The Regret Novel Female Lead with Unbreakable Mentality Chapter 73

Giselle wore a cold expression as she adjusted her hold on Riwes. “Giselle wants to look around the mansion.”

 

Meanwhile, the others had no idea what Giselle was thinking or why she was saying this. They’d been worried because she seemed to know about the nanny and the tutor, but now, out of nowhere, she wanted a tour of the mansion.

 

Of them all, the only one who managed to keep his composure was Marquis Sirentium, who was certain Giselle couldn’t possibly have any solid evidence. The marquis set his napkin down and said indifferently, “Very well, I’ll show you around. There’s not much to see, though.” His words carried a pointed undertone: ‘Why bother touring the mansion when there’s nothing of interest?’

 

“Yeah, it doesn’t look like there’s much.” Unfortunately, Giselle wasn’t the type to pick up on subtle hints. She hugged Riwes, who was nestled in her arms, even tighter and whispered softly, “It’s nothing, right, Riwes? Don’t worry.”

 

When Duke Kalinos stepped forward, as if shielding the two of them, his armor clattered with a chilling sound.

 

Giselle fixed her gaze on Marquis Sirentium, the marchioness, and Rahana, all of whom flinched at the noise. Looking down at Riwes, who blinked up at her from her embrace, she spoke with emphasis. “Compared to this big sister, this is really nothing.”

 

* * *

Marquis Sirentium, Rahana, Duke Kalinos, and Giselle walked together down the second-floor corridor of the mansion. As they strolled through the sunlit hallway, Giselle suddenly spoke up. “The Sirentium mansion is truly beautiful.”

 

“Yes. The first head of the Sirentium family, who was a mage, built it himself.”

 

“Oh, he built the mansion himself?”

 

“That’s right. According to family legend, his pet, a white willow warbler, still protects the mansion. That’s why our family’s symbol is the white willow warbler.”

 

Giselle let out a thoughtful hum, walking with a slight swagger. Duke Kalinos walked beside her, holding the sleeping Riwes in his arms, his expression showing neither particular interest nor anger.

 

Rahana, glancing at the duke, gave a sly smile as she watched Giselle inspecting every corner of the mansion. It’s obvious why she’s doing this. She’s hoping to find evidence that Riwes was abused.

 

Ever since the untimely death of their frail daughter-in-law, the Kalinos family had been at a disadvantage with the Sirentium. There was no way they’d be punished without hard evidence, so Giselle must be trying to find some proof, no matter what.

 

But we’ve already gotten rid of all the evidence, so it doesn’t matter. Besides, they had something else up their sleeve.

 

“Hm, what’s this?” Giselle tilted her head as she reached the very last room at the end of the mansion.

 

On the door was an engraving of a fierce white willow warbler, as if it might take flight at any moment. It was the most ornate and beautiful room in the entire mansion.

 

“Ah, I’m sorry, but you can’t enter this room.”

 

“Only family members are allowed inside. Hoho.”

 

“Aah, I see.” She reached for the doorknob and tried to open it. But the door didn’t budge.

 

Duke Kalinos glanced indifferently at the door and said, “Sometimes there are spaces like this that are only open to blood relatives, Wife.”

 

“Hm, alright. If that’s the case, I suppose there’s nothing I can do.”

 

As Giselle slowly stepped away from the door, Rahana gestured toward it with a bright smile. “Since you chose our Sirentium family over all others, we should return the favor, shouldn’t we? Let me show you to a nice room.” She barely managed to hide her usual mocking expression as she muttered under her breath. “A very nice room, indeed.”

 

* * *

Riwes looked around the splendid room, as if seeing such a wonderful place for the first time.

 

“Riwes, is this your first time in this room?”

 

“Yeah! My room is just white, white, and more white! But here…”

 

“…”

 

“It’s so big and pretty!”

 

Seeing his little nephew’s eyes sparkle at something he should have always had made Vientin grit his teeth.

 

I spoke quietly. “Riwes, if you stay with this big sister, you’ll get to be in even better rooms, you know~?”

 

“Huh? No, it’s okay! Riwes doesn’t need a better room!” Riwes grabbed the hem of my dress tightly and shouted with all his might. “As long as I’m with Sister, that’s all I need!”

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll stay with you for a long, long time, okay?”

 

“Yeah!”

 

Moved by the tiny child’s words, I changed Riwes into pajamas and flopped down on the bed. I could see Duke Kalinos, still in his armor, getting changed. As I looked at him, Riwes turned to me and asked.

 

“Sister, do you like people wering armor?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“You keep luking at Uncle…”

 

Had I really been staring at Duke Kalinos that much? I rolled my eyes and looked at Riwes.

 

“Uncle only luks at you, too…”

 

At Riwes’s words, Duke Kalinos, now finished changing, turned red at the tips of his ears. He spoke quietly. “Let’s avoid saying things that could cause misunderstandings, Riwes.”

 

Riwes pouted, then grabbed Duke Kalinos’s calloused hand tightly. “Then let’s all sleep together!”

 

“…Huh?”

 

“Sister, Uncle, let’s sleep with Riwes!”

 

“S-Sure. Riwes can sleep in the middle, okay?”

 

I lay down next to Riwes. His tiny, wiggling hand reached out and held mine tight. His cheeks were flushed with embarrassment.

 

“T-Together with Uncle too.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“It’s nice when all three of us sleep side by side…”

 

“Of course it is. If that’s what you want, Riwes, how could we say no? Just tell us anytime.” I spoke firmly to Duke Kalinos. “Lie down. Right here next to us.” My tone left no room for argument.

 

* * *

…And so, it ended up with me on the left, Riwes in the middle, and Duke Kalinos on the right. The three of us lay down together.

 

“Riwes made sure all lay down together. Riwes did a good job, right?” Riwes, holding my hand with one of his and Duke Kalinos’s with the other, placed our hands over his tiny chest. “Tada!” He then made it so that Duke Kalinos and I were holding hands.

 

The sudden jolt of contact made me want to pull away in a hurry, but…

 

“Riwes read it in a storybook once! When the mom, dad, and baby all sleep together, they do it like this…”

 

“Oh my, I really want to hold hands. It feels so nice, doesn’t it?”

 

I mouthed to the duke, ‘Just say yes!’ and he gave a nonchalant nod.

 

“Yeah. How long do we have to hold hands for?”

 

“Right over Riwes, nice and tight, with our fingers all laced together!”

 

Seeing Riwes grinning wide enough to show his front teeth made my heart ache, so I squeezed Duke Kalinos’s hand even tighter on purpose.

 

“Alright, I’ll hold your hand until the day I die.”

 

“…”

 

Duke Kalinos glanced at me, then looked back at Riwes. It must have been uncomfortable holding my hand like this, but as long as Riwes was awake, we had to keep holding on. I can feel his heartbeat, thumping in his palm.

 

Before I knew it, Riwes was giggling and starting to nod off, his eyelids drooping. Somewhere deep in my chest, my heart fluttered.

 

“Syster, don’t go anywhere…”

 

“I won’t, I’m not going anywhere.”

 

Even as sleep crept in, Riwes kept looking at me. It makes my heart ache… Riwes’s parents had died when he was too young to even remember them. Surrounded by relatives who barely acted human, how much must he have longed for a little warmth?

 

“Oh, you’re so precious.”

 

“That’s the first time Riwes heard that.”

 

“No way, why would it be the first? I’m sure your mom and dad told you all the time how precious you are, Riwes.”

 

“…No, they didn’t. They disappeared because they hated Riwes.”

 

Hearing Riwes say that, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything in reply. My lips just moved silently while Riwes closed his eyes and his mouth drooped.

 

“You know, in the storybook, it said families are supposed to stay together!”

 

“…Yeah.”

 

“But Riwes can’t.”

 

“Huh? Why not?”

 

“Because Riwes is a bad kid. Mom died because Riwes was born. So maybe Riwes shouldn’t stay with Sister for too long either…”

 

“Who said that kind of garbage—no, who told you something like that?”

 

Riwes blinked his long lashes and mumbled softly. “Aunt Rahana said so…”

 

A violent, murderous urge surged inside me. I wanted to drag those damn b*stards who tormented this tiny, sweet child straight to the guillotine.

 

“I’m going to stay with you for a very, very long time, Riwes. And we’ll be happy together.”

 

“Yeah! Riwes is okay now. Riwes have Uncle and Sister with me!”

 

Riwes blinked and gave a silly, happy smile. Maybe he was tired from the long trip, because sleepiness clung to his eyes.

 

“There’s one last thing Riwes really wants to do before going to sleep…”

 

“Huh?”

 

A blush bloomed on his plump, chubby cheeks. “Like in the storybook, before bed…” Riwes, who’d been chattering away like an innocent child, suddenly ducked his head shyly. Then he shook his head and whispered, “…Never mind, it’s nothing.”

 

I tilted my head in confusion. Why did he look so resigned? What did he mean by ‘like in the storybook, before bed?’

 

Drawing on my past experience as a part-time bedtime story reader for kids in my previous life, my mind quickly put the pieces together. Ah, I get it now.

 

I watched as Riwes cautiously lifted his head. Then, meeting his eyes, I gave him a gentle smile. “You want a goodnight kiss before bed, just like in the storybook, right?”

 

At my words, Riwes’s face turned as red as a beet, and he mumbled softly. “Yeah! B-But…” He spoke even more quietly. “Riwes is fine if you don’t want… Ri-Riwes was just saying!”

 

All he wanted was a simple kiss, like a mom or dad would give. Was that really something to make his shoulders slump, as if begging not to be hated? Somehow, his small shoulders looked even smaller to me.