I Only Want Your Child - Chapter 13

“It’ll be fine. Leave it to her.”

“Yes, understood…”

The head butler reluctantly answered and left, and Layla’s expression darkened.

Of course there was no way Juliana could properly fulfill the duties of the lady of the house, but the fact that such an important responsibility had been handed over to her still bothered Layla.

However, no matter how close Layla was to Kallion, she couldn’t interfere with his decision.

* * *

I indifferently looked at the documents the head butler had brought into the library.

“That’s how things have been decided, so I leave it in your hands, Madam.”

“……”

I looked indifferently at the head butler, who was openly showing his anxiety, and asked in puzzlement.

“Kallion really entrusted management of the estate to me?”

“Yes…”

The head butler looked as though he couldn’t understand it himself. Without another word, I skimmed through the documents.

The expenses and items used by the estate each month. From the costs of events and banquets to the price of ingredients used in the kitchen and the servants’ wages.

Every source of expenditure had been recorded without omission.

The documents the head butler had brought alone were stacked well above my eye level.

After skimming through some of them, I let out a faint sigh.

Apparently made anxious by my sigh, the head butler shuffled nervously and continued.

“Um… There is a banquet next month. We’ll need to begin preparations now if we want everything to proceed without issue…”

Under the head butler’s gaze, which was filled with anxiety and nervousness, I pressed a hand to my forehead and answered.

“I understand for now, so you may leave.”

At my dismissal, the head butler looked ready to cry but reluctantly left.

Kallion entrusting the management of the estate to me was something that had never happened during our marriage before my regressions.

It also went against my plan to live quietly as though I were barely there until Denion was conceived.

Unlike in the past, Kallion was forcing me to fulfill my duties as the lady of the house.

What was his intention? There was no way he truly acknowledged me as the lady of the house or as his wife.

After thinking silently for a while, I eventually let out a bitter scoff when an idea occurred to me.

He didn’t acknowledge me as the madam—he just wanted to see me flounder. Then he probably wanted to crush me by blaming my incompetence.

‘You’re still looking down on me.’

But contrary to his expectations, I was no longer the foolish woman from the past who knew nothing.

During my tenth regression, in other words, my previous life, I had been the lady of a great house and the wife of a house head who could hold his own against anyone.

To uncover the enemy who had ordered Denion’s death and mine, I needed a house with influence and standing comparable to Baldomer’s.

That was why, during my tenth regression, I had deliberately approached the second son of House Silverstel. Though I hadn’t expected a mere second son to eventually become the head of the house.

House Silverstel had possessed the ability to govern the Ice Spirit for generations.

Aside from the Paveloup Imperial Family, there were Baldomer, Heister, Silverstel, and Marcellino.

Among them, Marcellino had weakened after its ability over the Wood Spirit disappeared entirely, but the other three houses retained relatively strong influence.

In a way, it was only natural that the houses kept one another in check.

They guarded against each other’s abilities and hoped the others’ powers would weaken. That was why I had believed they might have been connected to my death and my child’s.

In the end, I had finished that life without discovering or obtaining anything…

The truth was, I felt a great deal of guilt toward my former husband, who had been the head of House Silverstel.

Because he had genuinely cared for me and loved me… But despite all his efforts, nothing could fill the emptiness inside me.

And in the end, I abandoned him and chose my twelfth life. A choice I made so I could meet Denion.

Just as I was submerged in memories of the past, I heard a knock.

Only then did I finally pull myself free from the mire of memories. I took a deep breath and collected myself.

“Come in.”

Thankfully, the voice that came from my lips was quite calm.

The person who opened the door and entered after my reply was none other than Layla. I looked at her curiously as she entered with her usual polite demeanor.

“Did he send you to deliver another message?”

Layla smiled sweetly at my question.

“I’ll be assisting you with your work for the time being. If there’s anything you find difficult, please feel free to ask me.”

At that artificial, doll-like smile, I couldn’t help scoffing inwardly.

Was he assigning someone to watch me, just in case? Or had Layla volunteered herself?

Hiding my thoughts, I smiled back at Layla.

I had originally intended to live quietly until Denion was conceived, but if you’re going to place the means to wield power directly in my hands, then I have no choice but to make good use of it.