My Mom Entered a Contract Marriage - Chapter 11

Just as Lilica expected, her mother was rather upset, but she let it go after Lilica comforted her several times that she was fine. Afterwards, she muttered under her breath.

 

“Don’t worry, Lily. I’m sure Atil will regret this later on.”

 

“What?”

 

Lilica looked at her mother in astonishment. What do you mean by regret?

 

Lilica didn’t want anything like that, but if her mother would feel at ease, saying things like that was still acceptable.

 

She’d never thought that her mother had the power to make the crown prince regret it.

 

Lilica nodded in order to cheer her mother up.

 

“I see.”

 

At her words, Ludia smiled, squeezed her daughter tightly, and let her go.

 

“Lily, I’ve ordered something new to make you feel better.”

 

Lilica’s eyes widened when she saw the long gift box. She really couldn’t guess what was contained within it.

 

When she opened the gift box, a parasol was within.

 

It was a small parasol, and it seemed to consist of lace and jewels.

 

“It’s so pretty.”

 

Lilica was in awe. Brynn, who was beside her, let out an exclamation.

 

“Could it be, Elzerck lace?”

 

“Of course, it’s real Elzerck lace.”

 

As Ludia spoke with a smile, Lilica tilted her head.

 

“Elzerck lace?”

 

Brynn quickly explained.

 

“It is lace produced in the Elzerck fief. It has a high price as it’s very delicate and takes a very long time to weave, but it’s famous for its beauty.”

 

“I see.”

 

The shaft was made of ivory and the handle was made of gold. It was as though she could purchase a fortress with this parasol.

 

Although parasols weren’t personally carried and large parasols were mostly carried by the attendants, Ludia popularised bustle dresses, which were more dynamic than crinolines, and also did the same for parasols.

 

At the same time, she ordered a small child-sized parasol for Lilica.

 

While some may disagree, saying that it was too extravagant for a child to use, Ludia didn’t even listen to them.

 

The most important thing for her was to do something for her daughter.

 

With shining eyes, Lilica asked.

 

“Can I take a walk now?”

 

“Of course.”

 

Lilica picked up the parasol with a huge smile.

 

“?”

 

The parasol was much heavier than she thought. It was all the more so, as she was thinner than others of her age.

 

But she didn’t want to disappoint her mother, so Lilica pretended to be fine.

 

“I’ll be right back.”

 

“Yes, yes.”

 

Ludia nodded with a satisfied smile.

 

Lilica held the parasol with both hands and headed out.

 

After opening the parasol, the dangling crystal decorations refracted the sunlight into rainbow-coloured fragments.

 

“Oh my gosh.”

 

Lilica let out a sigh and placed the parasol on her shoulder. It was a little lighter this way.

 

As she walked leisurely in the sunny garden, Lilica circled around her parasol on her shoulder. Fragments of light were sprinkled here and there.

 

The young goat leather shoes she was newly wearing made crisp clicks, and her heart was light.

 

If only a spring breeze didn’t blow by at that moment.

 

The originally heavy parasol was swept away by the wind, and Lilica felt her body being jerked away.

 

“Princess.”

 

Brynn cried, startled.

 

“I’m okay!”

 

Lilica shouted, but the strong spring wind quickly blew her parasol far away.

 

“No!”

 

Her vision turned dark at the thought of the fortress flying away, and Lilica started running behind the parasol.

 

She gave up on the idea of running along the garden’s path.

 

Lilica cut through the bushes and a small stream and ran.

 

“Princess! Please don’t run!”

 

Despite Brynn’s shouts from behind her, Lilica’s eyes remained fixed solely on the parasol.

 

Fortunately, the wind stopped and the parasol seemed to fall to the floor, and Lilica increased her speed at the final moment.

 

“Kyahh?!”

 

She fell over right in front of the parasol.

 

“Haha, did you fall down while running for a parasol?”

 

At the sound of laughter, she finally realised that she was caught. She rose while flusteredly pressing down her skirt.

 

“I’m really sor…ry…”

 

The reason she spoke a beat slower was because the person in front of her looked so gorgeous.

 

In Lilica’s heart, her mother took the first in her list of beautiful people, but this person quickly became the second.

 

Other than her mother, she’d never seen anyone like this.

 

Silver hair shone like moonlight, cool and gorgeous facial features.

 

He had a beauty that’s akin to an extremely purified silver blade.

 

He was currently twelve? Thirteen?

 

The boy smiled slightly.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

“Yes? Yes, I’m fine. I’m sorry!”

 

Only then did Lilica regain her senses and apologised again quickly.

 

The boy laughed again. He lifted the fallen parasol and spun it around.

 

Lilica stared blankly as the multicoloured sunlight scattered onto his silver hair.

 

“Isn’t it too heavy for you to carry? It would be better if it was a little lighter.”

 

His gaze turned towards something behind her and then returned to Lilica.

 

“I see. So you’re the princess that’s famous these days. True, she’s probably the only person that would carry such a parasol.”

 

When the person in question was right in front of him, he spoke like he was talking about a third party.

 

“I assumed that she’d an extravagant villainess, but it’s unexpected.”

 

Lilica frowned at those words.

 

She’d have gotten angry if he was talking about her mother, but if he was talking about her. Well.

 

However, in order to display a princess’ dignity, she straightened her back and admonished him dignifiedly.

 

“You shouldn’t judge people based on rumours without seeing them in person.”

 

“Yes, but aren’t gossip and slander very interesting?”

 

The boy rose from his seat with a smile.

 

He reached out a hand, and Lilica took that hand and got up from her position. Only then did the boy’s clothes catch her eye.

 

He was dressed as splendidly as his appearance was.

 

He was wearing a blouse with rich, decorative sleeves and a vest over it.

 

Although dressing formally wasn’t a stipulation in the palace, Lilica was impressed by the fact that his appearance was by no means inferior to an attire like that.

 

“Young Duke Barat, please mind your manners.”

 

Brynn’s voice came from behind. The boy grinned, placed the parasol on his shoulder gracefully and gave a curtsy.

 

Lilica’s jaw dropped unknowingly.

 

It was the most elegant and stylish curtsy that she’d ever seen. Even Madam Gwendolyn couldn’t do such a curtsy.

 

While curtsying in pants was rather unique, it caught her eye at once.

 

“It’s fine if I do this, right?”

 

His words that were spoken with a grin caused Brynn to frown. Lilica spoke with pure admiration.

 

“It’s really elegant…… No, it’s really elegant.”

[T/N: the first version was spoken with honorifics, the second one is casual. Lilica is supposed to speak casually to everyone in the palace other than the crown prince and emperor, but old habits die hard I guess.]

 

Upon hearing Lilica’s words, the boy’s head tilted to the side and he couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

 

He stopped laughing and spoke gently.

 

“Do you really mean it?”

 

What he’d done could definitely have been taken as mockery, but she was admiring an irrelevant aspect.

 

“I’m only telling the truth though?”

 

He burst into laughter again at Lilica’s words.

 

“I am Fjord Barat. Barat’s greatest masterpiece.”

 

The last sentence was filled with sarcasm, but she couldn’t tell if it was directed towards himself.

 

Lilica also responded.

 

“It’s nice to meet you, Young Duke Barat.”

 

“You can just call me Fjord.”

 

“Fjord.”

 

Lilica murmured his name before suddenly saying.

 

“Won’t you teach me how to curtsy?”

 

“Teach the Princess how to curtsy?”

 

“Yeah, it’s my first time seeing someone curtsy so elegantly. I really want to learn.”

 

The words that Lilica had emphasised caused him to scratch his cheek.

 

“First of all, I must have permission from the imperial family in order to teach the princess. Why don’t you get that first?”

 

“Oh, I see. I had no idea. I’m sorry for the abruptness.”

 

Fjord made a strange expression as he looked at the young princess that had apologised sincerely.

 

With a bitter smile, he folded the parasol and held it out to her.

 

“I don’t think the operation to tease will work. Then, please return first. If you said that you met a Barat here, you wouldn’t hear anything good.”

 

“What?”

 

“Princess, that would be great.”

 

Lilica nodded at Brynn’s response. Looking back, Brynn seemed to want to leave this place as soon as possible.

 

As Lilica followed her out of the forest, she looked back.

 

Fjord stood there and curtsied once again, and Lilica waved without realising it.

 

Brynn sighed as she walked out of the forest.

 

“I didn’t expect to meet a Barat here.”

 

“What about Barat?”

 

Brynn said, “Hmm,” and fell into contemplation for a moment with furrowed brows.

 

“I don’t think there’s anything that I can tell you. The same goes for Madam Gwendolyn. Why don’t you ask Her Majesty the Empress?”

 

The structure of political dynamics between families couldn’t be explained by a lady-in-waiting, nor an etiquette tutor that wasn’t a blueblood.

 

“Yes, but he was an extremely beautiful person.”

 

Lilica sighed. Brynn asked with a smile.

 

“More than the Empress?”

 

“No, Mother’s always the best! In this entire world, there is no one that’s more beautiful than Mother.”

 

But he was the second most beautiful person. Those multi-colored fragments and silver hair were still vivid before her eyes.

 

She was curious, so Lilica quickly headed to her mother.

 

An audience just ended, so Ludia welcomed her daughter peacefully.

 

“Mother, do you know Fjord Barat?”

 

“Of course I know.”

 

Ludia was well aware of this name.

 

Isn’t he the Duke of Barat’s masterpiece?

 

‘He’s currently around twelve, right? He’ll be dead in three years.’

 

Fjord Barat died mysteriously, and the Duke of Barat became even more insane than he currently was.

 

“What about Fjord Barat?”

 

“We met in the garden. He helped me pick up my parasol.”

 

Ludia frowned at her daughter’s words.

 

“Fjord Barat? In the garden of the Sun Palace?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I see.”

 

Ludia was lost in thought.

 

The Barat Duchy was currently eyeing the throne covetously. Duke Barat was the head of the aristocratic faction, which completely opposed the emperor.

 

However, he wasn’t satisfied with being the head of the aristocratic faction and desired for the throne.

 

Didn’t Ludia stand on the Duke of Barat’s side and covet the crown prince’s position before her return?

 

As long as the crown prince dies, Young Lord Barat would succeed the throne.

 

Currently, other than the crown prince, there weren’t anyone from the direct line of descent in the Takar family. It was a rare opportunity that’s created by the Duke of Barat.

 

Even the mother of the current crown prince was of humble status.

 

In terms of pedigree alone, the Young Duke of Barat was closer to the throne.

 

However.

 

The “authority” that only Takars could use was Duke Barat’s greatest enemy.

 

‘Barat will never win against Takar.’

 

Ludia, who knows the current emperor’s identity, snorted.

 

When she stood on Barat’s side, didn’t she lose her daughter and ended up being sent to the stake as a traitor?

 

‘No, that’s not right.’

 

Ludia gritted her teeth and corrected herself.

 

‘Lily died because of me, and my foolish actions caused me to burn.’

 

Truthfully, if it was possible, she didn’t want to get involved with the aristocracy or the imperial family. If she could have gotten out of the slums through any means other than a contract marriage, she would have used that.

 

However, no matter how she mulled over it, this was the only way that Ludia could best utilise the knowledge that she’d gained after returning.

 

‘But I haven’t thought much about Fjord.’

 

Since he died in the middle, he was an outsider from the beginning. Instead, the one that came out next…

 

Ducal Princess Barat.

 

Ludia frowned as soon as she thought about her and changed her train of thought.

 

Why was the son of the aristocratic faction’s head wandering around the Sun Palace? She didn’t think that he would hear anything good.

 

As she looked at her mother, who’s lost in thought, Lilica plucked up her courage and said.

 

“Mother, Fjord is very good at curtsying. I want to learn, but I heard that I need permission…….”

 

“Curtsying from Fjord Barat? Mom knows he’s definitely a boy.”

 

“He’s a boy. But he’s really good at curtsying!”

 

Was it alright to interact with the crown prince’s political enemy?

 

‘Anyways, he’s going to die in three years, so it should be fine, right?’

 

In addition, it was the first time that her daughter came forward to her and asked for something first.

 

Although her daughter said that she’s alright that Atil broke his promise to attend her tea party, Ludia still wanted to do something for her because she’ll feel hurt.

 

Ludia went over her plan. Her goal was simple.

 

Earning money while she was the empress, settling down at a suitable place after the divorce and living happily with her daughter.

 

She doesn’t intend to be too greedy.

 

Her entire life burning away under the sway of desire once was enough.

 

Now, even the empress’s crown was a toy in her hand.

 

She was faithful to the contract with the emperor, so as she was shaking up society, she intended to save money meticulously and retire with her cute daughter.

 

‘However, it’ll be easy to be struck in the back if I just retire.’

 

She intended to leave some good connections.

 

So that she could smoothly respond, no matter what happens to Lily later.

 

She didn’t intend to cut her connections to the aristocratic society cleanly and leave.

 

“Okay, I’ll make a request to the Barat family. But I don’t know if it’ll work or not.”

 

It wasn’t that bad to throw a stone at the Barat family.

 

Let’s see the kind of ripples that are drawn and how the fishes moved.

 

Ludia, who had been an accomplice to Barat, had a rough idea of their plan.

 

However, she always needed to check.

 

“Really? Thank you!”

 

Lilica smiled brightly and hugged Ludia. Ludia smiled lightly.

 

When she hugged her daughter, who’d gained some weight, she now smells soft and nice. Her laughter was pleasing to the ears.

 

‘As expected, my daughter is the cutest in the world.’

 

The problem was that others seem to have noticed that her daughter was the cutest in the world.

 

As she thought about a dragon bas—no, the emperor, who’d told a child nonsense about calling him father, Ludia hugged her daughter tightly.

 

‘I’m definitely not giving Lily! I’m Lily’s one and only Mom!’

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