I Will Make an Effort to Change the Genre

Rüdiger listed one excuse after another as he searched through his pockets for the pendant; Luca fixed his eyes at him with incredulity.

As if it was Luca fully grown, there was a side portrait of a man resembling a Greek sculpture in the locket.

I was curious why in the world Larissa had a one night stand with such a hooligan, but now I felt I could finally understand it all.
‘If he looked like that… It makes much more sense.’
I nodded my head in agreement with myself.

Unwilling to face reality, Luca held the locket in his hand and glowered at it.
I held his small shoulders close and in a bright-toned voice, I tried to calm him down,

“Uncle’s family is super well off. And they’re aristocrats. If you go with your uncle, you can eat meat every day, learn whatever you want to; don’t you want to do whatever interests you?”

“…What about you, auntie?”

“Me? I have to stay at home.”

At least called me auntie. I felt honored.
To think that she asked for child support money in front of this kind kid.
All in all, Judith Maybaum was the problem.

‘Now Luca shouldn’t feel betrayed… Alright, it’ll be ideal to leave on good terms like this.”

However, contrary to my intention, Luca’s eyes quivered, clearly reflecting betrayal.
He blinked his eyes as if his world ended.

Why is he suddenly like this? What’s wrong?

At that moment, the glint in Luca’s eyes swiftly shifted.
Luca suddenly wrapped his arms around my waist and shouted,

“M-mom!”

…What?

Initially, I thought his calling mom wasn’t directed towards me.
Of course, that wasn’t the case. His mom was Larissa, and until now, he never called Judith his mom, not even once.
On top of that, he rarely called me aunt.

When he did call me aunt, his voice carried such animosity and resentment…

What an awkward situation it was, so I stumbled and denied,

“W-Why am I your mom? I’m your aunt, not your mom!”

But Luca shouted again with absolute certainty.

“Mom! Please don’t abandon me!”

“But, I’m not your mom. Luca. Why are you suddenly like this?”

I embarrassingly laughed as I glanced back and forth between Rüdiger and Luca.

Rüdiger also opened his eyes wider, confused.
His clamped lips began to twitch, not knowing what to say.

For now, I had to calm down Luca first, then worry about explaining this to Rüdiger later.
I spoke to Luca with a gentle voice, but he squeezed tighter and soaked my dress with his tears.

“I’ll call you auntie from now on. So, don’t abandon me, please?”

Whoa there, this situation just got really weird.
It sounds like I’m his real mom, but I wanted to act like a single lady, so I forced Luca to call me auntie instead…

Just as expected. Rüdiger’s expression continued to harden.

Ah, I hear something.
The crackling sound of the atmosphere growing chillier…

Regardless, Luca was wailing as he clung onto my waist as if the world was coming to an end.

“Ah-ahem.”

Rüdiger interrupted as he cleared his throat, likely after sorting through his thoughts about this complicated situation.

“My Lady, didn’t you mention that you were Luca’s aunt?”

As expected, it was clearly etched on Rüdiger’s face that he began to think that I was his mom.

I murmured in despair, falsely accused.