She's Not Our Daughter! Ch 23

Don't Go, Sierra

Sierra stepped into the mansion without a single drop of water on her and looked down at tiny Hanael trailing beside her.

[Sierra] "Um....... So what exactly happened, Hanael?"

She wanted to say, If you mean the bad mister, hasn't he always been weird? 

But she kept her mouth shut.

The Grand Madam stared firmly at Sierra. The mansion's atmosphere felt eerie.

What is it? Is something here......?

A famous recently published romance novel titled Wuthering Heights flashed through her mind.

What is with this mansion's atmosphere? It has that exact gloomy vibe.

Why, what is it? Do ghosts actually haunt this place......?

---

[Sierra] "Hello, Cassius."

Hearing Cassius suddenly stood in the pouring rain worried her. Rumors circulated that the royal physician came and went, as if he contracted a terrible disease.

After pondering for hours, she brainwashed herself.

Listen, Sierra. You are just visiting a sick person.

Besides, she possessed a fever reducer capable of plummeting temperatures instantly.

No, why out of all things do I hold the exact medicine that cures rain-induced illness?

A stinging guilt pierced her pharmacist's conscience, so she grabbed the potion bottle.

Cassius was no stranger, and he collapsed after standing outside like a wet puppy. Worrying about him was natural.

She stood and quietly stepped outside.

Well....... If I cure him, he won't frame me as a fraud even if the truth comes out later.

Of course, calculating motives hid beneath her actions.

---

Sierra carefully stroked Cassius' forehead. She had absolutely no idea why he stood alone in the pouring rain.

He kept his eyes closed and absorbed her warmth.

[Cassius] "I missed you."

To her, his words made zero sense.

What is wrong with him? Who is he looking for?

He kept his eyes closed, opened his mouth quietly, and whispered to her.

[Cassius] "Don't go."

[Sierra] "....…"

[Cassius] "Please."

Sierra gulped. Even though he kept his eyes closed, an illusion of his desperate gaze piercing her took hold.

[Cassius] "Actually......."

He muttered quietly. However, she missed his next words. His hand gripped hers tightly.

With his eyes closed, Cassius probably had no idea he held Sierra's hand.

His grip tightened.

[Cassius] "Don't...... go, please."

She grew increasingly confused.

What do I do? Who on earth is he desperately looking for.

Come to think of it, he acted like this in the past.

[Cassius] "Ugh......."

Looking down at him, swallowing a low groan in agony, an ache bloomed in her heart.

My excessive kindness is a curse.

She stared at him, lost in deep thought.

She already knew Cassius had starved for human affection in the past.

Even when sick, he never admitted his pain and collapsed several times during foolishly relentless training. Back then, she scolded him.

[Sierra] "You should have told me you were sick!"

[Cassius] "No one cares if I am sick anyway. I might as well keep training-"

[Sierra] "Why not? You have me. We are friends, aren't we?"

[Cassius] "Friends......."

The memory of his eyes sparkling the moment she spoke rushed back.

[Cassius] "Right, I have....... you."

Looking back, Sierra stayed by his side when he fell ill. Reflecting on the past, she whispered softly.

[Sierra] "Well....... We had good times like that, too."

A strange mood settled over her.

Misunderstandings and delusions tangled their relationship now, but they once shared an excellent bond.

She looked down at him, deep in thought. While she quietly watched his lowered eyelashes, he struggled to open his eyes.

[Cassius] "It can be better, even better than back then."

His voice sounded noticeably huskier.

Did he hear her words? The fever clearly had not consumed him entirely.

His under-eyes didn't sink entirely like a dying patient, but his complexion remained incredibly pale.

She stared at him awkwardly and gave a short nod.

[Sierra] "You are awake. I will be going then......."

At that moment, his hand clamped around her wrist.

She yielded her wrist with a puzzled expression. His sudden physical contact didn't panic her. His touch remained incredibly gentle, like a bird taking flight.

He either lacked the strength to grip her tight or he intentionally weakened his hold out of fear of hurting her.

[Cassius] "Don't go, please."

Absolute desperation coated his features.

[Cassius] "Just ten minutes."

She hesitated in silence. She lacked the cold-heartedness required to act cruelly toward a sick person.

Come to think of it, she encountered that exact gaze in the past.

Even at the academy, Cassius Ideos stood firm like a pine tree. He stood alone in his unwavering brilliance. For every person who admired him, countless others glared with jealousy and envy.

Amidst it all, Cassius remained entirely resolute.

[Sierra] "Well....... Fine, just ten minutes. Since you are a patient."

The moment Sierra finished speaking, relief washed over Cassius. Color slowly returned to his expression.

[Cassius] "I hate saying this."

He covered his eyes with his arm and whispered softly.

[Cassius] "I wish I were sick every day."

The Cassius in her memory was a boy starved for human and familial affection. That fact remained true today.

Having someone by his side while sick naturally brought him joy. The situation mirrored five years ago.

[Sierra] "Don't be sick."

[Cassius] "Having you next to me chases the pain away."

[Sierra] "......Is that so?"

[Cassius] "Yes, but I still wish I were sick every day. Having someone next to me...... feels nice."

He definitely swallowed the word 'you' right before speaking.

He longed for human warmth back then, too.

Back then, they hadn't even spent a night together; they were merely friends. Yet, Cassius said those exact words.

Therefore, his current behavior made perfect sense. Believing Sierra gave birth to his daughter undeniably forged a stronger attachment.

She spoke softly.

[Sierra] "What are you talking about? You need to get healthy. Health is the most important thing."

She swapped the damp towel on his forehead.

He coughed shortly, his face flushed with fever. Even then, he raised his sleeve to cover his mouth, terrified his cough might reach her.

[Cassius] "Still."

He carefully held her hand and whispered faintly.

[Cassius] "You are warm."

With his rising fever, her hand must have felt freezing to him. He clearly meant something deeper than physical temperature.

He smiled brightly, rendering her unable to argue. At that moment, a conversation she shared with him at the academy long ago flashed through her mind.

[Cassius] "I was born an illegitimate child. I never had a family."

[Sierra] "Well, I am in a similar boat. I am an orphan."

[Cassius] "I see. We have something in common, then."

He had said that and smiled brightly.

Considering his upbringing, his desperate longing for human connection stood as an undeniable fact.

Pity for Cassius washed over her, and Sierra thumped her heavy chest.

---

Sierra guarded his side for exactly ten minutes before returning to her room

However, Cassius lingered in her thoughts the entire time.

Wearing a blank expression, she stared at Hanael, picking at a plush toy's ear. Hanael had carried that ugly doll everywhere lately.

With plenty of beautiful dolls available, her insistence on carrying that hideous thing baffled Sierra.

No, no. That doll is not the issue right now!

She raised both hands and slapped her cheeks tap-tap.

Hah...... Damn it, this uncomfortable feeling is killing me.

In truth, a relationship between Sierra and Cassius remained absolutely impossible.

Despite the maids' gossiping, the odds of Sierra becoming the Duchess stood at zero. She was a commoner.

Well...... They aren't suspicious right now because I used a child as a shield, but still.

She rested her chin on her hand, blinked, and fell into deep thought.

Judging by Cassius' actions today, he clearly harbored affection for her. And she figured out the reason.

She was his first friend. Furthermore, on that specific day, Cassius confessed his one-night stand with Sierra was his first time.

The situation grew increasingly clear. Like a newly hatched chick imprinting on its mother, he had imprinted on her.

However, Sierra possessed zero desire to become a Duchess, and even less desire to become a second wife. She simply wanted to live as a peaceful pharmacist.

Of course......!

The massive wealth of this mansion pleased her immensely, but still......!

Drool slipped from her lips at some point, so Sierra frantically wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

Her thoughts derailed for a moment, but one fact remained certain.

[Sierra] "Cassius needs someone other than Hanael or me."

Voicing the thought cemented her conviction.

During the paternity test waiting period, she needed to play matchmaker for Cassius before leaving.

What if he gained more opportunities to mingle with wonderful, beautiful women and other people?

The public already idolized Cassius, the Duke of Ideos, and a war hero. If she helped him form healthy attachments with good people.......

He relies on me because he has absolutely no one else. This is not love.

From the very beginning, Sierra refused to believe in the emotion called love.

She majored in pharmacy and knew exactly how to brew love potions easily. It merely required manipulating a human's physical reactions. Then, people deluded themselves into believing they fell in love.

Love between a noble and a commoner could never exist.

Her parents' absence and her sister's sporadic visits had molded Sierra into a skeptical and emotionally avoidant person.

She dropped her hand from her chin and dusted her hands off.

[Sierra] "I should help him meet a good person before I leave."

She shrugged.

I should meet with a lawyer and look into things properly.

[Hanael] "......Hmm."

Hanael's eyes sparkled with mischievous intent.

---

Late that night, the Imperial Princess' palace remained perfectly silent, creating the ideal atmosphere to brew a secret conspiracy.

The Princess and Ezel sat face-to-face across a table.

Wearing a vivid red dress, she fanned herself and chuckled softly.

[Illiena] "Sierra. You say that woman has a strong spine and is quite decent?"

[Illiena] "Ezel, I have never seen you praise a woman before. Did you fall for her or something?"

He instantly swapped his usual smooth expression for cold indifference.

[Ezel] "As if that could ever happen."

Staring intently at Ezel, she quietly replied.

[Illiena] "Hmm....... I am growing rather curious about her. I should invite her to a ball."

[Ezel] "......Hmm."

He leaned back against his chair and spoke in a languid tone.

[Ezel] "I doubt it. That is a poor choice."

[Illiena] "And the reason?"

[Ezel] "The Ideos Ducal family will not sit still."

She smirked.

[Illiena] "I have already prepared for that. We possess an excellent chess piece."

She pulled the bell rope next to the table. Instantly, the door opened quietly.

Seeing the person stepping through the door, Ezel swallowed a sharp gasp.

---

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