Chapter 26

Iris’ heart was filled with tension.

Her in-laws were truly horrible in her previous life.

As if they didn’t even want to breathe the same air as Iris, they despised and abused her.

She didn’t think that Venerable Count Green and his wife would be like the Hutch family, but she couldn’t help but be intimidated due to her past trauma.

However, she did her best to look strong in front of the late Count and his wife who was staring at her.

“Okay, Iris. I’ll treat you kindly.”

Helena’s voice was cold.

“I apologize in advance if what I’m about to say might offend you.”

“Mother.”

As Keivrand tried to say a word to Helena, Iris put her hand on his.

“Kei.”

When Iris gently stared at Keivrand, he sighed and nodded.

Helena was inwardly surprised.

‘I can’t believe she was able to tame my son.’

Keivrand was very stubborn, but in fact, he was actually a self-indulgent son who was obedient to his parents.

“How did you meet Keivrand?”

“I visited the Count estate from memory. Then proposed to Count Green.”

Helena, Wyvern, and Keivrand’s eyes widened at the unexpected answer that none of them were prepared for.

“Irie!”

Maybe it wasn’t discussed with Keivrand beforehand, but he grabbed Iris’ hand.

Iris carefully pulled back her hand.

Her eyes were still fixed on Helena.

“You…You came to my son and proposed first?”

“Yes.”

Again, Iris replied calmly.

Helena felt as if she had lost track of the direction this conversation was heading.

Women rarely proposed first, and even if they did, they would say the man had proposed first.

It was because it was seen as the woman pressuring the man into marrying.

But even at this moment, Iris’ dignity hasn’t diminished at all. She was still exuding a noble and graceful glow.

Helena, who came to her senses, managed to ask.

“Why?”

“I wanted to run away. I wanted to run away from Duke Whittle.”

It was expected that Duke Whittle might have tried to use her as a bargaining chip.

But why would Iris want to run away if Duke Whittle loved her?

Helena thought it wasn’t an easy part to touch, so she wondered how to change the topic.

However, it was an unfounded worry. Iris brought up the conversation first.

“I’m an illegitimate child. I was born to Duke Whittle and a maid.”

For a moment, a heavy silence fell. A cold air filled the drawing room.

Holding their breath, everyone stared at Iris’ lips, who had calmly spit out the unexpected truth.

This was Iris’ decisive move.

‘The fact that I’m Duke Whittle’s illegitimate child will come back to haunt me one day. So I’d rather reveal the truth from my side first.’

No matter what the consequences are.

Even if Keivrand is disappointed and kicks her out.

It was better for some pieces to fall than a whole mountain if it was revealed that she was an illegitimate child later.

Helena also saw through Iris’ intentions.

‘She’s clever.’

Helena liked clever children.

“Duke Whittle killed my mother and kept me alive. To raise me well and sell me out. But the Duke and his wife weren’t good at raising children. Either too much coddling, or too abusive.”

A bitter smile spread over Iris’ face for a while and then disappeared.

“I was severely abused. I was beaten, despised, and ridiculed. I had to work like a maid, and they didn’t treat me like a princess either. I couldn’t stop all the maids from talking about me, so sometimes stories about me flowed outside…”

Iris swallowed a sigh.

“The ones who leaked the rumors, and the ones who heard it, died. The truth about me rose for a while and then disappeared, and only false rumors were rampant. The flower of Duke Whittle. The youngest daughter who Duke Whittle cares so much for.”

Iris paused and lowered her gaze.

The voluminous eyelashes of the same color as her hair hid her emotions.

“Duke Whittle decided to hand me over to Viscount Hutch for a gold mine. I didn’t like it. So I came to see Count Green.”

“Why…of all people?”

“I thought Count Green would be able to help me.”

“What made you think that? Kei doesn’t show any interest in women.”

“The Count…”

“I wrote a letter.”

Keivrand cut Iris off.

He realized that Iris was about to say, ‘I know the Count’s weakness!’

However, that wasn’t enough. His parents are very keen.

“I’ve written to Iris several times. Because she wrote to me about Duke Whittle’s weakness.”

Fortunately, his parents didn’t tell Keivrand to shut up.

“Duke Whittle’s weakness?”

“Yes, Britney Whittle was spreading false rumors about her relationship with me. That I had asked her for a dance, and that I had a crush on her. I was going to play a little prank on her because it was annoying.”

Helena narrowed her brows.

Wyvern hummed and leaned back on the sofa as if he was having fun.

“I needed information about the family, and I wanted to interact with Iris, the flower of the family. So I sent her a letter.”

“Really?”

Helena looked back at Iris with a look of complete disbelief.

Iris, who was looking at Keivrand with her lips slightly open, managed to nod.

“Yes.”

“Do you think I’ll believe that?”

“No.”

Iris replied frankly.

Helena stopped smiling at the sight of Iris.

Because Iris looked like a little girl being scolded by her parents.

“I won’t ask. No matter how much it concerns my child, it would be rude to ask too deeply about the relationship between a man and woman. But there’s one thing I hope you can be honest with me. This house, are you better off than Duke Whittle’s?”

For the first time, Iris’ eyes shook at the question. Her violet eyes created waves and sank quietly.

Iris smiled, but to Helena, it looked as if she was crying.

“In my life…”

Iris’ faint voice trembled.

She then paused for a moment as if she had realized it.

Breathing in lightly, she opened her mouth again.

“I’ve never been so happy.”

Keivrand held Iris’ hand tightly.

“And I’ll be even happier in the future.”

Iris faced Keivrand.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

The two, who smiled softly at each other, were obviously a couple in love.

Only then did Helena feel relieved. Her son had not forced a lady to be his wife.

“Yes, I understand. That’s enough. I won’t bring up your marriage anymore.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you beforehand.”

“That’s not something you should be sorry about.”

Helena said as she glared at Keivrand.

Keivrand grinned.

“I’m sorry, mother. Father.”

“We’ll be out in a little while. You guys go ahead.”

“Yes, then we’ll leave first, Countess Green.”

“Irie.”

“What?”

“It’s not Countess Green.”

“Then…”

“I heard you’ve already reported your marriage, so can’t you call me mother?”

Iris, who widened her eyes, soon smiled brightly.

“Yes, mother.”

As soon as Iris and Keivrand left, Helena looked back at her husband.

“Hey, why did you like her as soon as you saw her?”

“Iris obviously looks like a pure, slender lady to anyone who sees her…”

A smile spread across Wyvern’s lips.

“However, she was looking at me with the eyes of a fighter.”

* * *

Keivrand and Iris left the drawing room and headed for the garden.

Only after going out into the open, did Iris breathe comfortably.

“I was so nervous.”

“It didn’t look like that.”

“I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“Hiding that I’m an illegitimate child.”

“I had expected it.”

“Really?”

Keivrand gently grabbed the tip of Iris’ hair and wrapped it around his index finger. Then, kissing the twine of hair, he spoke.

“If you’re this beautiful but were abused, I thought there must be a reason.”

Iris has heard so many times that she’s beautiful.

However, when Keivrand looked into her eyes and told her she was beautiful, she would feel a tickle near her heart and become unable to look at him.

Dodging sideways, Iris spoke.

“I’m glad your parents accepted me.”

“It’s not my parents, Irie. Now they’re our parents.”

“But…”

“Have faith in yourself. From the moment our mother told you to call her mother, she had already accepted you as family.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Alfred’s mother also said that at first in her previous life.

[Call me mother from now on. I’ll treat you like a daughter.]

She thought she could live a life different from that of Duke Whittle.

Just as Duke Whittle cared for Britney, Iris had the foolish expectation that Alfred’s mother would care for her.

But the situation didn’t change one bit.

No, rather, it was more painful.

“Irie?”

She snapped out of her thoughts at Keivrand’s call.

The worries in his blueish-gray eyes eased her stuffy chest.

“Do you know that sometimes you look very painful?”

“Really?”

She should be more careful, she thought.

“What can I do to stop my wife’s pain?”

“Kei, I’m not in pain.”

Keivrand narrowed his forehead slightly.

“What can I do to stop my wife from lying?”

“I’m not lying, Kei. I’m not in pain.”

It was just a small prick that sometimes pressed down on her chest because of her past memories. She was perfectly satisfied with her life with Keivrand.

“Oh, I have a good idea.”

Keivrand suddenly hugged Iris tightly.

A suffocating, strong hug.

When she was hugged by Keivrand this way, her whole body relaxed and a new tension came.

A sweet pink tension, completely different from the black and heavy tension.

“When I was distressed to learn that beastmen are not ordinary. When I was depressed, my family would hug me like this. That made me feel better.”

“I’m not getting any better.”

Iris, whose face was buried in Keivrand’s chest, murmured.

Keivrand smiled and stroked her head.

“How about now?”

“Not much.”

“That’s a relief. Then, Irie, I’ll hug you like this whenever you look distressed.”

“Whenever?”

“Anytime, anywhere.”

“Even before the Emperor?”

Keivrand smiled quietly and kissed her on the head.

His breath, which penetrated her hair, felt warm and strange.

With his lips against her head, he whispered.

“Even before God.”

* * *

The carriage of Duke Whittle was seen leaving their mansion.

The destination was Count Green’s mansion.

== Translator’s Note ==

1. Please report any typos, grammatical/spelling errors, sentences you find weird, and other etc…in the comment section .