BVDL 05

Chapter 05

When I returned to the Icard Duke’s residence, it was already getting dark.
“I need to eat the Oclasia fruit!”
I had no intention of dying at all.
As soon as I got back to the duke’s residence, I secretly slipped out and picked some Oclasia fruit to eat.
“If I eat it consistently, it’s supposed to fully cure me, right?”
It was a treatment from the Eastern Continent, and in the original story, it was only mentioned in a single line.
But once I started eating the Oclasia fruit, my body noticeably improved. It was such a fast recovery that I wondered if it was even allowed.
“But if I run off in this state, I’ll look pitiful. And I’m not fully healed yet.”
This place was the best environment for an orphan like me with no support. First of all, the family was rich, so the meals, furniture, clothes—everything—was top-notch.
“I’ll stick around here as long as I can.”
And there were so many Oclasia trees in the courtyard. It was even close to my room. The perfect environment—I didn’t even have to search for the remedy.
“Secretly heal, secretly run off—that’s the safest plan.”
As long as the only people who could kill me—my scheming father-in-law and my indifferent husband—didn’t find out, I would be safe.
Of course, I had to be very careful with all the servants at the duke’s residence, since they were the eyes and ears of the Icard Duke.
Even Lisa, the maid assigned to me, might not really be on my side but rather the duke’s, so I needed to stay alert.
“I can do this. I’m confident in acting.”
Determined to survive, I made a concrete plan.

Plan A: Somehow survive here, secretly save a lot of money, and escape. Escaping without money would be too humiliating. It was a safe and practical plan, though it might take a long time.
Plan B: Stay attached to this place somehow. Get the Icard Duke to favor me so much that he decides, “Forget taking over the empire; I’d rather live with Laria!”
“If I do well, won’t everyone like me? I’m confident I can take bold actions if I need to.”
If I knew the Duke’s ambitions—the schemer’s dream—and helped him achieve it… maybe Plan B could work.
“I wish I could know what the Icard Duke wants, but there’s no way to find out for now.”
Besides, rather than running off alone and hiding, I also wanted to get along with this family I was tied to for a purpose.
“Honestly… when he said he’d repay my debt at the funeral, he seemed like a savior.”
But I couldn’t rule out the possibility that I would never become the cherished daughter-in-law the Icard Duke wanted and might be killed.
“One wrong move and I’ll die… I have to be cautious. For now, it’s Plan A all the way.”
Plan B was something to keep as a distant dream—it was basically a lottery-level challenge.
“I’ll treat Plan A and Plan B like a salaried worker buying lottery tickets.”
So, I concluded that I would do my best on Plan A.
Fortunately, in the original novel The Great Deal of the Empire, the male lead, Seymour, was an extreme capitalist who worked hard to accumulate wealth. Using that information, I felt like I could earn money easily too.
“Of course, there’s the high-difficulty condition of not getting caught by the Duke’s household.”

After eating the Oclasia fruit, when I went up to my room, there were stacks of books I hadn’t seen before.
“What’s this?”
There had never been books in my room before.
“Now that my husband’s here, is he expecting me to study or something?”
Until now, I had just been living comfortably.
The Icard Duke had never provided me with any education needed to be a proper noblewoman.
Of course, I had played no role in society either. There hadn’t even been a wedding feast, since we didn’t have a proper wedding.
He truly just left me alone. It was as if my only role was to quietly die.
“Well… I suppose it might look a bit like I’ve been doing nothing and living off him…”
Feeling a little guilty, I opened the book at the top of the pile.
“Huh?”
I bit my lower lip in shock. What I had opened wasn’t a book.

[Reading bedtime stories until I fall asleep, stroking my head when I’ve done something commendable, sharing my favorite foods, going on walks and chatting, picking out clothes for important events.]

It was a diary. And the title of the diary was If Mother Had Been Here.
I quickly closed the diary and put it back where it had been.
“Why… is Evan’s diary in my room?”
I felt like I had done something terribly wrong, so I rushed to lie down on the bed and closed my eyes.
“Yes… no matter how indifferent he becomes later, Evan is still a child.”
Evan, who had been neglected by his father and sent to the academy since he was six.
“So he wasn’t naturally indifferent to people after all.”
Earlier, seeing him standing alone among the children being congratulated had been heartbreaking. Maybe I felt it more because I had been an orphan in my previous life.
“Usually, parental neglect is fine on ordinary days, but special occasions make it feel even lonelier.”
An adult might cope, but a child who knows they aren’t loved is always pitiful.
“Plus, he’s big for his age and looks older… his appearance makes it hard for others to comfort him.”
Compared to my own naturally pitiful appearance, he was at a slight disadvantage in getting sympathy.
“But…”
I calmed my pounding heart and thought:
“…this is exactly what I once wished for.”
The feeling of wanting just one person to unconditionally protect you hit me with both pity and empathy.

Suddenly, while I was lying quietly, the door swung open.
“Lisa? You should knock.”
Since Lisa was the only one who had entered my room so far, I didn’t think much of it.
“And why are there stacks of books in my room…?”
I couldn’t finish my sentence.
“You need to knock before entering my room?”
I snapped my eyes open. It was Evan, speaking bluntly.
“And those books are all mine. I’ll put them away myself, so don’t touch them.”
No way… no way… A very bad feeling settled in. I slowly got up.
“My… room?”
“Did you really think it was just your room?”
Evan, in his casual clothes, spoke indifferently.
“This has always been my room.”
Come to think of it, it was too big and luxurious for just me. The bed seemed excessively wide, half the wardrobe was empty, and the bookshelf was nearly empty.
But no one had ever explained this to me.
Well, the Icard Duke had suddenly brought me in as “the daughter-in-law” and never checked on me, so the servants probably didn’t know how to handle it either.
“Since we’re married, we should share a room.”
True, legally we were already married, so there was no reason not to.
“But I’m not emotionally ready to share a room with a man yet…”
Evan continued with a blank expression:
“Also, there’s something I want to discuss first.”
“Okay. What is it?”
Feeling a bit guilty for peeking at the diary, I smiled as kindly as I could. But I couldn’t maintain my composure when he continued speaking.
“Even if we sleep in the same bed, I don’t want to have a child.”
“…What?”
“I’m just not ready yet.”
I usually didn’t get flustered, but I was completely speechless.
“To fully take responsibility for a child, we should at least both be adults, right?”
Isn’t he crazy? He’s thirteen!
Just as I was about to argue, my ears turning red, he added:
“So, don’t hold hands in bed.”
“…Huh?”
I blinked.
“Just in case? Well… I haven’t been married long either.”
He lifted his chin slightly, speaking with a hint of pride.
“If we hold hands at night after getting married, a baby could come.”
“…Ah.”
I blinked, staring at his surprisingly mature-looking face. Well, appearance and mental age don’t always match…
“I was a bit shocked when I first heard it too. But you can’t stay a child forever.”
His gaze seemed slightly admonishing.
“Especially since you’re fourteen.”
“Y-Yeah…”
I answered dazedly. Suddenly, I felt like I was ready to share a room with Evan after all.