🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 6
Belkas, who met my eyes, shook off the servants trying to stop him and ran straight toward me.
The tiny body rushed over and threw itself into my arms, bringing with it the sweet scent unique to children.
“……Witch-nim, why did you leave me behind alone?”
As those emerald eyes, glistening slightly with tears, looked up at me, I awkwardly brushed his hair back gently.
“Belkas was sleeping so soundly…… I didn’t leave you behind alone.”
“But still! How could you leave without even saying goodbye to Bell!”
The child puffed out his cheeks as he looked up at me, clearly upset that I had left without seeing him.
Belkas was so adorable, but worried that I might pass my cold onto him, I tried to soothe him.
“You’re right, I did do that. That was my fault. But…… how about we play another day instead? Auntie’s sick today, and I’m worried Belkas might get sick too.”
At my words, the child looked startled before staring at me with concern.
“……Witch-nim, are you sick?”
The way Belkas looked at me with that tearful voice was seriously……
Too cute! Our child is this adorable!
He was already mixing formal and informal speech while worrying over me with a face worthy of winning first place in a nationwide cutest baby competition and still doing front and back flips afterward!
If only there were a camera, I’d want to capture this moment forever, but there was no way something like a camera existed in this world.
I stroked Belkas’s fluffy hair while desperately holding back my laughter before speaking.
“A little? I’m okay. I’ll get better soon. So don’t make such a sad face.”
Belkas stared at me with a face that looked like tears would fall at any moment, then suddenly buried himself in my arms again.
The sight of him was like a tiny puppy, and while I kept petting his head, I suddenly felt something strange.
“M-Madam! Y-Your nose…… it’s bleeding!”
Just as expected, I had felt something warm trickling down. Startled, Jane hurried over and handed me a handkerchief. Belkas widened his eyes in shock before beginning to tear up.
“Does it hurt? Hng…… I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I came to play even though you were sick and bothered you.”
“No, no. It’s not because of you, baby. Jane, please take Belkas back to the main building. We can’t have him catching my cold.”
Good grief, what chaos. While holding the handkerchief to my nose and speaking in a stuffed-up voice, Jane nodded in understanding and picked Belkas up gently.
Belkas hesitated for a moment, as if he disliked being held by strangers, but eventually let Jane carry him. I walked him all the way to the door.
“Belkas, I’m sorry. Once I get better, let’s go outside and play together, okay?”
“Promise……?”
“Yeah, promise.”
When I held out my finger, Belkas wrapped his tiny pinky around mine.
The small warmth of Belkas’s hand against my finger made my heart feel soft and fluffy all over again.
As I waved goodbye to Belkas one last time, he smiled brightly and said to me,
“Don’t get sick, Witch-nim.”
Haaah……. Seriously, isn’t Belkas actually a little angel?
Next time I see him, I should ask where he left his wings.
After watching Belkas disappear around the corner, I felt my nosebleed starting again.
As I clutched my nose and turned to head back into the room, someone suddenly grabbed my wrist, spinning my body around naturally.
And the moment I saw who had grabbed me—
My heart dropped, and cold sweat ran down my back.
The one holding my wrist was none other than my husband, who normally had no interest in me at all—the owner of this mansion, Duke Vine Glade, a man with a gentle face and a personality that definitely did not match it.
His signature cold emerald eyes were fixed on me.
“Wait. Let’s talk for a moment.”
“Uh…… huh? Yes? Wh-Why……?”
Without realizing it, I stupidly asked back.
Ever since I arrived here, I had never once run into him after our first meeting, so anyone would’ve been startled if he suddenly showed up without warning like this.
Especially when such a handsome face was staring at you with such a murderous expression.
Did I do something wrong? Ever since transmigrating into this body, I hadn’t even stepped out of the annex or caused any trouble.
As I stared at him fearfully, he instead looked at me as though I were the strange one.
“Is it really that strange for a married couple to talk?”
“N-No. Not strange at all.”
Technically, we were husband and wife in name only. We were practically strangers.
“I was wondering why you’d been so quiet lately…… Have you changed your plans?”
Plans? What plans?
“What are you talking about?”
When I looked at him in confusion, he clicked his tongue as though he found me ridiculous.
“Hah, did you think I wouldn’t notice your scheme to approach the children and win my favor?”
What kind of nonsense was this? Win his favor? Scheme?
As I stared at the face of the man spouting incomprehensible words, he let out another mocking laugh.
“Your acting skills have improved since I last saw you. Did you hire an acting tutor or something?”
“……Excuse me, but I honestly don’t understand what you’re talking about. Are you saying I’m approaching the children with some sort of ulterior motive?”
“Then are you saying your intentions toward my children are pure? Did you really think I wouldn’t notice you trying to approach my children with some pathetic scheme?”
The man looked at me with eyes full of contempt.
I genuinely couldn’t understand what he was saying. Why was he interrogating me so angrily?
“……Then what kind of intentions did you think I had toward the children? To win your affection, Duke?”
“What other reason could there be? Don’t tell me you suddenly want to become their real mother now?”
The Duke’s sarcastic tone gradually made my anger rise.
I knew the original Sierra had chased after the Duke obsessively before I transmigrated, but I hadn’t realized it was enough to make him react this hysterically.
If this were the real Sierra, maybe she really would’ve done it to win his favor—but I wasn’t Sierra.
Which meant I had absolutely zero interest in the Duke and didn’t like him at all.
Sure, I could admit he was ridiculously handsome for a married man with three children…… but a person wasn’t just their face.
“Why? Am I not allowed to act like a mother? Ah? Someone like me doesn’t deserve that, right? Since, as you say, I’m just a woman obsessed with you, Duke!”
In my anger, I shot back viciously before taking a breath and continuing.
“But you know what, Your Grace? I’m not interested in you anymore. We’re a contract couple, right? So just like you wanted, I’ve decided not to want something like love anymore. There, satisfied now?”
As soon as I finished speaking, he looked momentarily flustered before tightening his grip on my wrist and leaning closer.
His breath was close enough for me to feel it, yet surprisingly, my heart didn’t flutter at all.
As I glared directly into his emerald eyes, he glared back just as fiercely.
“……Don’t try any tricks, Sierra Hecas. You will never become the mistress of this ducal house. I’ll make sure of it. So stay away from my children.”
His low growling voice rang in my ears.
Sadly, crushed beneath his murderous aura, I couldn’t say anything back.
The only thing I could do was glare at him with all my might.
“I…… really hate you.”
Already weakened from being sick, and now overwhelmed by his killing intent, I used the last of my strength to spit out those words through gritted teeth.
Then, in the end, I collapsed helplessly on the spot.
“Hey, wake up!”
Caught off guard, Vine quickly caught Sierra as she fainted and looked down at her face.
Sierra’s already pale complexion had turned completely white like a blank sheet of paper, and cold sweat covered her forehead.
“……So when she said she was sick, she really meant it.”
When he placed a hand against her forehead, he felt burning heat.
Only then did Vine realize he had failed to control his emotions.
‘To release killing intent at a sick person…….’
Maybe it was because her attitude kept making him feel like she was lying.
Or perhaps it was because the emotions he had suppressed for so long had finally exploded.
Normally, he would never have acted like this.
Yes—normally.
Perhaps lately, because she had been behaving like a completely different person, he had been finding it harder to control his emotions.
Thinking that, Vine carefully laid Sierra on the bed and recalled the conversation they had just shared.
‘Why? Am I not allowed to act like a mother? Ah? Someone like me doesn’t deserve that, right? Since, as you say, I’m just a woman obsessed with you, Duke!’
‘But you know what, Your Grace? I’m not interested in you anymore. We’re a contract couple, right? So just like you wanted, I’ve decided not to want something like love anymore. There, satisfied now?’
Her voice had been as sharp as ever.
But the red eyes looking at him had been sincere.
Perhaps, deep down, even he knew she wasn’t lying.
He simply didn’t want to acknowledge it.
Because the “Sierra Hecas” he knew was not that kind of woman.
A woman who would use any means necessary to achieve her goals.
A woman who married a widowed man with children for wealth and status.
A woman who would run into his bedroom naked just to win his heart.
A disgustingly cunning and selfish woman.
That was how Vine had judged her until now.
Which was why the woman speaking in such a sorrowful voice, looking as though she might cry at any moment, did not resemble the Sierra he knew.
“Huu……. What exactly are you trying to do?”
Running a hand through his bright silver-gray hair, Vine let out a quiet sigh.
