《Stepmothers Are Not Always Evil》 Chapter 1 The room was filled with suffocating tension. A handsome man and a boy who looked alike were looking at each other. The man opened his mouth first. ¡°Escal.¡± ¡°Yes, Du-Duke.¡± The dazed child stuttered and answered. ¡°Tell me what you did wrong.¡± ¡°I-I, Coo-cookies¡­¡­¡± The boy couldn¡¯t continue his words and lowered his head. tic tic. Tears were dripping down the carpet. The sight of him crying with the tip of his nose red was so pathetic. I wanted to comfort him right away, but unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t even lift a finger. I looked at the boy anxiously, clutching the edge of the seat. ¡°I-I-I¡¯m sorry. I-I was wrong, I was wrong. Fo-forgive me¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry and speak properly.¡± ¡°Hic¡­¡­¡± At the man¡¯s scolding, the boy covered his mouth with his hand. hiccup, hiccup. The boy, who was forced to hold back crying, started hiccups. The man frowned. The boy¡¯s face turned red as he held his breath to stop the hiccups. Everyone, don¡¯t just watch and stop him! But none of those who were watching the situation stepped forward. With all my might, I grabbed the man¡¯s hem. This was all I could do as I was running out of energy, but he noticed my subtle movements and immediately turned to look at me. ¡°Why, Lena? What do you need?¡± The man hurriedly asked. ¡°¡­¡­out.¡± ¡°Get out.¡± Realizing what I meant, he ruthlessly chased the boy away. The boy nodded his head with a face full of tears and turned around in loneliness. ¡°Get out all of you.¡± In an atmosphere like a thin layer of ice, the maids who were just watching the situation hastily left the room. The man who stood staring at me in the silent room suddenly knelt down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lena.¡± He grabbed my hives hand and rubbed his face against my palm. The pool of tears moistened my palm. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡± It was an affection I couldn¡¯t imagine coming from someone who had scolded a child a while ago. ¡®I¡¯m going crazy.¡¯ I feel burdened just by looking at this man cry and beg me for forgiveness. ¡®I really want to cry!¡¯ How the hell did this happen? *** Good luck and bad luck always come at the same time. I ate the hamburger that my mom bought for me for the first time, so I bragged to my friends and then came home, but my mom was gone. My father whom I met after twelve years told me that I was his illegitimate child. I starved all day and bought gimbap with the money I picked up on the street, but my stepmother caught me and kicked me out, saying I was a thief. I almost missed the bus that was just leaving the stop, and the bus overturned and I died in vain. ¡°No matter how much I think, this is too much.¡± I sighed as I looked at my reflection in the mirror. ¡°How pretty.¡± With blonde hair that looks like it was made from honey, emerald eyes, smooth skin like white jade, and a sweet voice like a Siren. The praise of being the most beautiful woman in the empire was not without reason. The problem was that the fate of the owner of this body was not as beautiful as her face. ¡°Of all the characters, why Lenia Evelyn?¡± I, who became Lenia Evelyn, the villainess in an ordinary novel, grabbed my hair and cried. Lenia Evelyn is the stepmother of Escalium Anthemion, the male lead of the novel ¡°She Healed the Male Lead and Ran Away.¡± ¡°She Healed the Male Lead and Ran Away¡± is a mass-produced novel about the female lead Tiaris who saves Escal from abuse by his evil stepmother and they end up falling in love. Escalium Anthemion, that is, the little boy who cried and begged for forgiveness, is the male lead of this novel. Lenia¡¯s hatred for Escal was complicated. Escal¡¯s father, Helios Anthemion and Lenia Evelyn were in love with each other. However, the two run into strong opposition because Lenia is the daughter of a poor viscount. Helios plans to marry Lenia without his father¡¯s knowledge, but the Duke of Anthemion, who finds out later, makes his son lose his mind by giving him a strong drink, then sends Charlett, the daughter-in-law he wants, to Helios¡¯ bedroom. That night Charlett has Helios¡¯ child, Escal. Lenia is shocked to learn that Charlett has a child with Helios, and goes into hiding. Then the Duke forces Helios to marry Charlett. But Helios does not open her heart to her. He said, ¡°Don¡¯t expect me to be your husband. Lena is the only one I love.¡± Charlet tries to change Helios¡¯ heart with Escal but to no avail. Charlett, shunned by Helios, neglects Escal, and Escal grows lonely without being loved by his parents. Five years later, when Charlett died suddenly, and the Duke of Anthemion also died, Helios found Lenia and brought her to his residence. ¡®He has searched the entire empire to find Lenia, so it must be no ordinary love.¡¯ The feud between Lenia and Escal begins from then on. On the first day Lenia and Escal met, Escal showed his hospitality by giving her a cookie. It was Escal¡¯s favorite shrimp-flavored cookie. However, Lenia had a severe shellfish allergy. Lenia, who ate the shrimp-flavored cookie, collapsed because of allergies. ¡®In the original story, Lenia started to hate Escal after this incident.¡¯ And when Lenia was seriously ill from allergies, I possessed her. ¡®That means this time is before Escal and Lenia¡¯s relationship is completely broken.¡¯ That¡¯s a relief. Lenia¡¯s evil deeds, who became Escal¡¯s stepmother, were beyond words. She frame him, separated him from his father, kept him from leaving the room because she hated to see him, and when she met him, she scolded him for trivial things. Even though it¡¯s in a novel, she¡¯s a woman who¡¯s so bad to the point of swearing in front of a little child. The bullying only gets worse when Lenia gives birth to her child. After Lenia gives birth to her son, Escal¡¯s maternal grandfather, Melks, urges Helios to make his eldest son, Escal, his successor. Helios insists that it¡¯s impossible, but he can¡¯t ignore imperial law, which is based on the principle of firstborn inheritance. So Lenia secretly tries to get rid of Escal. Escal, who was running away with injuries, is saved by Tiaris, and when he becomes an adult, he goes to the battlefield and makes a big contribution, then returns to the duke¡¯s residence to take revenge on Lenia. He slaughters Lenia¡¯s children in front of her and then kills her horribly. He said, ¡°I should have killed you earlier!¡± ¡°What did I do so wrong?¡± Even after being abandoned by my parents, I struggled to stay alive, but my life ended in vain. ¡°What¡¯s life like?¡± My tears welled up and I sat down in front of the mirror. ¡®If I¡¯m going to die anyway, I¡¯ll die peacefully.¡¯ I wiped my runny nose and shook my head. No, there¡¯s still a chance. ¡°Is there a law that says stepmothers are always evil?¡± In the novel, Lenia Evelyn gets her karma, but I haven¡¯t done anything yet. Even though the first button is wrong, we can get along well from now on. I called the maid, swearing that I would lovingly care for my poor son and avoid my wretched fate. Mary, who had been serving Lenia for a long time, ran into the room. ¡°Did you call me? How are you feeling?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I should have checked it out first.¡± She muttered, ¡°I never imagined he would do that. A six-year-old child has already done such a terrible thing¡­¡­¡± ¡°Mary.¡± Mary stopped as I frowned at her exaggerated remarks. I¡¯m sure everyone thinks so. There¡¯s no one in this mansion to side with Escal. Poor Escal. He must have just wanted to be loved. The memory of a child crying in front of me comes to mind. It¡¯s hard for me if he thinks I hate him, so my top priority is to calm him down first. ¡°Where is Escal and what is he doing?¡± ¡°The Young Master? He is in his room.¡± ¡°Then bring him here.¡± ¡°Sorry? Why all of a sudden¡­¡­¡± Mary avoided my eyes and didn¡¯t finish her words. Why are you reacting like this? ¡°I asked you to bring him here. Hurry up.¡± ¡°Well, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mary reluctantly opened her mouth.¡±Well¡­¡­ The duke told him to reflect and not leave his room until he gave him permission.¡± ¡°Helios? Since when?¡± ¡°From the day the Young Master said he had done something wrong.¡± That happened ten days ago! ¡°Then he¡¯s been locked up in his room since then?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How come no one told me that?¡± I was furious at the fact that not only the maids, but also Helios, who had been by my side day and night, said nothing to me. Then, what if Escal holds a grudge against me? Maybe it doesn¡¯t matter to others, but my life is at stake! I rose from my seat in a hurry. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Escal¡¯s room.¡± Chapter 2 I headed out into the hallway with Mary in front. A chill wrapped around my body as I went outside without a shawl. Will the child be okay alone with no one to take care of him in this cold weather? I was worried, so I quickened my pace. Escal¡¯s room is in the farthest corner of the mansion. When I arrived at the front of his room, I caught my eye on the tray that had been laid down on the floor. I opened the dome plate and muttered, ¡°No way,¡± the food was still intact. ¡°When was this put here?¡± ¡°This morning¡­¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± It¡¯s been a while since lunchtime, so he¡¯s been starving all day? I hurriedly pulled the doorknob, but the door did not open. ¡°What, why isn¡¯t it open?¡± ¡°I think the Young Master locked it from inside.¡± At Mary¡¯s words, I shook the door vigorously again, but the thick wooden door did not budge in my strength. ¡°Escal, are you there?¡± I knocked on the door and called Escal. He must have heard me, but why was there no answer? ¡°Escal? Can¡¯t you hear me?¡± Could it be that he fainted? My heart slumped down and hurriedly said to Mary: ¡°Go and get the axe.¡± ¡°Why the axe?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time to explain, hurry up and bring me an ax!¡± ¡°Ye-yes!¡± Mary hurriedly ran to get the axe. ¡°Escal, Escal! Answer me. Escal?¡± Something must have happened, seeing no response even though I called him so loud my throat hurt. Why did Mary take so long? While I was stomping my feet at a loss, Mary returned with an axe as well as a servant. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Madam?¡± ¡°Break this door right now.¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, calm down. Young Master has committed a grave sin against you, but please don¡¯t do this¡­¡­¡± The servant stopped me with gibberish, thinking that I was going to break the door to harm Escal. I don¡¯t know if the original Lenia would do that, but I won¡¯t! ¡°Noisy! Just break the door right now!¡± With a gasp, the servant closed his eyes and raised the axe. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Young Master!¡± crack! crack! The doorknob was crushed with two blows of the axe. I grabbed the handle that was barely hanging and pulled it out, then slammed the door and entered the room. ¡°Escal?¡± The boy was crouching alone in the dark room without a single light. I cautiously approached Escal and lowered my body. ¡°Escal.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Escal, who had his face buried in his knees, slowly raised his head. The boy looked up at me blankly, neither crying nor whining. My figure suddenly overlapped with the boy. When I was a child, I was alone in a small room and waited all night for my mother who never came back. Clearing my throat, I asked Escal gently, ¡°Escal, are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡­sorry.¡± ¡°Escal.¡± ¡°I was wrong. I will never do that again.¡± Like a broken tape, Escal repeatedly said that he was wrong. ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t apologize. It¡¯s okay.¡± I hugged him tightly and said I was fine, but he couldn¡¯t calm down easily. I patted him a few more times, then released my arms and asked. ¡°Are you feeling sick?¡± Escal slowly shook his head. I reached out to the boy with relief. ¡°It¡¯s too cold in this room, so let¡¯s go somewhere warm. Get up.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Escal just looked at my outstretched hand and shook his head. ¡°The Duke told me to reflect here.¡± His biological father, whom he had seen for a long time, seemed scarier to him than a stranger. I persuaded the boy once more, thinking that I should have a serious conversation when Helios arrived. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll talk to him.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be scolded by the Duke¡­¡­¡± Escal looked around and stood up carefully. I left the room with the staggering Escal. Seeing him in a bright place, he was very messy. The son of the Duke of Anthemion, who is said to have abundant money, looks like that. It¡¯s only natural for Escal to hold a grudge against me. I told the servant to fix the door before Helios returned. ¡°Escal, have you eaten?¡± I asked kindly. ¡°I just ate¨C¡± growl! There was a loud sound from Escal¡¯s stomach. The boy¡¯s face turned red. ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten yet, do you want to eat with me?¡± ¡°With- with me?¡± Escal asked wide-eyed in surprise. I replied kindly, ¡°Food doesn¡¯t taste good if you eat alone. But if you don¡¯t want to eat with me, you can say no.¡± ¡°I- I¡¯ll eat with you.¡± ¡°Will you? Then let¡¯s go to my room.¡± I smiled broadly and took the boy¡¯s hand. It was unbelievably small for a six-year-old, and just by looking at his skinny body, it was clear that no one cared about him. ¡®Why did a person called the birth mother leave her child like this?¡¯ If she liked Helios so much, wouldn¡¯t she take care of his son? I entered my room, quelling my anger toward Charlett Melks. The room is warm thanks to the firewood burning throughout the day, because a sick person is not allowed to stay in the cold room. I brought a chair in front of the fireplace and sat Escal on it. His face is full of dirt. I thought I should bathe him before feeding him so I told Mary: ¡°Go to the kitchen and ask them to prepare a meal.¡± ¡°Are you going to have a meal?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be eating with Escal, so prepare for two servings. Bring a towel and hot water too.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to¡­¡­¡± ¡°Stop talking and go.¡± ¡°¡­¡­yes.¡± After the dissatisfied pouting Mary left the room, I looked at Escal again. The boy warming himself in front of the fireplace glanced at me and cautiously asked, ¡°Are you not sick anymore?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°You were very sick because of me.¡± Escal bit his tiny lip. I looked at the boy with sad eyes. This kid thinks it¡¯s all his fault. The reason people don¡¯t like him and he isn¡¯t loved is that he¡¯s done something wrong. So it is natural for him to be ignored. It breaks my heart to think about what this boy had to go through before he gave up on being loved by his parents. ¡°Escal, it¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of the cookie I gave you.¡± ¡°Escal.¡± Ignoring his sobs I said softly, ¡°I can¡¯t eat crustaceans; shrimps, lobsters, crabs¡­.., those with hard shells and living in the sea.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I see.¡± The boy bowed his head like a sinner. ¡°Instead, I like steak; chicken, duck, and beef steaks are especially good. Does Escal also like steak?¡± Escal nodded his head after hesitating for a bit. ¡°Then what about fruit? I like sour fruit; oranges, pineapples, strawberries, and so on.¡± The boy who was listening to me swallowed his saliva. Thunder rumbled once again from his stomach. ¡°What does Escal like?¡± ¡°I¡­¡­¡± At my question, Escal wiggled his fingers. The boy, who was trying to pick his favorite food, was silent for a long time. Then he began to shed beads of tears. ¡°Escal?¡± ¡°Hic¡­¡­¡± Escal covered his eyes with the back of his hand. But once the tears flowed, they did not stop. I think I know why. This boy had never been asked such a question before, so he didn¡¯t even have a chance to think about what he liked. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay, Escal.¡± It felt like I was looking at myself when I was a child, so I hugged Escal as tight as I could. ¡°Hic, hic¡­¡­¡± How deep is the wound? He sobbed bitterly in my arms. I comforted the boy quietly, letting him to cry as much as he could ¨C which he probably never did. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± That was the first thing Escal said after crying for a long time. ¡°What are you sorry for?¡± ¡°Because I cried¡­¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with crying?¡± ¡°The Duke told me not to cry and annoy the others¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Escal. You can cry as much as you want. Basically, children grow up crying.¡± I said so and wiped his face with a handkerchief. He is a child who sniffles with the tip of his nose red. Nevertheless, it¡¯s more pitiful to see him pretending to be determined. ¡°I brought some hot water.¡± Just then, Mary came into the room with a basin of hot water and a wet towel. There was a hint of dissatisfaction in her eyes that glanced at Escal. In the original story, Mary doesn¡¯t Escal because of Lenia. It is not as much as it was back then, but she sure does¡¯t like Escal because I got seriously ill from the cookie he gave me. ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself. Put it in here and get out.¡± I told Mary to go out and picked up the wet towel myself. Chapter 3 ¡°Let¡¯s wash your hands first.¡± When I wiped the child¡¯s hands with a wet towel, the white towel quickly wrinkled. One towel won¡¯t be enough. Putting down the dirty towel and picking up a new one, the child whispered softly. ¡°I wash well.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Usually it is clean, but there is a lot of dust in my room.¡± Escal made excuses for being embarrassed by the black towel. He smiled as he licked his lips with a puffy face. I smiled and chuckled. ¡°Right. As you can see, your room was very messy. Look at this, my hands black, too¡± My hand is black, because I¡¯m holding Escal¡¯s hand. Checking the black stained hands, Escal¡¯s face was wide open. ¡°If you wipe it, it will be clean in no time. Give me your hand.¡± As she was about to wash his hands and wash his face, Escal rolled up his sleeves. ¡°I can wash my face by myself.¡± ¡°Really? Then where do we go?¡± Escal scooped up water with his hand and rubbed his face. It was like a cat washing his face, but the effort he made was so cute that I let it go. Escal, who had washed his face until the clear water became cloudy, picked up a dry towel and wiped the water on his face. Then he looked at me with a look of praise. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°You¡¯re good on your own.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± It was like a baby angel drawn in a famous painting, looking proud with a clean face. Also, how lovely those dazzling eyes are! Why the hell would you turn away from such a nice and pretty child? why! ¡°Madam, I brought you a meal.¡± As she struggled to resist the urge to pinch his blushing cheeks, the butler came in with a tray. Since it was not mealtime, the only food on the tray was soup, bread, salad and grilled fish. Just when I thought that it was too simple, the butler quietly listened after finishing the table setting. ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten oily food for a while, so I have been instructed to prepare foods that are not burdensome.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Come to think of it, I think I¡¯ve heard that people who have been starving for a long time will get sick if they suddenly overeat. At the butler¡¯s meticulous consideration, I slightly curled my eyebrows. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting outside the door, so call me if you need me.¡± The butler, who had finished his work, quietly walked away. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s eat.¡± I put the spoon in Escal¡¯s hand and ate the soup first. Escal saw me eating and started eating in a hurry. As if he had barely eaten while locked in his room, Escal took the plate and drank the soup. ¡°Eat slowly.¡± He was afraid, so when I talked to him, Escal stopped moving. ¡°You have to chew it slowly. It¡¯s not like a gentleman to eat like that. Is Escal a gentleman, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± At the word ¡®gentleman¡¯, Escal changed his posture and sat down. He wiped his mouth with a napkin as he had a lot of soup on his lips, spread the fish flesh on it, and placed it on a plate. Escal, holding a fork, poked the fish meat and put it in his mouth. The clumsy fork gestures, the nonstop chapped lips, and even the traces of the sauce on the lips. You are so cute! He¡¯s still incredibly handsome, but how pretty would he be if he had plump fat on that face! Although he is smaller than his peers now, Helios is taller, so Escal will grow taller when he becomes an adult. I must raise a handsome adult, and a young lady who is suitable for Escal¡­ Bang! The happy imagination was cut off by the intrusion of an unexpected guest. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Helios, who came in without knocking, asked Escal coldly. ¡°Uh, uh¡­¡± Frightened, Escal put down his fork and got up. You said you will come late at night, so why are you here already? Seeing the child not knowing what to do, I hurriedly approached Helios. ¡°You said you would be late, but you came back quickly.¡± ¡°Escalium Anthemion.¡± But instead of answering my words, he questioned Escal in a sharp voice. Escal, who was called by his full name, bowed his head. The clasped hands trembled sadly. ¡°Why are you in this room?¡± ¡°I brought him.¡± I said, blocking the front of the child as if to protect them. Helios¡¯ gaze then turned to me. Unlike when he looked at Escal, his eyes were completely softened. ¡°Didn¡¯t you know that he¡¯s reflecting?¡± ¡°Ten days is enough for reflection.¡± ¡°What do you mean enough¡­.¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m sorry. sorry.¡± Escal, who was listening to the conversation between me and Helios, spoke softly. He looked frightened because it looked like we were fighting. ¡°I think I already said it was the worst habit to move like that and saying you¡¯re sorry.¡± ¡°Helios.¡± ¡°Go back to your room now.¡± At Helios¡¯ command, Escal ran out of the room. I looked at the back of the child running down the hallway with sad eyes. He couldn¡¯t even finish his food. Half of the fish meat was left uneaten on the plate. It was natural that Helios hated Charlet, but I had no idea that he would do that much to his son. ¡°Why did you bring Escal?¡± ¡°I brought him here because I was worried, he didn¡¯t even eat and was alone.¡± ¡°Who told you about Escal?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t see him, so I asked.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that kid, so you don¡¯t have to care.¡± Don¡¯t care? if you treat him like that? No matter how unwanted he was, he was still your real son. In the original story, it was Lenia who was tormenting Escal. Helios overlooked Lenia¡¯s evil deeds, but did not directly persecute the child. ¡®He¡¯s like Cinderella¡¯s father.¡¯ ¡­ I thought my evaluation was generous. ¡°We will continue to live in the same house from now on, so how can I not care?¡± ¡°It¡¯s that woman¡¯s son. You don¡¯t have to be nice to him.¡± ¡°He is also your son.¡± ¡°He is not the child I wanted.¡± ¡°Escal wasn¡¯t born because he wanted it, Helios.¡± I understand that he can¡¯t be attached to a child because of what Charlet Melks did, but he¡¯s the only father to Escal. I tried to persuade him, but Helios did not give in. ¡°There are beings who cause pain to someone just by being born.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± I sighed in a confused mind. No matter how hard I try to take care of Escal, it is unreasonable to expect Escal to grow without any injuries as long as Helios is still like this. If, like the original story, even a child of Helios was born, the problem of succession would arise. Then, even if I or Escal don¡¯t want to, we¡¯ll get caught up in a thorny fight. Can I stop it? I turned my back on him because my head was complicated, and Helios wrapped me around from behind. ¡°You almost died because of him.¡± ¡°It was a mistake. Escal wants to get along with me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a mistake or whatever, the result is the same.¡± ¡°Helios.¡± ¡°Do you know how I felt when I saw you fall?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°How did I find you?¡± The body that touched it trembled. Helios whispered in a watery voice, as if afraid to think of the situation. ¡°You can hate me. But every moment since I lost you has been hell.¡± How Helios survived the loss of Lenia is not described in the novel, but I can only guess from his attitude towards me. So I couldn¡¯t completely blame him. I gently loosened his arms around me and turned to Helios. The cold water stained the black eyes transparently. I gently raised my hand and stroked his cheek. ¡°I don¡¯t hate it. It¡¯s not like you couldn¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°Then why did you leave me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I told you to wait. I¡¯ll fix it somehow. Please wait a little bit.¡± Helios clings to me as if complaining and pleading. Escal wasn¡¯t the only one who got hurt because of me. Realizing that fact, the man in front of me, I felt sorry for him again. ¡°I left¡­ because I wanted you to be happy.¡± ¡°How can I be happy without you?¡± Seeing a handsome man with tears in his eyes, longing for love, is so heartbreaking. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me more about the past. From now on, the three of us can be happy.¡± ¡°Three?¡± In an instant, Helios¡¯ voice changed sharply. ¡°Why three?¡± ¡°Three? You, me and Escal¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk about Escal.¡± Helios cut my words coldly. As I looked at him with a bewildered feeling, Helios hugged my waist. ¡°No. Yes, three would be right. You and me and our children.¡± ¡°Helios.¡± ¡°Our child will be very pretty just like you.¡± He¡¯s driving me crazy. I got out of his arms and stared at him. I hated and felt sorry for him, who spoke harsh words with the same face as Escal. It is important to care for Escal, but I thought that it would not be easy to change Helios¡¯ heart, so I grabbed his hand. ¡°Helios, I love you.¡± ¡°I love you too, Lena.¡± ¡°Listen to what I have to say.¡± I resolutely covered his mouth and continued speaking. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether you are a duke or not, rich or poor. I love the person Helios Anthemion himself.¡± ¡°Lena¡­.¡± As if moved by my words, Helios¡¯ eyes became moist. I might be able to convince you now. ¡°I love everything about you. So you will love Escal. He¡¯s your son. So you too¡­.¡± The soft impression turned cold in an instant. ¡°Why do you care so much about Escal?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it¡­.¡± Otherwise, my later years will be miserable. ¡°He¡¯s your¡­ No, our child. Of course you have to pay attention to him.¡± ¡°My child?¡± A friendly tone came from nowhere, and he called me in a low, subdued voice. ¡°Lenia Evelyn.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do you blame me that much?¡± Chapter 4 ¡°So why do you keep reminding me like this?¡± Helios clenched his teeth and asked, like a person who bursts out all at once of the resentment he had been holding back. I lowered my gaze and licked my lips. ¡°I¡¯d rather you hate me. You resent me for betraying you and marrying another woman!¡± It¡¯s not like that. It seems that I had touched Helios trauma. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t mention Escal like that!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Because every time I see that child, I suffer enough.¡± Helios, who had poured out the emotions he had suppressed, sat down on the spot. The harsh sound of breathing pierced through silence reverberated in my ears. It seems that it wasn¡¯t only Escal who was hurt. I looked down at him, unable to raise his face, and then bent my knees to meet eye level. ¡°Helios.¡± Then, as I had done for Escal, I gently embraced him and gently wiped his back. ¡°Sorry¡­ It¡¯s my fault. I¡¯m sorry, Lena¡­¡± Convincing Helios should be done slowly. The front of the dress was damp with the tears of the two men. **** ¡®Run away, you can¡¯t be caught.¡¯ Something was chasing me in the dark. The darkness that I couldn¡¯t see anything ahead. I ran with all my might, but the unknown form got closer every moment. Ughh, my hair got caught. Someone held me and whispered softly. ¡®Do you think you can run away?¡¯ I wanted to scream, but no voice came out. A cold, damp hand wrapped around my neck. ¡®Die.¡¯ A strong hand that I couldn¡¯t shake, choked my throat. An unidentified woman¡¯s hair fell over my face. ¡®Die! I¡¯m going to die!¡¯ ¡®No¡­, Hel¡­ Helios!¡¯ ¡°¡­ Lena! Lena!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Lena, are you okay?¡± I screamed and barely came to my senses, and Helios was looking down at me with worried eyes. My body was drenched as if I had been rescued from drowning. ¡°Helios¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me. Did you have a nightmare?¡± Was it a dream? I unconsciously groped my neck. The sensation of choking was too clear to be just a dream. Helios put his hand on my forehead as I took a deep breath without answering. ¡°You have a fever. I¡¯ll call a doctor.¡± ¡°Helios.¡± I got out of bed and grabbed him urgently. ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± I didn¡¯t want to be alone. If I was left alone, someone else would appear and strangle me. Helios, hesitating, sat down on the bed and held my hand lightly. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be by your side.¡± At last, my heart was relieved by the reliable answer. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. As long as I am here, no one can touch you.¡± As if to reassure me, he repeated the same words over and over again. ¡°It¡¯s okay now. Helios, I need some water¡­.¡± Helios, who was holding my hand, hurriedly poured water into the glass. As I raised my upper body to the sound of dropping the pot, he pressed my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll feed you, so lie down.¡± Then he drank the water himself and gently pressed my lips. Cool liquid rushed through the dry lips. ¡­ It¡¯s Sweet. ¡°Would you like more?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Closing my eyes in embarrassment, Helios smiles cheerfully when I answer. Again, the soft touch touched my lips. Every time his hair tickled my forehead, it felt like my heart was tickling as well. ¡®It¡¯s my first time, so why are you so used to it?¡¯ It was a familiarity as if Lenia¡¯s senses had been transferred. Helios hugged me halfway up and craved my lips without stopping. Helios lifted his face until I scratched his back with my fingernails because I was short of breath and his head was dazed. ¡°Ha¡­¡± I put my hand on my aching heart and controlled my breathing. Helios asked, gently brushing his messy hair. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Averting my eyes in embarrassment, Helios lightly kissed my flushed cheek. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I made it difficult.¡± ¡°Only in words?¡± As I pretended to be sulking, he gently pulled my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ Once more.¡± Again his lips swallowed my anxiety. **** ¡°Take your medicine.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to take medicine.¡± I waved my hand as I looked at the medicine bowl Mary held out. Of course, Mary didn¡¯t blink an eye whether I refused or not. ¡°The doctor said he was very sick. Come on and eat.¡± ¡­ I knew it would be like this. Even though I said it was just a nightmare, Helios called the doctor in the morning, checked my diet, and shivered. When the doctor who finished the examination said that there was no problem with my body, he said it was because he cared about unnecessary things and asked me to lie down without doing anything. I guess I used up my emotions because of Escal and I felt weak. ¡°Come on and drink it. My arm hurts.¡± At Mary¡¯s torch, I was forced to take the medicine bowl and pour it down my throat. Mary took the empty medicine bowl and smiled mischievously. ¡°You drink it all. Then I¡¯ll go out, so take a rest.¡± ¡°Wait a minute. Is Escal in the room? Did he eat?¡± ¡°The butler brought in the meal earlier.¡± ¡°What is he doing now? If he¡¯s not busy, tell him to come to my room¡­¡± ¡°Oh, no! If the Duke knows, I will be kicked out.¡± Mary sighed and waved her hand. As you can see, she heard a lot of scolding yesterday. ¡°I will take a look at him, so please rest in your room today. The weather is cold, so don¡¯t think about going out.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Mary left the room after making a desperate request. ¡°Haah.¡± I was thinking of going to Escal while Helios wasn¡¯t there, but seeing the atmosphere, I was disappointed. It seems that Helios is not comfortable with what happened yesterday, so it would be good for Escal to be careful for a while. Feeling frustrated, I approached the window and opened the curtains wide. ¡°Wow.¡± The garden was covered with snow that had fallen overnight, and the entire garden was white. My body ached as I looked at the blanket of snow that had not been engraved with a single footprint. It would be nice to make a snowman with Escal. As I was looking out the window with full of regret, I heard a knocking sound. It was Helios. ¡°Lena, what are you doing?¡± ¡°I was looking at the scenery outside because it was beautiful. You said you were busy, so why did you come?¡± A look of sadness appeared at the thoughtless question and then disappeared. Helios, who quickly hid his expression, carefully took my hand. My hands were as cold as ice. ¡°I have something to show you. Let¡¯s go out for a moment.¡± ¡°What do you want to show you?¡± Instead of answering, Helios wrapped me in a thick overcoat and went outside. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°You will know when you go in there.¡± My cheeks were cold, I closed my mouth because I was afraid that I would not be able to see his eyes. As soon as I left the house, a chill wrapped around me. ¡°Are you cold?¡± Helios, quick-witted, took off his coat without hesitation. ¡°That¡¯s Okay. You are cold too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± He slid his coat around my shoulders and walked away regardless of his thin shirt. Helios stopped in the middle of the garden and looked back at me. ¡°Now close your eyes.¡± ¡°Why?¡± What is this man trying to do? ¡°Hurry.¡± At Helios¡¯ urging, I had no choice but to close my eyes and he hugged me up. ¡°Hey, Helios!¡± ¡°Stay still. You must never open your eyes until I tell you to open it.¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°You will find out soon.¡± What are you trying to show me? I lifted my nerves and focused on the sound. Step step step¡ª The sound of stepping on the snow continued lightly, but then suddenly stopped. After walking for a while, Helios gently put me down. Seeing that the wind that scratched my cheeks had subsided, it was as if I had entered the room. ¡°Now you can open your eyes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± When I slowly lifted my eyelids, what I saw was a beautiful spring landscape in winter that made my eyes shiver. Purple wisteria flowers were in full bloom inside the pentagonal pavilion covered with snow. The sun shone dazzlingly through the blooming petals. Is this spring season? As I carefully touched the petals in a puzzled mind, the petals that touched my fingertips rustled and fell to the floor. It was a fake flower made of paper. ¡°Did you do this?¡± ¡°You like it, wisteria flower. Do you like it?¡± ¡°How did you do all this¡­¡± Somehow, my hands were too cold. I couldn¡¯t keep my mouth shut as I imagined him cutting and pasting so many petals by himself all day. Helios did not know what to do and knelt before me on one knee. ¡°I promised. When the wisteria blossoms, I will formally propose to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I thought it would be too late if I waited for the flowers to bloom.¡± Helios smiled softly and took the ring out of his pocket and put it on my hand. ¡°Now I¡¯m finally keeping my promise.¡± ¡°¡­ Helios.¡± ¡°Thank you for being with me.¡± The end of his speech, pretending to be calm, shook violently. Helios said, kissing the ring reverently. ¡°I love you, Lena.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± But I couldn¡¯t answer. Because that love wasn¡¯t mine. Chapter 5 ¡°Get up.¡± I held him by the hand, hesitating to respond to his confession. Up until last night, all his fingers that were smooth without a single wound were in a swelled state. ¡°Lena.¡± Helios, who called to me with a friendly voice, gently wrapped my lips with his soft lips. We share hot breath again and again. After a deep kiss, Helios looked at me. Thousands of emotions melted when I saw his faint smile. I¡¯m not the real Lenia Evelyn, so I brace myself not to be mistaken by this feeling, but it¡¯s not easy. It was the first time someone loved me so blindly, so I wanted to respond to his earnestness. I gently grabbed his hand caressing my cheek and smiled faintly. Helios didn¡¯t get my answer, but as if that was enough, Helios smiled. Afraid he¡¯d know my racing heart, I pretended to be calm and turned around. ¡°It¡¯s so pretty here. Too bad I¡¯m the only one who sees it, if Escal here¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Lena.¡± He raised his voice a little. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about anyone else.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Today, I want you and I to think only of the two of us.¡± If I¡¯m stubborn, his antipathy towards Escal will only get worse. ¡°Alright.¡± Satisfied with my answer, Helios smiled. ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll never leave me again.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ I promise.¡± The winter wind that came in through the door shook the flower stalks. Paper petals that fell in the wind fluttered beautifully. Helios hugged me tightly once again. It was no longer cold. * * * Merlin Strang, the loyal butler of the Duke of Anthemion, was very satisfied with the atmosphere in the mansion, which has become so softly in recent times. Having dedicated himself to the dukedom for several generations, he was deeply saddened by the gloomy atmosphere in the mansion after Helios¡¯s marriage. Helios, who was blunt but affectionate, became more sensitive, and Charlett Melks, who was neglected by her husband, took revenge on the employees whenever she had spare time. As a result, most of the employees could not stand it and either left the duke¡¯s mansion or tried not to be seen as much as possible by the former duchess. However, when Lenia became the hostess, things stabilized again. ¡°Madam said she will raise my salary by 10%!¡± ¡°She gave me a full month¡¯s vacation.¡± ¡°She even changed our uniforms and bedding to new ones. If you need anything, just tell me.¡± The maids, who couldn¡¯t breathe under the previous rude hostess, now gathered around to praise Lenia. Merlin also liked Lenia, although he didn¡¯t say it out loud. Helios, who had been suffering from insomnia, was more stable since she came here. ¡°Buy whatever Escal needs. Use the budget allocated to me for his expenses.¡± The benevolent hostess paid special attention to her stepson as well. In fact, Merlin guessed that Lenia would hate Escal. Isn¡¯t it strange that she likes the son of a woman who stole the man she loves? But his expectations were pleasantly wrong. ¡°I won¡¯t forgive those who treat Escal badly.¡± Lenia loves Escal more than his biological mother did. Until then, no one took care of Escal, although he himself felt sorry for him. It was because he was afraid that he would anger the duke. However, when Lenia publicly defended Escal, the employees also began to treat him as a young master. ¡®Now, he¡¯s the only one who has to open his heart.¡¯ Merlin stopped his thoughts about Helios¡¯ cold attitude towards Escal. Standing in front of the office, he knocked on the door. ¡°Come in.¡± Merlin entered the office after the servants around left. ¡°Did you call me, sir?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Helios, who was reviewing the documents, raised his head. ¡°Find out what the admissions process for Dillua Academy is like.¡± ¡°Dillua Academy, you mean the educational institution that trains soldiers?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Why there¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°I need to get Escal into the Dillua Academy.¡± Merlin¡¯s face turned pale in an instant. Dillua Academy was a place to train low-ranking soldiers, and it was like an orphanage where children who had nowhere to go were. To get the son of the Duke of Anthemion into such a place¡­ ¡­ . Merlin replied calmly, ¡°It is a place where the commoners go. Most of the children of noble families attend Primus Academy¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Primus Academy only accepting admission to children over the age of ten?¡± ¡°It is. But sir, if it¡¯s because of the education, let¡¯s find a competent tutor¡ª¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand me.¡± tuk. As he put down his quill, Helios said, ¡°I want to keep Escal away from Lena.¡± ¡°Your Grace, madam cares about him very much.¡± ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I will send Escal.¡± ¡°Please reconsider. This is something that is not only about you but also about the honor of the duke.¡± ¡°Merlin, do you think I called you to discuss this with you?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Merlin lowered his head at his cold tone. Helios is not a master who bullies his employees, but he is also not generous enough to employees who crossed the line. But Merlin thought he had to stop him this time, even if he would be fired for this. ¡°If you want to separate the two, why not send the master to the Marquis of Melks instead?¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense.¡± Helios¡¯ voice filled with anger. Realizing that he had made a mistake in his haste, Merlin bit his tongue. After Charlett Melks¡¯ sudden death, the Marquis of Melks publicly criticized Helios for persecuting his daughter. Later, while rumored that Helios had conspired with Lenia to poison Charlett Melks, he insisted that Escal be nominated as the heir to the Duke of Anthemion. By the time Helios, who had been focused on finding Lenia, found out about it, his and Lenia¡¯s reputation had already been damaged. If he sent Escal to the Marquis, it was obvious that only conflict would arise. Helios did not point out the frivolity of the butler. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about this more. As soon as possible, check the Dillua Academy admissions process and report to me.¡± ¡°Your Grace.¡± Merlin tried to dissuade Helios one last time, but Helios was adamant. ¡°Stop. Get out of here.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ I will take your orders.¡± * * * ¡°Whoo.¡± Merlin walked out of the office and wiped his face from the cold sweat. He said yes to Helios¡¯ coercion, but had mixed feelings. Throwing the Duke of Antemion¡¯s only son in a place where even a low-class aristocrat won¡¯t send his child, isn¡¯t this tantamount to not naming Escal as his successor? ¡°This is a big deal.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the big deal?¡± Merlin¡¯s face grew white when he heard the soft voice, and then raised his head hastily. ¡°Ma- ma¡¯am.¡± On the other side of the hallway, Lenia was looking at Merlin with her head tilted. Merlin, who was trying to make an excuse, couldn¡¯t find a place to look and lowered his eyes. Lenia, who was looking sideways at the closed office door, nodded silently, asking him to follow. She moved to a study where there were few people and asked bluntly, ¡°Now tell me. What¡¯s going on?¡± At the calm but sharp question, Merlin swallowed dry saliva. ¡°Did Helios make you do anything difficult?¡± Lenia asked again. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Merlin let out a long breath after realizing that she would not back down easily. He wondered what he would do if he accidentally separated Helios and Lenia because of his answer, but Lenia may be able to break Helios¡¯ stubbornness. He spoke frankly about what had happened in the office with a glimmer of hope. ¡°The duke said that he will send the young master to the Dillua Academy.¡± ¡°Dillua Academy? What kind of place is it?¡± ¡°It is a place where children from poor families attend¡­ ¡­ You can think of it as a training center that trains lower-end soldiers.¡± ¡°A place to train commoner children to become soldiers?¡± Lenia asked, tilting her head. ¡°That¡¯s right. Despite the name of the academy, it is not a suitable place for children of noble families to attend.¡± ¡°Why would he want to send Escal there?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the only place where the young master can enter because he¡¯s still young.¡± ¡°Then we can send Escal somewhere else after he is a little older, right?¡± ¡°I think it would be better to do what Madame said, but¡­ ¡­ .¡± Merlin looked into Lenia¡¯s eyes and paused for a moment. Lenia, noticing the hidden meaning in his words, frowned. ¡°Helios gave the order stubbornly.¡± Merlin added cautiously, ¡°Yes. His Grace was asking me to hurry up and find out the admission process, and the academy clearly doesn¡¯t want to miss out on a talented person like the young master, so once we start the process, it won¡¯t take long to enter.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Helios, so please find out as slowly as possible. For now, it¡¯s just between you and me.¡± ¡°Alright.¡±