Maylily - Chapter 113

The weather in Bredova was generally bright, but today the air was especially clear and the sunlight was warm. Giovanna, who was looking outside through the living room window, spoke up in a lively voice.

[It’s too nice a day to stay indoors. Shall we go out to the backyard and get some sun for a while, little one?]

So after lunchtime, a mat was spread beneath the large fig tree in the backyard. Maylily and Giovanna sat on it folding the laundry they had taken down from the clothesline, while Dylan crawled around beside them dragging his puppy doll and playing. Lately, Dylan’s arms and legs had grown much stronger, and he could move faster and even sit up on his own.

[Looks like Dylan’s very excited to be outside again after so long.]

“Amamma, aung… ah!”

When Giovanna spoke while folding the family’s clothes, Dylan, who was sitting beside Maylily, waved his arms and shouted happily.

It had been quite a while since they brought Dylan outside to get some fresh air. Ever since the Count of Everscourt came to the inn, she kept him indoors while trying to hide the child.

But the other day, in the end, she showed the child’s face to him. There was no longer any meaning in keeping the child shut inside the house. Seeing Dylan so excited to be outside for the first time in a while, she felt it might actually have been for the better, though at the same time she also felt sorry.

Maylily brushed the child’s soft hair, which the wind had tousled, then returned to folding the laundry. She neatly folded the towels provided to the inn’s guests and stacked them carefully in a straw basket.

After lying on his stomach playing with the puppy doll for a while, Dylan seemed to grow bored and kept trying to climb onto Maylily’s lap. Maylily held both sides of Dylan’s waist, set him down beside her again, and placed the doll in his hands.

“Dylan, shall we keep playing with Popo just a little longer? Mom will finish this quickly and then play with you.”

[You can play with the child. I can finish the rest by myself. Once the wind gets colder, we won’t be able to sit outside like this with the baby.]

Giovanna swept all the towels that were in front of Maylily over to her side. Maylily looked down at Dylan’s hands fiddling with her thigh, hesitated for a moment, then gave Giovanna an awkward smile of thanks.

[Then I’ll leave it to you, ma’am. Thank you.]

[Between us, what is there to ask for and what is there to thank me for?]

Maylily let out a small laugh at Giovanna’s joking remark and sat Dylan down in front of her. Then she scooped up some apple purée she had brought in a small glass jar and fed it to him with a teaspoon.

As she quietly watched the child’s face while he busily moved his small lips to eat the purée, the Count of Everscourt suddenly came to mind.

He must have realized that Dylan is his child, so why has he been so quiet?

Thinking back on the Count’s reaction when he faced Dylan, she wondered if perhaps he hadn’t recognized the child. But a perceptive man like him couldn’t possibly have failed to notice.

Was it easier for him to sponsor another man’s child, yet difficult to accept his own illegitimate child? Because it would stain his honor? Or was he secretly planning to take the child away? If that were the case, she would rather he pretend not to know the child at all and turn away from him….

Thinking such selfish thoughts while looking at the child smiling brightly without knowing anything made her feel guilty and pained.

Shaking her head to brush away her thoughts, Maylily wiped the corners of Dylan’s mouth clean with a handkerchief after he finished the purée. Then she stood up and hugged the child tightly in her arms. The baby burst into giggles and rested his head against Maylily’s shoulder.

[I’ll take Dylan to look at the trees and flowers.]

Moving to where the orange trees and the rose beds were, Maylily showed the child the fruit hanging from the branches and the leaves up close, and pointed out the colors of the roses one by one. She also watched a small yellow bird that flew down and perched on the low stone wall, grooming its feathers with its beak.

“Shall we go back to where Grandma Giovanna is now?”

It was just as Maylily, who was beginning to feel the strain of holding the child for so long, turned to head back.

“Aba, ubu….”

Dylan babbled and stretched out his hand as if pointing upward.

“Why, Dylan? Do you see something interesting?”

Maylily lifted her gaze following the direction of the child’s hand. The moment she saw sea-colored eyes shining beyond the pale trail of smoke, her heart dropped.

It was the Count of Everscourt. Standing at the window of a guest room on the second floor of the inn, he was looking down at Maylily. He lowered the hand holding the cigar below the window. The faint smoke that had spread through the air disappeared cleanly. The next moment, his gaze slowly shifted from Maylily to Dylan and remained fixed there for quite a while.

If he looks at Dylan like that, he must have recognized him…. She wanted to ask what on earth he was thinking. She felt stifled and afraid.

Just as she finally parted her lips after much hesitation….

“What are you looking at so intently?”

Startled by the voice beside her, Maylily quickly lowered her gaze. Michele had just come out through the back door after running an errand for Carlo at the bank in town.

“Ah, you’re back?”

“Mimi, amamma, buu.”

“Yeah, I’m glad to see you too, you little rascal. Here, give him to me.”

Coming over to Maylily, Michele naturally took Dylan into his arms. Then he casually looked up toward the place where Maylily’s gaze had been a moment ago.

As expected again today.

These days, whenever Maylily stared blankly at something, the end of her gaze was always the Count of Everscourt.

It would almost be better if he came closer and spoke to her or tried to bother her. Then Maylily could chase him away. But he only stood at a distance like a ghost and watched, so she remained constantly aware of him while being unable to do anything about it.

A cunning man. Michele found it thoroughly unpleasant. Perhaps the other man felt the same, because the eyes looking down at Michele from beneath the black hair falling over his forehead glinted sharply.

“Let’s go over there where Auntie is, Michele.”

Maylily gently tugged at Michele’s arm. Michele ended the pointless contest of wills there and followed her without protest.

[Michele, you’re back. Oh my, look at the time already. I should go inside and switch with Carlo right away. You two stay out here and enjoy yourselves until before sunset.]

Giovanna added that tonight’s menu was simple and the ingredients were already prepared, so she could handle the cooking by herself. Judging by how much she was talking, it seemed she was putting on an act to leave Michele and Maylily alone together.

Just as expected. Winking at Michele, she stood up and soon disappeared inside the building.

Maylily sat with her back turned toward the direction where the Count was, and Michele took a seat facing her. Because of that, the Count, who was still standing where he had been earlier, was clearly within Michele’s view. Pale smoke rose like a cloud by the window of his guest room.

Dylan, held in Michele’s arms, blinked sleepily as his nap time approached. Michele shifted the child into a more comfortable position for sleeping and nodded toward the Count as he asked, “How long does he plan to keep doing that?”

“…I don’t know.”

Maylily, who was putting the baby’s toys and the empty glass jar into her bag, shook her head slightly with an awkward expression. Her hair, half tied and neatly falling down her back, shimmered with the movement and scattered softly over her shoulders.

As the seasons passed through several changes, her golden hair grew longer and the softness in her cheeks thinned slightly. Maylily now carried the air of a mature woman.

Michele watched her for a moment with a new gaze. Pretending to brush off dust, he casually touched her hair. Then he gently smoothed the strands of her bangs that the wind had swept across her forehead.

Startled by the overly affectionate touch, Maylily’s eyes widened. Seeing that her eyes still held the same clear light despite everything else changing, Michele curved his lips slightly.

“Even if the Count knows we’re not a married couple, we can still act affectionate.”

Leaning close to Maylily’s face, Michele whispered in a low, coaxing voice. When his breath brushed her lips, Maylily flinched and reflexively pulled her face back.

“Even so, this is a bit….”

“Who knows? If we show him something like this, maybe he’ll give up and go back.”

Though it didn’t seem very likely. At the plausible excuse Michele offered to move a little closer to Maylily, her eyes lit up with innocent hope.

“…Do you really think so?”

“We’ll find out if we try.”