She knew it was a lie.

Her brother was deceiving her without even wetting his lips.

But that face. That smiling face was her little brother from her memories.

The one who followed her more than their parents, who became her only friend, who was like her only window to the outside world, bringing her stories about what the villagers were doing.

And now the one who took everything from her, pretending nothing had happened.

Her little brother, whom she could neither hate nor love, pitiful and unfortunate.

So Lena decided to play along.

‘Yes. Mother must be very ill for him to come all the way here.’

To this ducal residence, where he might be executed if caught.

Now that life was at stake, she worried about her mother.

Lena turned her head and looked around her room. She wanted to give him something right away, but there was nothing suitable.

Then she spotted the mountain of jewels Delian had brought for her to adorn herself with.

‘Just one……’

She had pushed them aside, promising herself to wear them tomorrow since she couldn’t wear them all at once. With just one of these accessories, her family could live for three months… no, half a year.

Lena squeezed her eyes shut.

“Just this once.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll help you just this once.”

Saying this, Lena took out one of the least conspicuous rings.

It was a ring with a very small jewel, but for the Trix family, it was a precious gem they might see once in a lifetime, if at all.

When Lena carefully handed it over, Roberto’s eyes widened.

“Sis, thank you so much!”

Roberto acted as if he would hug her if he could.

Though she had handed over the jewel, she honestly felt uneasy.

‘Should I be doing this so freely?’

The face of the man came to mind—always surrounded by the fierce winter, yet trying his best to soften himself for her.

Perhaps noticing her hesitation, Roberto snatched the ring from her hand with an unrestrained movement.

“Thanks, Sis! I’ll definitely take Mother to a doctor!”

“Huh? Oh, y-yes. And don’t come back again. If you die……”

“I know!”

Roberto gave her a perfunctory answer as if telling her to stop nagging, then descended the tree without any lingering attachment.

Lena watched her brother with concern, but Roberto never looked back even once.

‘I did the right thing……’

Lena tried to calm her pounding heart as she fell into thought.

Having given away the ring, it was already too late. She couldn’t chase after him and take it back now.

‘Yes. She’s still my mother after all.’

If someone’s mother—not just anyone, but her own mother—was sick, she would have been tormented for life if she had ignored it.

Even though this was the person who had urged her to die, she was still the one who had given birth to and raised her. That feeling must have been love.

‘Yes, let’s end it with this. It’s better this way.’

Lena thought this, and thought it again. Almost as if brainwashing herself.

That night, Lena had Delian sit on the bed instead of at the dressing table.

“Why do you want to dry my hair on the bed? Water will drip.”

“Pardon? Ah, my legs… my legs hurt a little.”

Delian made a sound, “Hmm,” but that was all.

‘She seems to be trying to keep me away from the dressing table……’

Delian glanced at the dressing table while pretending not to notice Lena watching him. But he didn’t see anything different.

Delian didn’t know what had made his day so tiring, but he gently laid down Lena, who was nodding off while reading a book.

Lena surrendered herself to his touch, then burrowed into his arms as if she had been waiting for this.

Delian flinched for a moment, then smiled softly as if catching his breath, and stroked Lena’s hair.

He also removed the book that was barely hanging from her hand.

But the hand that lost the book twitched and grabbed something else.

‘She really likes my… chest.’

In truth, Lena had a habit of holding onto something while sleeping. It was a habit formed from holding sewing materials in her hands all day and dozing off.

However, unaware of this fact, Delian remained still until the sleeping Lena relaxed comfortably.

Only after Lena fell into a deep sleep did Delian carefully rise from the bed.

He examined the suspicious dressing table again, but saw nothing unusual.

‘Was it just my imagination?’

Delian rubbed the back of his neck, wondering if her legs really hurt and that’s why she wanted to dry his hair on the bed.

‘I can’t tell.’

Trying to erase the lingering suspicion, Delian adjusted the dim lights and left the room.

But Penna was waiting for him outside the room.

“You’re not asleep?”

“I have something to tell you.”

Penna clutched her apron. She looked as if she was about to say something grave.

“What is it?”

“A ring is missing.”

“What?”

“Miss’s ring. I thought it might have fallen somewhere, so I looked everywhere, but I can’t find it. It’s the ring with the smallest jewel.”

“It’s probably mixed in with some clothes.”

Delian didn’t think much of it.

“What’s the big deal about one missing ring…… Ah, don’t tell Lena. She’ll probably bury herself in the ground.”

Penna followed Delian with an anxious expression that wouldn’t go away, but he told her to find out Lena’s jewelry preferences instead of wasting time on such trivial matters.

“Tsk! But she’s never worn that one?! I haven’t seen how well it suits her!”

“Ah, be quiet. She’s sleeping!”

Penna was frustrated but kept her mouth shut for now. She couldn’t wake her precious mistress from her sweet sleep.

❀❀❀

A few days later.

The Grand Madame came to see Lena.

“The Grand Madame?”

Lena, who had been doing embroidery—the closest thing to sewing—because she had nothing to do during the day, jumped up in surprise.

Though Penna spoke casually about it, it was a big deal for Lena.

“I-I haven’t seen her since then…… Should I have visited her first?”

She was a guest living off others.

As Lena flustered, Penna reassured her and led her to the table.

“Calm down. Anyone would think the Grand Madame is going to eat you.”

“Eat……”

Lena closed her mouth with a snap.

The mention of eating reminded her of the night when she had read “Hansel and Gretel” to Delian.

She suddenly felt her face heating up. As she was fanning herself to cool down her face, the door opened.

The Grand Madame smiled at the sight of Lena sitting demurely like a doll.

When Lena stood up to greet her, the Grand Madame quickly approached and took her hands.

“Yes, it’s been a while.”

“I should have visited you first……”

“No, no. There’s no need for such formalities. Between us.”

“U-us…?”

When Lena smiled awkwardly, Orzena quickly changed the subject.

“Did I surprise you by coming so suddenly?”

“Not at all!”

Lena shook her head as if it was absurd.

“It’s nothing special, I just baked some scones.”

“Scones?”

Lena’s eyes widened.

“Some nice raspberries came in. Oh, do you like raspberries?”

“Ah, yes. I like them. I used to eat them often when I was young.”

‘Though I haven’t eaten them even once since I got sick……’

Always eating watery rice porridge, she sometimes craved something sweet and tangy to the point of dizziness, but all the delicious things went to Roberto.

Orzena clapped her hands in delight.

“Actually, I really enjoy making desserts.”

Orzena’s maid and Penna brought scones and tea.

“But as you know, I only have one child, and that boy doesn’t like sweet things.”

“Pardon……? Really?”

It was strange.

Delian always tried every dessert whenever he had tea time with her.

Thanks to that, Lena could also enjoy tea time more comfortably.

‘But he eats them well…… Does he not eat snacks in front of his mother……?’

Orzena continued with an excited expression.

“But I heard that you like desserts.”

“Ah, yes. I do like them. Everything is so delicious, even though I’m trying them all for the first time……”

At Lena’s honest words, Orzena’s face, which had briefly shown pity, bloomed with vibrant flowers again.

“So I stood in front of the oven after a long time. I’m not sure how they turned out since it’s been a while. Would you mind trying them and telling me what you think?”

“M-me?”

“Is that difficult?”

“Ah, no… how could I dare to judge something the Grand Madame made herself……”

“My goodness, why are you addressing me so formally? Call me something more comfortable.”

“More comfortable……?”

As Lena looked on, fidgeting, Orzena gestured for her maids to leave. Then, reaching across the table and taking her rough, thin hands, she said.

“Yes, just call me ‘Mother’ comfortably.”

“Ah……!”

For a moment, Lena’s eyes widened.

Seeing this, Orzena’s light red eyes, almost pink, flashed like a predator’s eyes before its prey.

If her son would eventually propose and they would marry, she would hear this address anyway, but she was too impatient to wait until then.

Having already heard about Lena’s situation, she found the small girl simply pitiful and heartbreaking.

She wanted to embrace and comfort her, but fearing that might frighten her away, she decided to coax her gently.

The form of address was the first step.

Lena was careful in everything she did, but she wasn’t particularly sensitive. If anything, she was slightly dull.

So Orzena thought to start building the habit from now on.

Besides, Orzena had always dreamed of having tea time with a daughter.

Her only son had always been taciturn. Not only that, but one day he suddenly started saying incomprehensible things and even caused a bloodbath at the ducal residence.

Lena, who had suddenly appeared before Orzena, was truly like a lamb walking up to a hungry wolf.

Meanwhile, Lena felt an inexplicable pressure from Orzena’s sparkling gaze.

‘I don’t want to disappoint her. But how could I possibly address the Grand Madame as……’

Even someone as socially inept as her knew that the term “mother” was used in various contexts.

But there was absolutely no way that she, a peasant farmer’s daughter, could call Orzena, the former Duchess and current Grand Madame, “Mother.”

‘How could I dare……’

As Lena hesitated, Orzena’s dejected voice was heard.

“Is it too burdensome after all?”

‘What should I do…… She’ll be disappointed. Someone who cares for me……’

After fidgeting anxiously, Lena finally seemed to make up her mind and took Orzena’s hands, saying.

“M-…Mother.”

“My goodness.”

Orzena’s face brightened at Lena’s shy address. Orzena forgot her dignity and smiled broadly.

Reassured by this reaction, a small wildflower also bloomed gently in Lena’s heart.

This was the beginning of a mother-in-law’s scheme that surpassed even a rabid dog’s.