When I looked over the contents, it was a full-fledged novel with no pictures.
‘Where did she get this?’
It’s a novel that usually girls in their teens would read. Five years old was too young.
“Ariel, where did you get this book?”
“The maid was reading it and I asked for it because the cover was pretty.”
“I see. Let’s promise to read this book when you’re a little bigger!”
“Why?”
If you ask with such naive eyes, what am I supposed to say?
There were many reasons, but I couldn’t think of a simple and clear reason that a five-year-old could understand.
While I was thinking very hard, Ariel answered lighter than expected.
“No, I promise, if you say so.”
“Oh, yeah. Thank you.”
Why does she look more mature?
I patted Ariel on the head and blamed myself for her shortcomings.
“If you are grateful, please kiss me!”
“Huh? Kiss?”
“Yes. You used to do it a lot when you were young, but you don’t do it these days.”
She wrinkled her eyebrows and wriggled her fingers.
Why do you think I did something bad?
Ariel’s childhood was being a baby for the most part.
I didn’t think you’d remember.
When I saw the twins who grew up looking more beautiful than I had imagined, the goal of ‘I have to raise them so that they don’t become villains like in the novel!’ was blurred, and instead the thought of “Wow, wow, how cute! They’re real angels!” dominated my mind.
Whenever the twins laughed, the conclusion was that I kissed, patted, and stroked them
When they reached the age of four, Dane, the butler of the Duke, asked me to refrain from such behavior. So, I quit doing it.
“Shame on you! Please do it to me too!”
Erial, who was listening next to her, pushed Ariel and whined.
Erial glared at Ariel once and plunged into my arms.
It is hard to leave the twins when they act like this. If they want a kiss, sometimes should be fine.
“It’s a secret.”
I whispered to the twins with my index finger on my mouth.
It was necessary to have a little skinship for the children’s growth.
The two children nodded violently and imitated me with their index finger and said, ‘Secret!’
I kissed the cute twins lightly on the cheek.
My lovely children.
After the small incident, it was decided we would read a fairy tale book in my room.
The story was a very ordinary and simple fairy tale about a wandering wizard traveling from place to place.
I showed off my storytelling skills that I had honed during my work in the kindergarten.
“That’s when the Orcs appeared! Chck-chck. Kill the human!
When I acted realistically, the twins grabbed my sleeves as if it was scary.
For a child, monsters were still unknown and feared. I was performing more enthusiastically because their reactions were cute.
Knock knock.
The door opened immediately after the knock.
Anyone who works for the Duke knows to knock and request permission to enter from outside the door. The twins were frozen at the sudden opening of the door.
It felt like a monster would pop out.
“I heard a loud noise outside the door.”
The temperature in the room felt like it fell below zero.
Evidently, there was something even scarier than monsters.
“Sorry, Duke.”
The twins couldn’t even speak.
“You two.”
The Duke casted glances at the twins with his cool green eyes.
Perhaps it was because of his piercing gaze, the tremors I felt in both of my arms intensified.
As soon as I chose to open my mouth within the breathtaking atmosphere, the Duke spoke.
“Act according to the family standards.”
The Duke, who finished what he had to say, closed the door without listening.
The frozen air had barely passed by the time the sound of the Duke’s footsteps was unrecognizable from the hallway.
Did you hear my passionate performance?
At first glance, he seemed to be reprimanding me; but in reality, he was criticizing me.
‘Was it the excellent orc performance that stopped the blunt and uninterested Duke?’
At the same time, I felt the reality that I had forgotten for a while and the resentment of the Duke for hearing it.
I’m gonna take care of the twins, right?
I turned away from my shame and apologized to the twins.
“Are you okay? I’m sorry. You guys got in trouble for no reason because of me.”
The twins were still frozen because the Duke suddenly came in.
I heaved a short sigh and closed the book.
Sweets were the best way to get rid of shock.
I held the twins’ cold hands and pulled them along. They simply followed me because they were still completely dazed.
I asked for a snack from the maid I encountered in the hallway.
“Prepare the greenhouse with sweet chocolate cake and warm milk.”
“Yes, alright.”
We walked slowly and arrived at the greenhouse.
Breathing the fresh oxygen from these plants makes me feel so much better!
The twins also saw the plants. As if they too had calmed down, their eyes became refreshed.
“Are you surprised that the Duke suddenly showed up?”
“…Yes.”
“He didn’t even come to my birthday.”
Ariel grumbled.
Erial and Ariel have never had a birthday party with nobles.
Only close maids, Butler Dane, Nanny, and I gathered together to blow out their cake candles.
Even the Duke did not show his face.
In fact, the only time he came face to face with the twins was when the twins were born.
Furthermore, it was the first time that he appeared without any notice like today.
“Chocolate and warm milk.”
In good timing, the maid came to the greenhouse with snacks.
Ariel, who was sipping warm milk, carefully muzzled her mouth as she melted her frozen hands.
“My father is… He doesn’t like us.”
What she said was not a question.
It was a way of saying something with a sense of discouragement.
“No, the Duke doesn’t hate you.”
I said it firmly, but I didn’t know how he felt.
I’m character not shown much in the novel.
The Duke did not dislike the twins, although his feelings couldn’t be figured out.
Rather…
“Yes, my father doesn’t hate us. He just doesn’t care.”
Erial said cynically.
This time, it was impossible to refute what he said. I vaguely thought it might be, but I couldn’t say anything that would hurt the children.
Ariel’s big eyes filled with tears when she heard the words.
I did not blink once for fear that my eyes would turn red. I even closed my lips to not cry.
“Ariel….”
The children were innocent.
There was no reason to be so sad and hurt.
Born out of the greed of adults, the twins were not respected for their value as human beings and were treated as just a part of the Duke’s family.
From the moment he could speak, Erial, the successor and future Duke of Ardentine, received specialized education training.
So did Ariel. She was given a mission to marry a family that would benefit the Ardentines.
The twins were raised by teachers who considered them as hard, mechanical, and useless as the Duke’s children. I even had to deal with that kind of education.
Along with Butler Danes assistance, the nanny and I would try to teach the twins about their feelings.
‘Dane looked like he wouldn’t spill a drop of blood, but he was very affectionate, so I was just worried about the Duke and the twins.’
The oldest was ButlerDane who is said to have supported the Duke since he was young, so his affection for him must be the same as his parents.
“I’m fine.”
No one believes you even if you say that with tears dripping from your eyes.
Erial, who was next to her, began to shed tears when he saw his crying sister.
I hugged the crying twins tightly.
The twins were only five years old.
If this was Korea, this would have been the time where the twins would have been treated with the most love and care.
It hurt my heart to see such children crying because they were not loved by their parents.
Of course, I know that there are children in the world who have had a tougher childhood than the twins.
But I, at least, couldn’t watch the children in front of me suffer.
I made up my mind by soothing the twins.
“I’ll talk to the Duke.”
“What?”
“Why would you….”
Even if I truly love twins and raise them like children, I can’t be a real parent.
There was the bond of being their cousin, but it was not enough. They need the love of their father.
So I had to do what I could for the twins.
“Because I love you.”
I smiled brightly.
My parents died early in this life, so I can’t even remember their faces.
However, the love I received in my previous life remained clear.
‘It was a harmonious family.’
My parents always loved me and respected my choices and opinions.
My brother was always quarreling with me, but he took care of me.
That’s why I was able to endure my tough life.
‘It was a blessing.’
I was so blessed. But, of course, I couldn’t thank them because it was too obvious.
It was not until I died that I realized how precious love, protection, and faith were.
That’s why I want to give it to the children.
The love I received.
I won’t get kicked out. I can’t even think of any topics even though we’re living together.
‘If you’re an ice-like duke, you’ll just ignore my words…’
No matter how reckless she was, she lacked the courage to visit his office.
“Dane, can I see the Duke now?”
“The Duke?”
“Yes, I have something to say.”
“I’ll ask.”
Dane questioned me as if it was surprising for me to request an audience with the duke.
I waited in the drawing-room.
What if he says he’s busy? I should’ve just gone straight to the office and bumped into him.
I was thinking about a few things, but Dane came back earlier than I expected.
“I’ll show you to the office.”
“Oh, yeah.”
Seeing that he was leading me to the office, I think the Duke allowed it, but now I’m getting nervous.
It was a little different from the twins’ fear of the Duke.