My Mom Entered a Contract Marriage - Chapter 1

‘Lilica Barnes’ was quite famous in the capital’s slums.

It was because the parents of each family would rebuke their children sternly, saying, “Try to be half of what Lilica is like.”

Lilica, who’d turned eight this year, was known to be clever and capable.

A burden in such a Lilica’s life would be none other than her mother.

There were several times where she helped her mother, who walked unsteadily after drinking, home, and the sound of her verbal abuse towards her daughter wasn’t the slightest bit muffled by the thin wooden boards.

On the occasional day where the noise became excessive, Lilica would come out and work with red and swollen eyes.

Even so, Lilica was proud of her mother.

It was because she had never met anyone that’s more beautiful than her mother, and her mother was the only one that could read in the slums.

Lilica always thought that her mother, who was originally an aristocrat, suffered too much.

Apparently, her father incurred a huge debt when he went on a boat for a business venture, and his mother was kicked out of the castle because he didn’t return.

If it weren’t for Lilica, her mother could have gotten married anywhere, and Lilica agreed.

Her golden hair, which seemed like an exact copy of the sun’s purity, and her eyes, which were much more blue than cornflowers, didn’t fade even when she was in this neighbourhood.

Her milky white skin and delicate features made her look like a fairy no matter what she was wearing.

Although men would appear briefly, none dared to approach her, perhaps because her mother was so beautiful.

Lilica thought that that was a relief. Even if she ran over with a broom, she would definitely pass out if she was beaten by an adult man.

If a man threw a punch at the small, slender body that didn’t seem eight years old, she would be sent flying and fall to the ground.

She had been hit like that because of the late payment for rent, and it was hard to regain her senses.

Her head spun, her ears buzzed, and her mouth tingled with the disgusting taste of blood.

Her vision went dark and stars spun before her eyes.

As such, Lilica was a little worried. She worried over what she would do if bad people would approach her beautiful mother.

Every night, she would clasped her hands and prayed to the brightest star.

‘Please don’t let bad people approach Mother. Please, always keep Mother safe.’

Whether her wish was granted by the stars or not, it’s fortunate that her mother could walk around the bar without any problems.

Today was a quiet day.

Her mother was sleeping as she’d drank much more than usual.

Lilica tied her brown hair tightly together and went to work.

There wasn’t much that children from the slums could do. Still, Lilica worked diligently.

As she was meticulous in her work and didn’t touch things or steal food, she had a good reputation.

Lilica learnt the mindset of ‘work is credibility’ from the shoeshining mister, and often used it.

She was to tidy up the bar’s kitchen today.

With a brush, she’d repeatedly scrub the oil stains on the floor and wash it away with water.

Despite her trembling arms and the dripping sweat, Lilica continued scrubbing the floor with both hands diligently.

She would always daydream when completing simple tasks such as this.

The first one would be imagining her father’s return.

That her father was actually fine and he was just delayed for a long while as he did business.

She’d daydream about such a father filling a ship with gold, silver and treasures, and he’d find Lilica and her mother and they’d happily live together again.

The second one was Lilica’s secret daydream.

While she was walking down a street in the capital, an unknown gentleman pitied her and threw a silver coin to her.

She spreaded open her apron flusteredly when he asked her to, and she was astonished to see a silver coin fall in.

“Go and buy something delicious.”

The gentleman said that, but she couldn’t bring herself to buy something delicious with that silver coin.

Lilica would always carry the silver coin around like it’s a talisman.

She used to imagine using this silver coin to buy two chickens, and when they laid eggs, she’d raise a lot of chickens and buy goats, cows, and later, buy horses when she became rich enough to do so.

Those two were what Lilica always daydreamed about.

Whenever she thought about them, she forgot about her exhaustion and work would end soon.

After sweeping the sand with a broom, finally mopping the floor with water, Lilica received a large copper coin.

Five small copper coins is equivalent to one large copper coin, and one large copper coin was enough to buy a loaf of bread.

Ten of these large copper coins was worth a nickel coin, which she’d often see, but silver coins were very, very rare.

Lilica bought half a loaf of bread and headed home. When she entered the house softly, her mother was still sleeping.

‘Great.’

Lilica gently raised the blanket and lifted the floorboard that’s below it. Inside was Lilica’s secret storage.

It was a pouch filled with a silver coin and small copper coins.

After fiddling and checking the silver coin several times, she put it back into the pouch.

The rent for next month was contained in the pouch.

If it was caught by her mother, she’d immediately use it to pay for alcohol or other unnecessary things, so she had to secretly save money like this.

The pouch was quite heavy, and it seemed like there would be money leftover even after paying the rent.

Feeling happy just at the thought of it, Lilica smiled and closed the floorboard again and covered it with the blanket.

Just then.

“Gyahhhh!!!”

Her mother screamed on the bed and her limbs writhed like she was having a seizure.

Startled, Lilica froze instantly.

“No! It’s hot! No, it isn’t me! Arggh!!”

Even though her mother fell off the bed, she kept struggling like she was unaware of that, and Lilica dashed over quickly.

“Mother? Mother, are you okay? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

“Save me! Save…”

Lilica held her mother’s hand tightly, and then her mother stopped with a thud.

She opened her trembling eyelids and looked around, but her eyes were out of focus.

Lilica became scared.

She’d heard stories about how people that drank a lot would sustain damage to their minds, and she was worried that her mother might have become like that.

“W—where are we, you, you… Don’t tell me, Lilica?”

Her mother sat up hurriedly and helped Lilica up by holding her hand.

She sat close to her and said.

“Yes, Mother. It’s Lilica.”

Her mother stared blankly at Lilica. Lilica stared straight back at her mother nervously.

“Are you alright? This is our house. Yesterday, uhm…”

Lilica’s words trailed off. Whenever conversation about how she’s drinking too much was raised, her mother would always get angry and Lilica couldn’t figure out what to say.

“I think you had a bad dream.”

“Lily, you’ve become younger.”

“What?”

Lilica was rendered speechless for a moment.

Currently, she’s eight years old, so how old did she seem before if she appeared younger now?

When Lilica averted her gaze flusteredly, her mother inhaled sharply.

“Lily, are you alive?”

“Yes? Yes! Of course. I’m alive.”

‘Did you dream of me dying,’ Lilica mused with a pang in her chest.

Her mother stared blankly at Lilica and said.

“You’re alive. You’re alive, y—you didn’t become younger. Oh, God. How old are you, Lilica?”

“Eight years old.”

“This is ridiculous. What’s going on?”

Her mother suddenly jumped up from her seat and began to wander around the house.

“Goodness, isn’t this the slums? No way. This, oh God.”

She looked out of the window, looked around the house, wandered around, picked up a tiny mirror shard and looked carefully, before breathing in sharply.

“I’ve returned…”

“Mother?”

Lilica was gradually beginning to feel scared. Her mother seemed to have gone crazy.

‘What should I do?’

In this place, proper medicine couldn’t be bought, let alone seeing a doctor. Perhaps she should use the silver coin to call for a doctor.

After resolving Lilica made mental preparations as she rose from her seat.

“Oh, my God! I’ve returned! How did this happen! How did such a thing happen? Oh, my God!”

But when her mother screamed again, Lilica stiffened slightly.

If she approached her at a time like this, she might get hit by her excited mother.

She also avoided people that shouted that excitedly in bars.

Lilica looked at her mother quietly as she waited for her to calm down.

Her mother touched her arms and legs, caressed her hair and her face, and kept repeating the words, “I’ve returned.”

She then turned in Lilica’s direction. Lilica flinched. Her mother ran over and reached out to Lilica.

She was right.

When she closed her eyes tightly, a pair of hands gently touched both cheeks.

When Lilica opened her eyes, her mother’s blue eyes were very close to her. Tears welled up.

“Lilica, you’re still alive. My precious Lilica. Mom has let you down, it’s all Mom’s fault. Mom was so stupid. Because Mom was so stupid—”

When she blinked in surprise, her mother suddenly pulled her into a hug.

As her mother sobbed, she whispered dreamlike words to her several times, “My treasure, my precious baby, I love you.”

Lilica’s tension eased with her warmth.

Her mother’s words began to tickle her heart.

Tears welled up unconsciously, and Lilica cried.

Although she didn’t know what kind of dream this was, and whether or not she was dreaming, her mother was so warm.

It’s so nice to be in her arms.

Lilica realised this deeply. Her mother brushed her hair, rubbed her wet cheeks and kissed them.

After a long while, her mother seemed to have calmed down, and squeezed Lilica tightly for the last time with a sigh and then let her go.

Lilica found that it was all really sudden and strange, and at the same time she felt uneasy.

She was also worried about what would happen if her mother suddenly changed again.

“Lily, what date is it today?”

“Today is, uhm, the 15th of the budding month (April), in the year 485.”

Lilica’s words made her mother ponder for a moment, before she snapped her fingers.

“The Imperial Ball!”

At her sudden words, Lilica nodded her head despite her surprise. Everyone in the capital knew about the spring ball that was being held.

Meanwhile, the capital was lively, and the atmosphere also infected the slums.

Apparently, nobles dressed in extravagant clothes would arrive in the capital and participate in a grandiose ball that’s held at the Imperial Palace.

His Majesty the Emperor, who was also said to be a very scary person, would also be attending this year’s ball.

Threats like “If you keep acting like this, I’ll send you to His Majesty the Emperor!” were given to the children of the slums.

There were rumours that he’d dig out a child’s heart and eat it, or that he’d freeze all those that he didn’t like to death.

Although Lilica didn’t know whether it was true or not, high nobles had special abilities.

Rumour has it that they were able to freely control water, freeze anything at will, and even move things. In addition, they also possessed a lot of magic tools.

In other words, His Majesty used that ability to kill people and ascend to the throne.

There were also stories saying that His Majesty was the one that killed the previous Emperor.

Who would believe it when the current emperor says that he will remain on the throne until the current crown prince, who’s the son of the previous emperor, becomes an adult?

In any case, most of the rumours were about how His Majesty was strange and scary.

However, the worried Lilica blinked, wondering why the topic of the Imperial Ball appeared all of a sudden.

Her mother grabbed Lilica by her shoulders.

“Lily, Mom must attend that ball.”

“……”

Her words were so absurd that Lilica couldn’t even respond.

Her mother’s blue eyes flashed like lightning.

“I have to attend the ball somehow and meet His Majesty. This is my chance. I’ll get ready today, and go tomorrow…”

“That’s ridiculous.”

In an instant, Lilica fell into despair.

She thought that her mother had changed, but harbouring such a thought was her mistake, even if it lasted for a brief moment.

Of all things, the Imperial Ball?

His Majesty the Emperor, she said.

She was astonished by those nonsensical words.

Why did her mother not understand something that even an eight-year-old knows?

“How are you going to get into the Imperial Ball?”

“There’s a way in. Of course, not in clothes like these. Suitable clothes will have to be rented from the pawnshop. Once that’s done, Mom will take care of everything else. That’s why, Lily.”

Lilica knew what words would follow so she spoke with trembling lips.

“I—I don’t have money. Mother…”

“Lily, please. Trust Mom just this once. Mm?”

Lilica shook her head. She had to pay rent soon, and didn’t want to get beaten up again.

Besides, what if her mother was caught by the soldiers at the ball? No, she’d definitely be caught.

Although her mother tried to coax her, Lilica’s lips were tightly closed.

The stubbornness of a girl that grew up in the slums shouldn’t be underestimated.

Eventually, her mother sighed, raised her hands and said.

“Alright, Lily. If that’s your opinion, there’s nothing that I can do.”

Lilica raised her head. Her mother didn’t seem particularly angry.

After pondering for a while, her mother grabbed her by the shoulders again and spoke.

“Lily, please remember this. Mom will do her best for Lily. I know that Lily is a child that’ll be happy without these. This is a mother’s avarice. For the sake of the greed of a mother, I’ll do my absolute best for Lily, with a mother’s avarice. Do you understand?”

Lilica nodded. The mother smiled and hugged her.

“Then, let’s go to bed early today.”

At her mother’s words, Lily quickly took out half a loaf of bread.

“I’ve already eaten, so it’s fine.”

At Lilica’s words, her mother looked at the half a loaf of bread for a while and said.

“Still, let’s share this.”

A lot of strength had to be exerted in order to split apart the hard bread.

After sharing the loaf of bread, Lily fell asleep with her mother in her narrow bed.

Lilica was so happy that she fell asleep without dreaming of silver coins.

When she woke up the next day, her mother was gone. She could see the blanket and floor was open.

Of course, the coin pouch was gone.

Dazed, Lilica slumped to the ground. She couldn’t help it because her legs became weak.

She didn’t think about chasing after her mother now.

“Uhuu—”

Lilica began to cry unconsciously.

She hated her mother for the first time.

Lilica cried and cried.

* * *