Chapter 27

Two days later, I had almost forgotten about the woman I had saved.

If it wasn’t for the person who came to the villa, I would completely have forgotten about her.

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Noel.”

I looked up at the man in front of me.

‘That’s right. Ernst. I have some memories now.’

It was a pity that I realized it a little late.

He is a young man with a completely different impression from my husband who had a somewhat dangerous atmosphere.

An ascetic impression like the standard of a knight.

“I heard that you saved my mother. In fact, she wanted to come directly, but after that incident, she had a fever…”

The man spoke very politely.

“My name is Leander, the Duke of Ernst.”

Leander Ernst.

Information about him came to mind the moment I heard his name.

An unmarried young duke, he is the current ideal bridegroom of the Yuren Kingdom.

‘Indeed, it was the reason why there were so many noble ladies next to Mrs. Rizé that day.’

Now I have a rough idea of ​​the situation.

They were the young ladies who wanted to marry Leander, wanting to look good in front of his biological mother, Mrs. Rizé.

He was very polite, even though he did not know my identity.

“Ah right, I want to say hello to your husband too—”

I still don’t want to reveal my identity to him.

‘Although this man does not have a bad character.’

No, rather, his character makes him a perfectly good man.

Leander is, to put it bluntly, a second male lead in this novel.

Also, he was the rival of the male lead, Rupert. Because of that, he was the opposite of Rupert.

The relationship between the two could be expressed in black and white, light and shadow, and dog and cat.

As he waited for an answer, Leah stuck out her head and answered.

“Father is not here…”

“……”

Upon hearing Leah’s words, Leander looked immediately filled with a great sense of guilt.

“Sorry. I said something very disrespectful in front of your daughter.”

He thought he just made a huge mistake. Did he think my husband was dead?

I patted Leah’s hair.

Good job, my daughter!

Sorry to deceive Leander, but I decided to brazenly push this lie.

“I don’t have a husband, and I live with my young daughter, so it’s difficult for me to bring you into my house. Please forgive the rudeness.”

Rupert and Leander have been clashing in public for a long time.

Leander is not the kind of person to do harm after knowing my identity, but it would be better to kick him out before my identity is revealed.

Fortunately, Leander is much more docile than Rupert.

“That’s right. I fully understand.”

I grinned.

“I’m glad you understood.”

He made an expression of contemplation for a moment and then opened his mouth.

“If you have any concerns, please feel free to come to the Ernst mansion, Madam. I will repay you for your favor. I’m sure your daughter will like it too.”

“Thank you for your words.”

“Then, I’ll leave first.”

After Liander said goodbye, he gave Leah a light glance as well.

Then Leah, who had been hiding all this time, came out.

“Goodbye.”

As I watched Leander’s back as he left, I thought deeply.

‘A young man with manners.’

He maintained a polite attitude from start to the end. Somehow such an attitude reminded me of Aren.

In fact, the two of them may have very similar tendencies.

As I closed the front door, the young maids approached me with curious eyes.

“This is the first time I have seen Duke Ernst up close.”

“Is he famous?”

“Of course, because he looks great!”

The maids must have been happy just seeing him up close.

“He is always kind to the common people and pays attention to the little things.”

“The Duke’s mother Mrs. Rizé is also kind! She also sponsored a medical center and often does volunteer work there.”

“I see.”

At that time, Leah, who had been listening quietly, pulled the hem of my skirt.

“Weren’t you wondering about the medical center, Mom?”

“I did.”

It’s ​​interesting, but it’s not to the point where I want to be associated with Leander.

Anyway, I decided to put Leah first. My interests are not important right now.

‘I don’t want to go through something as terrifying as last time.’

Still, thinking about the moment that I nearly lost Leah, the back of my neck grew cold.

“But Mom seems to be in trouble lately. Can’t the Duke also help you?”

‘My daughter’s eyes are fast because she is smart……’

I smiled as if nothing was wrong.

“Don’t worry, Mom just needs Leah, I don’t have any worries.”

First of all, I was determined to do my best for her.

I’d better keep my personal wishes aside.

“……”

Leah looked up for a moment and gave me a thoughtful expression on her face.

For some reason, her face looked very mature for her age, so it was particularly memorable.

***

Recently, I got up early in the morning to do something secretly.

I started throwing the pillow into the air.

“Stop.”

The pillow fell to the floor.

“This is also not possible…”

These days, it’s not just one or two things that make me wonder.

First, there was my premonition about Leah that she was in danger.

I also had an unreasonable dream.

The second is the time when the building collapsed and time stopped for a while.

Since then, I have been secretly experimenting by throwing pillows every morning, but there is no progress yet.

‘I was hoping that I might have a hidden power.’

Such a miracle must be something that can only happen to the main character. My life as a supporting character can never be so easy.

I also wonder why I suddenly remember my past life. And the ominous feeling as if someone had been brainwashing me.

‘The problem is that there is nothing to go on at all.’

By the time I was 26, I had never had a special life. All I know is I was living as an aristocratic lady with a bad personality.

‘Was it not my power to stop time?’

Hmm, actually, I have an acquaintance who can advise on this kind of thing. The only distant relative with whom I have been close since childhood, Michael.

The problem is that Michael is a famous magician, so it’s hard to see his face.

‘Should I contact him soon?’

With such complicated thoughts, I greeted a new morning.

***

A few days later, I took a walk through the city with my daughter.

“Mom, what are the kids doing there?”

Leah asked, pointing to a place.

When I turned my head, I saw children riding on swings and playing.

Is it a playground?

“That’s a place where friends gather and play.”

Leah looked at that place with even more curious eyes after my answer.

“I see……”

Come to think of it, she had never played with her peers.

“Do you want to go?”

Leah shook her head with an impatient expression.

“I don’t.”

“Aren’t you curious?”

“I’m not.”

Looks like Leah still has the habit of holding back what she wants.

“It’s okay if you want to go, Leah.”

Leah’s expression brightened slightly.

“Really…?”

“Then, will you go and talk to your friends first? Mom will be watching over here.”

She hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded.

“Well, then I’ll be right back!”

She immediately runs to the playground. I smiled at her little back.

“Be careful!”

While waiting, I decided to sit on a nearby bench and looked around.

In the meantime, I saw a building that was particularly crowded with people.

“What are people doing over there……?”

The answer came from behind.

“That’s a medical center I sponsored.”

Startled, I turned around. A familiar face appeared.

“Mrs. Ernst?”

“Please call me Mrs. Rizé. May I call you by your first name too?”

I nodded involuntarily.

“Sure.”

“Thank you, nice to see you again, Noel.”

“Is your body okay?”

“It is. Thank you for your concern.”

Suddenly she sat down next to me on the bench.

Not far away, Leah was seen talking to the other children.

To be honest, I was saddened by the fact that the child who had always wanted to be close to me slowly found a friend of the same age.

‘Is this also part of a growth process?’

It’s my first time being a mother too, so I have a lot of trouble.

Then, Mrs. Rizé opened her mouth.

“I heard my son made a mistake a while ago,” she said.

Is she talking about Leander? To be honest, my conscience was pierced. Because it reminded me that I lied and sent him back.

“It’s fine, the Duke did nothing wrong.”

I answered anxiously.

……I think this will really make Rupert look like he’s dead.

It was uncomfortable to lie to Leander and this gentlewoman. So I corrected only small misunderstandings.

“My husband isn’t dead. But it’s true that he’s away because of some problem.”

Will Rupert’s curse continue to worsen at this moment? Or maybe it got better after making progress with Aren?

I didn’t know.

After all, Rupert never accepted Leah and me, and our relationship was worsening.

What is the reason for maintaining a relationship that is nothing but an empty shell?

There is no reason to stay by his side.

With that in mind, I listened to Mrs. Rizé’s words.