Chapter 13

Chapter 13

“Dad?”

“Oh, Elliot. I guess I woke you up.” Alexei laughed awkwardly.

Elliot yawns and stretches. He opens his arms to his father. Alexei, who skillfully held his son, suddenly found an empty cup on the table. Seeing the traces of the brown liquid drying out, it seemed to be a cup of cocoa.

“For some reason, it seems that Meg had allowed cocoa before going to sleep.”

Touching the child’s back, Alexei opened his mouth with a complicated mind.

Although suspicious circumstances have been caught regarding the Londini family…

‘But to Elliot… I’m glad Meg was around.’

Unlike Anriche, who was cold about everything, Meg always treated Elliot with a smile. How lonely Elliott would have been without Meg…

But just then, Elliott shook his head.

“It wasn’t from Meg.”

“Then?”

“Mother brought it to me.”

‘…Anriche?’

At that moment, Alexey’s hand, gently sweeping Elliot’s back, stopped.

Why does she give him his favorite cocoa, but not pay any attention to him?

After a while, Alexei, who had refined his expression, smiled.

“All right. Did you clean your teeth well?”

“Yes, of course.” Elliot replied with a youthful smile.

Alexei looked closely at Elliot, putting his son back on the bed.

“Good. It’s late, so go to bed.”

As he patted his shoulder and Elliot quickly fell asleep again. Alexei finally raised himself, after leaving a kiss on the child’s cheek.

‘…What the hell is Anriche thinking?’

There were deep wrinkles on his forehead.

Anriche’s actions today were strange in many ways. The way she brought Liliana and looked after her closely, and brought cocoa to Elliot…

‘She’s a little different from before…’

Alexei, who thought so without realizing it, looked disillusioned. He doesn’t know what the hell was she thinking.

Isn’t ‘she’ that Anriche?

A woman who is arrogant, extravagant, and sees everyone as under her feet.

She is a woman who does not care for anyone personally.

Even though he was disappointed countless times, it was funny to see himself hoping for things to change again like this.

“…Hoo.” A short breath flowed through Alexei’s lips.

Any thoughts about Anriche are useless.

Regardless, she would never change.

He slipped out of the room with tired eyes.

***

When she opened her eyes to the bright sunlight, it was morning. Anriche, who blinked her eyelids half-asleep, suddenly felt a little warmth in her arms.

“…Liliana?”

As she called Liliana, the child raised her head and smiled with her eyes.

“Mother, did you sleep well?”

“Yes, did you sleep well?” Anriche also smiled at the child.

As she gently swept Liliana’s soft cheeks, the child rubbed her hands like a young animal.

“Should we eat breakfast?”

“Oh, it’s okay. Maybe it’s because I ate last night. I’m still not hungry.”

“Hmm, really?”

Well, they were late for dinner yesterday. Besides, didn’t she drink a cup of cocoa before going to bed?

Anriche nodded her head.

“Then, what would Liliana want to do today?”

“Me?” Liliana opened her eyes in a wide circle.

‘What do I want to do?’

The question was unfamiliar.

Because so far, no one has ever asked Liliana what she wanted to do.

Liliana, who had been contemplating for a while, carefully moved her lips.

“I…want to spend time with mother.”

“You want to spend time with me?”

“Yes. If I can be with mother, it doesn’t matter much what I do.” Liliana firmly nodded her head.

Anriche, who seemed to be worried for a moment, patted Liliana’s head a couple of times.

“Then, shall we bake cookies today?”

It was because she remembered when Liliana was eating the cookie, which was served as a dessert yesterday. Upon hearing her offer, Liliana lit her eyes like lanterns.

“Baking cookies? With mother?”

“Yes, if you don’t want to…”

“No, it’s great! I think it’ll be so much fun!” Liliana raised her voice without knowing it.

Then, as if surprised by her loud voice, she looked at Anriche’s eyes.

Anriche folded her eyes, insinuating that she doesn’t need to worry.

“Okay, then get up first. You can’t lie in bed forever.”

“Yes, Yes!” Liliana jumped out of bed.

Anriche, who followed the child and stepped her foot away from the bed, called Liliana with her hand.

“Before going down to the kitchen, should we wash our face first?”

“Yes, mother!” She ran over to Anriche.

Her appearance was like a chick following a mother chicken, so Anriche laughed out loud.

***

As she was just getting out of the bedroom, Anriche found a doll in Liliana’s arms.

When she bought Liliana’s dress at the clothing store, Anriche bought the doll as a present.

Anriche asked questions with a puzzled face.

“By the way, why did you bring the doll?”

“Yes? That’s because it’s a precious doll that mother gave to me as a gift.” Liliana replied with the widest smile.

“When I spend time with mother, I try to carry this doll with me.”

“Why?”

“So, every time I see this doll, I’ll remember the fun I had with mother?”

At those lovely words, Anriche blushed and closed her mouth with her hands.

‘Our Liliana is so cute and unique!’

Anriche was screaming inside her head.

She found Elliott grinning in front of the door.

“Oh my God, Elliot?” Anriche opened her eyes wide.

A child who usually doesn’t walk near her bedroom is now here, willingly.

She wondered why he came here. Elliot lifted his head stiffly, swallowing his dry saliva with a gulp.

“I came to say thank you.”

“Thank you? Why?”

Elliot Bowed his head to bewildered Anriche.

“Thank you for bringing the cocoa yesterday.”

…You said you came here to greet me?

When Anriche tilted her head, Liliana said hello to Elliot.

“Hello, Young Master Valois.”

“…Hello.”

Elliot pretended not to be interested in Liliana. He looked down to his toes and said hello. However, his neck was already stained with a red color.

‘Aha.’

At the moment, a playful smile stood over Anriche’s lips. Looking at it, Elliot seems to like her quite a bit since he first saw Liliana.

‘Coming to say thank you for cocoa is just an excuse to come to my bedroom.’

Perhaps Elliot wanted to see Liliana one more time, so he decided to visit. Well, even in the original story, they were lovers who could not live with each other…

Anriche was curious as she watched the two children behave.

Elliot was looking at Liliana’s doll with his eyes. He was embarrassed to look at Liliana’s face, and he didn’t know what to say to her.

As she interpreted that fervent gaze, Liliana carefully presented the doll to Elliot.

“Well, young master. Would you like to hold the doll once?”

“No thanks. I’m a boy.”

“And?”

“Boys are supposed to play with a wooden sword or toy carriage.”

Having said so, Elliot whispered and turned his head away.

Anriche, who was listening to the conversation between the two children, narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth.

“Oh my God, Elliot. Why do you say that?”

“Yes?”

“Is it legally decided that ‘boys should only play with wooden swords and toy carriages’?”

Perhaps caught off guard, Elliot looked blank.

Anriche shrugged slightly.

“A girl can play with a wooden sword or a toy carriage, and a boy can play with a doll.”

“…Well, but.”

“Liliana has been offering for a while, so give it a hug if you want.”

At the same time, Liliana took the doll to Elliot’s arms. She then made eye contact with Elliot and smiled bashfully.

Elliot’s expression was relaxed from that spring flower-like smile.

“Uh…huh?”

After some time has passed.

Elliot only realized that he was making a pretty stupid look. With his face dyed red, he hurriedly returned the doll to Liliana.

“Okay, that’s enough.” Elliot, who muttered casually, ran away quickly.

Liliana muttered in a confused voice.

“What is wrong with Young Master Valois?”

“Well, I wonder why?”

Anriche, who answered with a smirk, took Liliana to the kitchen.