I winked cutely and said.
"Right, since you earned money, wouldn't it be the right thing to do as a human being to give at least some money, saying, 'This is the price for eating your husband's'?"
"Oh, I'm young, so I don't really know about that. If you show me with your own actions first, I'll learn."
My mother-in-law's expression began to crack little by little as she watched me laugh like a fool.
I didn't miss this opportunity and continued speaking.
"Even so, I am living in this house because of you, Mother. I want to live like this, just like you and my daughter."
The mother-in-law clenched her teeth, as if dumbfounded.
At that moment, I felt a gaze and unconsciously looked up.
'It's Linea.'
A small child who had been peeking at me from the stairs came into my field of vision.
Linea and I haven't been able to get close over the past two months.
Because even if I just sneaked up to speak to her, Linea would flinch and run away in surprise.
'My mother-in-law is still not sending me back to my parents' house because she wants me to take on the role of Linea's governess, but...'
Even though I wanted to, Linea avoided me for two months, so I had no choice.
In the end, I couldn't do anything, so all I could do was keep knocking and occasionally leaving letters or gifts during Linea's visits.
Linea looked like a kitten with its fur standing on end like a chestnut burr.
'Still, you can tell for sure that she was as pretty as an angel even when she was little.'
Linea's face, looking down at me with curious eyes even now, was dreamlike and lovely, just as described in the novel.
Except for the fact that it's completely dried out.
If I were a mom, I would have fed those cute cheeks until they were all puffed up with delicious food!
As I was thinking that and secretly watching Linea, my eyes met the child's eyes for a moment.
I smiled brightly and acknowledged Linea, but Linea flinched in surprise and ran away.
“Hey, and you..."
I cut off my mother-in-law, who was about to open her mouth to say something, and yawned openly
"Mother, I'm tired, so I'll be going to bed now. Have a good night."
"It's still evening! What do you mean sleeping? You, stop right there for a moment... Hey!"
Regardless, I lightly bowed my head in greeting and happily went upstairs.
It seemed like my mother-in-law was shouting something from behind, but I couldn't hear it clearly.
Fortunately, the hardships I faced as a daughter-in-law weren't that severe by my standards.
'All they could do was childish things like starving me, deliberately releasing bugs and rats into my room, and tearing my clothes so I couldn't go outside.'
For someone like me who has been through so much, this wasn't even enough to make a dent in my stomach.
I even felt sorry for the one-dimensional villains, wondering why their wickedness was so weak.
But Linea was different.
A girl born of a political marriage who cannot even become an heir.
Her father, my ex-husband, was infatuated with his mistress and showed no interest in Linea at all.
Linea's uncle, who became the new Count after her father's death, also tried to spend as little money as possible on his niece.
The grandmother, who at least looked after her directly, always used Linea as an emotional trash can under the guise of discipline, and...
'Adding to that is the stepmother, Asha Delmore.'
And after I, her stepmother, was assigned as a private tutor, she was even beaten under the pretext of discipline.
So much so that it left irreversible, mottled scars on fine skin.
Therefore, Duke Lakan, having accidentally discovered the scar on the leg, mercilessly executed Asha on the spot, true to his nature.
That won't happen this time, though.
And aside from that, I really wanted to save Linea.
As I went upstairs, I heard the sound of a door closing at the end of the hallway.
'As expected, she is refusing to even talk again today.'
I walked down the hallway and placed the gifts I had packed and carried on my back.
And I cautiously knocked on Linea's door.
"Hi?"
Even after greeting her, no answer came back from beyond.
I had no choice but to keep talking about what I wanted to say.
"I heard girls like these kinds of dolls these days, so I bought this. I'm not sure if Linea likes them, though."
With my hand resting on the wooden door, I hesitated for a moment and then spoke again.
"Still, I think I would be really happy if Linea liked it. I worked hard to earn the money to buy this, you know? I don't mean to put any pressure on you; I just hope Linea smiles at me just once later..."
It felt as if I could strangely sense warmth coming from beyond the door.
I stepped aside so that Linea could come out the door comfortably.
"I'll be going now."
After saying that, I went into my room, which was right next door.
I went into the room, closed the door, and held my breath, waiting only to hear the sound of the door to the next room opening.
Linea was still like a wary wild cat, so she never opened the door when I was in front of her.
However, just as I was standing with my back against the door for quite a while.
It's good.
The door to the next room opened with a bizarre sound because the hinges had not been properly oiled.
"Oh!"
At the same time, the sound of a very small breath being inhaled was heard.
Then, there were a few rustling sounds as if the gift I gave was lifted, and the door closed immediately.
But that alone made me feel good, so I giggled.
'It's cute.'
I know why Linea is acting like that.
'Maybe it's because she doesn't want to get hurt again by giving her heart to me for no reason.'
Linea had briefly opened her heart to Mary, a maid who had treated her well in the past.
- I think the young lady is a very lovely and cute child.
- I?
- Of course. And do you know what I went out yesterday to buy for you, Miss?
Saying that, the maid presented Linea with some fancy snacks, as if they were their own secret.
However, the new maid soon turned away when she realized that Linea was a child ignored even at home.
- Ugh, I'm sick and tired of you following me around and pointlessly telling me what you saw and ate today.
- Hey. Why did you do something so useless and end up falling out of the Madam's favor for no reason?
- I tried to coax you because you looked innocent, but there wasn't a single piece of jewelry worth selling. It really makes me feel like I wasted my money.
Even Linea, who had been hiding to surprise Mary, ended up overhearing this entire conversation.
Linea said that from then on, she decided to stop bothering anyone.
Because taking care of a lonely kid like herself takes more effort than expected.
'I really hope she likes me.'
Thinking that, I tightened the check in my pocket.
I'll go to the bank early tomorrow morning to deposit it, and then withdraw the cash first.
From now on, everything must go according to plan.
I made a firm resolution and clenched my fist tightly
'Let's earn enough money to take Linea with us and leave, no matter what!'
***
Meanwhile, Linea in the next room looked down at the doll in her hand for a long time.
It was an expensive doll that her grandmother or uncle would never buy.
"Pretty..."
Although such words slipped out, Linea covered her mouth in an instant.
And then shook her head.
Her stepmother was an amazing person just by looking at her.
To begin with, Linea herself is so self-conscious that she can't even move properly in front of her grandmother.
The stepmother never once backed down or showed any signs of intimidation, even in front of that scary grandmother.
That alone made Linea like her stepmother.
Moreover, the wall in her heart, which she had firmly built up against the actions of those who had been trying to approach her for two months, had long since crumbled.
But... Dad is dead.
Since your stepmother isn't your biological mother, she's someone who can leave this house at any time.
Linea had heard from her grandmother several times that her stepmother might leave the house soon.
'So she also told me never to get close to my stepmother.'
She knows that if she unnecessarily opens her heart to her stepmother, who is the only one kind to her, and she leaves, she will undoubtedly be deeply hurt.
Moreover, when she met round brown eyes that always cared about what she liked, just like a mother.
'I feel like I want to be held tight.'
So, Linea ran away from her stepmother in the meantime.
She was afraid that if she caught her, she would want to hug her just like that, and that her guard would completely drop because of that warmth.
But that shouldn't be the case.
The only reason she can stay in this house is that she is a quiet child.
'Eventually, she'll probably think of me as a nuisance...'
Her grandmother, her uncle, and everyone who took care of her were all like that.
They said that she was worthless because she was a girl and was just a troublesome child who would only cost a lot of money in the future.
'So I shouldn't bother my mother for no reason, either.'
That is how Linea made her vow. Little did she know that the vow would soon crumble.
However, all the currents were rushing in violently like waves.
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