My Mom Entered a Contract Marriage - Chapter 14

It wasn’t the thick chocolate that she’d had before, but smooth milk chocolate that’s made with milk. Each sip she took warmed her stomach. Her tenseness has also eased.

Brynn asked.

“Are you feeling better now?”

“Mm…”

Lilica nodded slightly, and asked.

“His Highness?”

“Brann should be taking care of His Highness. Shall I find out more?”

“Mm.”

Lilica nodded. Brynn gave another lady-in-waiting a signal with her eyes and she quickly went out.

Brynn said.

“It’s such a relief that you didn’t get hurt. I heard that you were caught by your hair, right?”

“Mm, but I’m fine now. I’ve realised that I really shouldn’t go about by myself. Brynn was right.”

“I didn’t want you to realise that in this manner. Also, it’s actually His Majesty’s fault.”

It’s all because of the person that sent the two children on a picnic by themselves.

As Altheos hated having people around him, Brynn would send Lilica to the office and always took her leave without waiting, but the problem arose from there.

Just then, the door burst open.

“Lily!”

“Mother.”

Brynn managed to grab the cup from Lilica before she was pulled into a tight embrace by Ludia.

“You must have been shocked, right? Honestly, you wouldn’t know how alarmed Mom was either. Goodness. I’d never expected that something like this would happen today.”

She let out a deep sigh.

“This is why people have to lead kind lives.”

Then, Ludia told Lilica.

She knew that Atil would be attacked by an escort, but she’d ignored it.

Ludia thought, since he’d hurt Lily, she wanted him to feel the same way, but she didn’t expect it to get back to her in its totality.

“If only Mom could be as kind as Lily.”

At those words, Lilica blushed and stuttered.

“I’m not kind. I also shouted ‘I hate it’ to His Majesty today, and, uhm. I’ll still like Mother even if she’s unkind. Uhm, it’s not that I don’t like kindness.”

“Oh my? Altheos deserved to hear that. Seriously.”

With a snort, Ludia mercilessly scorned her contract husband and grinned.

“But Lily’s words make me feel encouraged.”

Lilica felt happy as Ludia stroked her hair gently. She began to nod off as she relaxed.

The sound of whispering between two people travelled to her in her sleep.

“The Princess is sleeping.”

“Her tension must have ebbed. Poor thing, she must have been so shocked.”

Lilica could feel a gentle touch on her forehead.

“Let her have a good rest like this. Cancel all of the following schedules.”

“Understood, Your Majesty the Empress.”

“I wish I could remain with you, but I have a meeting afterwards—”

Her voice gradually grew distant, and Lilica fell asleep completely.

* * *

“—!”

Lilica kicked the air with her feet, her eyes opening widely. She was drenched in cold sweat. Her heart throbbed loudly.

“Princess, did you have a nightmare? Are you alright?”

Light illuminated the room immediately and Brynn spoke softly from her nearby position. Lilica raised her upper body and nodded.

“……What’s the time now?”

“It’s currently past midnight. Please go back to sleep. I’ll remain by your side.”

Lilica stared blankly into space for a moment. Brynn tilted her head and asked.

“Should I bring some cookies and warm milk? Or would you like to get some fresh air?”

“Brynn.”

“Yes, Princess.”

“Can I go and visit His Highness?”

“His Highness the Crown Prince?”

“Yeah. Can I?”

Brynn smiled.

“There’s nothing that can’t be done. I’ll go and make a request now.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Please don’t mention it.”

With a smile, Brynn left the bedroom. Lilica curled her legs inwards and hugged them.

Mother would surely be with His Majesty, so she couldn’t disturb her.

And now that she was all grown up, she had a nightmare. She couldn’t just look for her like that.

‘A very, very bad person.’

Lilica didn’t think that she’d be able to forget the name Rowyn. The shoeshining mister had said this.

The worst ones are those that don’t think the evil deeds they’d committed were wrong.

—Everything that those kinds of people say are poison.

That’s what he’d said.

Click.

Lilica raised her head at the sound of the door opening.

“What did he say? Is it okay…Your Highness…?”

She was faced with Atil’s back. He strode over and placed the lamp down onto the table.

As Lilica was about to get out astonishedly, Atil grabbed Lilica’s shoulders and sat down on the bed.

“Unable to sleep?”

At the question that was asked offhandedly, Lilica looked at him blankly and nodded her head.

“If you aren’t able to sleep just because of that—No, it’s possible that you’re unable to sleep. So?”

“Huh?”

“So why would you want to see me?”

When the person in question came to her, she hesitated.

“What is it?”

He questioned again, and Lilica spoke quietly.

“Together…”

She stole a glance at him.

“I wanted to ask if we could sleep together……”

Those softly spoken words caused Atil to raise his eyebrows.

Her voice was low, but her eyes kept watching him fixedly.

Lilica recalled that Atil didn’t let go of her hand.

In that situation, he didn’t run away by himself.

That’s why.

That’s why.

Under that gaze, Atil ended up letting out a deep sigh.

“Fine, let’s sleep.”

“!!”

With joy, Lilica shuffled to the side and tapped the space next to her.

Atil looked at the spot next to her. Lilica tapped the space next to her again.

Atil slowly climbed in bed.

He leaned against a large pillow at the head of the bed and asked.

“Is it alright like this?”

“Yes.”

Atil spoke as he pushed Lilica’s head onto her pillow when she answered with a smile.

“Then, go to sleep now.”

“Yes.”

Lilica giggled with her face buried in the pillow.

“What are you so happy about?”

“It’s because we’re sleeping together like this. I really wanted to try sleeping together like this, when I had a sibling.”

A sibling.

Atil mused over that word slowly. He had never thought deeply about that word.

It’s because just thinking about it hurts him.

Even though he has Uncle Altheos, Atil couldn’t get rid of the idea that he was always alone.

He reached out a hand slowly.

When Lilica spotted the hand that was hesitating in the air, she raised her head abruptly and placed her head under his palm.

Pat, pat. 

As he patted her round head, Atil felt his tension bleed away. Lilica grinned.

Looking at that smile, what she’d shouted earlier felt like a lie.

Atil had never expected that she’d step in between him and the assassin.

He also didn’t expect that she would yell at the assassin.

She’d even said those words to His Majesty.

She had nothing to gain from doing that.

‘Come to think of it, earlier, even Her Majesty the Empress…’

As Brynn led Lilica’s trembling body into a hot bathtub, Atil was with Altheos.

No, to be more exact, he was with the Emperor and Empress.

‘I didn’t expect that the Empress would say something to Uncle.’

As he said things like, Are you injured? I’m considering conducting a thorough background check on Rowyn later on, Ludia’s eyes widened at the conversation and she raised her voice.

“Wouldn’t he become distrustful of humans if you speak in that manner? Can you make others the same as you just because you distrust humans?”

“What?”

“Gosh, do you have to say ambiguous things like that will make him assume everyone around him are his enemies?”

Atil stood and blinked at those words.

He didn’t think that there would be anyone that could raise their voices before the Emperor.

“Distrust of humans? Me?”

Altheos’ voice became low, and Ludia stood right in front of him.

“Yes.”

“Hah, what do you know about me that you can babble such nonsense?”

“Then, do you really think I’m unaware of what you think about me?”

Altheos closed in on her step by step. As Atil watched Ludia, who didn’t retreat at all even when her nose was about to touch his chest, he couldn’t help but feel amazed.

“You—”

Just as Altheos was about to growl, Ludia raised a hand.

“Wait a minute.”

She then looked back at Atil.

“I will support you until you become emperor. I don’t intend to have a child with His Majesty. Altheos may seem like he’s neglecting everything, but he’ll put you on the throne. He intends to do that much.”

Altheos tried to speak, but Ludia stopped him again and said.

“Didn’t we agree not to fight in front of the children?”

At those words, Altheos clicked his tongue and let out a short exhale. He then folded his arms and closed his mouth tightly. Ludia continued.

“The same also applies to me. I support his plan to put you on the throne. It doesn’t matter whether you believe this or not. I’m just letting you know the truth.”

“How can you speak to a child like that?”

Altheos spoke sarcastically from behind her, but Ludia didn’t even spare him a glance.

“Now then, off you go. Oh, and Atil. Altheos has never been involved with the assassination attempts before, right?”

“Obviously!”

Altheos frowned.

Why would he kill Atil?

“That’s right. Now, off you go. Right now, I have something to talk to this person about.”

As such, Atil was kicked out of the office.

Brann and Pi ran over and asked whether he was alright, but he was too preoccupied to respond. It felt like a whirlwind had just gone through his mind.

Brann and Pi fell silent at the sight of him lost in thought.

Atil’s mind was in utter chaos.

He wasn’t able to sleep, even when it was late at night. As such, when he heard Lilica’s words, he said that he would go over personally.

For some reason, his complicated mind lightened after looking at her face.

‘And looking at that beaming face of hers.’

All the worries that he had seemed to vanish completely. How was it that this girl was so defenceless?

She was weak, even.

“Your Highness.”

Lilica called.

“Why?”

“Aren’t you scared?”

Atil pressed her head down such that it was deeply nestled in a pillow.

“Kyahh?”

“I’m used to it. This is already the fourth assassination attempt.”

“The fourth?!”

Atil nodded, and pressed on her head as she was about to get up out of shock. He muttered unconsciously.

“I thought that His Majesty knew about everything and stood by.”

He thought that Altheos was using himself like a chess piece.

Like it didn’t matter if he died.

No, he was the kind of person that only needed him alive to maintain his status as the emperor.

But today, he heard that it wasn’t the case.

‘It wasn’t the case.’

The sight of Aunt—Atil still found this word awkward for no particular reason—talking to Uncle gave Atil a refreshing jolt.

“Still, I think I’d feel scared even if it was the fourth time.”

Lilica spoke with a deep sigh. Atil felt embarrassed upon hearing her voice.

How should he explain this?

Pi or Brann were probably to be the people closest to him.

But they had their clan, and their family.

Even if the apocalypse were to occur tomorrow, they would abandon him and rush towards their family.

Or, if he died, they’ll sorrowfully fill his place with another lord.

Atil was someone that could always be replaced.

However, when their family disappeared, that place would be empty forever.

Something irreplaceable.

He didn’t have anything like that.

It had clearly been like that thus far.

But a weak, reckless, and defenceless presence have appeared.

He was troubled. He was puzzled.

What should he do with this?

‘Do I have no choice but to protect this?’

As Atil thought in an askew manner, he spoke.

“Rather than fear, the feeling of betrayal is greater.”

Lilica held the hand that was stroking her hair tightly and turned to lie sideways.

Atil snorted.

“You don’t have to look like that. It cooled down because you screamed that loudly.”

He looked into her eyes.

Her eyes, which seemed to take him to a distant foreign country, sparkled brightly even under the light of candles illuminating the dark.

‘It really feels like I’ve arrived in a foreign country.’

Nothing had changed since yesterday, no, a few moments ago but everything has changed.

However, he had no intention of mentioning that to Lilica.

It was a matter of a twelve-year-old boy’s pride.

“So stop worrying and go to sleep.”

He pulled up the blanket to cover her shoulders, and Lilica closed her eyes.

Atil didn’t withdraw the hand she was holding, so she gripped it tightly.

She was so afraid then, but she felt very relieved that Atil didn’t let go.

As she held that hand tightly, Lilica fell asleep.

Atil sensed Lilica’s breathing slowly turned even and extinguished the candles.

‘Why now?’

He closed his eyes.

Why would Rowyn try to kill him ‘now’?

Up till now, he was perfectly capable of killing him, but he’d waited for so long.

He must have been waiting for the right time and instructions from his superiors.

And it clearly had to be now.

‘The only difference was the empress’ existence and…’

He glanced at Lilica.

‘Was it this girl?’

Although he didn’t know who Rowyn was receiving his orders from, he must have stayed with him from the very beginning for that purpose.

He felt suffocated at the thought that their relationship thus far was entirely fabricated.

It was painful, like water was filling his lungs.

All human beings—

“Hm…”

Lilica made a small noise, perhaps because his grip tightened without his realisation.

Startled, Atil relaxed his hand. Luckily, she didn’t wake up. Her little hand held his hand tightly.

“……”

Family.

A sister that he didn’t share a drop of blood with.

However, that was precisely why a certain something that wouldn’t break exists between them.

Atil slid down from the head of the bed and faced her with his head on a pillow.

It’s also his first time sleeping beside someone. There were too many firsts, which was bewildering

Still, he didn’t find Lilica’s breathing intrusive, and soon fell asleep.

‘I’ve never fallen asleep so easily before.’

That was his last thought before falling into slumber.

* * *