I’ll Be The Warrior’s Mother

She softly bit the inside of her mouth and mumbled to no one in particular, “Give me 20—no, 19 years. I’ll make it so that they can’t even raise their heads as they walk…”

“Wife?”

“Hmph,” Yelena huffed and laid down, which meant they should go to sleep now.

Kaywhin turned off the lights.

Thanks to the moonlight shining through the window, Yelena could still faintly make out Kaywhin’s silhouette even with the lights off. She spoke as she looked at Kaywhin laying next to her.

“Even if you forgive Edward’s absurd remarks, you don’t have to be so kind to him.”

She had a lot to say. She turned to her side and expressed her pent-up frustration.

“I’m not on good terms with him. You know, we used to beat each other up all the time when we were kids.”

“Is that so?”

“Listen. This is how immature he was back then…”

***

The next day, Yelena sat across from Edward again.

Kaywhin paying no mind to Edward’s words was a separate matter. Yelena was still angry and the look in her eye wasn’t pleasant.

“Let me warn you.” Yelena cut to the chase before the steam from tea provided by the maid could even disappear.

“Don’t ever talk about my husband’s rumors or curse or whatever in front of me ever again.”

“…”

“Unless you don’t want me to treat you as family anymore.”

Edward opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but then he closed it.

Then he gave his response. “…All right.”

‘He’s unexpectedly obedient.’

Did he suddenly realize that he had spouted nonsense while he was sleeping?

‘Indeed, he should be.’

Yelena had truly wanted to kick Edward out of the castle yesterday. He wouldn’t have been able to do anything if she had sent him away by force, using weapons, and then locked the castle doors.

But Kaywhin had stopped her.

He had soothed Yelena with soft words and then provided Edward with the best guest room in the castle.

‘He should watch his mouth, if he has any conscience.’

Yelena glared at Edward with her arms crossed.

Edward abruptly sighed and then said, “…You’re really not coming home?”

“Do you have short-term memory loss? I told you yesterday. I’m not.”

“If you’re worried about the contract… You don’t have to worry about it.”

The contract.

For a moment, Yelena wondered what he meant, but she soon remembered.

Oh, right. Yelena’s uncle and husband’s business depended on her marriage. That matter was irrelevant by now.

Because even without the contract or whatnot, Yelena’s husband needed! and cherished! her.

Yelena puffed out her chest and with a proud expression, opened her mouth.

“Oh, well, sure. There was… a contract.”

“…”

“There was such a thing once upon a time.”

“…?”

“But what do you mean by I don’t have to worry about the contract?”

“Exactly what I said. Mielle said she’d go in your stead if you ever came home.”

“What?” Yelena uncrossed her arms in shock. She nearly got up from her seat.

“…Mielle? Said she’d go in my stead?”

“Yes. She thought that she let you sacrifice yourself for her too easily and thoughtlessly, so if you were to ever come home, she’d take on her original role.”

Yelena blinked.

She spoke again after a good while.

“…Did she contract a terminal illness?”

“…”

“Does she not have much longer to live? Goodness, Mielle. Just when did this happen to her? She definitely looked healthy the last time I saw her…”

“No, she’s fine. She didn’t look sick at all. I sent someone to the marquis estate just in case, and there was no mention of her being sick at all.”

Going so far as to send someone to the marquis estate meant that Edward had been secretly suspicious.

Yelena’s expression became even more serious.

“Then, a mental illness…?”

“…”

“You can’t tell if someone has a mental illness from their appearance. Are you sure she doesn’t have one?”

“Why do you keep trying to make Mielle a patient and fussing over it?”

“Wouldn’t you be doing the same? This is Mielle we’re talking about. Mielle Linden.”

Yelena was sincerely worried about her cousin.

Honestly, Edward had the same thoughts as Yelena, but he pretended to be clueless because he hoped his sister would come home and spoke shamelessly.

“She must have grown up. She’s at the age where she needs to start growing up too. And she must have come to her senses after you had almost been kidnapped.”

“…”

“Did you think Mielle was always going to be selfish like a child? You’re looking down on her too much.”

Yelena grew quiet, as if lost in her thoughts.

Seeing Yelena this way must have given Edward some hope because he then furtively asked, “Are you coming home?”

Yelena snapped back to reality and smiled cheerfully.

“Nope. Quit dreaming.”