Chapter 2: The Most Beautiful Mother in the World
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 2: The Most Beautiful Mother in the World
*
“Mom, what do you think it would be like if it were just the two of us?”
“It would be wonderful.”
“Really?”
“Of course. It would be absolutely wonderful.”
With a smile, Mom nodded.
Watching her, I made a silent vow. I promised myself that I would use my own strength to get us out of that house and make sure she lived a life of luxury.
Yes, I was certain that goal wasn't far off...
I reached out toward my mother, who was slowly fading like an afterimage.
Don't go. Please don't go.
Mom...
“Gasp...!”
My eyes flew open.
The first thing I saw was an incredibly extravagant ceiling. It was a sight that hadn't changed for the past few days.
It wasn't a dream after all...
I finally had to accept this harsh reality.
I had been reincarnated into a novel I was reading. And into the body of a very young child, no less.
“...”
I raised my hand and stared at my small, fern-like palm.
The pale, soft hand was unmistakably that of a child. A sigh escaped my lips involuntarily.
“Mmm...”
“...”
Today, as always, Veronica was right by my side. Turning my head, I watched her sleeping in an uncomfortable hunched position and let out a small sigh.
Hair as smooth and dark as ebony. And those red eyes that sparkled like rubies, which I had seen before.
She was exactly as described in the novel. They said that even though she was the villainess, she was the most beautiful woman in the entire setting, and the author’s words were spot on.
To think such a beauty would cling to a male lead like that...
I shook my head as I recalled the original plot.
The title of the novel was If Loving You Is a Crime.
To be blunt, it was a terrible story told entirely from the perspective of an adulterous couple—apologies to the author.
The male lead’s name was Cedric Lionel. Originally the illegitimate child of a Count, he had a tragic past, living like a commoner because the Count refused to acknowledge him as his son.
However, his talent for swordsmanship blossomed, leading him to join the Imperial Knight Order. After performing great deeds in the war, he was granted the title of Marquis.
Having completely turned his life around, there was a woman he had loved for a long time.
Her name was Gloria, the novel’s female lead. Born a commoner, she had worked as a maid in the house where the male lead lived during his difficult childhood.
The two had already fallen in love back then and promised to marry once he returned from the war.
But the flags were planted deep.
The male lead won the war and achieved great things, but unfortunately, he was gravely injured on the battlefield and lost his memory.
That was the start of the frustration. Of all things, he forgot every single memory of the female lead.
Returning as a Marquis and having completely forgotten her, he met Lady Veronica through an arrangement by the Imperial Family.
The female lead waited desperately for him, but there was no way the amnesiac male lead would come looking for her.
Nor could a commoner like her simply go to meet a noble—especially one who had become a Marquis.
To make matters worse, the female lead was already pregnant with his child.
Never imagining he had lost his memory and believing he had simply had a change of heart, she left the capital without looking back. She left behind the news of the war hero’s grand wedding to the Duke’s daughter.
Meanwhile, the male lead, now married to Veronica, lived a peaceful life but felt a lingering sense of unease, as if he were constantly forgetting something.
Eventually, he regained his memories of the female lead and was consumed by regret. He soon became obsessed with finding the departed Gloria.
Even though he was already married. What a scumbag.
No matter how unintentional the memory loss was, he was already married to Veronica and even had a daughter by then.
Yet, the moment he regained his memories, he changed completely and began searching for the female lead with desperate longing. From Veronica’s perspective, it was nothing short of bewildering.
When he finally found the female lead, he did everything in his power to win back her heart.
He eventually succeeded in bringing her and the child back to the capital.
“How... how could you do this to me?”
“...”
“To me... no, how could you do this to our Dia...?”
The day the male lead returned to the mansion was the very day Claudia had died after suffering from a high fever.
Even at the news of his daughter’s death, he maintained a stoic expression and boldly declared that he would be bringing the female lead and her child into the mansion. Veronica was utterly devastated by his audacity.
Thinking about it again, he really was a bastard.
What was even more appalling was that the male lead didn't even ask Veronica for a divorce while doing all this.
It was because most of his businesses relied on cooperation with the Ducal Family. Furthermore, since the marriage had been arranged by the Imperial Family, it wasn't something that could be easily undone.
So, his solution was to make his former lover his concubine and bring her and their illegitimate daughter into the mansion. Veronica finally exploded.
“I’ll make you regret this. I will never forgive that woman and her child.”
“If you touch them, you won't be safe either, Madam.”
“Is that so? I have nothing left to lose anyway.”
If Veronica made a mistake, it was directing the anger she should have felt toward the male lead onto the female lead and the innocent child.
Veronica conspired with the Ducal Family to kill them, but the awakened male lead joined forces with the Empress Dowager to protect them. He then framed the Ducal Family for treason.
By then, he had already seized all of the Ducal Family’s businesses. There was nothing left to stop the male lead as he rose to power alongside the Empress Dowager.
In the end, Veronica was executed along with the rest of her family. I frowned as I read that scene.
Wasn't the male lead the one in the wrong from the start?
Losing his memory was one thing.
But he should have felt a sense of responsibility for his marriage to Veronica. He shouldn't have treated her that way, especially when she had just lost her daughter.
Of course, most readers were on the side of the male lead and female lead...
Except for a few readers like me, everyone coddled them.
This was because the glimpses of their past shown throughout the original story were so heartbreaking.
The female lead, in particular, had walked a path of thorns and frustration, so there was a lot of public sympathy for her.
In contrast, Veronica received a cold reception from readers because she was obsessed with killing the female lead and the child.
The story ended happily with the male lead and female lead getting married.
Even after Veronica’s death, there were more crises, but they overcame them all.
To be honest, I didn't want to keep reading after Veronica died, but I finished it just to see what happened to the main couple.
After confirming their happy ending, I turned off my phone screen with a bitter taste in my mouth. I couldn't bring myself to read the side stories.
And then the accident happened.
The sensation of being hit by the car was still vivid.
I thought I was dead, but to think I’d be reincarnated into a novel. I couldn't fathom how this had happened.
“...Dia?”
“Gasp.”
“Are you awake?”
“...”
I had been stealing glances at Veronica when she suddenly sat up.
Her ruby-red eyes stared at me. I lay there frozen, swallowing hard.
A few days ago, when I thought it was a dream, I could call her 'Mom,' but it was difficult now that I knew this was reality.
After all, by the standards of this era, Veronica had married young and was still very youthful—so much so that it was hard to believe she had a five-year-old daughter.
Since she was said to have married the male lead shortly after coming of age, she was likely younger than I was before I died.
How am I supposed to call her 'Mom' so casually?
Feeling awkward, I slowly turned my head away.
“Sweetie, do you want to have some num-nums with Mommy today? Hmm?”
“...”
Regardless of my reaction, Veronica remained devoted.
Her husband, who had never been affectionate since their marriage, had left the house to find his first love. I could only imagine how deeply Veronica must have been hurt...
As the precious only daughter of a Duke who had known nothing but love, her daughter, Claudia, must have been the only person she could lean on in this place.
“Come on, let’s eat. Open wide.”
“...”
After a quick wash with the help of the maids, I was fed while sitting in bed. Since I hadn't fully recovered yet, I had to eat thin soup.
Moreover, after finishing the soup, I had to take medicine that tasted horrific. I grimaced at the thought of the liquid, wondering what kind of ingredients could possibly produce such a foul taste.
“Why? Do you not want to eat? But you have to eat well so you don't get an 'owie' again.”
“...”
I couldn't get used to the way she spoke to me like I was a toddler.
But I suppose I have no choice but to accept it now. This life as a young child.
Letting out a small sigh, I hesitated before opening my mouth.
“Yes, that’s it. Good girl, you’re eating so well.”
“...”
Despite her haggard face, Veronica smiled brightly. I accepted the soup like a baby bird, stealing glances at her face every now and then.
“Ma—Madam!”
Just then, the door burst open.
The person who rushed into the room was Sophia. She had been Veronica’s personal maid and confidante since her time at the Duke’s estate, and now she was my nanny.
For someone who was always so calm to be this flustered... Veronica and I both looked at her in confusion.
“What is it, Sophie?”
“That is... I think you need to... step outside for a moment.”
“...?”
Sophia said, glancing toward me.
Come to think of it, it was noisier outside than usual. Hearing the commotion drifting through the wide-open door, a realization struck me, and my eyes widened.
It’s today.
It seemed the male lead had returned.