Chapter 1 (2/2)

‘Yes, how could it be that only crazy people are in this nursery school?’

I prayed earnestly that this peace would remain for a long time.

***

Yes, why would peace stay with the daughter of the villain? I headed to the tower with drivers from the nursery at short notice. I was curious about the reason why he was acting as if he should have never met up with me as I took him with me so suddenly like this.

So I told the driver why.

‘I should be enthusiastic about my mother’s appearance before this all ends’

The diver replied, adding that this was a consideration that they gave me. The last part seems to imply the death of my mother.

‘Is this a consideration for me or a consideration for my mother?’

No, this is not a consideration.

It’s not a consideration for us, rather an act to help themselves. An act to take a spoonful of their unpleasant guilt.

‘They pretend it’s for me.’

With no sincerity in their actions.

‘I can’t even remember my face anymore.’

In the memories of my childhood, my mother was a woman that cried and cried with the longing solely for her husband. There is no way you would want to see a person that lazy.

Still, it was strange that my mom was dying soon. My dad didn’t expect anything anyway, but my mom…

When I was a child, when I cried because I was hungry, she gave me milk.

Strangely, if I was in my mother’s arms, I would have been warm enough to forget all of the hunger and sadness of my future.

‘This will be the last time… So let’s keep it in our memory so that you can remember it every time you miss it.’

But there was no need to make that commitment. The appearance of the woman lying in the bed was so different from the woman of my memories. She was so skinny at first glance. Waiting for her demise to come.

Even in my cloudy memories, it was like Yeowon. But not to that degree.

It didn’t matter who saw her, she was sick and it seems that she would die soon.

Even her breath would cut off wildly.

“D-duke…”

She was barely breathing, and she was looking for her love right until the end. Looking at it, strangely, my heart seems to be hurting and tears seem to well in my eyes.

The wounds of my past started to hurt. Even until the end, I thought my mom wasn’t interested in me… Strangely, my heart hurts.

Glancing, the driver turns his head to the side, but as we make eye contact, he turns away, as if avoiding my gaze.

Go on and on, Duke. I think she has abandoned herself trying to find that husband of hers.

She couldn’t call her Duke, so maybe she called her daughter.

Yes, she was also pretending for us.

Her Duke, Duke, Duke.

Her Love, Love, Love.

‘Anyway, that person forgot us and went on to live a happy life. Why don’t you know that?’

Or you did know about it and just didn’t let go?

I hated her, but on the other hand, I understood her. Because of the sad feelings that I kept and cherished for those who didn’t look at me until the very end had made more sense at this very moment.

I approached her side carefully, to the gaze that did not turn to me until the end. Then, I carefully placed my hands on hers’, which were loose, rough, and dry.

Despite being skinny like a skeleton, the difference between the hand of my adult mother and my young hand was quite large.

This is the last time.

I wanted to hold hands with my mother, so I forcibly stretched her small hand and caressed her finger. As my warmth was added to my mother’s cold hands, her gaze slowly shifted toward me.

“My name is Daphne.”

“….”

“No one named me, so I named myself. It’s pretty, isn’t it?”

“….”

I heard that my golden eyes match the color of my dad’s, the Duke.

If you look at me and think of your ex-husband, you’ll miss him again.

Nevertheless…

I laugh compellingly, to suppress the feelings that well up in me.

In the end, I want to send her off while laughing.

“I understand mom. Because mom isn’t really my mother but the wife of the Duke, so I won’t forget that…”

“….”

“Don’t struggle anymore, sleep well.”

Don’t wait for dad who won’t come, please feel comfortable.

“D…”

Her voice began to bust hard as if trying to say something. However, no other words followed.

As if the voice that couldn’t come out was resentful, mother made a whispering sound several times and wept.

Unbearable tears flowed down her skinny face

Her eyes narrowed as if trying to hold back her tears.

I waited for a while, but her closed eyes did not open.

The driver next to her quietly covered her mother’s face with a white cloth.

“Goodbye, mom.”

That was my last greeting.