V2: Chapter 26: Taking Care of a Child is So Tiring!

Huh?

She's back? Perfect, I was just about to go look for her.

Miranda, furious and disregarding her image, strode forward. Just as she reached the bottom of the stairs, she bumped into Liang Lin, who was chatting and laughing with Donald. Liang Di stood silently beside Liang Lin.

Miranda sensed something was off.

Eh?!

Right, wasn't Liang Lin supposed to be out relaxing, traveling? How come she's suddenly back with Liang Di?

"Liang Di, Liang Lin, you're back?"

With Donald nearby, Miranda couldn't lash out. She forced a stiff smile, suppressing her anger.

Hearing that familiar, sharp voice, Liang Lin immediately looked up, her eyes meeting Miranda's.

"Oh ho~" Liang Lin said sarcastically, "Long time no see, Mrs. Miranda. How have you been lately? It must be tough without someone to talk to."

Seeing Miranda made her want to curse; Miranda was her punching bag.

"Miss, you're back."

Bellica appeared at the corner of the stairs. Holding the handrail, she slowly descended, passing Miranda. Liang Di didn't notice at first, but Liang Lin pointed at Bellica's face and spoke up.

"Bellica, what happened to your face? Where did you bump into?"

Liang Di looked up and saw a large red mark on her maid's face, her cheek swollen high—clearly she'd been slapped hard.

"It's nothing, thank you for your concern, Miss Liang Lin." Bellica shook her head. Liang Di had just returned home, and she didn't want to cause her any trouble.

Liang Di's pretty brows furrowed. "Bellica, who hit you?"

Before Bellica could speak, Liang Lin sneered and looked at Miranda. "Is there any need to say? Is there any need to ask? Everyone knows, right? Mrs. Miranda."

This sarcastic tone made Miranda feel uncomfortable. If Donald wasn't there, she probably would have already thrown a tantrum at the two of them.

“Yes, you’re right, Liang Lin.” Miranda puffed out her chest, glaring at Bellica with disgust. “So what if I hit her? Bellica, that maid, is just too much to handle. She’s completely lost her sense of propriety.”

At this point, Miranda looked at Liang Di. “I think it’s because you spoil her too much, Liang Di. She’s become so lowly that she can’t even tell who’s the master and who’s the servant in this house. She’s just a lowly head maid, yet she thinks she’s second only to the master?”

Her most loyal dog had been beaten, and as her mistress, Liang Di naturally wouldn’t let it go so easily.

She stepped forward, standing in front of Liang Lin and Donald, and said coldly, “Mrs. Miranda, I think it’s not your place to discipline my maid. Apologize to my maid.”  

Hearing this, Miranda's eyes widened in surprise, then she laughed in exasperation.

"Liang Di, you've only been away for a few days, and you can't even tell who's the lady and who's the maid? What master would apologize to a maid?"

Just as the atmosphere was about to become tense, Donald reached out and stepped between the two.

The old man's voice was still as gentle as ever, "Oh dear... why are you arguing as soon as you get home, especially in front of me?"

Although his voice was gentle, his words revealed a deep displeasure. Miranda, who was about to say something, immediately shut her mouth.

"Father, she talked back to me first. I only disciplined a servant. Isn't that commonplace in the Duke's mansion? Making me apologize to a servant is going too far, isn't it?" Miranda rolled her eyes and glanced at Liang Di.

Bellica stood silently behind Liang Di, feeling somewhat guilty, realizing she had caused trouble for her young mistress.

“Bellica is my person. Even if she needs discipline, it’s my responsibility to discipline her. Outsiders have no right to interfere,” Liang Di sneered.

“Mrs. Miranda may seem to be hitting my maid, but actually, she’s trying to suppress me, isn’t she?”

Liang Lin nodded in agreement, fanning the flames, “Exactly! You called Bellica a servant, a dog, but even when beating a dog, you have to consider its owner, right? You hit Liang Di’s dog, isn’t that like slapping Liang Di in the face?”

She seemed to enjoy watching the drama unfold, relentlessly stirring things up.

It had been a long time since she’d had such a juicy piece of gossip, a long time since she’d seen such a fascinating women’s feud.

Liang Lin thought: This is great, I love it, give me more!

She should be sitting there eating a watermelon, not standing here listlessly, her mouth empty, not even enjoying the show.

Seeing the atmosphere between Miranda and Liang Di growing increasingly tense, Donald spoke again.

“Miranda, apologize to Bellica.”

Miranda's eyes widened in surprise. She looked at Donald, then at Liang Lin and Liang Di, then at Bellica, and finally at Donald.

Thinking she had misheard, she asked incredulously, “You… you just said…? You mean I should apologize to Liang Di, right?”

“No, I said you should apologize to Bellica.” Donald's voice was calm, not like he was saying it in anger. “After you apologize, we should have lunch."

"What?!"

Miranda, both angry and annoyed, pointed her folding fan at Bellica's forehead, glaring, "Father! Bellica is a servant, I am the lady of this house! Apologizing to a servant... if word gets out, other nobles will laugh at our Langwendi family!"

Donald didn't even lift an eyelid. "Miranda, I don't want to say more. In short, apologize."

Liang Di smiled broadly at the pale-faced Miranda, making Bellica stand beside her.

"Father, I..." Miranda tried to struggle.

"Apologize, quickly, Miranda, I think you can tell the difference." Donald looked at Miranda, his face calm and expressionless.

"....."

"Bellica, I was wrong just now. I got agitated and hit you." Miranda gritted her teeth, forcing out these words.

Before Bellica could say anything, Liang Di spoke again, "Mrs. Miranda, an apology isn't about saying 'I was wrong', but about saying 'I'm sorry,' or 'I apologize.' If I heard correctly, you didn't say either, did you?"

"....."

Miranda was silent for a second, her face darkening further, her voice trembling, "Liang Di, don't go too far. This is already the biggest concession I've made."

Liang Di spread her hands, "But I don't think that's enough, Bellica, what do you think?"

"I'll do whatever you say, Miss," Bellica said respectfully.

“My maids all listen to me, so I think this won’t do. Apologize again, Mrs. Miranda.”

Liang Lin, gloating from the side, continued to fan the flames, “It really isn’t right. What kind of apology is this? How can someone who used to be a maid now be so difficult to other maids? Has she been suppressing her feelings for too long, making her heart twisted? Ah, or is it simply a lack of manners? If it’s a lack of manners, then I can understand, after all, she’s a high-ranking maid, hahaha~”

Even after a year, Liang Lin’s mouth was still sharp, lacking any composure as a mother.

Liang Di covered her mouth and laughed.

Liang Lin was stunned.

This scene was similar to when they first met; Liang Lin had said a long string of sarcastic and mocking things, and then Liang Di covered her mouth and laughed out loud.

Miranda looked at Donald, hoping he would intervene and offer justice. "Father, look, I've already apologized, but they're still won't let it go. I–"

Donald interrupted her, his voice still calm.

"Miranda, apologize again. Apologize as they say."

Miranda froze, speechless for a long time. She didn't understand why Donald's favoritism was so obvious.

"Miranda, don't waste our time."

Miranda's face turned deathly pale.

"I'm sorry, Bellica, I was too impulsive."

After saying this, tears welled up in Miranda's eyes. She turned away, lifted her skirt, and hurriedly ran upstairs to her room.

How humiliating! I'm the lady of the Langwendi family! How could I apologize to a servant? How could I apologize to a lowly maid?! 

Miranda collapsed onto the bed, sobbing uncontrollably.

Downstairs, Donald's smile returned.

"Welcome home. You two haven't eaten yet, right? Come on."

Donald was a shrewd old man; he knew what was important. Liang Di had reorganized the Langwendi family, restoring it to its former glory. While Edwin, in the other hand, was mediocre and unfit for the role of family head. The future headship would undoubtedly belong to Liang Di.

He had to show favoritism now because if he didn't keep Miranda and Edwin in check, these two fools would find every way to cause trouble in front of Liang Di. He was old and didn't know how much longer he would live. Once he died, Liang Di wouldn't have to consider his feelings anymore and would probably deal with these two fools. Miranda was alright; if she died, she was just an outsider. But Edwin was his grandson, and he couldn't bear to see his grandson die at the hands of his granddaughter.

“What would you like to eat? I’ll have them make it,” Donald asked.

Liang Di looked at Liang Lin and said, “Whatever Sister Liang Lin eats, I’ll eat.”

“I want mushroom soup! And fish soup too!”

Liang Lin started ordering without hesitation. She really missed the mushroom soup made by the chef at Langwendi’s house; it was so delicious, and she hadn’t had it in ages. Now, recalling that sweet taste, she unconsciously swallowed.

“Okay,” Donald nodded.

While the kitchen was busy, Liang Lin took her basket and went back to her room, putting Carol on the bed.

“You’ve had a hard time these past two days, get some rest.”

But Carol wasn’t sleepy. She stared with her big, watery eyes, giggling, then grabbed Liang Lin’s arm, refusing to let go, wanting Liang Lin to play with her.

"Stop it, I'm so tired lately. Let me sleep for a while, then I can go down for lunch." Liang Lin lay down next to Carol and pulled her daughter into her arms. She was so tiny and soft, smelling so sweetly of milk. Holding her like a pillow was perfect.

Carol, however, was restless, grabbing Liang Lin's arm and pulling her hair, refusing to let Liang Lin take a nap.

"Hiss~"

Liang Lin, unable to sleep, sat up.

"What's wrong? Why are you being so disobedient today? You used to... eh?"

No, she hadn't really spent every single day with Carol before.

Basically, she'd left Carol in the Duke's mansion, letting Sylvester's guards watch over her while she fought on the battlefield.

She had taken care of Carol for a few days, and Carol was indeed quite obedient, not too mischievous, but at most three or four days. She'd never taken care of her for an extended period. Even at the Duke's mansion, she often left Carol with her subordinates to play with her.

Ah.....

So, taking care of a child is this tiring?

Liang Lin tilted her head, not trying to act cute, but because her precious daughter was currently grabbing her hair and pulling it down.

The poor, spoiled young lady was questioning her existence.

That's right.

After Liang Lin left, the guards of Sylvester felt their world become eerily quiet, a quietness so profound it brought tears to their eyes, so devastating it made them beat their chests in frustration, so bittersweet it made them both cry and laugh.

"My God, that eldest aunt has finally left with another young aunt!"

The guards were practically ready to celebrate with a feast.

You see, when Carol was around, they'd rather be on duty in the most dangerous places, on patrols, than spend a single day with her.

At first, seeing this adorable child, these rough men were quite happy.

"This child is so pretty, and she doesn't cry or fuss at all. She must be a little angel."

"Oh my, look at those big, watery eyes. She'll definitely be a beauty when she grows up."

"Hahaha~ Then I'll work hard to get promoted, so I can have a son."

"Well, so you're already eyeing other people's children."

"Let me hold her, let me hold her! You all go about your business, let me take care of her today."

One guard, fearless, volunteered.

The first two days went well, until the third day.

"My dear little darling, can't you get some sleep...?"

The guard, with huge dark circles under his eyes, carried Carol, pacing around on the floor, bouncing his arms, hoping the child in his arms would fall asleep quickly.

If the child doesn't sleep, he can't sleep either. Whenever he tries to sleep, the child pulls his hair, grabs his arms, and keeps him awake. Besides, he's afraid that if he falls asleep, this little darling will crawl around on the bed and fall off.

So, after his brothers returned, he immediately handed Carol to one of them, someone he had a grudge against. He said nothing, afraid that if he did, the guy would pass the hot potato back to him.

The brother he had a grudge against, seeing such a cute little child in his arms, immediately beamed, his impression of the guard improving considerably.

"Hey, bro, you really don't hold grudges! Okay, okay~ I'll pretend that never happened. From now on, we're still brothers! I'll never talk bad about you behind your back again."

Three days later.

"You bastard! You son of a bitch! I'll kill you! [Unintelligible characters]!"

This guy roared to the sky.

He finally understood why that despicable guy had shoved Carol into his arms that day and given him that strange smile. It had startled him at the time; that smile had a distinctly devious flavor, making his groin tighten.

He was a grown man, completely inexperienced at changing diapers, making a mess every time, even his hands. While babies don't smell, it was still disgusting!

The first day was alright, but by the second and third, he couldn't take it anymore.

Quickly, he had to pass this little princess!

So, the guard handed Carol over to someone else he really disliked.

He gave a weary smile.

"...Why do you look like you're about to die?" The guard took Carol, unaware that the other person disliked him.

"You really want to give Carol to me? Such a good job, if you don't do it, I'll have to keep doing it forever! Go and work hard for me!"

The young man was still too naive.

But, this guy actually persevered for five days.

Until the last day, when Carol used a quill pen to draw on his face while he was asleep, giving him a black eye, this guy finally broke down. A grown man, looking at himself in the mirror, burst into tears.

"My handsome face..."

There were only a dozen or so guards, each taking turns, and it was all over quickly. Everyone kept their mouths shut, not letting a word slip, until the last guard, on the verge of tears, didn't know who to give the child to. Both guard squads broke down.

"No, no, no! I don't want it, I don't want it!"

"Oh dear! Didn't you say you liked children? If you like children, then take care of them!"

"My God! This isn't a child! This is my living ancestor!"

"I don't like children! I don't like children! When did I say I liked children? You misheard, you misheard!"

"Didn't you say this job was easy? Easy, easy, then keep doing it, don't dump it on me!"

"That's because I didn't understand it at first! I've never taken care of a child before, how would I know! Now I don't want this job anymore!"

"If none of you are taking care of her, in the end, His Highness the Duke will blame us!"

A deathly silence fell over everyone.

Finally, they reached a relatively satisfactory agreement—shift work.

Each person would care for Carol for three days, then hand her over to the next person, and so on.

Everyone who had cared for Carol for three days felt severely exhausted. For the next few days, they worked like zombies, taking a long time to recover.

Until the day Liang Lin took Carol away.

When the guards heard the good news, they wept bitterly, embracing each other tightly to see Liang Lin off. Each of them shed tears of hope for a bright future.

Liang Lin, seeing them so heartbroken, was puzzled. She had no deep feelings for them, not even much interaction, so why were they all gazing at her with such tender eyes, shedding tears for her?

In the end, she could only conclude that these guys were just too sentimental.

Now, recalling the guards' strange expressions, Liang Lin instantly understood.

"...Carol, Mommy wants to sleep."

Carol couldn't speak, but she would stop Liang Lin from sleeping with her actions.

As for why Carol hadn't been too bothersome on the journey, it was because she was tired too.

The bumpy road, the jolting carriage, and the surrounding noise had kept her awake during the day, so she naturally slept soundly at night.

Now that she had rested enough, no one else could.

"Dinner's ready," the maid knocked on Liang Lin's door.

Liang Lin opened the door, her face grim, her eyes lifeless, looking like she was about to kill everyone.

The maid immediately lowered her head, her legs trembling. This maid was the one who had been frightened to tears by Liang Lin while cleaning the windows in the past.

This time, tears welled in her eyes again, her voice trembling, "Miss, dinner's ready..."

"I know."

Liang Lin impatiently closed the door before the other could continue her stammering.

After Liang Lin left, the maid collapsed to her knees, utterly exhausted. She hadn't experienced this kind of oppressive pressure for a year; the trauma had almost faded. And now, Liang Lin was back.

"Sister Liang Lin, why do you look so pale?"

Liang Di asked with concern.

Liang Lin shook her head, feeling too weak to answer.

"Don't ask. Don't talk to me while I eat. Eat."

Liang Lin's eyes were dull and lifeless as she shoveled food into her mouth.

Time flew by, and three days later.

It seemed that, apart from the guard who had cared for Carol for five days, no one else could survive the three-day rule.

Liang Lin sat wearily on the bed, holding the restless Carol in her arms, patiently patting her daughter's back.  

"Go to sleep, go to sleep."

"Go to sleep, my little darling..."

"I can only sleep when you're asleep. You'll have sweet dreams. Go to sleep..."

Her pleading posture made it hard to believe she was a general who had slain countless enemies on the battlefield.

So, even the great general wasn't good at taking care of children.

She needed to think of a solution. She hadn't had a good night's sleep in three days. If she didn't get a good night's sleep soon, she felt she was going to go insane and then massacre the Langwendi family.

Actually, Donald had suggested hiring a maid to look after the child, but Liang Lin wasn't comfortable with that.

That Miranda was wicked; she had treated me so badly before. What if she secretly harmed Carol? Even if she couldn't kill Carol, she could at least give her an upset stomach, a cold, or a fever.

Liang Lin couldn't bear to see her child suffer even the slightest harm.

I need to think of a reliable way to solve my sleep problems… Who should I entrust Carol to so she won't get hurt?

.....

Huh?

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Liang Lin's mind.

Didn't Liang Di always want to hug Carol?

Then…