I stick with Aphrodite like a gecko on a wall. We take a stroll in the rose garden that Aphrodite built for herself. The scent of the blooming roses spread everywhere, and under the blue sky with clouds accompanied it was a pair of mother-daughter who're laughing merrily.

"How were your studies?" Aphrodite broke the laughter with a question for me. I immediately switched to my dramatic side and hug her slim waist.

"Wahhh!! You don't know how hard it was! Beresford's language was really hard. I had hard time remembering the grammar and Sir Warren will have a small quiz for me tomorrow!"

Aphrodite laughed at my complaints as she cut the thorns from the rose which I don't know how the hell did that scissor appear out of nowhere.

She checked the rose to see if there is any thorn left. Once Aphrodite cuts all those rose thorns, she crouch down to my height and gave me the pink rose.

"Here is a reward for my little Adele for enduring such studies."

I happily take the rose and said thank you. Ahh...I love roses...but I prefer yellow rose more...

We continued the stroll and Aphrodite began to tell me how was her life before she get married to Ares. Of course, I personally requested this.

"Before I got married and before I knew who your father was, I was no different from you. I dislike studies and etiquette classes. I would spent most of my time playing and practising magic. Of course, I was forced to throw all those hobbies away after I met your father...."

I watched her expressions as they turned from happiness to sadness. How her purple eyes glowed brightly and how the light went dull.

They were so enchanted...

I remembered how they described the Villainess from the novel. Platinum wavy blonde hair, her two amethyst eyes would never fail to enchant anyone. On her red lips would always have a confidence smile.

She was two faced Villainess that everyone hated. Her innocent facade and her rotten side.

Even if she has those side, her beauty would never fail to impress other, including the second male lead, the emperor who also used to court her but was rejected because her heart was already set for the lone wolf Ares who stood tall in the middle of the banquet.

Even the emperor couldn't compete...

While I was drunk in the my thoughts, Aphrodite has already continued her stories.

"No matter how I hate it, I would forced myself to learn it. To become the woman who could proudly stand beside the god of war."

"Then...do you love daddy...?" Unknowingly, those words blurted out from my mouth by themselves. I quickly covered my mouth in panic while pushing all the blame to my big mouth.

Aphrodite looked shock for a few seconds but then her shocked expression turned into a sad smile.

"I also don't know..."

It was an uncertain answer but as a reader who reincarnated into this novel, I knew that her love for Ares is still wavering inside her heart.

No matter how much they argued, how much she slapped him out of the blue, Aphrodite's love for him is still strong.

In other word, Aphrodite is a big tsundere!

You know, those tsundere girls who claimed that they hate the boys to core and would often slap them, punch them, karate-chop them, they loved the boys more than other could ever.

Is this what they mean by spank now then caress later...? (1)

Hah, whatever! There will be no day for me to finally understand how the male protagonist and the Villainess slept with each other in the same room every month ┐(￣ヮ￣)┌.

In the middle of walking, Aphrodite shouted loudly.

"Ah right! Your mother has bought you many dresses!! Let's go!! I really wanted to see in those dresses!!"

Before I could even respond, Aphrodite has already lifted me up.

==....

I hate being lifted...that's why my legs would always feel weak because I didn't walk to exercise my legs.

------------

When we got to my room, there were already packages lying everywhere inside my room.

Yvonne unpack the packages while Margaret took off my dress.

"Duchess, which one should we go with first?! I can't!!! These dresses are all too cute!!!"

"Right!!!! My eyes would never fail to fool me! All of these dresses will look good on Adele!! No matter which one she wears, Adele will still look adorable like an angel!"

"That is our Duchess alright!!"

While the three women squeal like crazy bees, I was left alone by standing on a stool like a magical snowman under the summer sky.

=____=

Help...

Those dress up game continues for 2 hours. I wore every single dress and finally...they allow me to choose one to wear for lunch.

Because I was tired, I just pointed my finger at whatever dress.

Yvonne took me to bathroom and bathe me.

Margaret came in and took me from her while Yvonne cleaned the bathroom. Margaret wore the dress for me and in the same time, Aphrodite was standing behind me, brushing my identical platinum hair that I got from her.

Everything was happening too fast that I thought I was dreaming. For the whole time, I was no different from a snowman!!

"Done!!!"

All three women were looking at me as if I was a magical weird creature. I looked my appearance and blink twice.

My platinum blonde hair was braided into a pigtails. There were small red flowers plucking in the braids. I was wearing a sleeveless light red dress with pink flowers pattern and two red ribbons accompanied around the waist.

....

Uhhh...cute?

=^=!!!!!

How could I call myself cute!!!!? Oh my god!! But I'm not lying!!! I am indeed cute!!! Who doesn't want to pinch my cheeks if they saw THIS kid!!?

"Hahhhh~~ I knew Lady Adelliana is always cute but today, you are extra adorable. Each day, Lady Adelliana is getting cuter and cuter~" Said Margaret who is flustering with redness covering her face.

Aphrodite and Yvonne nodded in agreement. The clock tower of the empire rung loudly. It was already 12 PM...

Once the clock tower strikes 12PM or 12AM, it would rung loudly. Sometimes, I would wake up in the middle of the night because of it.

"lunch should be ready by now. Come on,  Adele. You cannot miss your meal!"

I hold Aphrodite's hand with my small one. Each time we've passed the employees here, they would exchange a giggle and awe sounds.

Do I look that cute...? =_=

The butler and the head maid clenched their clothes where their hearts located. Their faces were clearly telling me that they will die from cuteness.

I sit on my baby chair beside Aphrodite. The servants who bring the food were having a flowery smiling on their faces.

I awkwardly bite my lip and clutch the dress with sweats dripping down.

"Duchess, aren't you going to wait for the his excellency?" The butler lower his body and whisper.

"I thought the duke would be having a lunch later. Isn't he supposed to having a meeting in the palace?"

"Pardon me, but today the meeting has finished earlier than usual."

"Adelliana might be hungry. We don't want her to miss her meal and have her sick like before."

"I understood." The conversation ended with the head butler nodding his head and stepped back to the corner.

"Adele, let's eat." Aphrodite taps on my shoulder and give me a head nodding.

I didn't respond. I returned to the food which is calling me with temptation...

Uhhh...I'll eat now...

Just as when I chew the pride of steak filled with tasty flavour.

The meat is tender and chewy...a kid who has problems with teeth could also eat this...

The juiciness and saltiness with hint of sweetness danced in my tongue...

T-this is...the kind of food you can only have Valentine's castle.

God...I am describing the simple delicious steak like Shokugeki no Soma characters now ==.

"Pardon my intrusion, th-the grand duke has returned!"

Oh...looking at that flushing face of him, Ares must have returned with an abnormal state...

"I see..." Aphrodite didn't react much and continue to cut my steak?? Uhh...she's doing what every caring mother does.

A child who is unable to cute steak on her own is having her mother to help her with it.

While I was chewing the meat happily, the door of the dining room burst opened.

I could see red liquid which I assumed it was blood...

However, before I could see the 4K HD gore picture, Aphrodite has censored it with my embrace and chest.

Umm...everytime Ares walked in casually with blood, she would censored it by pulling me from my chair and hug me tightly to her chest.

"Head maid, Hannah, bring Adelliana to her room. Butler Carson, take her foods, and bring desserts and jar of cold orange juice for her. Don't let Adelliana come out until we clean up."

"Yes, we understand!"

Hannah carefully brought me to her arms without letting my head move. Carson brought the tray of my food and order the servants to bring those desserts and juice.

I was carried to my room and was told not to come out until Aphrodite arrive.

I nodded in silence and eat my food obediently in my tea set table. On the pink chairs were toys and dolls sat on them.

Ah right, I was playing drinking tea with them last night...

Anyway, I will have to eat my food and have a good afternoon nap later.

-----------

B

ack to the dining room, Aphrodite was pinching the bridge of her nose. She swears to god that no matter how handsome and cruel her husband is, he...HE IS A TOTAL AIRHEAD IDIOT!!!!

Oh what the hell!!? Who would bring bloody bodies to the dining hall where they ate!!?

Of course, Ares is that one person.

After making sure Adelliana is gone, Aphrodite rose from her sit and slaps Ares' head with a straight face. Hannah and Carson who had returned could only look down to the ground.

Jacobs was trying his best to stop the grand duke's personal knight who has been there for him since young, Isaac Taylor.

Isaac's hand which held his sword was trembling. Jacobs was gripping his hand tightly so that he won't withdraw his sword and slice the duchess.

Because Aphrodite has already slapped him more than 50 times now, Ares wasn't surprised by it anymore.

"You know that there is another route to the basement, right?" Aphrodite's expressionless face turned into a relaxed smiling one.

But the three people who knew her the most like Hannah, Carson and Jacobs were shaking their heads.

Behind that alluring smile is a demon that is scarier than death.

"I know."

"So why don't you take that path?"

"Because this route is shorter."

"I see...then do you know what time is it now?"

"12:24 PM."

"What time does Adelliana eat?"

"..."

There was a huge silence until Ares finally answer.

"12 PM."

"You know Adelliana eats around 12 PM so why did you have to walk through the dining hall with bloody bodies and that soaked blood body of yours?"

"...."

"You know Adelliana would lost her appetite whenever she saw those gore scenes and you knew it's 12 PM yet you walked in. Just how much do you love to reminisce old memories? I'm glad that you found old memories fun but don't involve your daughter with it. What happen if she suddenly remembers that head rolling to her face? That time when you tried to kill her when she was a baby? You know Adele has an extremely good memories."

The room was turned into a cemetery. Ares glanced to the other direction in guilt while Isaac did the same.

"Next time, I'll throw you out of the house."

"This is my house....."

"Shut up!! I am the one who's managing the house and estate finance. You are just an owner who left this house alone. You think I don't know that you have another mansion? I know everything. You have another mansion in the middle of the city. This is my house now, so shut up and piss off. Carson, bring the maids to clean this mess. I'm tired now..."

Aphrodite left the room with Hannah following her. Jacobs and Carson gave Ares a look and Jacobs placed his hand on his lord's shoulder.

"Your excellency, next time you shouldn't fight back. Wives are extremely dangerous. As a married man myself, I know this experience. Don't mess with wives, especially when they're pregnant or on their period. This loyal subordinate could only give you this advice to protect yourself. Men, take those people to the basement."

Ares takes a note in his head.

Don't mess with this terrified creature called "Wife".

(1)

K: This a proverb that is popular in my country. This is a term referring to a situation where a mother would spank their child then console the child with sweet words later. And in an argument situation, after the fight, the winner will console with the loser by words or actions.