Chapter 6
“No.”
Maynus shook his head to shake off his thoughts. His heart was already tipping toward the angel’s side.
Veloce spoke to Maynus, who was ready to run away without saying anything.
“Are you busy right now?”
“…I have a little time.”
“Then, would you help me name the baby? I’ve been thinking about it for a week and still can’t decide.”
Maynus spoke quickly, looking flustered.
“Suddenly I remembered something urgent.”
If he did even that, he felt like even his soul would be taken by that baby. Maybe he just had no immunity to babies. Maynus was completely defenseless right now.
As Maynus hurried to get up, Veloce grabbed the end of his sleeve. Veloce looked up at Maynus and smiled brightly.
“If you help me name the baby, I’ll be more active in explaining things to people. I’ll tell everyone that she’s my late sister’s child and that I haven’t seen Your Excellency’s face in ten years.”
Veloce smiled sweetly.
Honestly, Veloce didn’t know if people would believe her even if she said it. How did the rumors get so strong that everyone believed in Veloce and Maynus? Even Veloce was surprised.
Maynus stared at Veloce.
He doubted those rumors would be cleared up just because Veloce explained. He had already tried, but people only believed what they wanted. Still, for her to ask like this meant Veloce was really troubled.
Veloce smiled at Maynus as prettily as she could.
After hesitating for a moment, Maynus slumped back into his seat.
Then he said,
“…Do you have any names in mind?”
He really was a kind man.
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
At that time, at the Artemio Count’s mansion.
Since Jeremias Mansion kept contacting them, they had no choice but to find out where Veloce was. Veloce, shameless as ever, was staying at the Jeremias Duke’s mansion.
The Artemio countess lifted her teacup with a stiff face.
“Wife.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
The countess answered in a hard voice.
“I heard Veloce and the child are staying at Jeremias.”
“And… what does that have to do with us?”
The countess spoke in a cold voice. The count shook his head slightly.
“I’m not saying it has anything to do with us.”
The count stared at the teacup in his hand as if looking at something to kill. He spoke in a grim voice.
“Jeremias, isn’t it? That Jeremias. If Veloce forms a connection with the Duke of Jeremias, we should think about what we can gain.”
In the end, it wasn’t about worrying for Veloce and the baby. The Artemio Count’s goal was just to gain something from Jeremias. Artemio had lost a lot. The honor that came from the hero Alexand, the beloved daughter, and even the abilities Ellice had. Ellice had the power of healing and was revered as a saint.
Everyone envied Artemio, even with the flaw of Veloce. But now, only the flawed Veloce was left. To recover all these disgraces and losses, they needed Maynus.
‘Why didn’t I think of that?’
Because foolish Veloce was obsessed with Alexand, he forgot that her fiancé was the Duke of Jeremias. The count spoke in a cold voice.
“Contact Veloce. Tell her to use Maynus and find a way to get her name on that family register.”
“Ah, so that’s it. Right. That child should do something for our family, after all.”
The countess agreed.
“I hope we can get Jeremias’s help for the new project we’re pushing.”
“What about bringing in a successor for the family?”
“I’m picking out the most outstanding children among the collateral lines. I’ll have to choose among them again. Someone suitable for our family.”
The countess nodded. After Ellice’s death, there was not a single thought left for the baby in their minds.
Maybe Ellice knew their true nature.
Ellice entrusted the baby only to Veloce. Not to her parents.
And the Artemio count and countess forgot the baby without a single care. That child wasn’t Ellice’s. She was just the baby of the dead Alexand.
Or maybe the devil that killed Ellice.
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
Maynus said he would help me think of a name for the baby until I decided. He even promised to help put the baby’s name on my family register.
I wanted to thank my past self for making Maynus such a good and kind man to highlight Veloce’s misdeeds.
“Are there any names that are popular these days?”
“I’m not sure. Do you have any names in mind?”
“Marie? Sarah? Elizabeth? Veronica? Olivia? Angelina?”
These were names I had shortlisted when deciding on female lead names for my novels. At least I remembered these.
I looked at Maynus with a slightly nervous face. Maynus sighed deeply and shook his head.
“Those names are too old-fashioned. And is it right to just pick any name for a child of Artemio blood?”
Maynus folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. His lowered gaze was quite captivating. Every time his white hair shifted, his eyes shone brightly.
I couldn’t help but stare.
He looks like an elf… an elf…
His nose is really sharp, isn’t it? I feel like I’d get pricked if I touched his eyelashes. His jawline is truly artistic.
“Sigh.”
I let out a sigh with a hint of admiration without realizing it. Maynus tilted his head as if puzzled. It was only after our eyes met that I came to my senses.
I wiped my mouth just in case and shook my head.
“I’m just worried, like you said, Maynus. Naming a baby is really hard.”
I made up a reasonable excuse.
“It’s natural since it’s a name for life. Hmm.”
Maynus clasped his hands together.
“At times like this, people borrow the names of ancestors. They hope the child will grow up great by following the achievements of outstanding ancestors.”
Artemio’s ancestors’ names…?
Of course, I wouldn’t know any.
I had only set the name of the first family head and the previous head. I hadn’t set any detailed history for Artemio.
After entering the novel, I found out there were many details I didn’t know.
Uh, um.
I swallowed and barely managed to find an excuse.
“I don’t want to give her an Artemio ancestor’s name! It’s sad, but Artemio abandoned this baby and me. Actually… kicking us out in that cold was basically killing this baby. I don’t want to give her that name.”
Good. That sounded natural.
And it was close to my true feelings. I wanted to raise this baby as someone completely unrelated to Artemio.
Maynus nodded as if he understood.
“Then, if it’s all right, would you like to borrow a Jeremias ancestor’s name?”
“Of course!”
“One of the past duchesses of Jeremias was named Delerone.”
“What kind of person was she?”
“She laid the foundation for Jeremias. The duke at the time was frail and spent most of his time bedridden, so she actually ruled Jeremias. Lady Delerone improved the roads and waterways of the duchy. She also left many works as an authority in political science.”
“She was amazing. Would it be all right to give our baby her name?”
Maynus nodded.
He said many people named their daughters after Delerone Jeremias as a role model.
Delerone Artemio.
It’s a good name. I don’t like the last name. But my last name is also Artemio, so there’s nothing I can do about it now.
“All right. From now on, let’s call her Delerone.”
“Then you have to keep your promise.”
“What promise…?”
I tilted my head, and Maynus widened his eyes. He spoke as if dumbfounded.
“You promised that if I helped name the baby, you’d clear up the misunderstandings for people.”
He even looks handsome when he’s flustered.
Looks really are a weapon.
“Of course. I was just joking. Don’t worry, Maynus. I’ll explain everything to people.”
I could clearly see Maynus sigh in relief.
Ah, he really is a solid young man.
