A sly glint flashed in Riley's eyes, instantly caught by Adrian.
The corner of his lips lifted slightly, but he said nothing. Instead, he stepped aside and gave up his seat.
For a moment, a strange thought crossed his mind.
She doesn't always feel like a fool. Sometimes she feels more like a cunning little fox.
Is she really simple and childlike?
Or is she pretending?
Some of her actions don't match someone who's supposed to be slow.
Then suddenly, something clicked.
His gaze sharpened, turning probing as it settled on Riley's face.
Riley stiffened.
She felt it.
That quiet, searching look.
Oh no… did he figure something out?
She forced herself to stay calm, even as panic tangled inside her chest.
Stay steady. Don't slip.
Swallowing hard, she reached for the black pieces and began the game with Arthur.
At first, she managed to play somewhat properly.
But only for a moment.
Then—
"What are you doing?!" Arthur exploded. "How did your black piece jump over here?!"
"Ahhh! What kind of setup is this? You boxed me in—how am I supposed to move?!"
"Wait, wait, I haven't even taken my turn yet!"
"Why are you holding my white piece? Put it down! Put it down!"
The chessboard descended into complete chaos.
Watching the disaster unfold, Adrian's lips twitched.
His earlier suspicion vanished instantly.
I must be out of my mind to doubt her.
If she were actually normal, why would the Cole family send her here as a substitute bride?
What sane person would willingly marry a man rumored to be dying?
A faint, self-mocking smile crossed his face.
"Grandpa, are we still playing?" Riley blinked innocently. "Did I win or lose?"
Arthur stared at her.
Faced with that bright, guileless expression, he couldn't even bring himself to get angry.
All he could do was stew in silence.
Stubbornness flared.
"Again!" he declared. "I'll teach you properly this time. I refuse to believe I can't teach you!"
Riley nearly choked.
Seriously? After that disaster, you still want more?
Thankfully, her suffering didn't last long.
Just as they reset the board, a maid rushed in, breathless.
"Master Arthur, something's wrong! Echo seems sick!"
"What? What happened to Echo?"
Arthur instantly tossed aside his chess pieces and scrambled to put on his shoes.
The maid hurriedly explained, "He didn't eat last night. We thought he was just full, so we didn't think much of it. But this morning, he looked weak—and now he can't even stand."
"What? Why didn't you report this earlier?!"
Arthur rushed out with her, his face filled with worry.
Riley tilted her head.
"Echo?"
She turned to Adrian, puzzled. "Who's Echo? Your nephew?"
He did have a cousin, after all.
Adrian's expression darkened.
"No," he said flatly. "A bird."
Riley blinked.
"Oh…"
So it's just a bird.
The name's oddly amusing.
"I want to go see too!" she said, hopping off her chair and running after them.
Adrian pressed a hand to his forehead, then turned his wheelchair and followed.
***
In the loft behind the estate, Arthur stood before a birdcage, his face full of distress.
Inside, Echo lay limp and listless.
"Echo…" Arthur coaxed gently, his tone soft as if speaking to a child. "Look what I brought you. Come on, eat something. If you can't eat, at least drink a little water."
He leaned closer to the cage, voice full of concern.
"Where does it hurt? Tell me, and I'll find you a doctor. Come on, just take a sip…"
Riley was speechless.
Is he… feeding the bird with alcohol?
"Have a sip or two"? Seriously?
She glanced at the parrot in the cage and suddenly burst out laughing.
It was a Quaker parakeet—round and a little goofy-looking, with green-and-white feathers that made it seem plain and clumsy.
But she knew better. They were smart. They could mimic speech, even copy tone.
Still… they also had a reputation for acting a little dumb—often blending in with other birds, looking just as clueless as they seemed.
The moment Riley laughed, both Arthur and the parrot turned to glare at her.
"What are you laughing at? Fool! Fool!"
The parrot lifted its head, looking down at her with pure disdain.
Arthur burst into laughter.
The servants covered their mouths, trying not to laugh.
Even Adrian—usually cold and composed—had the faintest trace of amusement in his eyes.
Riley exploded.
Seriously?!
Getting bullied by people is one thing.
Now even a bird is looking down on me?
She shot the parrot a glare. "You're the fool! A foolish bird that ate itself sick!"
Echo tilted its head, then tucked its beak into its feathers.
"Bad luck! Fool's here! Don't talk to her!"
Riley nearly choked.
Arthur clicked his tongue, feigning seriousness. "Why are you arguing with a bird? It's not wrong."
He cast a glance at Adrian, who was clearly holding back laughter.
"Look at him. Would he act like this before? That's what happens when you spend too much time around fools."
Riley wanted to claw the wall.
A faint flush rose across her pale skin, bringing a rare hint of color to her face.
One of the servants chuckled. "Echo is usually very aloof. You have to coax him a lot before he'll talk. But today, he started speaking the moment Madam arrived. He must like you."
From inside the cage, Echo snorted.
"Who likes a fool?"
Riley crossed her arms, annoyed. "As if I like a stupid bird."
"Hahaha! Looks like Echo just ate too much," Arthur laughed, all worry gone. He had the cage taken down and held it in his hands, teasing the bird. "Come on, Echo, say a few more words for Grandpa."
Grandpa?
Riley's lips twitched.
She turned to Adrian and nudged her chin toward the cage.
"This stupid bird is calling him Grandpa. That puts it in the same generation as you. You're really going to let that slide?"
Before her words even settled—
"Troublemaker! Troublemaker!" Echo squawked, hopping in place.
Riley froze.
It even knows that phrase?!
She stared at the bird in disbelief.
Echo, still weak, simply turned its head away with cold indifference and slumped back down.
She cleared her throat, suddenly feeling awkward.
Fine.
I was trying to stir things up, hoping Adrian would get annoyed enough to toss the bird out.
Didn't expect to get called out by a parrot.
How embarrassing.
She rubbed her nose.
Then suddenly, Echo flapped its wings weakly and let out a strained cry. Its body curled in on itself, twitching inside the cage.
Arthur panicked. "Echo! What's wrong?!"
Riley's expression sharpened.
Without hesitation, she stepped forward, reached into the cage, grabbed the parrot by its legs, and flipped it upside down.
Then she gave it two quick shakes before striking its abdomen with controlled force.
Echo flailed, dizzy, its wings beating frantically.
Everything happened so fast, Arthur and the others hadn't even had time to react.
Now, seeing Echo being "handled" like that, anger surged instantly.