Seeing Kian fall asleep, I headed toward Sikar Blake’s study and saw servants sniffling as they emerged from the hallway.
The maids, upon seeing me, managed tearful greetings before scurrying away down the corridor with quick steps.
I stood there, neck nearly craning, watching them until they vanished completely at the end of the hall.
‘They must’ve been scolded badly. Their sniffling looks way too familiar.’
While I was lost in that thought, Sikar Blake suddenly grabbed my hand as if launching a surprise attack.
Does this guy really not know how to communicate with words? Grabbing hands first—clearly doesn’t understand basic conversation!
I wanted to protest, ‘Didn’t I say you need permission to hold my hand?’, but since I hadn’t followed his instructions, I had to brace myself tensely while he read my memories.
The loud gulping of my own saliva echoed sharply in my ears.
Maidens ascending the corridor, upon spotting Sikar Blake holding my hand, repeatedly exclaimed, “Oh my, I’m so sorry!” before hurrying back down the stairs.
‘Hey now! This isn’t the romance you’re imagining—it’s a horror story!’
Judging by Sikar Blake’s gradually hardening expression, he must’ve seen everything—including my admission to Kian that I’m not his birth mother.
I already braced myself for this. Don’t flinch. You can’t afford to flinch!
So I stared back at Sikar Blake with a bold, almost defiant look—as if daring him to kill me. Though, from his perspective, I probably didn’t achieve the intended expression.
“Do you think making that pitiful face will make me go easy on you? Why didn’t you listen to me?”
“Because lies that defy natural bonds always come with consequences.”
“I didn’t hear that. Say it louder.”
“Well… we’re family now, and lying about something that violates natural bonds feels scary… and also… I feel guilty…”
“You’re speaking in such a mosquito-like whisper because you’re afraid someone might overhear? Let’s go inside the room.”
Actually, it’s not fear of eavesdroppers—it’s fear of you that’s shrinking your voice.
Sikar Blake entered the study, slammed the door shut behind him, and seated me firmly on the sofa.
“Shall we have a comfortable conversation now? Tell me why you did it.”
How many times have I already said this?
“Even if we’re only family on paper, we’re still family. Lying among family is wrong, especially lies that defy natural bonds—they carry consequences. That’s why I didn’t want to deceive Kian. Even without following your instructions, I can still live with Kian as if I were his real mother.”
“What if someone else finds out?”
“No, that won’t happen. Right now, Kian knows nothing, but once he begins receiving Crown Prince lessons from Reidox, he’ll quickly become sharp and calculating—just like in the original story. He’s the protagonist, after all!”
Sikar Blake stared blankly at me for a moment, then slowly parted his lips.
“You know that if even the slightest disruption occurs to the plan, you’ll bear all the consequences. I’ll be watching closely.”
I’d feared he might escalate to violence again, but surprisingly, Sikar Blake handled the situation with unexpected flexibility. Only then could I finally breathe a sigh of relief.
“It’s late today. Tomorrow, I’ll formally introduce Kian to Grandmother and register him in our family registry.”
“Understood…”
“And.”
Sikar Blake paused, then fixed me with a deeper, more intense gaze.
“It was very wise of you to tell Kian he doesn’t have to call me ‘Father’ yet. In fact, instruct him not to call me that for now. Hearing ‘Father’ from someone who intends to kill me wouldn’t be particularly pleasant.”
Is he still viewing Kian as the protagonist destined to kill him? It seems more urgent than ever that Sikar Blake changes his perception of Kian.
Not as the child who will kill him—but as the child who will lift his curse.
To achieve that, we’ll need to hire a nanny first.
“Sikar Blake. Please find a nanny for Kian first.”
Sikar Blake ran a hand through his hair, then looked at me lazily and said,
“A nanny… good idea. We’ll assign it to Vika Lamberst.”
“V… Vika? You’re going to entrust Kian to a Dark Elf…?”
This man. Even if Kian isn’t his biological son, how could he possibly consider handing the child over to a Dark Elf!
“To be precise, Vika is merely a half-breed. More importantly, no one is better suited than Vika to ensure Kian’s safety and education.”
“But Vika is a Dark Elf! What if he raises Kian in some strange way?”
“He’ll raise him strong and well—fitting for a protagonist.”
“No, absolutely not! Not Vika!”
Sikar Blake looked at me indifferently, as if my words hadn’t even reached his ears.
“If we must hire a nanny for Kian’s safety, it must be Vika.”
“You mean Vika isn’t unsuitable for Kian’s safety?”
“If Kian becomes my son, Vika won’t be able to harm him. Rest assured on that point.”
But Dark Elves are different from White Elves. They’re elves in name only…
Where White Elves pass, flowers bloom; where Dark Elves pass, flowers wither. If White Elves symbolize life, Dark Elves symbolize death.
Who knows how deeply he’ll raise the child as a child of darkness!
Of course, I’m not sure whether Vika can influence Kian’s psyche to that extent, but I still couldn’t feel completely at ease.
Can Vika really handle this? I’m uneasy.
“Starting tomorrow, Kian will be entrusted to Vika. And you, starting tomorrow, will resume your etiquette lessons.”
“Understood. Then I’ll learn from Vika too.”
“Do you really think Vika knows anything about etiquette?”
“Then… I’ll learn from Grandmother…”
“You want me to confess to Grandmother that I married a woman who knows nothing of etiquette?”
“Ah, or maybe Durion?”
“That man is the least cultured of them all.”
Vika and Durion—both villains, so it’s no surprise they lack refinement.
It was unfair, but in this den of villains, no matter how hard I looked, the only person who could teach me etiquette was Sikar Blake.
The next day, I woke up early, dressed Kian neatly, and briefly taught him how to address and greet Grandmother. Admirably, Kian picked it up almost instantly.
“And Kian. From now on, your surname is Blake. When introducing yourself to others, you’ll be Kian Blake, following the Duke’s surname.”
“Father said my surname was Recador. Can I no longer use that name?”
Seeing a hint of disappointment on Kian’s face, I gently patted his head.
“Kian. There are important reasons why Father told you not to mention your surname to others. Until you become an adult, only our family will know it—you, me, and the Duke. Just the three of us. Understand?”
Kian didn’t seem to fully grasp what I meant, but he nodded obediently.
“Then shall we go see the Duke now? Don’t be too nervous, Kian.”
I said that, but honestly, if anything, Kian didn’t seem particularly nervous around Sikar Blake. If anyone was nervous, it was definitely me.
As we entered Sikar Blake’s room, he was already dressed in formal attire, preparing to pay morning respects to Grandmother.
He glanced at us once, then indifferently turned back to the mirror to adjust his clothing.
Not knowing what to do, I whispered to Kian, who stood awkwardly shuffling his feet.
“Kian. Go ahead and greet him.”
Kian didn’t seem eager, but resigned to the fact that this man was supposedly his father, he bowed stiffly and said,
“Did you sleep well last night, Duke?”
Sikar Blake didn’t even respond to Kian’s greeting. After fiddling with his hair a few times, he turned his head and said,
“Today, I will register you into my family registry. But first, we’ll pay our respects to Grandmother.”
Just a while ago, he seemed to be making some effort—trying to feed Kian porridge, even. But now that registration is imminent, he’s reverted completely to his original coldness.
It seems Sikar Blake himself needs to start parenting lessons from today.
I’ll take etiquette lessons; he’ll take parenting lessons. Without even seeing them, it was obvious which would be harder—so a quiet smile spread across my lips.
It was a smile meaning I’d channel the pain of etiquette lessons into watching him struggle through parenting lessons.
Unaware of this, Sikar Blake apparently thought I was smiling because I found his face pleasing to look at.
“I know you’re in a good mood staring at my face since morning, but stop smiling. When greeting Grandmother, you must be solemn and dignified.”
I stopped smiling, kept a gentle expression, took Kian’s hand, and entered Grandmother’s room.
Grandmother was already seated elegantly on the sofa, as if she’d received prior notice.
The moment Kian saw her, perhaps due to unfamiliarity, he gripped my hand tightly.
Then he glanced at my face; when I nodded reassuringly, he steeled himself and offered a greeting.
“Ah, hello. Grandmother.”
But, likely due to nerves, he seemed to have completely forgotten everything I’d just taught him—his whole body trembled.
“Kian. You must say ‘Great Grandmother.’”
Kian nodded understandingly, then carefully looked at Grandmother and greeted her again.
“Ah, hello… Great Grandmother. I’m Kian.”
“How cleverly you’re made. You look just like our Sikar Blake when he was little.”
Kian didn’t actually resemble Sikar Blake, but Grandmother’s words implied he appeared so charming in her eyes that she was reminded of Sikar’s childhood.
“Kian. Would you like to climb onto Grandmother’s lap?”
I was relieved Grandmother seemed to like Kian more than I’d expected, but I worried because Kian appeared quite intimidated by her.
Kian looked at me questioningly—as if asking whether he was allowed, or whether he had to—and I nodded.
Kian gave me a small, sweet smile, then scampered over to Grandmother. The maids helped lift him onto her lap.
Seeing Kian nestled in Grandmother’s arms brought back memories of my own childhood, nestled in her warm embrace—it looked so comforting.
The love received from Grandmother is different from parental love; thinking that Kian too would receive such affection made my heart swell.
“Before I knew it, Sikar Blake grew so big that this lap was monopolized by Happy. But now, Happy has become a star in the sky, and my lap always feels empty.”
Kian, sitting awkwardly, suddenly opened his eyes wide with curiosity and asked,
“Great Grandmother, what is Happy?”
“The dog we used to keep in our house.”
“A dog? I’ve never seen one up close…”
“Really? Then shall we get a puppy together once this old lady recovers?”
Upon hearing Grandmother was ill, Kian’s face fell—he didn’t even seem to hear the part about getting a puppy.
“Are you sick, Great Grandmother…?”
Grandmother gazed at Kian with tender eyes. Perhaps she was seeing Sikar’s childhood reflected in him.
“I’m receiving treatment, so I’ll recover soon.”
“That’s good! Great Grandmother!”
“Kian. Whenever you want to read fairy tales or feel sleepy for a nap, feel free to use this old lady’s lap, alright?”
How much of Grandmother’s warmth did Kian perceive? Regardless, he beamed with a bright, happy smile.
“I’d love that! Great Grandmother!”
Grandmother turned to me with a delighted, affectionate, and dignified smile.
“What a truly lovely child.”
“Thank you, Grandmother.”
“Kian. Now, why don’t you try sitting on your father’s lap once?”
Grandmother’s words were like a bucket of cold water shattering the peaceful atmosphere. Especially for Sikar Blake and Kian, their faces looked as if they’d been struck by lightning.
“Sikar Blake, what are you doing? Kian is your son now. As his father, show him you’ll do your utmost in raising him. Surely you realize your awkward behavior toward the child might hurt Yura?”
In other words, Grandmother was telling Sikar Blake: since he married me, he must accept my biological son Kian as his own biological son.
Somehow, it felt like Sikar Blake had fallen into his own trap.
I couldn’t help but direct a wickedly amused smile toward him.
‘Didn’t I tell you? Lies always come with consequences.’
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
