Livia stared straight at the little girl hugging her leg. The child’s round, wide eyes gazed up at her brightly. Livia had to admit that the little girl looked sweet and innocent. However, deep down, she knew that this little creature was going to frustrate her.
As she continued staring at the girl in front of her, she tried to search through the memories in her mind. Unfortunately, there weren’t many memories involving the little girl. Only their births stood out the most. So Livia couldn’t figure out what kind of personality the child had.
‘I have to stay alert. Little kids are always unpredictable. This little girl may look calm right now, but who can guarantee she won’t cry all night and disturb my sleep?’
“Mommy! Are you okay? Why are you here now? Daddy said you were sick. Are you all better now, Mommy?” Sofia tugged on her mother’s hand, shaking it as she asked her questions.
The child’s shrill voice pulled Livia out of her wandering thoughts. Although she didn’t like having children around her, she still smiled in response.
“I’m fine now.”
Sofia’s bright eyes lit up even more. She hugged her mother’s leg again and jumped for joy.
“Mommy can talk now! Mommy can talk!”
Letting go of her, Sofia turned toward the staircase, where two boys her age stood quietly.
“Axel! Colton! Did you hear that? Mommy can talk now!” Sofia excitedly shouted at her two older brothers.
Livia looked toward the two boys at the end of the staircase. Her brow furrowed when she couldn’t find any fond memories of them. Even so, there weren’t any bad memories either. She could conclude that the previous owner of her body hadn’t interacted much with her children.
Just then, a middle-aged woman walked down the stairs and asked, “What’s going on here? Why are you shouting like that, Sofia?”
Mrs. Quincy finally came to stand beside Axel and Colton. A flash of surprise crossed her eyes when she saw who was standing near Sofia.
“Livia? What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you still be receiving treatment at the hospital after that foolish stunt? Did you run away and come back to cause us even more trouble?” Mrs. Quincy stared at her unpleasantly.
Seeing the older woman scold her, the corners of Livia’s lips curved into a crooked smile as she thought, ‘So she’s that bastard’s mother. Margaret Quincy.’
“The food at the hospital was incredibly boring. I wouldn’t be able to work up much of an appetite or gain weight if I stayed there. So I came back. Is my presence bothering you, Mrs. Quincy?” Livia replied calmly.
Although Margaret had already heard from Ethan that Livia could speak again, she was still shocked by the way the woman responded. ‘Her words are clear, and her gaze is so firm. What happened to her?’
While Margaret was lost in thought, a young woman approached from the direction of the kitchen. It was Bella. She always came to the Quincy family residence under the pretense of taking care of the children, even though she never actually did anything meaningful.
As Bella approached them, the little girl holding Livia’s hand fell silent at once. She even released Livia’s hand immediately and stepped toward her two older brothers.
“Livia, you’re here? I was just about to visit you at the hospital.” Bella stood beside Livia, putting on a gentle expression.
At first, she had wanted to go to the hospital and threaten Livia into keeping quiet. However, after hearing that Mrs. Quincy was unwell, she decided to cook something first. After all, she had to win over every member of the Quincy family. That way, no one would oppose her if she married Ethan.
Livia rolled her eyes in boredom. She had absolutely no intention of responding to Bella.
As a result, Bella felt awkward. ‘This bitch! How dare she ignore me in front of Mrs. Quincy? Just wait! I’ll teach her a lesson later!’
Not wanting Mrs. Quincy to notice her awkwardness, Bella quickly said, “Mrs. Quincy, I made soup for you. I’ll get it ready as soon as it’s done cooking.”
Margaret looked at Bella, then slowly nodded and said, “There’s no need. There are plenty of servants here who can do that. Go help the children get ready. Their class starts in an hour.”
“Of course, Mrs. Quincy.”
Despite saying that, Bella was still annoyed inside because she had to deal with Livia’s children.
She then asked all three children to go upstairs.
However, the three children remained where they were and continued staring at Livia. Bella approached them, bent down, and said gently, “Why are you still standing here? Do you miss your mother? She just got out of the hospital, so give her some time to rest, okay?”
The three children nodded and obediently followed Bella.
Although the scene appeared normal, Livia noticed something strange. Sofia had greeted her enthusiastically earlier, but the little girl had immediately pulled away after Bella arrived. Also, although Axel and Colton seemed quiet, Livia could see the concern in both boys’ eyes. Yet it vanished as soon as Bella asked them to go upstairs.
‘That wicked woman isn’t just isolating Livia. She’s also trying to sever the bond between mother and children. Hah! I’m impressed.’
Livia narrowed her eyes as she continued watching the three little figures walk away. ‘Should I repair my relationship with them? It doesn’t seem necessary. Besides, I don’t want to get involved with children.’
Since Livia disliked having children around her, she thought it would be better if they continued keeping their distance from her.
Livia then shifted her gaze to Margaret and said, “I’m going upstairs to rest now, Mrs. Quincy.”
After saying that, Livia went upstairs without waiting for Margaret’s response.
Livia’s attitude left Margaret stunned. Before this, Livia had never dared to act disrespectfully in front of her. In fact, Livia would stand there with her head bowed until Margaret left and was completely out of sight.
“Whatever. The most important thing now is to keep an eye on her so she doesn’t cause any more trouble,” Margaret muttered to herself before heading toward the kitchen.
Upstairs, Livia walked down the hallway. With the memories fresh in her mind, she had no trouble finding her room.
“It’s a good thing their relationship is so terrible. That way, I won’t have to share a room with that bastard,” Livia muttered to herself as she pushed the door open.
Seeing the room’s lonely appearance, Livia felt a sudden pain stab her heart. She didn’t know why, but her heart ached for the real Livia’s soul.
‘She spent most of her time alone in this room. No one cared about her. Why didn’t they just get divorced?’
Thinking that, Livia suddenly let out a mocking laugh. ‘Oh, right. Their marriage was arranged by the elder of this family, that bastard’s grandfather. That’s why they’ve remained bound in this marriage.’
Another mocking laugh escaped Livia’s lips when she remembered that Ethan had touched Livia while he was drunk. ‘That man must regret strengthening their bond by bringing those children into the world. But I have to admit, he’s pretty capable if he managed to make children in just one night.’
Suddenly, Livia shuddered. The intimate images in her mind made her shake her head.
‘Oh no! My thoughts are corrupted!’