Chapter 03
Even after seating the fourteen-year-old child, he remained standing with his arms crossed, wearing nothing but a terrifying expression.
“He’s not going to close his eyes, right? I need to show him me coughing up blood.”
Otherwise, all the effort of riding in the carriage together would have been for nothing.
In the end, I started chattering nonstop just to make sure he wouldn’t close his eyes.
“I’m seeing Evan for the first time. Does Evan know he’s married?”
“He doesn’t.”
He really was an extraordinary father.
Just imagining going in front of the academy and saying, “Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Laria, I’m a year older than you, and, well… actually, I’m your wife,” was already ridiculous.
“I see… graduating from the academy at thirteen, and suddenly having a wife…”
Even if it was ridiculous, pretending to accept it was the fate of someone weak.
“…That’s entirely possible, I suppose.”
It wasn’t uncommon for noble families to arrange early marriages, but marrying off a child without asking for their opinion? That was unheard of.
“He uses even his son like a chess piece for absolute power… and if it doesn’t serve his purpose, I guess someone like me would be easily swept aside.”
In the original story, Duke Icard didn’t hesitate to do the unthinkable, even abducting priests to achieve his goals.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized I couldn’t let him discover I was out of the villain’s plan.
“I hope Evan likes me.”
I quickly added, glancing once at Duke Icard’s chilling red eyes.
“I want to get along well with Evan.”
“Why?”
Since I had already started talking, I wanted to make him feel good, so I smiled faintly and answered,
“Because if he looks like you, Father, he must be handsome.”
“….”
Right? My lips curved up just now, right?
And just at the perfect moment, a cough started rising.
“I hope Father and Evan can be happy at the ducal estate… cough, cough!”
Nice timing.
The handkerchief I pressed to my mouth was already stained with blood.
I’m sick! Even if I look healthier and a bit fuller than when I first arrived, I’m still terminal! Please, notice it!
Once the coughing subsided, I looked up at Duke Icard with as pitiful an expression as I could muster.
“Cough….”
I turned the handkerchief to show the blood-soaked part and let out a long sigh.
“This isn’t a big deal, it’s just… something from childhood…”
Duke Icard didn’t say a word.
“I-I’m sorry.”
I dropped my gaze and quietly added.
I’d noticed over the past few days while looking in the mirror that while I was cute, when I made a sad expression, I looked genuinely pitiful and forlorn.
If Duke Icard asked if I was seriously ill, I was ready to answer with a convincingly pained expression, saying, “N-No… it’s nothing…”
But instead, he said something entirely different.
“Tell me.”
No, usually at this point, wouldn’t one at least ask, “Where does it hurt?”
“Eh?”
“What do you mean by being happy at the ducal estate?”
I only said that casually…
“You, Evan, and I—how are we going to live happily together?”
But it was too terrifying to say it was just a polite, offhand remark.
I racked my brain desperately.
“So… cough.”
Coughing was the best way to buy time.
“Co-cough, cough.”
Having gained a little time, I began listing things families did together.
“Talking about the day’s events during meals, taking walks together, going on picnics…”
“….”
I endured the silence and strained my mind.
“When good things happen, having parties; when tough things happen, comforting each other; laughing together at fun things; cherishing each other… small, everyday things like that.”
I couldn’t think of anything else.
But as I listed them, I felt strangely emotional. Even though I was improvising, deep down, these were the things I truly wanted. In my previous life, I had no family, and I had never shared even small moments like this with anyone. My previous life had been miserable, and now this possession was doomed…
“Did you live like that at the Rostri estate?”
Of course, the Rostri family was far from harmonious. My father, Count Rostri, was a notorious philanderer, rarely at home and constantly chasing affairs.
My older brother, sent to study on the Eastern Continent in defiance of Father, was practically exiled. Though it was called studying abroad, it was essentially being kicked out with only a small allowance at a free public academy.
And the only sea route to the Eastern Continent had been blocked by monsters three years ago. It would remain blocked for over six years.
At that time, the original story’s male lead quickly made a fortune through trade, and Fred heard of the deaths of his entire family.
Anyway, for now, I had to consider my older brother nonexistent in my life.
My father gambled in every possible way and left me with not a single inheritance. What inheritance? Only debts remained. And the one who paid off all those debts and took me in was Duke Icard.
Even if he had ulterior motives, in a way, he was the benefactor who turned a worthless child—who might have died in an orphanage—into a legitimate ducal consort.
Even if I escaped the Icard estate right now, I had nowhere to go, with not a penny in my pocket.
“No…”
I slowly shook my head.
“As you know, I couldn’t live like that… my father hardly ever came home.”
“That figures.”
“So I want to live differently from my new family.”
I smiled faintly, clutching the bloodstained handkerchief.
“From the moment I first met you, Father, I wanted to make a good impression.”
Once I started my act, I maintained it consistently.
“You even paid off my family’s debts… Father, you’re my benefactor. I’ll really do my best.”
Duke Icard didn’t say a word, gazed out the window for a moment, and let out a small sigh. Then he reached into his coat and handed me something.
“Father?”
I accepted the new handkerchief, blinking in confusion.
“You can’t cough up blood on the same spot again. It’s unhygienic.”
Ah… he has a thing about other people’s blood.
Still, coughing up blood was the best way to show I was sick, so I had no choice.
“Thank you, Father!”
Even if it felt cheap, I had no choice. I was the weakest here and had to crawl while gauging the strongest person’s reaction. And crawling skillfully was my specialty.
“I’ll use it well. Thank you so much!”
“Just for a handkerchief…”
“But still.”
I carefully folded the handkerchief and tucked it away.
“You never gave me anything like this before.”
“…Hmph.”
After that, Duke Icard remained silent until we arrived at the academy. I, too, stayed quiet since my coughing hadn’t worsened.
“Your Grace, Little Lady.”
A servant approached and opened the carriage door.
“We’ve arrived.”
Ugh… being called “Little Lady” at fourteen felt a bit awkward. From now on, I thought, they should just call me “Laria.”
We followed the servant’s polite words and got out of the carriage.
The elementary academy where Evan graduated was smaller and shabbier than the ducal estate.
“Well, rich and powerful children from the Western Continent usually receive private tutoring…”
Only lower nobility children who couldn’t afford private tutors attended academies. Duke Icard had irresponsibly stuck his only son in such a place.
“And he hardly checked on him for years afterward.”
“When we return to the ducal estate…”
At that moment, Duke Icard tersely told the servant,
“Order about a hundred high-quality handkerchiefs.”
…Does that mean he wants me to cough up blood more often?
