PSD Chapter 51

The Role of the Villainess

As Lexion embraced Milena, Ashdel, who had been following them, politely bowed in front of the lady of the house.
“Good afternoon, madam. I am Ashdel. My guardians have made many mistakes.”
“…I see, come in.”
“Ah.”
While Ashdel exchanged greetings with the lady, Lexion slowly moved further away.
“Well then, have a pleasant afternoon! I will properly greet you later!”
The child, who had been anxious about leaving his aunt, quickly followed behind Lexion as he distanced himself.
Once all the servants had disappeared to attend to their duties, only a few remained. The lady of the house, sitting still, couldn’t take her eyes off the child.
She didn’t move until the sun began to set, and the pale moon rose in the sky.
“The wind is chilly. Please, come inside.”
“Elma. That child… doesn’t he seem to resemble our Lexion?”
The kindly-looking maid, draping a cloak over the lady’s shoulders, spoke.
“Indeed. I would almost believe him to be her biological son.”
At those words, moisture gathered in the corners of the lady’s eyes, filled with regret.

The Duke’s family had a personal physician assigned exclusively to the head of the household, Hector, and another physician responsible for the direct family members.
The other family physician, who had been holed up in the apothecary, was having another peaceful, uneventful day. The robust Silvert people rarely got sick, so his duties were light, allowing him to pursue his hobbies.
He enjoyed growing herbs himself, combining their ingredients and discovering their effects. It was a passion that blended well with his work. He was highly satisfied with his position in the Duke’s household.
That was until one of the maids burst into the apothecary without knocking.
“There’s a problem! KC!”
The family physician, who was responsible for the Silvert direct line, awkwardly stood up from his seat at the maid’s urgency. The maid, apparently frustrated, grabbed his arm and pulled him along.
“I… forgot the medical kit…”
“I’ve got it! Hurry up!”
At the maid’s forceful tone, the physician fell silent. He didn’t even have time to adjust his gown as he was dragged along.
“What happened?”
Breathing heavily, the physician, who had been absorbed in his research and lacked time for exercise, asked. As they ran, the maid explained the situation, and the physician’s face went pale upon hearing the shocking news.
“What?! Pregnant?!”
“Yes, that’s right. The lady shouted at us to hurry.”
“Lady? But has the young master ever brought anyone to the Duke’s residence?”
“No! Never! That’s why the house is in an uproar!”
“Why… why didn’t you notice? You’re a physician!”
The physician took a deep breath outside a firmly closed door and knocked.
“Come in.”
A soft, short voice called from inside, and the door opened. The physician swallowed nervously as he looked inside the bedroom. Despite his bright smile, the young master of the Silvert family had cold eyes.
‘This is scary.’
The atmosphere was tense, and the physician hesitantly entered.

At the commotion, Milena slowly opened her eyes. The physician was examining her, but he tilted his head in confusion.
“Ah, you’re not… pregnant?”
Sighing, Lexion placed his finger on his lips and smiled lightly. What was he up to now? The physician quickly bowed his head.
“I will keep the secret. I will order a cup of lemon tea for you. The young lady should rest, and she will feel better.”
It was a perfect display of etiquette. If the master wished it, silence was to be kept. The physician exited discreetly, knowing that the head of the family and the influential members would soon learn the truth.
Once the physician left, the maids, who had been bustling around preparing to serve, quietly positioned themselves against the wall, waiting.
“I didn’t know you had motion sickness.”
Lexion muttered as he gently touched Milena’s hair. It wasn’t exactly motion sickness, but the speed of the enchanted carriage was too fast for her. Milena had been forgotten when the protective magic was applied, but it was too late now, as they had already arrived.
“I don’t go out much, so I didn’t know either.”
Milena, who had been watching the situation unfold, closed her eyes to stave off the nausea and spoke.
“This is my first long journey, and such a fast carriage.”
“Then I suppose you’ll have to get used to it.”
As Milena slowly opened her eyes again, she found her beautiful husband’s face filling her vision. Lexion, with his head lowered just enough for their noses to almost touch, spoke teasingly.
“We might go farther for our honeymoon.”
A slight rustling sound came from the wall, but Milena smiled softly. She wasn’t going to hold back from his teasing.
“Sweetheart, can I kiss you?”
“I’ll pass. My stomach still feels queasy.”
Now that she thought about it, the child who should have intervened was nowhere to be seen. Just as she was about to wonder where Ashdel had gone, the door suddenly flew open with a loud bang.
“LEXION!”
Without warning, the door was kicked open and slammed against the wall. Milena’s eyes widened in surprise, but Lexion, unfazed, stood upright. He turned toward the intruder with a nonchalant expression.
A woman with long silver hair, tied up in a neat bun, stormed into the room. She grabbed Lexion by the collar with a strength that lifted him onto his toes. She was wearing the uniform of the knightly order, and her furious steps were intimidating.
“So, you’ve finally done it!”
“Sister, you finished your work?”
“You, what is all this? Why have you been seeing other women while keeping one with a child hidden? What were you thinking, hiding a pregnant woman like this?!”
“Sister, can we talk about this? You’re being too violent.”
“How can you still be the heir of the Silvert family? You scoundrel!”
“Ugh.”
They were both shouting over each other, and the conversation was getting nowhere. Lexion, who was being shaken violently, finally spoke with a tilted head.
“Sister, would you mind being quiet? There’s a patient here. My wife needs to rest.”
“What?”
At the mention of “wife,” the woman snapped out of her fury and turned toward Milena, eyes wide.
“Ah, sorry!”
Milena, who looked pale, waved her hand as if to say it was fine, but the woman was quicker.
“I’ll just borrow him for a moment! Oh, by the way, I’m Claudia Floyd, his sister!”
Claudia loudly dragged Lexion away.
“All of you, leave! Don’t disturb the lady.”
After giving the command, Claudia took her brother out of the room, and the maids, noticing the cue, quickly left the room, quietly closing the door behind them.
Only then did Ashdel, who had been sitting quietly in the corner of the room, move. He approached the bed and looked at Milena with concern.
“Aunt, are you alright?”
Milena, who was feeling a bit better, nodded.
“I’m fine.”
Ashdel, still unfamiliar with the household hierarchy, cautiously assessed the situation. After a moment of thinking, his pink eyes sparkled as he spoke.
“Aunt, wouldn’t it be better if I just called you ‘mom’?”
It seemed like the child was considering how to adapt to life in this household.
“Ashdel.”
“That man… I don’t like calling him ‘uncle,’ but being a blood relative is better than being an outsider. If they know I’m your son, they’ll treat you better.”
That was why Lexion had implied that Milena was pregnant. Ashdel had been watching everything carefully, including when the physician was silenced.
Lexion’s reputation as a father didn’t matter to Ashdel. What mattered was that Milena could live comfortably.
Seeing the child so confident, Milena let out a deep sigh.
“Children don’t need to worry about those things.”
“Still…”
“Ashdel, come here.”
She opened her arms, and Ashdel slowly climbed onto the bed. Milena hugged him tightly.
“I don’t like lying.”
“Mm.”
“I’m fine. And our Ashdel, as the Duke’s heir, can get treated well wherever he goes. If anyone gives us trouble, I won’t stand for it. I’ll topple the Duke’s household if I have to.”
“Aunt, you’re too soft-hearted.”
“Don’t forget I was called a villainess.”
“Yep, you’re good at playing the villainess.”
Hehe. Ashdel stopped overthinking and smiled brightly. No matter how things went, it would be fine.
’As long as I’m with Aunt, everything will be okay.’
Ashdel hugged Milena tightly. Since his aunt wasn’t harsh, he thought that if he behaved well, things would turn out alright.
“…?”
Milena held the warm child close to her, pondering the words he had said.
’The role of the villainess.’
A role? Did he know that her life, built on lies, was nothing but a role? Did he know she had become a villainess against her will? Something about it felt off, but she said nothing as she embraced the child.