I Only Want Your Child - Chapter 14

Since things had come to this, I intended to find the person targeting Denion, whom I had never managed to uncover in the past.

To do that, establishing myself as the lady of House Baldomer wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

It would make gathering information easier.

So at least until I conceived my child and fled, I would gladly play the role of the perfect lady of House Baldomer.

To uncover the cause behind my death and my child’s. As the lady of House Baldomer, I would make use of everything at my disposal.

At some point, a meaningful smile had appeared on my lips.

“You know more about managing this estate than I do, Miss Layla, so I’ll be relying on you from now on.”

* * *

I could feel Layla staring at me.

She seemed taken aback by how well I handled everything without her help.

She must have found it strange that I had been organizing the ledgers for several days without any particular difficulty.

“The budget set aside for this banquet isn’t particularly generous.”

At my indifferent question, Layla, who had been organizing old ledgers nearby, answered stiffly.

“The wedding expenses were quite substantial, so it would be difficult to secure a larger budget. And contrary to what you seem to think, Madam, it isn’t such an insufficient amount either.”

It was probably a budget that Layla and the head butler had already received Kallion’s approval for.

But this was a banquet where the great houses governing each region would gather.

After thinking for a moment, I stood without hesitation and draped a shawl around my shoulders.

When I suddenly began preparing to go out, Layla stood as well.

“Madam, where are you going?”

I answered Layla’s flustered question curtly.

“I think it would be better to discuss the items needed for the banquet directly with a guildmaster.”

As I spoke and moved to leave, Layla hurried after me.

“If that’s the case, I’ll summon the Himer Guild, which has long done business with House Baldomer, here.”

At Layla’s words, which were filled with annoyance, I turned back to her indifferently.

“No. We won’t be doing business with that guild this time.”

“Pardon…?”

Layla stared blankly for a moment before immediately frowning. Then she continued as though correcting a student’s wrong answer.

“Madam, the Himer Guild has done business with Baldomer for a long time. House Baldomer doesn’t conduct business with just any guild.”

I scoffed at Layla as she lectured me as though she were my teacher.

In just half a year, Baldomer would regret not establishing a relationship with this guild.

“This is a good opportunity to establish business with another guild.”

I lightly ignored Layla’s words and headed outside, and Layla hurried after me with a frown.

There was no conversation between Layla and me throughout the carriage ride.

Layla couldn’t hide her displeasure, but she couldn’t openly defy the lady of the house either, so it was obvious she had reluctantly followed me.

Treating her like a ghost, I looked out the window.

Unlike the other famous guilds located in the heart of the capital, the one we were visiting was situated on the outskirts.

For now, it was only a small to mid-sized guild with little presence among the great houses.

My former husband, who had been the head of House Silverstel, had been the first among the great houses to establish business with this guild.

Its prices were extremely reasonable, but more importantly, the guildmaster’s passion for business and his way of thinking were exceptional. It was a guild that would grow rapidly.

Of course, I wasn’t approaching the guild solely for Baldomer’s sake. Unlike other guilds, this place also secretly traded in information.

Since I couldn’t freely command Baldomer’s people, I needed an information broker who could act as my hands and feet.

While I was thinking about that, the carriage soon approached the guild building. Then, as my gaze naturally turned toward the front of the building, I froze.

A man was walking out of the guild.

Lloyd de Silverstel, the second son of House Silverstel, the future head of the house, and the master of the Ice Spirit.

My husband in my previous life.

The moment I saw Lloyd’s face, memories of him came flooding back.

‘I love you, Juliana.’

His gentle whisper was so vivid that it felt as though I could hear it right beside my ear.

‘I’m sorry, Lloyd.’

No matter how hard we tried, we were unable to have a child together.

Perhaps it had been impossible for my body, which carried the Fire Spirit, to bear the seed of the Ice Spirit, which possessed the exact opposite nature.

And the more that happened, the more my empty heart longed for Denion.