I Only Want Your Child - Chapter 27

The lady of Baldomer.

It was rather ironic that I was receiving ‘proper’ treatment here, in the farthest reaches of Baldomer’s territory, that I hadn’t even received at the Baldomer manor.

Since nothing Jared had said was wrong, Layla kept her mouth firmly shut. Then, apparently deciding to ignore him, she turned toward me.

“This place is far too shabby for you to stay in, Madam,” Layla quipped.

Perhaps Jared’s words had bothered her, because her tone was quite polite. Her expression, however, was anything but.

“It’s still better than sleeping in the carriage.”

At my curt reply, Layla’s expression stiffened even further. Seeing her beautiful face twist like that even gave me a certain sense of satisfaction.

“Sleeping hewe?”

Diaz, who happened to be listening nearby, brightened. I stroked Diaz’s hair.

“We are.”

“Yaaay!!”

Layla watched Diaz bounce excitedly with displeasure before finally letting out a resigned sigh.

“Then I’ll look for an inn.”

At Layla’s attitude, as though she were doing me a favor, I scoffed.

Since when have you ever been so considerate of me?

“I’ll sleep here. If you’re uncomfortable, Miss Layla, you can rest at an inn.”

“……”

Perhaps she had only asked as a formality, because Layla didn’t object any further.

Then Jared, who had been silently watching beside us, frowned again in displeasure.

“Surely you aren’t saying that while the Madam sleeps in a humble place like this, the person who’s supposed to assist her will sleep comfortably in a bed at an inn?”

Perhaps Jared was Layla’s natural enemy…

At Jared’s pointed question, Layla’s expression stiffened awkwardly.

Gritting her teeth while trying to appear as calm as possible, Layla reluctantly spoke.

“Yes. How could I sleep at an inn when the Madam herself is sleeping in a place like this?”

The corner of Layla’s mouth seemed to be twitching…

It was obvious she was forcing the words out, and I swallowed a laugh inwardly.

“Yaaay! Sleeping here! Yaaay!”

Oblivious to the atmosphere, an excited Diaz bounced all around the place.

* * *

Diaz made such a fuss about wanting to sleep by my side that I ended up sharing a room with the children.

It seemed to be the room where the younger girls, including Diaz, slept. The older boys apparently slept in another room with Jared.

“Diaz, you’re old enough to sleep with the older boys now.”

When Marie, who often looked after Diaz, pointed this out, Diaz burrowed into my arms as though hiding.

“No! I wanna sleep hewe too!”

Marie sighed as though admitting defeat.

“Just this once, okay?”

“Mhm.”

I brushed the hair from Diaz’s forehead as he squirmed while watching Marie’s reaction, then gently patted his little belly and whispered.

“It’s time to sleep now, alright?”

At that, Diaz lay still and closed his eyes.

Then, perhaps still unable to fall asleep, the child cracked his eyes open and stared directly at me with clear eyes.

“You know. Diaz knows too.”

“Knows what?”

“That the lady isn’t weally Mama.”

“……”

The child’s expression was so peaceful as he said it that I momentarily lost my words.

“My mama has bwown haiw.”

“…Do you remember your mother?”

I had heard that Diaz had been abandoned in front of the orphanage when he was only an infant.

He had still been nursing then, and the director had raised him by begging other women for b****t milk.

“Yes. Diaz wemembuh evwything.”

Those words left a strange ache in my chest.

I knew there was no way he could fully remember something from when he was one year old, yet hearing this little child say that he remembered the mother who had abandoned him pierced my heart.

In my first life with Denion, whenever I cried, he would always look ready to cry himself and say this.

‘Mama, dun cry.’

He would comfort me with his tiny hand against my cheek.

‘When Mama cwies, it huhts hewe.’

He would say that while pointing at his own chest with his tiny hand.

My heart ached at the thought that perhaps only the sight of me crying had remained in that little head of his.

It hadn’t all been that sad. Because you existed, I had been happy, and you had been a blessing to me.

But back then, all I could see were the hardships immediately before me, so I had thought I was only sad and miserable.

I should have smiled more. So that only the image of a beautiful, smiling mother would remain in that child’s memories.

I should have smiled more brightly and told him I loved him more often.

“But Diaz still… wikes you.”

Diaz’s small voice came as he began drifting into sleep. Pushing the memories away, I swept aside the hair tickling the child’s forehead and whispered.

“Sweet dreams.”

Sweet dreams, Denion.

For the first time in a very long while, I felt as though I might sleep deeply.