I was knocked up by the ML and currently running away.

Chapter 24 - Inner conflicts

"Oh wow."

I just saw something amazing. It was like watching a live TV drama.

I never thought I'd first-handly witnessed this kind of dramatic scenario that usually unfolds in a typical romance drama.

Interesting.

Beatrice Vallenrose.

I heard her name a few times from Avery, but I've never met her. She was his other childhood friend. Their mothers were best friends. Avery once told me that Beatrice was like a cute and obedient younger sister.

But today, I'm convinced that she definitely doesn't see him as a brother.

She's a pretty girl with a strong presence. She has fluffy light brown hair and sharp violet eyes. Her piercing gaze at me felt so cold, it gave me chills. As if she was a villainous girl I often read in the novels.

Wow.

An ice-cold beauty!

My heart was beating fast when she looked hatefully at me. It was exciting.

It was plain to see that the girl likes Avery. She saw me as a threat. That was why she was so hostile to me. She liked Avery so much that she said a lot of degrading things about me. She was desperate to stop Avery from being close to me. That was how much she loves him.

She's so cute. Just like a kitten hissing and raising her hair as a warning not to touch what's hers.

Although, I missed my chance to tell her that she has nothing to be worried about.

I don't see Avery that way.

It was true that he is, indeed, tall and handsome now. A beautiful eye candy, very pleasant to look at. I can stare at that face all day.

But that was all. He was still kind and considerate, I'm sure a lot of girls have a crush on him. But, honestly, he isn't my type.

Besides, he's Avery!

The Avery that was scared of his own father and hated his lessons! That scaredy-cat and crybaby Avery!

One day when I visited him, he cried, ran away, and hid in their manor's greenhouse during lessons. It took me all my effort to coax him with my immature toddler body.

"Shtudy isn't hard! Lyssa loves shtudying! It's fun! Lyssa will teach Avie!! So, listen to your teachers, 'kay?"

"Your daddy isn't scawwy. He's stwrict because he cares for Avie! Lyssa thinks he's cool! Lyssa read in a picture book that prime minishter looks like an old man with a beard, but Avie's daddy is young and handsome! Avie will be like him when Avie grows up!!"

He didn't stop crying.

I ran around the greenhouse to look for something that can cheer him up, then I found some big and ripe strawberries. I picked them up and gave them to him.

"Eat it, Avie! It's tashty! I picked them myself for you! So, don't cwry. Lyssa will protect you and feed you a lot of stwobewwies!"

I'm not proud of my bad pronunciation. I had a short tongue back then. My legs were short too, so I struggled a bit while picking the strawberries. But my effort paid off, so it was worth it. Avery stopped crying, it all that mattered.

Among all my friends, I have a soft spot for Avery. Maybe it was because of his dark-colored hair and eyes that were not common that in this world, he reminded me of my own child.

There were times that my child's image and Avery's image overlapped. So, I unconsciously treated him more preciously than everyone else.

Of course, the more he grown, the less I thought of him as my child. I don't see him like that anymore, but I still see him like my dear brother. My family. Lady Beatrice Vallenrose totally misunderstood!