LI | Chapter 003

Episode 3

The girl’s face, the color of my hair, then the girl again.

After exchanging glances between them several times, I tilted my head in surprise, and the girl mimicked me, tilting her head too.

“Little one, who are you?”

Plump cheeks rose beside lips that moved.

Light platinum blonde hair swayed gently with a soft breeze above a slightly tilted head.

“Mommy?”

And sparkling green eyes stared at me.

I recalled Riana, whom I saw in the mirror last night—or rather, the owner of this body I’d taken over—and she looked exactly like this girl. I rolled my eyes in shock.

“Younger sister?”

“Momma!”

But she’s far too young to be a sister.

She seemed to have just started speaking, so I raised my eyebrows.

“Then, a niece?”

“Ooh, Momma!”

My question seemed to displease her.

She grabbed my hands tightly with her tiny ones and shook her head, her chubby cheeks swaying along.

“Hmm… so…”

Is she used to strangers, or do we know each other? As I pondered while holding the girl who climbed onto my knees,

“So you were here.”

A shadow fell over my head, and I heard a low voice.

“…”

What a disaster. I got distracted by the girl and forgot about Enoch for a moment.

I swallowed hard, pretending not to hear, but Enoch’s shadow grew denser over my head.

“Riana.”

I could no longer ignore his heavy voice, so I turned, tightly hugging the girl.

Suddenly, I saw Enoch’s face, which had approached unnoticed, filling my vision like a masterful oil painting.

“Haha, when did you get here?”

“Just now. Weren’t you in the room?”

“Yes, I was… taking a little walk.”

Will he believe my lie, or is he pretending to believe it?

His gray eyes stared at me for a moment, then slid toward the girl’s round head in my arms.

“Who is she?”

“I don’t know. I just met her.”

“Hmm, her hair color looks like…”

“Like mine, right?”

The resemblance between my hair and hers seemed obvious to others, and Enoch nodded slowly.

At that moment, the girl, uncomfortable in my embrace, suddenly popped her head out.

When her green eyes met Enoch’s gray ones, he quickly blinked and looked at me.

“Riana…”

“Yes?”

“Do you have a daughter?”

What’s that supposed to mean? I blinked like he did, then burst out laughing.

“Haha, what’s that about? I’m not even married, so how could I have a child?”

Riana only appeared briefly in the novel, but she wasn’t married.

Unless she had a hidden child, this girl couldn’t be her daughter.

But as I waved my hand to dismiss this nonsense,

the girl grabbed my hair with her small hand and called out clearly:

“Mommy!”

“…”

“…”

With the girl’s pure giggle in the background, we stared at each other dumbly. Then the girl smiled again,

pointed at Enoch this time, and said:

“Daddy!”

* * *

“Can you come over here?”

Enoch looked at me sitting far away and ran a hand through his hair.

“Ah, I said she’s not.”

“Really not…?”

“I said she’s not. Besides, I met you for the first time yesterday, doesn’t that seem illogical?”

“But why does this girl call us—you, I mean, Your Majesty, and me…”

“Mommy! Daddy!”

I raised my palm to the girl who called us again, my eyes widening in shock.

“…Why does she call us that?”

“How would I know?”

Enoch looked between me and the girl waving my hair, responding in a puzzled tone.

“Right, you said it was the first time. Hmm…”

I tilted my head, then lifted the girl still holding my hair.

She seemed to be enjoying herself, giggling playfully.

“Little one, am I your mommy?”

“…”

Why is he looking at me like that?

Enoch stared at me as if I were the dumbest person alive, then sighed heavily.

“Do you expect an answer from a girl who can barely speak?”

“Who knows, maybe.”

I frowned, then hugged the girl again. Her chubby cheek settled on the curve of my neck and shoulder as if it were her natural place.

As I looked at the girl rubbing her cheek happily, Enoch raised an eyebrow.

“Her features are exactly like yours, Riana.”

“Aren’t they? Even I think so.”

Platinum blonde hair and green eyes are rare in this world.

Enoch looked at me as I rubbed my head, narrowing his eyes.

“But, Riana, isn’t this girl from your manor? Why are you acting like you know nothing?”

“Well, that’s…”

“That’s?”

‘I don’t know. I don’t know anything about this girl or anything else.’

Can I say that honestly? As I hesitated,

Enoch looked at me calmly, then suddenly widened his eyes as if realizing something.

“Riana, are you…”

“What? Why did you stop talking?”

His eyebrows curved sadly, as if looking at someone pitiable. That look was familiar.

As expected, Enoch spoke in a gentle tone:

“Is your memory problem that bad? How serious is your condition…”

“…What?”

“It’s okay, Riana. Don’t worry too much.”

I don’t know how he interpreted my stunned expression, but his large gloved hand cautiously patted my shoulder.

“I saw a minister with similar symptoms, but he improved quickly when he stopped drinking. So, you too…”

“That’s not…”

“Young lady! Lady Riana!”

Before I could clarify it wasn’t that, an old man with white hair rushed out from the bushes, panting.

“Ah, haa. The young lady disappeared suddenly, haa. So you were here.”

The old man raised his head casually, then saw Enoch and swallowed his breath.

“Ah! Your Majesty! *Cough, cough!*”

His state seemed pitiful as he coughed from shock,

but Enoch, unfazed, kept his eyes on me and waved his hand dismissively.

“You, call a doctor now.”

“What? What’s…”

“Your lady is very ill.”

“…What?”

* * *

“There are no other problems. But it’s better to reduce drinking.”

After Enoch insisted on having me examined, I glared at him irritably.

“See? I’m fine.”

“Impossible. Did you check properly? The young duchess’s condition is very bad. She doesn’t remember her name or recognize people.”

“But, Your Majesty, there’s nothing wrong with her head.”

“Hmm… strange.”

Enoch rubbed his chin and tilted his head.

“Then, is she just foolish?”

…What’s with this guy?

His tone suggested he didn’t want me to hear, but unfortunately, his low voice carried the meaning clearly even in a whisper.

Tyrant or not, can I yank out some of his hair and claim it was an accident? As I moved my hand,

“Ma!”

The girl, who was playing on the floor during the examination, approached and stretched out her arms as if wanting a hug.

‘Know that your hair was saved thanks to this girl.’

I decided I’d pull his hair someday, then picked up the girl, her soft powdery scent tickling my nose.

Enoch looked at me leaning on the chair, then turned to the servant.

“By the way, who is this girl? Is she really Riana’s daughter?”

“What? No, impossible!”

The servant waved his hands in panic, his eyes nearly popping out.

“Lady Riana isn’t married, so how could she have a child? Impossible!”

I gave him an “I told you so” look and lifted my chin, then stared at the girl’s face.

“Then, who is she really?”

“What? Didn’t you bring her here a while ago, Lady Riana?”

“Me? Whose daughter?”

“I don’t know. You didn’t tell me the details… but…”

Dain, the servant, bent down to the girl’s eye level.

“Since she arrived, she’s been sleeping the whole time, so I was worried. She’s finally awake.”

“Abu, mwa.”

As if greeting him, the girl waved her tiny hands, and Dain’s face crinkled with joy.

“Her eyes are so beautiful. Oh, silly old me. She must be hungry.”

Dain gave the girl a doll from his pocket, then bowed to ask for my and Enoch’s permission.

“Your Majesty, Lady Riana, may I go get food for the young lady?”

“Of course.”

“Do it.”

We nodded, and Dain left the room.

‘Ariel? Is that her name?’

I looked at the name “Ariel” carefully written on the small doll, then shifted my eyes to Enoch, who was sitting quietly.

I frowned, and my lips moved unintentionally.

“See? I’m not her mother. And my head’s fine too.”

“Hmm…”

“This guy! I’m not an alcoholic or anything…”

“I apologize.”

“What?”

I was surprised by his straightforward apology.

“I’m sorry. I overreacted.”

Enoch repeated his apology, then raised the corner of his mouth seductively after a moment of silence.

“What’s wrong? Why are you smiling?”

“Isn’t this lucky?”

Lucky? What?

I frowned in surprise as Enoch’s long fingers moved toward the knot of his robe.

“I can’t ask a sick person to touch me, right?”

He finished with a satisfied expression, and a shocked sound escaped my lips.

“…Isn’t it normal not to ask anyone, sick or not, to touch you?”