When The Count’s Illegitimate Daughter Gets Married

Chapter 7

When Ian was young, his mother Selena had nothing to do ever since she began to take care of herself and Ian at the villa.

The Duke also couldn’t serve as a caretaker to her, and no one came to the cottage in the mountains.

Selena, who liked to be in a calm atmosphere from the beginning, was satisfied with him.

She would knit often. She could hold the wool all day long.

Young Ian would often run around the villa and come in exhausted.

He would hear the sound of noodles squirting as it boiled down the stove while falling asleep.

Turning her head, Selena would start to knit while sitting on the rocking chair.

Ian, who collapsed after not being able to speak to Laritte, had a dream.

He went back to face his ‘enemy’ who used to live in the villa with his precious mother.

“Did you wake up?”

As Selena said that, Ian blinked and shifted his upper body on the bed.

He felt like he had forgotten something, so he peered at both of his hands and saw a little child’s fingers.

‘I am sure they were a lot bigger than this.’

“I’m going to have breakfast. Betty said you have been working hard.”

Selena put down what she was knitting and raised Ian up.

He felt a sense of Déjà vu but soon followed her.

The villa where he stayed as a child was as colorful as a peacock without a speck of dust.

But there was also a cozy side.

A clean, soft-colored wallpaper, that could be seen under the light of an electric lamp, while walking along the corridor….

“Are you going to eat here? You could have let me send it up.”

“Good morning, Master.”

“Did Master sleep without washing up again?”

The employees, who followed to serve Selena Reinhardt, were usually energetic and active.

It was the result of the generosity of the Duke of Reinhardt at that time.

Selena was quiet and fragile. Betty was afraid that she might lose her energy sooner than expected.

In addition, Selena took good care of the employee.

“Can you serve my breakfast and Ian’s?”

“Yes, madam! There’s an amazing smoked dish. There was a meat festival down there, and I brought the best quality from the market.”

Cough cough

“Oh, Betty. You don’t have a cold, do you?”

She was a woman who would worry if a maid was sick or not.

She was elegant and smooth, and she did not require much formality.

That’s why the employees would often forget that their family was the second most powerful house after the royal family.

Ian liked them for always being loyal to Selena.

There was a time like this.

The medicine needed for Selena’s rapid deterioration had run out.

But when the wagon was in a state of limbo due to heavy snow, a servant volunteered to walk through the snow and buy medicinal herbs.

Also, when young Ian got frostbite all over his body, they took care of him like a family. It was that much of a bond.

“It’s not cold, madam. I had something stuck in my throat.”

“If you’re sick, you can tell me. What if you ignore it and it gets more serious?”

“Not in here, madam! Even though it’s getting cold, there is a hostess who is like the sun!”

Ian sat at the table, guided by the maid.

Betty, the maid, approached Ian.

“Oh right! Master, your nanny has sent a letter saying that she will arrive at the villa tomorrow after her vacation.”

Ian cut up the meat and put it in his mouth. Then he raised his head.

Selena talked first.

“Hmm. I wonder if she has more grey hair when she comes back….

Oh, you must have gotten up early. Does this worry you Ian?”

“I’m fine, mother.”

A thought popped out on Ian’s mind about his nanny.

It certainly seemed like his head was getting heavier.

‘Maybe I will have gray hair soon.’

Then something grazed his mind.

‘Was she over twenty?’

‘She was a silver-haired young woman.’

‘The strange expression she made all the time seemed to have no emotion.’

He wondered if she was uncomfortable with something.

‘But who was it?’

He tried to recall the woman’s name. She said she was his wife.

‘Wait, I’m still a child. What wife?’

Then Selena rose up from her seat.

Betty asked,

“Madam, have you finished?”

“I don’t feel very well today. I will go sit on the second floor.”

“But madam, you haven’t been eating well for days already…”

Selena beckoned Ian to eat slowly and left.

He hurried up to the second floor with the rest in his mouth.

‘Mother’s favorite rocking chair. Where is it now? Ah!’

He remembered that the rocking chair was in his room and he went that way.

As expected, Selena was sitting there.

“Have you finished your meal yet?”

“I was worried about you, mother…..”

“You sometimes treat me like I am a fragile grass. It’s really just indigestion.”

Ian climbed onto the bed and looked over Selena. She was sitting on the rocking chair with a relaxed expression.

‘It’s true. She doesn’t seem to be getting sick.’

“I can’t even get sick because everyone is taking care of me so well. So don’t worry.”

Only then did he lay down on the bed, with his mind at ease.

The clean and white ceiling filled his view. The light seemed brighter as if someone had added candles to the chandelier.

Ian closed his eyes at it and prayed inwardly.

Please,

May this peace with Mother and the servants last long.

***

Ian woke up.

He could see a ceiling similar to that of his dream just now, but he couldn’t win back those tens of years, so he felt like he was worn out.

The warm atmosphere turned into a cold winter air.

He was shedding tears.

It was not because he was sad, but because of the great heat that his head sent out reflexively.

Laritte was dipping a handkerchief into cold water and wiping the area around his eyes.

“You’re up.”

She greeted him with her usual calm tone.

“I….”

cough cough

Ian tried to answer, but his throat was swollen and it was hard for him to speak.

Laritte kept wiping the water from his eyes with an expression he had expected.

He turned his eyes and saw where Laritte would have been sitting. There was, of course, a rocking chair.

The one his mother liked.

Tears fell again as he tried to shift, which he thought had stopped.

This time, they were filled with sorrow.

‘Why does she have to like the chair his mother liked?’

‘And take care of me as she did?’

‘She…’

‘…reminds me of the past so much.’

It might be a natural reason for the tears to flow due to such thoughts and confusion.

“…”

Laritte moved the handkerchief silently.

He knew his condition was different from before, but he didn’t mean to make fun of him or bring this up.

“….I would like to….have a….report of the family members.”

Ian muttered in a hoarse voice.

Not long ago, he was worried about his nanny, his family, and the employees that Selena valued.

Of course, the Imperial family did something ‘pitiful’ to the spy’s attempted treason.

The Duke did not destroy himself, nor did the villa, which was not sold, but was turned into the Imperial household.

It may have been a judgment for her who was arranged to become the Duchess.

The employee also saved a lot.

Except for those who put their names on documents that proved treason.

Even though they are in a difficult situation as they are scattered, they may not able to find the right job.

“…”

Laritte thought that he too knew this fact.

As such, the spy’s plotting of rebellion has caused a stir through the empire.

‘So no need to worry. Most of them would be alive and well.’

“It’s me.”

“…”

“I’m a part of the Duke’s family now.”

She did not know his name, but she put up with such cynical remarks.

Ian looked up at Laritte. Only then he realized.

The fact that a member of his family was right next to him.

She only continued wiping away the tears with an expressionless face.

A cool handkerchief running through his forehead also helped in cooling down his red eyes.

In fact, she did not know, many of the employees were orphans.

She did not know, many of them would be starving by now. This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

So Ian could not let go of his worries even with this fugitive body of his, but now he was an exception.

A lead-like heart was watered down very slowly.

There was no more conversation in the room, so it was quiet.