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Chapter 38
“Alright then. If that’s what the young master and Melody both want.”
It was a complete success.
At last, permission was granted.
Jayden and Melody’s expressions brightened at the same time.
“But Melody. If you sneak out of your room like today again, I’ll punish you. What if you get lost? Next time, you must come with Mommy, understand?”
“Uu!”
Viola added the warning as if scolding her, but the children’s faces were still full of smiles.
In the end, Melody and Jayden played for a long time afterward, until they collapsed onto the same bed, exhausted, and fell asleep.
I recalled the sight of the children who had been playing so happily—or rather, pretending to play happily.
‘Honestly, they’re adorable.’
It wasn’t easy pretending not to notice either.
They would bicker a little, then awkwardly smile like nothing had happened whenever my eyes met theirs—absolutely precious.
It was obvious they had schemed together. And I decided to pretend I hadn’t noticed.
‘Kids often fight a bit at first anyway.’
As long as it wasn’t serious, they would become friends again quickly.
‘So he really was a sister fool in the original story. Jayden took the first step.’
Even though Melody had barged in uninvited, which could’ve annoyed him.
I quietly reached out and gently patted Jayden’s sleeping head.
His face looked much more relaxed than a few hours ago.
‘Maybe having someone his age helped. He seems much less anxious now.’
Melody also looked like she was having fun, even though she was grumbling—probably because it had been a long time since she played with someone her age.
I wiped the drool from Melody’s face as she slept beside Jayden.
They looked like angels lying side by side.
Perhaps because of the warm, drowsy atmosphere, a yawn escaped me.
‘…I’m getting sleepy too.’
Sitting in the chair beside the bed, I forced my eyes open to stay awake.
But I couldn’t resist the overwhelming drowsiness and soon fell asleep as well.
Late at night.
After finishing his work for the day, Cain placed his fountain pen down on the desk.
‘Come to think of it, wasn’t it starting today?’
Jayden’s tamutar disease treatment in earnest.
Until now, it had only been about suppressing the symptoms. From today onward, it was supposed to be the actual process of curing the illness.
Since no report had been sent up, it didn’t seem like anything had gone wrong—but he couldn’t help feeling concerned.
Until now, it had been considered an incurable disease.
Cain turned toward his bedroom as usual, then stopped.
He normally didn’t visit Jayden since the boy feared him… but on a day like this, it would be good to at least check on him from a distance.
‘He should be asleep at this hour.’
I’ll just check his sleeping face and leave.
He moved quietly up to the third floor.
At the end of the hallway—the place Jayden always hid away from others.
But unlike usual, light was leaking through the crack of the door.
A scene different from any other night.
Is something wrong? Cain erased his presence and approached.
But the moment he stepped inside, the person he saw was not Jayden.
It was Viola, dozing off while leaning weakly against a chair.
Cain quietly approached her.
On the bed beside her, Jayden and Melody were sprawled out asleep.
Had she fallen asleep while taking care of the children?
“Mm….”
She mumbled softly, then her head drooped forward.
Rustle.
Her wavy pink hair fell freely. Without thinking, Cain reached out and gently tucked it behind her ear.
Only then was her face fully visible, as if a curtain had been lifted.
She must be exhausted.
She had said she couldn’t go for a walk with Jayden tonight because of his treatment.
What was she even doing here?
‘She must have fallen asleep from taking care of Jayden.’
Now that he thought about it…
Cain looked at Jayden.
The boy’s face was not frowning at all, but completely relaxed. His stiff limbs were sprawled out carelessly.
Had he ever seen Jayden sleep so peacefully before?
It seemed the treatment that had just started was already producing noticeable results.
And not only that.
The once sharp and prickly nephew had softened a lot lately.
Even though he still feared his uncle.
It was clear that many things had changed since the woman arrived.
Cain looked back down at Viola.
If you’re going to sleep, you should at least sleep comfortably.
Her thin neck looked fragile as it tilted awkwardly.
He reached out and gently lifted her into his arms.
As he supported her body, she let out a small murmur.
“Mm….”
Then, as if feeling cold, she instinctively nestled slightly into his chest.
Ha.
Cain let out a silent, exasperated laugh.
Did she even know who she was clinging to so defensively?
If she did it knowingly, that was a problem. If she did it unknowingly, that was an even bigger problem.
But Cain decided not to correct the situation right now.
He carefully laid her down on the sofa near the heater.
“Mm… cold…”
Of all things, she was treating him like a blanket in her sleep.
Whether asleep or awake, she was always bold.
He covered her with a thick blanket, and finally her expression softened.
Her lips curved slightly, as if she were having a pleasant dream.
It was the same faint smile she sometimes showed him.
He hadn’t expected to see that face like this.
Cain silently watched her expression for a moment before turning away.
Click.
He turned off the lamp, and darkness settled into the room.
He quietly left.
Outside the hallway window, the moon hanging in the sky looked beautiful.
A few days later.
Knock, knock.
When I knocked on the bedroom door, Jayden’s voice came immediately.
“Viola? Come in quickly!”
“Yes, young master!”
Was it just my imagination? His voice sounded a little higher than usual—almost excited.
I smiled and gently opened the door.
But the moment I stepped inside, there was an unexpected guest.
‘Huh? Who is that?’
A strange woman was standing beside Jayden’s bed. She looked about my age, but her atmosphere was completely different.
Tall, upright posture, a lean but firm build without excess fat. But what stood out most was her appearance.
Her features were sharp and well-defined—not cute, but handsome suited her better.
The woman noticed me and bowed with precise, disciplined movement.
“Are you Lady Viola? This is our first greeting. My name is Silvien Barnes.”
Silvien? I had heard that name from the maids before.
“Currently, the management of the ducal household is handled by Lady Silvien from a vassal family.”
I recalled what Becky had told me.
After the deaths of the former duke and duchess, the position of mistress of the household remained vacant. To fill that role, Silvien—who had been the former duchess’s most trusted aide—was appointed as acting administrator.
‘…I heard she was away on other duties.’
It seemed she had just returned after finishing her work. I quickly bowed in return.
“Hello! I’m Viola. I am in charge of young master Jayden’s treatment.”
“I am aware. I received reports even while I was away. More importantly…”
Suddenly, Silvien bowed deeply.
“Huh? W-what?”
“I apologize for the hardships you have endured.”
“Eh?! No, it’s fine! You don’t need to! This didn’t even happen while you were here!”
I waved my hands in panic. She was probably referring to the incidents caused by Celia.
But how could that be her responsibility when she wasn’t even in the mansion? There was no need for her to apologize like this.
However, Silvien remained firm.
“Even so, I am the acting administrator, and I left my post during such an incident. It is only right that I apologize.”
Her strict attitude reflected a personality that valued principles above all else.
No excuses or emotional reasoning—just clean acceptance of responsibility as a leader.
‘What an impressive person.’
I smiled and waved my hands again.
“Really, it’s okay. You were away on work—it wasn’t personal. Please don’t worry about it.”
Even after my words, just as she was about to bow again, Jayden finally interrupted, bored of the adults’ stiff conversation.
“Viola, Viola. Look at this.”
“Ah, yes, young master!”
Jayden waved a sheet of paper excitedly.
“Wow. What is that?”
“My big brother sent me a letter!”
Ah. So this was about Noah at the academy.
Noah Ashlen.
In the original story, he was the character who adored Melody the most—a classic “kind eldest brother” archetype.
