Chapter 3: 3

“Mother…”

“An, baby.”

Hilda, who witnessed it up close, was so shaken up that she had difficulties breathing.

“You don’t have to worry about anything. Who can stop a mother from protecting her child?”

To the Countess, Ancia was already part of the family. The lovely child who will soon enter the household when she marries her son, is currently crying in fear.

“You don’t have to cry this much because I will put everything in my power to keep you away from harm.”

Hilda’s heart was broken and torn that she would be more than willing to come and grab a sword.

Ancia, who was always cheerful in front of the Count couple, shook her head in tears at Hilda’s resolution.

“I heard that the Duke sent me a proposal.”

“Who told you such a thing?”

She actually knew about it after reading the book, but pretended as if she found out by reading a paper that fell on the floor.

“This is…”

“If the emperor ordered it, then we can’t refuse it.”

“No, injustice cannot be followed as it is. Don’t worry An, I’ll protect you no matter what.”

“What about Brother Nathan’s dream?”

When Ancia asked the question, everyone fell silent. When she brought up Nathan’s issue to the Count and Countess, who were only concerned with Ancia’s safety and future, they were ashamed, as if they hadn’t considered it.

So they just stood there and watched Ancia wiping away her tears with the back of her palm.

She showed a big smile, and took a step back.

“Brother just entered the knights recently.”

Nathan threw his arms around Ancia’s shoulders while the Countess was embarrassed.

“An, I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about that.”

“You said your work was fun. As the youngest, you worked hard on doing chores, but you took an important job this time…You said it was difficult but rewarding.”

“An, you know I would put nothing else before you.”

Even in this sudden situation, Nathan would put Ancia first. He smiled affectionately as if his job was nothing, carefully wiping Ancia’s tear-soaked face.

Even though Nathan’s endless affection was according to Ancia’s intention, it’s far too much.

Ancia’s plan requires only moderate familial love, yet they always show her overflowing adoration.

“Ancia.”

“Brother.”

“Rather than letting you go, I will protect you with everything I have.”

The same words of the Countess sprang out of Nathan without hesitation. The Count couple nodded their heads as if they agreed to Nathan’s firm attitude.

Yet, their attachment was far more than Ancia had anticipated. Enough for her to want to stay this way.

Her throat was tickled by the generosity of Nathan and the Count couple, who knew about Ancia’s broken body but still accepted the idea of making her Nathan’s bride and the Countess who smiles as if it was a natural thing to do.

She was shaken by their affection enough to want to be protected by them.

However, if Ancia tried to stay here, the emperor will ruin the county, with the reason that his orders was ignored.

As things were already going according to the original, Ancia had to go as planned. She have to laugh so that they wouldn’t act recklessly to protect her.

“Of course I love my brother. But it’s… it’s a love as a family.”

Aren’t they too intimate and affectionate to be family? Ancia had to break the Count couple’s suspicious gaze, which looked to be reminiscing about their past.

It was natural for them to misunderstand.

At one point, she thought an engagement with Nathan was the best way to avoid the original story.

Arranged marriage is a common world view, and Nathan was a decent choice of groom. She knew that possessing Ancia would certainly help the Count’s future to some extent, so she wouldn’t be a bad match for an arranged marriage.

She thought that her weak body would also get better while she was in the county. So she looked lovingly at Nathan and appealed to him in order to rely on him. But Ancia’s body was more messed up than she thought.

During childhood, Ancia’s adoptive parents regularly fed her pills to whiten her skin to maintain her beautiful appearance. It was an expensive medicine for a poor commoner to obtain, but it was just a sham drug mixed with cheap poisonous weeds.

That became necessary for her survival. After all, she survived by splitting the medicine in order to save it, so the rations became less and smaller.

Thanks to this, Ancia’s childhood was all dark. She always felt sick somewhere and had no energy.

She had only read about it in novels and had never experienced it firsthand, so she had no idea how serious it was.

Over time, she developed a petite frame that grows slowly and that wasn’t suitable for childbearing.

Ancia was of no use to the future of the county.

What they wanted from Ancia, who had nothing, was neither title, power, nor wealth. She just have to marry Nathan, give birth to a child, and live a normal life.

That was their only wish.

But Ancia is incapable of creating a family for them, so she gave up on all possible ways to avoid the original story.

Her Plan A to get married before the Duke’s marriage proposal arrive was abandoned just like that.

The only thing left for her is Plan B. After marrying the Duke, she decided to be ‘divorced as a villainess’ according to the original story. However, it was essential to manage her personal connections so that she would not be thrown out even if she returned.

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She must cling to the Count family’s adoration.

For the only remaining plan, Ancia acted tearfully and decisively.

“If I wanted to be brother’s bride, I would have begged to be engaged.”

Even now, the Count and his wife were confused to see the affectionate appearance of Ancia, who was tightly attached to Nathan, and Nathan, who hugged her shoulder as if it was natural.

Looking at Ancia’s closeness with Nathan, Ancia’s refusal was contradictory. Hilda carefully grabbed Ancia’s hand and led her on the side with some distance from the Count and Nathan.

Hilda held Ancia’s hand tightly and whispered affectionately.

“Baby, did you postpone your engagement because of your physical condition?”

For a moment Ancia was speechless.

It was because the Countess found out why she had to give up the first plan she had made to avoid the original story.

Ancia couldn’t say anything as if she had been hit by the nail on the head.

When Ancia bit her lips, Hilda was relieved.

She showed a gentle smile and said.

“If that’s the case, you don’t have to worry.”

“What? But…”

Hilda also knew that her body was not perfect as a woman because Ancia’s doctor had been more thorough than anyone else.

“You don’t need to be concerned if you don’t have children within the next ten years. We’re going to look for a better doctor and medication.”

“Mother.”

Ancia was shaken by the Countess’ motherly affection enough to make her forget for a moment what she had to do.

However, the following words calmed Ancia’s heart.

“Baby, if you don’t have a child in ten years, it’s all right.”

“Really?”

“Without a doubt. We can just find a woman to give birth while you stay as the wife.”

Even though Ancia’s expression, which showed signs of joy for a while, hardened subtly, Hilda held her hand as if it was okay.

“There’s nothing to worry about. I’ll never find a woman that An doesn’t like.”

Hilda’s thoughtful words to Ancia made her aware of reality.

This was not the modern era where Ancia lived for more than 20 years. No matter how friendly and good they were, they are an aristocrat and a count family with territory. With these people, Ancia could not be happy without children.

No matter how much they love each other, if they are together, they would have an unfortunate ending.

Their affection was very sweet to Ancia, but it was bitter when they revealed the worldview of the novel.

Nonetheless, she played the role of the lovely Ancia with the intention of breaking up in the first place.

Ancia, who thought so, pulled herself together.

“Mother, I’m…”

“An.”

“Oh, brother.”

Nathan, who couldn’t have heard Hilda’s brief whisper, simply came in, as though worried by Ancia’s sudden change of mood.

Perhaps Nathan feels the same way Hilda does.

Even if he has a different idea. He was the sole heir to the county. There would have been only one difference but the result would have been the same.

In the first place, Ancia’s feelings were not those of love. It was just important to increase the possibility of survival while having a weak body.

Ancia, who erased even a little hesitation, brought up one of the many words she had prepared.

“I don’t want anyone to go through a hard time because of me.”

“It’s a difficult route, but Ancia, letting you leave is the most difficult.”

“I hope no one gets hurt.”

Only then did other feelings emerge on the faces of those who convinced and consoled Ancia.

“Please, Mother, don’t say anything scary about visiting the Emperor with the sword again.”

“Ah… An, baby.”

“What’s important to me is that you two and brother don’t get hurt.”

Only then did Hilda realize what Ancia was most afraid of, so she shed tears.

Maybe the Count will run to the palace and get in trouble. She also wonders if Hilda will hold a sword for the first time in more than a decade.

Fearing that it would be a stain on Nathan’s future, she tried to fall down, saying,

“Even if it hurts, it’s better to get hurt alone.”

“It’s a proposal that came to me, so let me choose. Please.”

The Count and Countess lost their words for a while at Ancia’s will to obey the emperor’s orders.

Nathan unwrapped his arm from around Ancia’s shoulder and faced her. Nathan’s eyes, which are still full of kindness and affection, shook at the sight of Ancia’s face full of tears.

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