Chapter 2

I was desperately trying not to lose sight of Olivia as I hurried along, but I stopped when she suddenly halted.

"I'm in a fix. I jumped out of the carriage in a fit of anger, and now I have no idea which direction it went."

I hadn't expected to get lost and opened my mouth in surprise.

"To be honest, it was someone else's job to come and pick up Tory. I had planned to just check on you and then go back, but when I thought about that woman standing right in front of me, I couldn't hold back. It turned out to be a misunderstanding, though."

Olivia laughed in a refined manner, and she looked beautiful. My mother is also beautiful, but in a different way—she has a seductive charm, while Olivia has a pure and elegant beauty.

In this place, where only commoners were around, Olivia stood out. Of course, the aura she exuded was noble, and even though her clothes were now dirty, it was clear that they were expensive. She stood out even more as she looked around while walking.

But perhaps because she stood out, a knight found her.

"Lady, are you all right...?"

The knight's words trailed off as he noticed the dirt on Olivia's clothes and her disheveled hair.

"John, I'm fine. I'll hurry back with Tory."

"Lady, what exactly happened?"

The knight, with wide eyes, looked at me as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"…This child looks just like my lord."

"Yes, I can feel his blood strongly."

It seems that I resemble the Earl quite a bit. Even after getting into the carriage, the two of them kept looking at my face and gasping, so perhaps I resemble the Earl more than I thought.

I couldn't help but smile awkwardly because I was being stared at so intently.

"Even the expression is the same."

"Yes, this smile could make people think we're twins."

The two of them occasionally whispered to each other, and I tilted my head in confusion as the carriage jolted for about an hour. I was trying to gather as much information as possible by listening to John and Olivia's conversation.

It seems that the Earl's family has two sons, aged eighteen and twelve. If the Earl is my father, then I have two older brothers.

Now that my memories from my previous life have returned, I am not just an ordinary four-year-old. I have the memories of being an adult in my previous life, but they are vague. I can't remember how old I was or if I was married. The only thing I can recall clearly is a scene in the company lobby, which is rather sad.

Since I might seem unusually mature for a child, I decided to try to act as quiet and well-behaved as possible.

"How old is Tory?"

"Four years old."

I tried to sound childlike and held up four fingers.

"Lady, your husband is faithful to you. I can guarantee it."

"…I believed that too, until yesterday. But..."

Olivia looked at me with tears in her eyes.

"I will talk to my husband."

Olivia said this with a serious expression, and John seemed to have nothing to say, shaking his head in resignation and falling silent.

I was worried that another scene might be waiting for me, and it would be because of my existence. I wanted to see my father's face, but I felt a bit gloomy about it.

When the carriage stopped quietly, Olivia slapped her cheeks to muster up her courage.

"Let's go."

"Yes."

I responded enthusiastically without thinking.

I followed Olivia, who walked confidently, making sure not to fall behind.

"Welcome back, Lady."

I could see a butler in a classic uniform leading a row of maids who bowed their heads.

"Where is my husband?"

"He is in the study."

"Let's go, Tory."

I think everyone here noticed me standing behind Olivia at that moment.

A murmur spread, and I felt their gazes piercing me. I tried to be inconspicuous, nodding slightly and making myself even smaller.

When I passed the butler, who had wide eyes, I gave a slight bow.

"Lady, please wait."

John, who had run up from behind, made me feel a bit relieved to see a familiar face.

"I will accompany you."

"It's not necessary."

"No, if I let you go alone, my lord will scold me."

"Don't get in the way."

"Of course not."

Then Olivia marched up the stairs. I tried my best to keep up with my short legs, but the gap between an adult and a child grew wider. At that moment, John lifted me under my armpits.

"Huff, huff... Thank you very much."

I bowed my head, and for some reason, he looked surprised. Thanks to John carrying me, I managed to reach the top of the stairs without falling behind Olivia.

Olivia stopped in front of a large door and took a deep breath. I swallowed hard, imagining the scene that was about to unfold and feeling like I wanted to turn back.

At that moment, I realized something.

Wait, do I really need to be here?

"Excuse me, my lord."

But I realized too late. Olivia pushed open the door with a loud bang and entered.

She left me, who couldn't take a step, behind as the door closed with a slam.

At that moment, I thought it might be better not to go in for a while.

Yes, the couple needs to talk.

I was about to take a step forward when I bumped into something.

"Are you not going in?"

I nodded in response to John's question, but he looked at me with a pitying gaze.

Then, he shook his head silently.

"Tory, Tory, please come in."

I jumped at the sound of my name being called. John patted my shoulder.

This means I should go in. John kindly opened the large door for me. Even though I couldn't take a step, John's gesture urged me to hurry.

"I'll go with you."

With those words, I finally moved forward.

On the other side of the door, there was a large desk in front of us. Olivia stood in front of it, and the Earl was likely sitting on the other side.

"Lady, this is Tory. Can you still deny any connection to her?"

Olivia moved to the side, and I saw a man standing in front of me.

The first thing I noticed was his beautiful silver hair, which was very different from my dirty gray hair. His wide, sky-blue eyes were staring at me.

Despite the slight difference in hair color, the man in front of me looked just like me. If I were an adult man, I would look like him.

I was sure he was equally surprised by the resemblance.

Time seemed to stop as our gazes met.

"Who are you...?"

"This is not just anyone. Can you still claim that this child is a stranger to you?"

"Calm down, Olivia."

"How can I stay calm? I have my dignity."

"It's a misunderstanding."

"Then how do you explain Tory?"

Olivia, who was clearly not calm, kept pressing the Earl.

"Olivia, I swear, it's only you."

"But..."

"It's the truth. I have always loved only you, now and in the past."

Tears that Olivia had been holding back started to flow, and she began to cry. The Earl, who had somehow moved to embrace her, sent a sharp glance my way.

The coldness in his gaze was so intense that I felt like I might freeze. It was a look that no one should give to a child, but I pretended not to understand.

When the Earl's gaze shifted from me to John, he signaled for him to leave. I was gently patted on the shoulder by John and quietly left the room.

A few steps away from the closed door, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

I had encountered another scene.