Chapter 101: Getting Ready to Be a Mother?
"Even though I’m really looking forward to you and Mr. Armand’s… uh, well, anyway, having a baby isn’t something you should rush into."
Noticing that Evelia didn’t seem to understand this kind of topic very well, Anna held back her excitement a little.
Even though her head was full of weird and funny ideas about what couples do, she couldn’t just pour all that nonsense into Evelia’s head. It made her feel like she was corrupting a saint, and that made her feel guilty… but also oddly excited.
She was really tempted, but her conscience stopped her from actually saying those things.
"……"
Hearing Anna’s words, Evelia lowered her gaze. She didn’t say anything or show any expression, but from the way she slightly lowered her head, it looked like she actually felt a bit… disappointed.
"Um, Miss Evelia," Anna sighed, seeing how serious Evelia seemed to be about this. "Putting aside the fact that you need to actually be in a real marriage first, you’re still really young. Are you even ready to be a mom?"
"Ready to be a mom…"
Evelia repeated those words softly. That phrase felt very strange and unfamiliar to her.
She used to be male, and she had never thought about being a mother, let alone about being ready to be one.
And the idea of a “mother”... felt very distant.
She couldn’t even remember how old she was when she was brought to the House of Nightingales. All she remembered was that from as early as she could remember, she didn’t have the idea of “family.” She had always been alone, and she was used to it.
So now, being told she might become a mother, she really had to admit, she wasn’t ready. She had no clue what to do.
“…No, I’m not ready to be a mother.”
Her voice was much quieter than before.
“Exactly! See, Miss Evelia, you haven’t even gotten ready yet. Why are you thinking about having a child already? Shouldn’t you first learn how to take care of one? I mean, you need experience and methods to raise a child.”
“Well, that’s true…”
If she didn’t know how, then she should learn, Evelia understood that much.
She didn’t know what a mother was supposed to be like, but if she could study and practice, then surely she’d find a way.
But if she wanted to practice… she needed something, or someone, to practice with...
“So, Miss Evelia, what you need to do is—”
“I understand.”
Before Anna could finish her sentence, Evelia stood up, looking like she completely got it.
“You... understand?”
Anna looked up at Evelia, who no longer seemed confused. But Anna wasn’t sure if she really understood.
“Yes, Anna. I completely understand now.”
“R-Really…”
Seeing how confident Evelia looked, Anna didn’t argue anymore. She awkwardly sipped her half-finished tea and muttered, “Well, if you understand… that’s good…”
After saying goodbye to Anna, Evelia found a carriage and went straight to the Saint Fleurs Church.
If she needed something to practice with, then getting a child would be fine.
Evelia, who had no real idea about parenting, arrived directly at the gates of Saint Fleurs Church.
Maybe because the Second Prince had always trained Evelia like a “tool,” Evelia now planned to raise her own child in the same way, or rather create a “tool” of her own.
As soon as she stepped into Saint Fleurs, she noticed people watching her.
Those sharp, watchful eyes weren’t focused on her alone, but rather on every person coming to pray. The knights stationed there seemed to be examining everyone carefully.
...There weren’t this many knights here before.
As someone close to the Second Prince, Evelia knew very well that Saint Fleurs was funded by him. The true reason it was built was to fully hide the House of Nightingales underground.
Even though the prince didn’t visit the monastery often to avoid drawing attention, since he had built it, he intended to use it. He still did some business behind the scenes and came here from time to time to “get goods.” After all, the so-called assassins were all disposable, just like consumables.
As for the current situation, it seemed that the Crown Prince had added Saint Fleurs Church to his watchlist under the excuse of "stationing guards for protection." But both sides seemed to be taking a step back and not pushing the matter too hard.
The relationship between the Crown Prince and the Second Prince was actually quite strange. On the surface, they acted friendly so that the public wouldn’t worry. But in the political world, their supporters were fighting fiercely.
Still, it couldn’t be said that they hated each other to the extreme. The two of them had never truly fought to the death. In fact, they could still sit at the same table, talk about things, and even drink tea together without concern.
It was like... they were indeed enemies, but at the same time, they were still brothers who shared the same family name and bloodline.
But a ruler’s heart is hard to guess. The people under them didn’t need to understand what they were really thinking, especially someone like Evelia, who was just an assassin. She simply followed the Second Prince’s orders. Wherever he pointed, she would strike. It was that simple.
“Miss, are you here to pray?”
“Ah.”
Just as Evelia was lost in thought, a young nun appeared beside her. She placed her hands together and bowed politely to Evelia.
“No, I’m not here to pray.”
If praying actually worked, she wouldn’t have become who she was today. In her eyes, belief was the weakest thing in the world. Evelia didn’t care about gods or anything like that.
The Second Prince was the same. Even though he built this monastery in the name of “God’s love for all people,” he himself didn’t believe in any god.
He once said, if gods really existed, and if they truly couldn’t tolerate evil, then someone like him, who ran the House of Nightingales, should’ve gone to hell long ago. But as long as he stayed alive one more day, that was proof that gods didn’t exist.
“Then may I ask if there’s something I can help you with?” the nun asked.
“Can I get a child here?”
“Get…?” The nun froze for a moment. “Do you mean adopt a child?”
“Something like that.”
Hearing those three words, the nun looked clearly embarrassed.
There’s no such thing as “something like” adopting a child.
“May I ask if you’ve prepared the proper documents?”
“Documents?”
If it was something related to “Evelia Croyelle,” then yes, she had a full set of documents. The Second Prince had them specially made for her. Since they were created with help from the government departments, they were all real. Only the person, Evelia, was made up.
“Yes. If you want to adopt, you’ll need all your identification documents, financial information, and proof of employment. There are a lot of procedures to go through…”
“I see… I thought having money was enough?”
Evelia had thought that money would be enough. If needed, she could just apply for adoption funds from the Second Prince. She didn’t expect there to be so many troublesome steps.
“Of course not. And if you’re applying as an individual without a noble family background, there are even more things you need to prove.”
As she spoke, the nun looked Evelia up and down. “If I may ask… how old are you this year?”
“……”
When she heard that, Evelia paused. Her first instinct was to say a number, but then she quickly adjusted and replied.
“18.”
According to her official documents, Evelia Croyelle was 18 years old. So, that was the age she gave.
“18? I’m very sorry, but you’re too young. The minimum age for adopting a child is 30.”
“Ah.”
“Yes, so I’m sorry, but you don’t meet the legal requirements for adoption.”
“Alright, I understand…”
After saying that, Evelia quietly watched the nun leave. She didn’t stay long either and walked out of the monastery.
…This won’t work.
She muttered that in her heart.
Should she go grab a kid from the slums instead…?
But after thinking about it a bit more, she decided to return to the estate and make a better plan.