Chapter 41
Something is coming (2)
Aria almost screamed, No!
She barely managed to swallow the words before they escaped.
Luke, noticing her sudden change in expression, raised an eyebrow in confusion.
“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”
“N-no… Nothing.”
Aria forced the words out.
“I’m fine.”
Her tone was much more rigid than before.
Luke clicked his tongue inwardly at the sight of her pale, blood-drained face.
“You must’ve caught something from being outside too much. You might pass it on to Bonita, so it’s best if you sleep in a separate room tonight.”
“I’m… really fine—”
“No, you’re not.”
Luke cut her off firmly.
“I don’t usually stop you, but at least for tonight, you can’t. If Bonita hears that you’re sick, she’ll understand.”
She wasn’t actually ill, but Aria slowly nodded.
“Then… in that case…”
She hesitated before speaking.
“Would it be alright if I went to the Count of Rottweil’s estate just for today?”
Luke had been listening calmly, but at the mention of Rottweil, his eyebrow twitched.
“You’re sick, and you want to go somewhere? Just stay at the duchy.”
“Then… could I at least ask Lenon to come here for a bit?”
This time, Luke’s expression darkened even more. His displeasure was evident as he flatly refused.
“No. Stop thinking about unnecessary things and just go rest.”
“But—”
Before Aria could say another word, Luke turned and strode off.
His strides were so large and purposeful that Aria couldn’t possibly keep up.
Catherine, walking ahead, saw Luke pass her and called out to him.
“Hmph, no matter how fast you walk, the one holding this little girl’s hand is still me—”
Luke ignored her completely and continued walking.
Catherine blinked in surprise at being so blatantly brushed off.
She murmured to herself,
“…Did I tease him too much?”
“Madam, what do you mean by that?”
“It’s nothing, dear. Now, why don’t you continue telling me about playing with those little rascals from the marquis’ estate?”
“Okay!”
****
Luke’s steps were unwavering.
But unlike his confident strides, his mind was a tangled mess.
“Am I losing my mind?”
He couldn’t understand why he had felt so irritated when Aria Hilton mentioned Lenon Rottweil.
Lenon and Aria.
Thinking about the two of them reminded him of what had happened in the garden last time.
He didn’t know what they had talked about.
All he had seen was Aria, crying in Lenon’s embrace as he gently comforted her—before hastily fleeing the garden the moment Luke arrived.
As if he didn’t want anyone to see them like that.
Luke ruffled his bangs in frustration. His thoughts were noisy, unsettled.
“This feels bad.”
Aria Hilton was a thorn in his side.
If he could, he would get rid of her.
Had Bonita not adored her so much, he would have done so long ago.
Aria Hilton was still a prime suspect in the case of Bonita’s disappearance.
She had conveniently lost her memory right before she was supposed to return the child. Claimed she didn’t even know how she had ended up raising Bonita.
How could anyone believe such a ridiculous excuse?
He had been far too lenient with her.
But the more he watched Aria, the more his suspicions wavered.
“Why don’t we have tea together? Bonita and I baked a cake.”
“If you want to bond with a child, playing games or exercising together is best.”
“I love Bonita. More than anyone. More than anything. Even including you, Your Grace.”
“…Aria Hilton… is she actually a good person?”
At first, he had assumed Bonita’s attachment to Aria was simply because she had raised her.
Like an imprinting effect.
She had spent all seven years of her life with her.
Even if Aria had mistreated her, Bonita might still cling to her—because she had no one else.
“I was convinced that she kidnapped Bonita, abused her, and then returned just to extort money.”
There had been bruises all over Bonita’s body—marks that couldn’t have come from simple accidents. She had been so thin, clearly malnourished.
That was why Luke had wanted to become a safe haven for her.
If Bonita had other people to rely on, if she started seeing this place as her home…
Then one day, she would finally break free from Aria’s shadow.
That was how he had justified everything to himself.
But Aria, who should have revealed her true colors by now, hadn’t changed at all.
If anything, she only seemed to love Bonita more.
At this point, he couldn’t help but wonder—
What if there was never a ‘hidden truth’ behind her actions?
What if everything she had said was the truth?
What if she had come to the duchy for Bonita’s sake, and nothing more?
“Your Grace, where is the lady? Why have you returned alone?”
Luke had just stepped into the mansion when Ed, his attendant, asked curiously.
Instead of answering, Luke threw a question back at him.
“Ed.”
“Yes, sir?”
“What do you think of Aria Hilton?”
“Miss Hilton, sir?”
Ed blinked at the unexpected inquiry and took a moment to think.
Luke waited patiently. Fortunately, Ed didn’t keep him waiting for long.
“I was suspicious of her at first, but… she seems to be a good person. The young lady is also quite fond of her.”
“…Is that so?”
“Is that not the answer you were expecting?”
“No. I was just wondering what others thought of her.”
Yes. He needed confirmation.
Confirmation that his own judgment was still objective.
“What do other people think? About Hilton, I mean.”
“Do you mean the servants?”
“Yes.”
Unlike Ed, who was always by his side, the ones serving Aria and Bonita directly were common-born servants.
This time, Ed answered without hesitation.
“There are still some who remain wary of her. There were quite a few rumors about her at first.”
“I see.”
“Yes. Especially the long-time staff—they don’t seem to view her favorably.”
The words “long-time staff” stood out.
Luke immediately caught the underlying implication.
“So, the newer servants think differently?”
“I believe so. Like myself, they’re seeing Miss Hilton for the first time.”
Ed continued,
“I don’t know what she was like before, but from what I’ve seen, she is kind. A good person.”
“…….”
“The marks on the young lady’s body… what if they were caused by someone else, not Miss Hilton?”
Luke turned his gaze toward Ed.
The attendant flinched under the weight of his crimson stare. But as someone who had served at Luke’s side for five years, he didn’t falter any further.
“The young lady must have grown up in an unsafe environment. In places like that, there are plenty of thugs who wouldn’t hesitate to prey on an unprotected child.”
“So, you’re saying that the marks on Bonita’s body are merely the remnants of temporary violence?”
“…I can’t say for sure. If my words were out of line, I apologize.”
“It’s fine.”
Luke let out a sigh.
“That’s also a possibility.”
“Why not just ask the young lady directly?”
“…….”
Luke turned to look outside the window.
Bonita was already inside. Only a gardener with a pair of shears and a young maid running errands remained in the garden.
“Ask Bonita directly?”
Of course, that had been his plan from the start.
But something the family physician had said lingered in his mind.
“Your Grace, if the young lady truly experienced abuse, simply bringing it up could trigger trauma. Even if it was just a severe case of temporary violence, the result would be the same.”
“Were the injuries really that serious?”
“…Her bones weren’t broken. Considering her small frame, she wasn’t struck with overwhelming force.”
“So the assailant held back?”
“Perhaps. Or maybe they were just physically weak to begin with. Based on the nature of the injuries, I would say the culprit was most likely a woman.”
Thankfully, there had been no signs of improperly healed fractures or irreparable joint damage.
The wounds on her body had been no more than bruises and contusions. Now, they had faded so much they were barely visible.
But just because the marks had disappeared didn’t mean the memories of being hurt had vanished too.
As he recalled all of this, Luke clenched his jaw.
Whoever had hurt Bonita—he would never forgive them.
The reason he hadn’t immediately executed Aria was partly because of Bonita’s love for her, but more than that, because her supposed abuse was still just a suspicion.
Luke dragged a hand down his face. His emotions were in turmoil.
He muttered under his breath.
“Bonita…”
The small, precious child who so resembled the only woman he had ever loved.
His daughter.
When he closed his eyes, memories surfaced vividly.
The overwhelming emotion of meeting her for the first time.
The way she had proudly presented him with a strawberry cake she had made herself.
The way her face had lit up with joy when he, after tasting it, silently gave her a thumbs-up.
“…….”
A soft smile unconsciously formed on his lips.
Becoming a father… was truly a remarkable thing.
For so long, he had lived like a shell of a man, chasing after the remnants of Elodie.
But with this small child in his life, his entire world had changed.
“Yes. I need to get my priorities straight.”
He would keep searching for the truth of Bonita’s past.
But he wouldn’t let it consume him to the point of neglecting the child standing before him.
With that in mind, he made a decision.
He would write to his younger brother.
It was time to find a tutor for his daughter.
