(Not) The Billionaire’s Replacement Bride

“Kenzo, the handsome baby,” praised Ariana again. The woman smiled, whispering her thanks. “I’m Ariana,” she introduced herself.

“Are you the owner of this restaurant?” Gina asked again, curious. Ariana nodded. “I thought the owner would be a woman in her forties or older. But it turns out you’re still very young,” she said, impressed. Ariana just smiled in response. Another knock sounded, and Ariana asked the person outside to come in. A tall, handsome man with dark brown hair and thick eyebrows looked inside with confusion.

“Darling, I’m here,” Gina said instantly and approached the door. The man handed a bag to Gina but his eyes kept wandering back to Ariana with a perplexed look. “Can my husband come in?” the woman asked Ariana for permission. Ariana nodded, and the man then stepped inside Ariana’s room. “This is my husband, Maximilian Cariann,” Gina introduced warmly. Ariana smiled again, extending her hand politely.

“Ariana Leonidas,” she said, stating her full name.

“I thought the owner of this restaurant would be older, but it turns out she’s young and beautiful. Isn’t she?” Gina asked her husband enthusiastically.

Max continued to observe Ariana, but he nodded in response to his wife. “What should I do?” he asked his wife. “Can I change Ken’s clothes? Do you need help with that?” he asked again.

The beautiful woman with straight black hair shook her head. “Just wait for us outside. I’ll join you after cleaning up Kenzo and, of course, changing my own clothes,” she said gently.

“You don’t have to wait outside,” Ariana said then. “You can wait for your wife here if you want.” She gestured that she didn’t mind.

“Do you mind?” Max asked, curious. Ariana shook her head, indicating that she was fine with it.

“Come on, the bathroom is right here,” Ariana took the bag from Gina’s hand and guided her to another door leading to her private bathroom. “The bathroom is over there,” Ariana then pointed to the bathroom door and placed the baby’s necessities on her bed. The woman nodded and entered the bathroom.

Ariana was about to leave the room, but fearing the woman might have trouble, she mustered the courage to approach the bathroom. “I’m sorry, there are no facilities for changing babies here,” Ariana said shyly. She knew that abroad, or in most places in the city, there were dedicated nurse rooms for babies and nursing mothers.

“It’s okay,” the woman said, who then sat on the closed toilet. She then placed the baby on her lap and started to undress the baby, chatting with the baby, making him laugh. Seeing this, Ariana couldn’t help but smile and feel a pang of jealousy.

“You’re very skillful,” Ariana blurted out suddenly. Gina raised her head and looked at Ariana in confusion. Although her hands were busy wetting a cloth and wiping the baby’s body covered in milk. “I mean, judging by the way you and your husband are dressed, I’m sure you’re not ordinary people. And from what I usually know, most wealthy wives prefer to leave childcare to babysitters rather than taking care of it themselves. Sorry, don’t be offended,” Ariana quickly added.

Gina, who had efficiently cleaned Kenzo, brought the baby back to her chest and left the bathroom. “No, I’m not offended. It’s true. But you should know, before I married my husband, I was just a regular postal office worker’s daughter in Japan. I’ve been independent since I was a child, and taking care of Kenzo with my own hands is a joy,” the woman said with a smile on her face. “Is it alright if I lay Kenzo on the bed?” she asked Ariana. Ariana hesitated for a moment but then nodded her head.

“Thank you,” Gina said as she laid Kenzo on the bed. The toddler’s hands and feet couldn’t stay still. It seemed like the lively baby was trying to turn over. “It must be delightful to see him grow every day,” Ariana mumbled unconsciously. Gina, who was taking out clean clothes from her child’s bag, momentarily stopped her movements.

“Yes, it is,” she said joyfully. “I wasn’t very sure about getting married at first. Especially since my husband was a playboy, it made me hesitate even more to accept his proposal,” she said without being asked. “Our past wasn’t smooth either. Don’t tell him, but I used to be his betting chip,” she whispered.

Ariana widened her eyes, looking at the woman in disbelief. She then glanced at the open bedroom door and saw her husband standing near Ariana’s chair, gazing out the window. Perhaps observing the visitors down there, just like Ariana usually did. She looked back at Gina, who was now applying baby oil on Kenzo’s body, probably a kind of ointment similar to what Indonesians called “telon.”

“We were separated for years until an unexpected event happened. He and I were reunited in a construction project, and he suddenly became my superior. You know, like the CEO-themed romances we often read in novels, that was my life before. Maybe it still is now,” she continued, shrugging nonchalantly. The woman put new clothes on Kenzo, making the baby look even more handsome and adorable. “I have to clean my clothes. Do you mind watching Kenzo for a while?” she asked Ariana. Ariana hesitated for a moment but then nodded her head.

“Can I hold him?” she asked a step after Gina walked towards the bathroom.

Gina turned, smiled, and then nodded. “Sure, but don’t complain if you find him heavy,” she said. Ariana smiled and nodded. Then she carefully tried to lift Kenzo with both her hands. Her left hand supported the baby’s neck, and her right hand supported his chubby bottom.

“Hi, Kenzo. This is Aunt Ariana,” she whispered. The baby responded to her greeting by spitting something from his mouth. Ariana chuckled with amusement. “If only Axel were here, he would have liked you too. Axel really wants a little sibling,” Ariana said again. Kenzo laughed again. His chubby little hands reached upward. Ariana brought her face closer, and the baby’s pudgy hands squeezed her cheeks on both sides. Ariana laughed again, feeling fondness for the baby.

“You’re perfect as a mother,” Gina said, who had returned from the bathroom.

Ariana smiled. “I hope so,” she said softly. “My son says he wants a baby sibling.” She said without looking at Gina and chose to focus on Kenzo instead.

“So, you’re married?” the woman asked, wanting to know. “Sorry, I’m asking because I didn’t see a ring on your finger. And at a glance around this room, I didn’t see any photos indicating a ‘personal figure’ in your life,” she continued.

Ariana just smiled at her observation. The woman was indeed very observant. Ariana had previously placed a photo on her nightstand. A picture of herself, Axel, and Gerald taken from her phone, which she had printed and put in a frameBelonging to NôvelDrama.Org.

. But Ariana hid the photo in a drawer because she didn’t want to remember the sweet memories she would soon leave behind.

“Yes, I’m married and have a son,” she said then. “How old is your son?” she asked, wanting to know.

“Five years old, turning six next year,” Ariana answered with a smile on her face.

The Japanese woman’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re young, but your son is already five years old?” she asked in disbelief. She instantly covered her mouth and looked at Ariana with embarrassment. “I’m sorry,” she said.

“It’s okay,” Ariana replied. She refocused her attention on Kenzo. “So, you got married young?” the woman asked again, curious.