Chapter 60
No matter how busy she was, Laura always followed one daily routine.
Every night, she tucked Seraphina into bed and read her a storybook.
It was a rule Laura had set—to check in on Seraphina at least once a day.
Seraphina asking Asel to read her a book during nap time wasn’t because she had no one to play with—it was because she had developed a routine before falling asleep.
That night too, Seraphina randomly picked out a storybook.
But before opening it, she asked:
“Mom…”
“Hmm?”
Normally, she would just quietly listen to the story, so Laura turned her head in surprise.
“Do you plan to get married?”
“Married?”
“Well… The princesses in the stories eventually marry princes… And there are all these unfamiliar men hanging around you lately…”
“…”
“So if there’s someone you like, should I start calling him Dad?”
Laura looked at Seraphina.
Seraphina avoided her gaze as if trying not to get caught, which made Laura think she was just nervous.
“Aww, is that what you were thinking?”
Laura hugged Seraphina tightly.
“No, honey. Mommy’s not going anywhere. I’m staying with you.”
“Then… do you have a type? Like… is there anyone you like among those three men?”
Why was Seraphina acting like this today?
Laura was a bit puzzled by Seraphina’s persistence, but brushed it off as a child’s usual mood swings.
“Hmm, I haven’t really thought about it.”
Even in her past life, and this one too, she never had the time. Life had always been too hectic.
“Maybe if I naturally grow to like someone while living my life, I might consider marriage. But right now, I haven’t really thought about it. I’d rather be with you. And honestly, dating takes up more emotions than people think.”
Laura wasn’t sure if Seraphina could fully understand, but she spoke truthfully.
And Seraphina responded:
“Okaaay, got it…”
She flopped down on the bed.
“So now our baby is reassured? That Mommy’s not going anywhere?”
“Yeah…”
She blinked sleepily like a fragile child, but inside, her mind was racing.
‘Dindin is definitely out.’
That was certain.
‘This unnie prefers a natural kind of love.’
Most of the time when Laura wasn’t around, Seraphina stayed near Geppetto.
He was kind to her, and more importantly, he fiercely hated and distrusted the three men.
That made him seem reliable to Seraphina.
The enemy of her enemy was her friend. In that sense, Geppetto was a great ally.
“You again?”
After days of visits, Geppetto stopped reacting much to her presence.
Maybe because she was originally an adult, Seraphina acted differently than a normal kid.
She wasn’t afraid of Geppetto, and if he was working, she’d quietly play in a corner with toys or storybooks.
At first, Geppetto found her presence annoying, but he began adjusting his space for her.
He placed soft cushions where she usually sat and even stocked some snacks.
However, this strange cohabitation irritated Marsha.
“Why are you spending so much time with the Saintess?”
“Because she comes to see me?”
“Is that all?”
“What are you trying to say?”
Geppetto sensed something off and asked.
“There’ve been rumors about adults approaching children with twisted intentions lately.”
“What?”
Geppetto scowled.
Then Marsha said:
“The fact that you’re getting angry so suddenly is suspicious. Are you, perhaps—”
“Hell no! Don’t even joke about something like that! That’s disgusting!”
Geppetto shouted in horror.
“So you’re saying you don’t have any thoughts when you look at her?”
“That’s right!”
Geppetto was frustrated.
All he’d done was prepare some snacks for a kid who visited often. Why was he being accused like this?
“She’s a baby! What am I supposed to be thinking?!”
He knew such awful people existed in the world, but he had never even once had such thoughts.
To Geppetto, Seraphina was just a little baby—barely able to walk.
Sure, he knew the Saintess had been famous in the empire for her beauty.
But so what?
That had nothing to do with him.
He’d never even seen her grown-up appearance.
Marsha looked at him shouting passionately with a bulging neck vein.
She hadn’t accused Geppetto for no reason.
As a Holy Knight who constantly stayed near Seraphina, she’d seen many twisted people.
Some pretended not to care and then betrayed them later.
Others sent creepy gifts or weird letters and got mad when rejected.
‘…But this man doesn’t seem like the type to pull tricks.’
It wasn’t that Geppetto was stupid.
Marsha trusted his short fuse.
He was blunt and couldn’t hide his feelings. If he liked someone, he made it obvious.
And right now? He was throwing a fit out of sheer unfairness.
“Well, if you say so…”
Her lukewarm tone irritated him.
“I’m telling the truth!”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Did you really get it? Apologize! Apologize for grouping me with those perverted freaks!”
Geppetto was desperate.
Even Marsha found it surprising that this man, infamous for bad behavior, had something he was genuinely innocent about.
Still, she apologized.
“Yes, I apologize.”
She had misjudged him.
“Also—”
Marsha handed him something she originally meant to give him.
Geppetto took the tiny bottle, puzzled.
There was liquid inside, but no label or explanation.
“What is this?”
“Drink it.”
Geppetto squinted and scanned her up and down.
After yelling at him, now she was giving him mystery drinks?
“Is it poison?”
“No way. Poison is expensive.”
Marsha said firmly.
She once even considered poisoning the marquess’s family, so she knew the market price.
“You looked exhausted lately. I drink this whenever I’m tired, so don’t worry about the ingredients.”
She narrowed her eyes and smiled.
“Why would I poison you? You’re supposed to live a long, long life… until this family is completely ruined.”
Her malice was very real.
“You’re really insane…”
“You can throw it away if you want.”
She reached out to take it back.
But Geppetto clutched the bottle and shouted:
“Get out! I’ll drink it and die, then!”
Marsha shrugged and left.
Inside the now quiet room, Geppetto opened the cap.
The sticky, strange liquid slid down his throat—it was disgusting.
“…Poison would’ve been better.”
That’s how awful it tasted.
He rubbed his upper belly with his palm.
No burning throat, no vomiting blood. Instead, his stomach felt soothed.
Definitely not poison. Still, her attitude left a bad aftertaste.
‘Then again, she’s always been like that.’
From their first meeting, Marsha looked at him with contempt.
It was the first time a servant had ever given him that look. He never forgot it.
‘What the hell did I do to deserve that glare?’
Even when he tried to be nicer:
[Why do you keep approaching me?]
[What?]
[If you intend to harm the Lady, I won’t follow that order. I’m not like the other maids.]
Every time, she said things that made his blood boil.
But that was all in the past.
Now that Geppetto understood her, he couldn’t even get angry anymore.
Alone in the room, Geppetto scratched his head and returned to his paperwork.
Laura had given him tasks to do.
Time passed.
“Why is Seraphina sleeping here?”
Laura had come looking for the child. She tucked a blanket over her and turned to the desk.
As soon as she saw the empty bottle, she let out a sound.
“Looks like Marsha was here.”
“What? How’d you know?”
“That’s the special drink she makes every morning.”
“What? It’s not sold somewhere?”
“Didn’t the taste tell you? You think that flavor could be sold in a market?”
“…No. Definitely not.”
