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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Mama and Dada
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The child's face, then the color of my hair. Then the child's face again.
After looking back and forth a few times, I tilted my head, and the child mimicked me, tilting their head too.
“Sweetheart, who on earth are you?”
Plump cheeks puffed out beside mumbling lips.
Pale platinum-blonde hair swayed gently in the breeze atop their slightly tilted head.
“Mama?”
And those sparkling green eyes looking up at me.
The child looked exactly like Riana—the owner of this body I'd possessed, whom I'd seen in the mirror last night. My eyes darted around.
“A younger sibling?”
“Mama!”
Too young to be a sibling, though.
Seeing the child, who seemed to have just started talking, I raised an eyebrow.
“A niece, then?”
“Nuh-uh. Mama!”
As if they didn't like my question.
The child shook their head, their little hands clenched into fists, their chubby cheeks wobbling with the movement.
“Hmm… then…”
I wondered if they were just naturally friendly or if we already knew each other. As I held the child who had wriggled onto my lap, lost in thought,
“So you were here.”
A low voice sounded from above as a shadow fell over me.
“…”
Ah, I'm screwed. I was so distracted by the baby that I'd completely forgotten about Enoch.
In this awkward situation, I swallowed hard and pretended I hadn't heard anything, but Enoch's shadow deepened over me.
“Riana.”
His voice, heavy and impossible to ignore, made me turn around, clutching the child tightly.
I hadn't realized he'd gotten so close. My vision filled with Enoch's face, as perfectly composed as an oil painting.
“Ahaha. When did you get here?”
“Just now. You weren't in your room?”
“Right. I was… just taking a walk.”
Did he believe my lie, or was he just playing along?
His gray eyes, which had been fixed on me, slowly drifted to the round head of the child nestled in my arms.
“Who is this?”
“I'm not sure. I just met them myself.”
“Hmm. Their hair color is just like…”
“Like mine, right?”
Enoch slowly nodded, confirming that others also saw the striking resemblance between my hair and the child's.
Just then, the child, who had been squirming as if feeling stuffy, popped their head out.
The moment his gray eyes met the child's green ones, he blinked rapidly before looking back at me.
“Riana…”
“Yes?”
“You have a child?”
Blink, blink.
I stared at him, blinking in confusion at his question, before bursting into laughter.
“Ahaha, what are you talking about? I'm not even married. How could I have a child?”
Riana only appeared briefly in the novel, but she was definitely an unmarried character.
Unless she had a secret child hidden away somewhere, there was no way this child could be hers.
But. Just as I was about to wave my hand dismissively at his ridiculous suggestion.
The child, who had been clutching my hair tightly in their tiny, fern-like hand, suddenly called out to me with surprising clarity.
“Mama!”
They said.
“…”
“…”
We stared at each other blankly, the child's clear laughter echoing in the background. Then, the child grinned brightly again.
This time, they pointed a finger at Enoch and babbled once more.
“Dada!”
They said.
***
“…Could you come over here?”
Enoch said, running a hand through his hair as he looked at me sitting a good distance away.
“Haa. I told you, it's not true.”
“It's really not…?”
“I said no. Besides, I only just met you yesterday. It doesn't make any sense, does it?”
“But then why on earth is this child calling you—I mean, Your Majesty—and me—”
“Mama! Dada!”
Just as the child called out to us again, I held up my palm toward them, my eyes wide.
“—calling us that?”
“…How should I know?”
Enoch replied, sounding incredulous as he glanced between me and the child tugging at my hair.
“Right. You did say you'd never seen them before. Hmm…”
I tilted my head at his expression and lifted the child, who was still holding onto my hair.
The child giggled, apparently finding it quite fun.
“Sweetie. Am I your mommy?”
“…”
What. Why are you looking at me like that?
Enoch, who had been watching me as if I were the most pathetic person in the world, let out a deep sigh.
“…Do you really expect an answer from a child who can barely speak?”
“You never know.”
I pouted and held the child close again. Their chubby cheek fit perfectly into the curve of my neck and shoulder, as if finding its rightful place.
Enoch watched the child nuzzling their cheek against me, seemingly overjoyed, and raised an eyebrow.
“They look exactly like you, Riana.”
“Right? I can see that, too.”
After all, platinum-blonde hair and green eyes were a rare combination in this world.
Enoch narrowed his eyes as he watched me scratch my head.
“But Riana, isn't this the child who was at your mansion? Why are you acting like you know nothing?”
“Ah, well…”
“Well?”
‘I don't know. It's not just about this child; I don't know anything at all.’
…Could I really say that out loud? While I was mumbling to myself, wondering what to do.
Enoch, who had been watching me quietly, suddenly widened his eyes as if he'd realized something.
“Riana, don't tell me…”
“Hm? What is it? Why did you stop mid-sentence?”
Enoch paused as if choosing his words, and his dark eyebrows curved downward pitifully.
What's with that? That look of pity feels familiar.
As expected. Enoch, gazing at me with utmost sympathy, finally spoke with difficulty.
“Is your memory this troubled? Just how severe is your condition…?”
“…Excuse me?”
“It's alright, Riana. Don't worry too much.”
Misinterpreting my baffled expression, his large, gloved hand gently patted my shoulder.
“The former chancellor showed similar symptoms, but he improved quickly after he quit drinking. So you too—”
“That's…!”
“The young lady! Lady Riana!”
Just as I was about to say that wasn't it, an old man with graying hair came rushing over from behind the bushes.
“Ah, *huff*. The young lady suddenly disappeared, *huff*. So you were here.”
The old man, struggling to catch his breath, casually looked up, spotted Enoch, and sucked his breath back in.
“*Gasp!* Your Majesty, what are you— *cough, cough!*”
He must have been terribly startled, as he went from gasping for air to coughing. It was a rather pitiful sight, but…
Enoch, who seemed to have no interest in that, kept his eyes fixed on me and waved a dismissive hand.
“You, call a doctor at once.”
“What? What do you mean—”
“Your master is very ill.”
“…Pardon?”
***
“There's nothing else wrong. However, it would be best if you reduced your alcohol intake.”
After being forced to see a doctor because of Enoch's stubbornness, I glared at him.
“See? I told you I'm perfectly fine.”
“Impossible. Are you sure you examined her properly? The Little Marquess's condition is severe. She can't even remember her own name or recognize people.”
“But, Your Majesty, there is nothing wrong with her head.”
“Hmm… Strange.”
Enoch tilted his head, stroking his jawline.
“Then is she just not very bright?”
…What did you just say, you bastard?
He seemed to think he was whispering quietly enough for me not to hear. Unfortunately, his deep, resonant voice carried the meaning clearly even at a low volume.
Tyrant or not, I twitched my hand, wondering if I could get away with yanking out a few strands of his hair and playing it off as an accident.
“Maa!”
The child, who had been playing on the floor during the examination, crawled over and reached out their hands, asking to be picked up.
‘You should know this child is the only reason your hair is safe.’
Vowing to one day pull out that handsome hair of his, I lifted the child, and the soft scent of baby powder tickled my nose.
Enoch, who was watching me while leaning back in his chair, turned to the butler.
“By the way, who is that child? Is she really Riana's?”
“What? No! Absolutely not!”
At the question, the butler waved his hands frantically, his face a mask of shock as if his eyes were about to pop out.
“Lady Riana isn't even married, how could she have a child! It's absolutely not true!”
I lifted my chin with an I-told-you-so look, then stared intently at the child's face.
“Then who is she, really?”
“Pardon? Didn't you bring her here a short while ago, Lady Riana?”
“I did? Whose child is she?”
“I'm not sure. You didn't tell me the details… In any case—”
Dane, having given a less-than-helpful answer, bent down to meet the child's eyes.
“You've been sleeping ever since you arrived, we were so worried. You've finally woken up.”
“Abubu, mwaa.”
Dane's face softened at the sight of the child wiggling their small hands as if saying hello.
“Your eyes are so pretty. Oh, goodness, look at this old man's memory. You must be hungry.”
Dane placed a doll he'd taken from his pocket into the child's hand, then bowed to Enoch and me as if asking for permission.
“Your Majesty, Lady Riana. Would it be alright if I stepped out for a moment to get the little one's meal?”
“Of course.”
“Do so.”
At our simple nods, Dane left the room.
‘Ariel? Is that this child's name?’
I glanced at the name 'Ariel' neatly written on the small doll, then shifted my gaze to Enoch, who was still leisurely occupying his seat.
Pout. My lips moved on their own.
“See? I'm not her mother, am I? And my head is perfectly fine.”
“Hmm…”
“Honestly! I told you I'm not an alcoholic or anything like that—”
“I apologize.”
“Huh?”
His clean apology took me by surprise.
“I'm sorry. I went too far.”
After apologizing to me once more, Enoch paused for a moment before a sly smile lifted the corners of his lips.
“What's that? Why are you smiling?”
“Still, it's a relief, isn't it?”
A relief? What is?
I furrowed my brow, wondering what he meant.
Enoch's long fingers moved toward the knot fastening his clothes.
“I couldn't very well ask an ill person to touch me, could I?”
Seeing Enoch's satisfied expression after he finished speaking, a disbelieving sound escaped my lips.
“…Don't people usually not ask to be touched, whether they're ill or not?”
