I Want To Be Your First – R19 - Chapter 103

Ariel seemed to be in the dark about the fact that she was the subject of Berthwald’s obsession since childhood. Well, if Ariel knew about his heart from the beginning, her son wouldn’t have purposefully planted spies and ordered them to inspect that child.

Violet waved her hand and changed the subject, saying, “In any case!”

“You don’t have to think in that way. It doesn’t matter whether you can see or not. It doesn’t matter even if you don’t have hands or legs, if you can understand yourself and face life.”

Violet snapped her fingers and looked downwards at Ariel. Violet’s face with a mischievous smile was reflected in Ariel’s clouded gray eyes.

“Humans… rather than what’s on the outside, what’s on the inside is more important. Those that seem to be normal, unlike the young lady who’s unusual, but harbour demons within them, are the ones that should be weeded out. Berry is one of those cases. He looks perfectly fine…”

“The Count is strange?”

“Yes, he’s the most fastidious man I know.”

Violet folded her arms and tapped her forearm lightly with a finger. As long as he had something he wanted, Berthwald would blindly dive headfirst within without discriminating from dirty methods. No matter how she looked at it, Berthwald’s personality was stronger, and not less than hers.

“You’d also seen it earlier, right? Who in the world would suddenly whip out a gun and aim it towards their Mother? You shouldn’t be fooled by appearances.”

Like she was only saying it for her own ears, Violet cursed Berthwald in a subtle voice. Ariel said, “I seem to have heard the same thing somewhere…“ before pondering about whether to accept it or not.

Violet watched her hesitant appearance, before raising her head slowly and scanning the room.

“I can’t believe that that rascal is getting ready to become a father. I’d never imagined this happening.”

Through the dim surroundings, a new cot and rocking cradle could be seen on the opposite of her daughter-in-law. Both the curtains and wallpaper in this baby room had been changed to new ones, and there were no traces of Berthwald remaining.

The traces of the past had vanished. But it wasn’t particularly regrettable. Though her son’s childhood had been erased, a new life will continue his traces.

That fact invoked a feeling of warmth that Violet didn’t know if it’s a good or bad thing. She stared at the ceiling with narrowed eyes and mumbled to herself.

“That detestable rascal now appears to be a blood relation. Have I gotten old too?”

The surfacing memories dyed her narrowed purple eyes with regret.

Her meeting with Richter was as an informant and a client. Richter, who was born in a prestigious family and was accustomed to graceful ladies, began chasing Violet as soon as he met her, saying he fell in love at first glance. Violet also found the immature young master quite amusing and didn’t reject him.

They had somehow become lovers as she couldn’t refuse a man that chased after her because he liked her, but she didn’t think that a momentary affair would result in a child.

The option of being someone’s mother didn’t exist in Violet’s future. For her, who had climbed up from the bottom and established a guild, Northride was life itself.

Can the head of intelligence, who had to be more cool-headed and thorough than anyone else, coexist with the name of ‘Mother’? Of course it’s impossible.

…But what sin did the child commit?

Although she pondered over it numerous times, she couldn’t come to a conclusion. Time flew by hopelessly.

Eventually, she couldn’t erase the child in her womb. But she didn’t want to be Richter’s woman either. It was impossible for her to be a Countess from the beginning, as she’s from the streets.

Someone’s mother, or someone’s wife.

The remaining options were too secular. And Violet was a woman that hated being suppressed. If she was someone that’s bound by the secular framework, she wouldn’t have survived in the underworld from the beginning.

Violet chose her life after careful consideration. If it was a sin to live as herself, she made up her mind to live as a sinner to the man she loved and her child.

“I had a lot of worries when I entrusted him to Richter, but seeing how he’s living well, I think that no matter what, it was a good choice. Young lady must have had a hard time living with my lacking son.”

She whispered and when her gaze moved towards the armchair, Violet’s beautiful eyes were met with Ariel’s closed eyes.

“Oh dear, have you fallen asleep?”

Even when she clicked her fingers lightly near Ariel’s face, her eyes were closed as she leaned back in the chair without moving.

“Why have you fallen asleep suddenly when someone else is deep in recollection? Hey, young lady. Won’t you give me a response? Hmm?”

Violet laughed dryly and placed a finger under her nose. The rhythmic in-and-out breathing indicated that it had been some time since she had fallen asleep.

“Was the alcohol a little strong?”

After removing the glass that was precariously dangling in the nick of time and placing it to the side, Violet lifted Ariel in an instant. She mumbled to herself, “Why is she so light?” and left the baby room behind and walked towards the bedroom.

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Unlike the North, which hated winter due to snowstorms and the freezing cold, the people of Pahar welcomed winter.

It wasn’t just because of the dry season’s uniquely pleasant weather, but also the people in the fishing industry are enjoying the boom as the amount of fish caught in the south had also increased due to that. Of course, for the general public, it was also a season filled with exciting events such as year-end parties and New Year’s festivals.

However, due to the nature of the warmer climate, the cold that was unique to winter and the faint dryness in the wind wasn’t present.

Vion, who had arrived at the Count’s mansion and was cutting through the garden, had belatedly realised that winter had arrived after seeing the winter decorations hanging here and there.

Perhaps because the garden’s decorations had yet to finish, there were several maids gathered with the gardener, and were wrapping something around trees and shrubs. Amongst them, the only maid that was familiar to him raised her head.

As soon as their gazes met, just as Vion was about to say something, the maid smiled broadly and waved her hand first.

“Sir Syknechid!”

Vieta, the Countess’s personal handmaiden, walked up to Vion while carrying branches in her arms. From the looks of the sweat beading on her forehead, it seemed that she was out in the garden for quite a while.

Why was she not with the Madam? Vion looked at her with a surprised expression, before letting out an exclamation when he spotted the branches in her arms.

“So it’s already time to harvest the white oak. That amount seems to be too much for ornamental purposes.”

“I’m giving half to the Madam for decoration and the other half to the head maid. I heard that the apotropaic effect only works after drying it thoroughly, so I prepared it in advance.”

Apparently, branches from white oak trees with small leaves are known to have excellent effects in warding off demons and misfortune. As such, in the south, every morning on the first week of the new year, the dried branches would be used to tap the head and shoulders in order to ward off misfortune for the coming year.

Vieta observed the branches carefully and took out one of the most supple looking branches and held it out to Vion.

“Here you go. Please take one, Sir Syknechid. It’s a gift.”

When the twig that seemed to match with Vieta very well was placed in his rough palm, the branch that was thinner than his finger didn’t go well with him at all. Vion stared at the freckles under her eyes and chuckled flatly.

“There’s more than 15 days until the new year.”

“It’ll be hard to get branches then. As this was freshly cut, the effect is slightly decreased, but it’s best to ward off misfortune.”

Vieta’s eyes gleamed and she pushed the branch back towards him. Vion looked at Vieta and the branch alternately, before accepting them with a stiff look.

With a large stature, a fierce impression and a brusque look. If it was someone that didn’t know him, they might think that he was angry, but after spotting the barely visible fold in the corner of his eyes, Vieta smiled quietly.

“If I see you on the first day of the new year, I will give you a dried branch. Well then, please go in.”

“Thank you, Vieta.”

“It’s nothing,” Vieta added and ran back towards the corner of the garden where the maids were gathered. Vion watched her silhouette with a content heart, before slowly moving towards the front door of the mansion.

As the Count and his wife began to stick together, Vieta and Vion, who accompanied them, also became on friendly terms.

The Lord’s bodyguard and the leader of the private task force. Along with the fierce impression and brusque personality, Vion was a man that’s far from being soft.

Most women were afraid of or hated Vion. Of course, most of the maids in the mansion couldn’t withstand the intense pressure, so there were many situations when they quickly avoided or retreated when they made eye contact.

However, that young maid didn’t seem to be afraid of him, and would always start a conversation with him with a grumbling and complaining spirit whenever she was bored.

Well, from the standpoint of a member of the Countess’s retinue, she could only find him to converse with when there was no one to talk to, but he, who had never been close with a woman before, found it both novel and embarrassing.

“Count, it’s Vion.”

The branch shook as he entered the office, and Berthwald tilted his head to the side like he was asking what was that. Just as he was about to respond, Violet opened the door suddenly with a beaming face and stole away the branch.

“Wow, so this is still being used to ward off misfortune. There are so many unique traditions in this neighbourhood.”

Violet, who was shaking the branches in the air, bent the branches in a round shape like she was about to break them. As such, Vion was startled and tried to take the branch back.

“I received it as a gift, so it will be troubling if you break it!”

“It won’t break! What’s the matter with you?”

Violet muttered, “It’s very flexible, as it can be bent easily,” and started bending the branches here and there as if to show them. Restless Vion threw a troubled glance towards Berthwald and asked for help.

Berthwald sighed and snatched the branch away from Violet.

“Didn’t he say that he received it as a gift? Stop teasing him. Come to think of it, there was a Bluebird Falcon flying into the mansion earlier. Was there any progress in the search?”

“Oh! I came over here to tell you about that.”

With her hands on her waist, Violet spoke with a triumphant look.

“I found those people.”

[T/N: Is my VionxVieta ship sailing XDD]