’t worry. I’ll leave as soon as possible too.”
But before I could say anything, the man moved away.
As if he had no interest in me.
I was an unwelcome guest here. I vowed to find a way to survive and leave this place.
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Out of humanitarian concern, Maynus Jeremias took me and the baby in. Instead of freezing to death in the bitter cold, we could stay in a warm room. That alone was enough for now.
Right, baby?
It was worth shamelessly stretching my legs. If I had stayed outside a bit longer, the baby and I might have frozen to death.
I stroked the baby’s soft cheeks.
“Wah.”
Watching the baby open her bright eyes and yawn softly relaxed my tension completely.
She was pretty, just like Ellice.
But Maynus, that man.
“Has no eye for beauty. How could he think you’re my child?”
The only resemblance was that we were both human.
The baby, who looked exactly like Ellice with delicate features, showed no trace of me at all. No matter how much she resembled her father, there was no way she could be thought of as my child.
“You hungry?”
As I rested my tired body holding the baby, someone knocked on the door.
“Ah, miss?”
The voice hesitated, as if unsure how to address me.
“Please come in.”
The door opened.
The first to enter was the man who had followed Maynus earlier.
“Good day, miss.”
The man took a deep breath and spoke. It seemed I was addressed as ‘miss’ in this mansion.
“Yes.”
A brief silence passed between us. The maids who followed the man exchanged uneasy glances.
“…I am Eden Daunis, the head butler of this mansion. If you need anything while staying here, please come to me. The head housemaid is unwell and currently resting.”
“Oh. Nice to meet you, Mr. Eden. Thank you for your kindness.”
“And these are the maids who will serve you. They will do their best to help you.”
“Hello, miss. I am Jewel Indique, a maid.”
“Hello, miss. I am Elsa.”
“Hello, miss. I am Yuz.”
“Nice to meet you all.”
Eden looked at me with a proud face as he observed the perfectly polite maids. It was obvious without thinking that Eden Daunis was very loyal to the Jeremias family. As long as I was careful about what I said regarding the Jeremias family, I thought I could maintain a good relationship with him.
This world was one I created, but I didn’t know much about parts outside my control.
I had to figure out everything by myself and act accordingly.
“Please take care of me. This mansion is so well maintained. I can feel all your hard work.”
“Not at all. It’s nothing.”
“Oh my. It’s a place anyone would admire. The color harmony adds to the elegance. I’m truly honored to stay here.”
“You flatter me.”
Though I said that, I felt I succeeded in winning Eden Daunis’s favor with just a few words.
His smile deepened.
This is how you survive in Korean society.
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After Eden Daunis left, the maids prepared a milk bottle and milk for the baby. I thanked the maid who had hurried to the city.
The gentle baby who rarely cried drank the milk without fuss. She must have been hungry, but she was so well-behaved.
“Wah! Gah!”
The baby smiled brightly, clearly happy after eating, and the maids including Jewel Indique exclaimed.
“Oh my! Oh my!”
“Goodness!”
Their shoulders raised naturally.
The baby’s smiling face looked like an angel, even to me. She looked exactly like Ellice, so I couldn’t hate her.
It was amazing that the Artemio count couple hated such a child.
I just held and rocked her, and the baby who had been playing happily soon fell asleep.
“But who is this baby?”
“Hm?”
“I’m curious about the baby’s name.”
Yuz asked, wrinkling her nose. That’s when I realized I still hadn’t named the baby!
“…Did I ask something unnecessary?”
Elsa nudged Yuz, who hesitated. I stared blankly at Yuz’s troubled face and whispered.
“…Not yet.”
“Hm?”
“I haven’t named the baby yet.”
My awkward smile brought a brief silence to the room.
I felt really sorry for the baby who had already fallen asleep, snoring softly.
But Ellice died shortly after giving birth, and I was driven out as is. I was in no position to give the baby a new name.
Well, that’s my excuse.
