Chapter 11

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: Chapter 11

-----------------------------------------------------------------

When I came to, we had already arrived at the Bellomon Ducal Residence.

'It takes over an hour from the orphanage to the mansion, and I slept through it without waking up once.'

I must have been exhausted.

I hopped off the carriage, thumping my shoulders with my fists. The important thing was that even after sleeping like the dead, I wasn't any less tired.

"I need to wash up quick and get some more shut-eye..."

"Auuuuntieeee!"

My mumbling lips froze at the booming voice. I turned my head to see Lucian charging toward me, his face twisted in fury.

"Luci, wait—!"

Lucian came barreling in like a runaway train and slammed his head right into my body. The impact was brutal—like my organs were about to burst.

"Urgh..."

"Auntie, I hate you! You're the worst!"

He threw a full-on tantrum, not caring one bit if I was hurt.

"Young Master Lucian, you mustn't do that!"

The nanny, who had chased after him belatedly, grabbed Lucian's flailing fists aimed at me. But it wasn't enough to stop him.

Lucian was big for his age and strong to boot. The nanny, desperately trying to hold him back, ended up tumbling backward.

"Lucian! Where did you pick up the nasty habit of hitting people?! Huh?!"

I couldn't just stand there watching. I raised my voice sharply.

"I told you to speak up if you have a problem!"

Clutching my shoulder, I scolded him sternly, and Lucian finally halted his wild swings. But his heaving chest didn't settle down anytime soon.

"What’s got you so upset? Tell me without yelling."

"You... you..."

"No shouting. Take three deep breaths and speak calmly."

Lucian huffed and puffed to steady himself before opening his mouth again—louder than before, but at least quieter than his initial outburst.

"You abandoned me and left!"

"What...?"

What kind of nonsense was this?

"I told you to take me with you! But you went alone and didn't come back!"

As he spoke, his grievance bubbled over, and his voice rose again. But I couldn't bring myself to scold him further.

"Waaah!"

Because Lucian started bawling—heartbroken sobs, utterly pitiful.

"Lucian, what are you talking about? Why would I ever abandon you?"

I asked without even thinking to soothe him first.

"You always say you're tired and want to go rest somewhere quiet!"

"That's..."

I couldn't deny it.

After calming down his endless tantrums, I'd always say...

'Riley, lock me away on some quiet island somewhere. Being trapped might actually make me happier...'

But I'd never said it in front of Lucian.

'When did he overhear that?'

He must have snuck around without sleeping again.

They say birds hear daytime talk and mice hear nighttime whispers. This was exactly that.

"Well, Auntie’s old, you know... Wait till you’re my age, Lucian. Every day’s exhausting. That’s all I meant—it’s not like I want to run away because I hate you."

No matter how stubborn or unlikeable he could be, Lucian was my one and only blood relative. How could I hate my sister's child? Even if I did, he was still my kid deep down.

"Do you know how long I waited for you? I begged to come along, but you left without me."

"That’s because... you didn’t apologize to Viscount Chernin."

"Liar! You like some other kid now instead of me!"

"Other kid? What are you even saying?"

"I can smell another person on you!"

"...Huh?"

His unexpected words hit me like a slap to the face.

"You smell like babies! A ton of it!"

I sniffed my sleeve. It must have absorbed the soap scent from washing the kids all day.

But even that was faint—hard to detect unless you had a dog's nose.

'Come on, really? He’s not some prickly cat.'

I knew Lucian's senses were sharper than most, but distinguishing people's scents?

"And you’ve got weird ribbons in your hair. You didn’t have them when you left!"

I patted the back of my head. Sure enough, a couple of tiny pink ribbons were pinned there. I'd put them on while playing with the kids yesterday and forgotten to take them off.

"It’s obvious. Some kid you secretly met stuck them there!"

He ignored me begging for attention any other day, but now he was scrutinizing me like a hawk. His piercing voice made my head throb.

"Alright, Lucian. Auntie did meet other kids."

"...So it’s true."

Tears welled up again in his barely dried eyes.

I gripped his hand tightly and spoke.

"But it was never because I don’t like you."

I tried to stay calm. I wanted to explain why I’d met those other children and how it was all for his sake—something he could understand.

"Everything Auntie does is for you..."

"All lies! You always say it’s for my own good, but you just scold me!"

"That’s because you broke the promise you made with me..."

Lucian started flailing his arms wildly again. I’d bent down to meet his gaze and took a punch straight to the face.

"Ow!"

"..."

I clutched my forehead, and Lucian froze in shock. He looked like he’d just realized what he’d done.

"Lucian, you—!"

This had to stop.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. If he kept using violence, I’d have no choice but to fetch the switch...

"Ah..."

I was about to order someone to bring it when dizziness hit as I stood up.

My head spun, vision went black. And then—

"Lady Lucella!"

"Auntie!"

'How many times is this faint now...?'

I blacked out completely.

When I opened my eyes again, I was in my bed back in my room.

'Thirsty.'

My lips and throat were parched. I’d slept long enough for my body to feel heavy, but my head was clear.

'Gotta quench this thirst first.'

I yanked the servant’s cord right away.

I expected a maid with water soon, but...

"Auuuuntieeee!"

It was Lucian who burst through the door.

He dashed to my bedside, tears streaking his face.

'Has he been crying this whole time?'

Since I collapsed?

I sat up to comfort him, but it was harder than it should have been.

"Miss, please lie back down."

Riley entered just then and eased me back, handing me a glass of lukewarm water.

"Lady Lucella is awake now, so please stop crying, Young Master."

At her words, Lucian wiped his tears with his sleeve. His eyes were red and puffy from all the sobbing.

I forced open my still-scratchy throat.

"Riley, how long was I out?"

"A full day, miss. It’s 9 a.m. now."

"So Lucian’s been like this... for over 24 hours?"

Riley smiled ambiguously instead of answering. But I got the message.

I placed my hand on Lucian’s head as he kept wiping his tears.

"Lucian, Auntie told you. I’d never abandon you."

"That’s not why I was crying."

"...Then?"

"Because you collapsed out of nowhere."

"..."

"I yelled at you so much... That’s why you fainted, right?"

He bit his lip, fresh tears threatening to spill.

"You’re all I have. If you die..."

"Hey, Lucian, I’m perfectly fine right here."

All my limbs were still attached, too.

"Without you, I’d really be all alone..."

I stopped waving my arms to prove I was okay.

"...You’ve been thinking that?"

Reading the mind of this irrepressible rascal was no easy feat. I’d often wished I could peek into that little head of his.

But now, I caught a glimpse of Lucian’s world.

His mother gone so young he couldn’t even remember her face. His father too busy to come home. No siblings or friends to lean on. I really was all he had.

Of course he’d be mad that his one person had gone off to meet other kids.

And when I collapsed, he must have feared being left alone in this world.

'That’s why he turns dark.'

In the original story, Lucian becomes the villain starting with my escape.

Honestly, I couldn’t figure out why he was so shaken by Lucella running away. He never followed me around or said something cute like “I like Auntie.”

He tormented me daily, yelling that he hated me. So I’d secretly thought maybe he didn’t need me after all.

But to think he felt this way.

'Just like me, I’m his only family too.'

The realization made tears prick at my own eyes for no reason.