CHAPTER 34…..
I felt a bit embarrassed remembering the regret I’d had yesterday as I saw Id off.
“I’ll take good care of Ayla, so don’t worry and go.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“Oh, and about the carriage—”
“—Be careful with it. I know.”
Fortunately, he seemed to remember my words from before and answered first.
Still, I couldn’t feel completely at ease.
That was because Id was giving me a faint, bittersweet smile.
Why was he smiling like that? Like someone with a sad story to tell.
For a second, I wondered if he had some kind of trauma about carriages, but before I could think further, he was already climbing aboard.
“Then, I’ll be off.”
“Yes, travel safely.”
He gave me a small nod.
The carriage door shut firmly, and the two horses pulled it quickly through the heavy iron gates.
I kept my eyes on the retreating carriage.
It was so fast it vanished from sight in no time.
I let out a long sigh.
All right… time for me to go in, too.
Two whole weeks with the children.
Not only was this the first time an outsider had entered this house, but they would also be staying for quite a while.
Yesterday, I had firmly warned the servants not to let her identity slip.
They had all once held notable positions in the imperial palace, so none of them could convincingly pass for ordinary rural noble staff—but I trusted they would manage.
The real problem was me and Aslan.
Okay. Let’s do this.
I needed to make sure no one discovered Aslan’s true identity—and that the sharp-eyed Ayla didn’t figure out mine either.
“Luisa, where are the kids?”
The moment I stepped into the mansion, I immediately asked about them.
Luisa, wearing an uncharacteristic smile instead of her usual stiff expression—as if she’d just seen something heartwarming—replied,
“They’re in Young Lady Ayla’s room.”
“Really? Got it.”
What on earth were they doing to make Luisa look like that?
I couldn’t miss anything cute.
And I can’t miss catching Aslan causing trouble, either.
I hurried up to the second floor.
Ayla’s room was right across from Aslan’s, which was next to mine—meaning her room was also close to me.
Before I could even reach the door, Aslan, with his cat-like super hearing, had already picked up the sound of my footsteps and opened it first.
“Mom, you’re here?”
“You’ve come, madam?” Ayla also skipped over to greet me.
From the quick glance I took inside, the room was a mess compared to how neatly we’d prepared it yesterday—completely cluttered with belongings.
“Were you unpacking? You should let the maids handle that.”
“Ah, well…” Ayla trailed off, looking embarrassed, so Aslan answered in her stead.
“We were looking at Ayla’s dolls!”
“Dolls?”
Ayla gave a shy nod.
Now that I noticed, the mess was entirely made up of dolls.
Most were bisque dolls and animal plushies—but not ordinary ones.
“Oh my, they’re beautiful.”
The eyes of Minerva—who had been surrounded by luxury all her life—instantly judged their worth.
Not only are these bisque dolls, but they even have gemstones sewn into their clothes. That teddy bear’s eyes are obsidian.
And it wasn’t just one or two—each of the dozens of dolls had at least one gemstone.
They were gorgeous, but I couldn’t help thinking about how much all this must cost.
I’d thought Id wasn’t an ordinary noble, but I didn’t realize he was this wealthy.
Come to think of it, both Id and Ayla always wore clothes that looked like they’d been made by top designers from the capital.
These dolls were probably also brought from there.
Then why live out in a rural backwater like this?
They could surely live comfortably in the capital.
By the time I realized where my thoughts had gone, I felt a bit like a jaded adult.
Ugh… it takes a lot of effort not to become the kind of grown-up I used to criticize…
Here I was, judging their family circumstances just because of a few dolls.
It was at that moment—while I was steeped in self-disgust—that Aslan tugged on my clothes.
“Mom, mom.”
“I brought my dolls too, to show Ayla!”
Now that he mentioned it, I could see some of Aslan’s scruffy beloved toys among Ayla’s.
The catnip-stuffed cat doll, the fish plush he used to chew on when he was still a cat, the lion plush I’d bought him at the market—
All of them worn and dingy from constant biting and scratching.
Placed among Ayla’s sparkling, pristine dolls, the contrast was even starker.
You’d think it might bother her, but Ayla looked at me with genuine delight.
“I heard most of these were made by you, madam. They’re so cute.”
“O-oh? Well… now I feel a bit embarrassed.”
Hearing that from a child used to gemstone-studded dolls made me blush.
She was probably just being polite.
Which only made me feel even more ashamed of my earlier thoughts.
Damn it—I really didn’t want to be that kind of adult.
Determined to redeem myself, I said,
“Ayla, you haven’t had breakfast yet, right? Let’s go eat together.”
“Already? I want to play more.” Aslan pouted.
I replied automatically,
“Shh. Eat first, play later.”
“Heeeng…”
To an outsider, I probably looked like a strict mom who didn’t let her kid have any fun.
I took each of their hands—one in each of mine.
“Come on, let’s go eat.”
Honestly, mealtimes made me the most nervous.
As we headed for the dining room, I just hoped Aslan wouldn’t start grooming himself after eating.
Breakfast went smoother than I’d expected.
That was because I was keeping a close watch on Aslan.
The moment we finished, I wiped his mouth before he could lick it himself, and kept whispering reminders so Ayla wouldn’t notice anything.
She seemed to find our behavior odd, but thankfully didn’t question it.
After the meal, Ayla asked,
“Um, madam? May I use the study room for a bit?”
“Study?”
“Yes. I don’t have a tutor anymore, and I’m worried about falling behind.”
I understood her diligence—and her concern—but surely she could relax for the two weeks she was here?
As if reading my mind, Aslan stared at her wide-eyed.
“You’re not gonna play with me? You’re gonna study?”
“Mm-hm. I always study in the morning after breakfast.”
Ayla lived just as much by routine as Aslan did.
The difference was, Aslan’s routine was naps and playtime, while Ayla’s was studying… and more studying.
“You don’t mean you still spend all day studying, do you?”
Looking a bit embarrassed, she replied,
“N-no. I have more free time now, so I also read books that aren’t for studying. About one a day…”
“…”
My monthly reading average wasn’t even one book.
Aslan’s maximum study time was about thirty minutes of learning letters.
Even without a tutor, Ayla was studying far more than the combined average of me and my daughter.
The thought hit me suddenly.
Wow… is it okay for me to be living like this?
How could I possibly be lazier than a five-year-old?
I didn’t even have a smartphone to distract me—my time was wide open.
Ayla’s eyes sparkled as she waited for my permission.
Still, I wished she could be a little more relaxed while she was here.
So I tried,
“You woke up early this morning, didn’t you? Aren’t you tired? Maybe you should nap instead.”
“I’m fine, madam.”
Her eyes seemed to say: So… you’ll let me, right?
It was admirable that she wanted to study on her own, but I didn’t want her to spend all her playtime like this.
Then a good idea struck me.
“Then… let’s have a lesson together.”
“Pardon?”
“I’ve learned quite a bit myself, you know. So while you’re here, I’ll be your teacher.”
“R-really?”
Her face lit up with anticipation—she must have enjoyed my old lessons.
“Mom! Me too! I wanna join!” Aslan piped up.
“Of course you will.”
Normally, the gap between their levels would make joint lessons impossible—but this time, it didn’t matter.
Because this was a subject both could do together.
Ayla asked carefully,
“Then… could we do math—?”
“Nope.”
“Then… history?” she tried again, looking flustered.
“Not that either.”
“…Etiquette?”
I grinned.
Thinking she’d guessed right, she brightened—only for me to dash her hopes.
With a radiant smile, I stood up.
“Physical education. Let’s go outside, everyone.”
