Chapter 29
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
Amelia nodded casually.
To her, a nickname wasn’t a big deal. It didn’t matter whether a close friend or a stranger called her by one.
But Lucian didn’t know what she was thinking.
‘Amelia actually let me call her by a nickname!’
He was so happy!
Lucian barely stopped himself from jumping up and down. He didn’t want to look too childish in front of her.
‘If it weren’t for my aunt, I wouldn’t have had this chance with Amelia.’
If he hadn’t fought with his aunt, Amelia wouldn’t have talked to him first.
‘And I even held her hand.’
Lucian looked down at his palm. It wasn’t exactly holding hands, but that didn’t matter to him.
‘It’s all thanks to my aunt.’
Because of her, he got to talk to Amelia, got permission to use her nickname, and even got to hold her hand.
‘Lia was right. My aunt really does love me.’
Otherwise, why would she give him such a great opportunity?
“So now, go makeup with Lucella. She’s probably feeling sad.”
“Okay! I will!”
Lucian nodded so fast it made a whooshing sound.
Everything in the world suddenly looked beautiful to him.
The whole ride back to the mansion, Lucian was quiet.
I tried talking to him and even joking around, but he just pressed his cheek against the window, staring blankly outside.
At first, I thought he was still mad. But looking closely, something was off. He looked completely out of it.
“He’s not… turning evil already, is he?”
But my worries were unnecessary.
After locking himself in his room for a few hours, Lucian finally came out looking completely normal. In fact, he seemed to be in an even better mood than usual.
Seeing that, I let out a small sigh of relief.
“Kids really are simple.”
Then, the day finally came—when the Duke Bellomon was returning home.
His schedule had moved faster than expected.
For the past few days, the servants had been rushing to prepare the mansion for his arrival. Now, they all stood in neat rows outside, waiting.
It was already late in the evening.
I walked outside with Lucian.
Claude and Amelia followed behind.
“What do you do when you see your father?”
“…Greet him.”
“And how do you behave in front of him?”
“…Be polite and respectful.”
“Good.”
Satisfied with his answers, I nodded.
I had drilled those words into his head over and over again.
Duke Bellomon didn’t like his wild, troublemaking son. He was always quick to click his tongue at Lucian’s slightest mistakes.
I hated how he treated his own child as a nuisance.
But Duke Bellomon was the head of the family. Getting on his bad side wouldn’t help Lucian in any way.
I adjusted Lucian’s neatly dressed outfit and reminded him again.
“I told you before, right? Don’t play around in front of the Duke. And speak properly.”
Lucian pouted and didn’t answer.
His grip on my hand tightened, and his face darkened.
Lucian had always been afraid of his father.
“You’re lucky, Lucian. You finally get to see your father again.”
Claude spoke warmly, trying to cheer him up.
But Claude didn’t understand. He didn’t know how different Lucian’s relationship with his father was.
“I don’t like it.”
“Huh?”
Claude’s face showed pure shock.
Amelia was just as surprised.
“Why not? You haven’t seen him in so long.”
“If I could see my father again… I’d be so happy.”
Of course, she would say that.
Amelia couldn’t meet her parents, no matter how much she wanted to.
And since her father, the Marquess, had loved her dearly when he was alive, she couldn’t understand Lucian’s words at all.
“Maybe for you, but not for me.”
“…….”
“I wish he never came back.”
“Lucian.”
I called his name in a firm voice.
“I told you not to say things like that.”
“…Tch.”
“Don’t ‘tch’ me. Fix your face and stand up straight.”
With my hands on my hips, I stared him down.
Lucian sighed and forced himself to stand properly.
But the stiff, fake smile on his face was painful to look at.
“Sigh…”
I let out a deep breath.
I could understand why Lucian felt that way.
To him, Duke Bellomon was just a cold man who didn’t love him.
Every moment spent with his father must have felt suffocating.
‘But this is necessary. Lucian has to get on the Duke’s good side.’
If he wanted to avoid becoming a villain in the future, he needed to earn his father’s favor first.
Maybe then, the Duke would even consider making Lucian his heir.
‘Though… that’s probably not going to happen.’
“He’s here.”
The butler’s voice echoed through the night.
In the distance, the sound of horses’ hooves rang out.
I turned my head.
A carriage with the Bellomon family’s black hawk emblem crossed through the main gate.
The waiting servants straightened their backs.
I reached over and gently pressed down the corners of Lucian’s mouth.
His pout disappeared, replaced by a forced, awkward smile.
Soon, the carriage stopped in front of us.
The butler stepped forward and swiftly opened the door.
“Welcome home, my lord. I hope your journey wasn’t too tiring.”
Click.
A black leather shoe stepped onto the ground.
The carriage door swung shut, finally revealing the face hidden behind it.
With jet-black hair, cold—no, almost icy—eyes, and tightly pressed lips that never hinted at a smile…
“Welcome home, Your Grace.”
Duke Dehart Bellomon had arrived.
Ignoring the servants bowing respectfully, the Duke strode forward.
His long strides quickly closed the distance between us.
I glanced down at Lucian.
I could feel his small hand gripping my dress tightly.
His eyes were filled with silent hope—praying the Duke would just walk past him without saying a word.
But the Duke didn’t notice. Or maybe he just didn’t care.
His steps halted right in front of us.
Or rather—right in front of Claude.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Duke Bellomon.”
Claude, realizing the Duke had stopped before him, stepped forward and extended his hand.
“It’s been a while, Marquis Agris.”
Duke Bellomon shook Claude’s hand with a faint smile.
It was a smile he had never once shown to Lucian.
“I’m glad to see you again, though I didn’t expect it to be under these circumstances. I had hoped we would meet again for a happier reason.”
After all, Claude had barely survived a landslide and was now in poor health.
“Haha.”
Understanding the meaning behind the words, Claude let out an awkward chuckle.
“Well, my body may be weak, but I’m still happy. Thanks to you, I finally found the niece I’ve been searching for.”
At that, the Duke’s gaze shifted to Amelia, standing beside Claude.
Amelia, realizing it was her turn, gracefully lifted the hem of her dress and gave a polite bow.
“I apologize for the trouble I’ve caused, and I sincerely thank you, Your Grace. I am Amelia Agris.”
“Oh?”
The Duke let out a small sound of admiration.
Her manners were flawless—far beyond what was expected of a child her age.
“As graceful and intelligent as I’ve heard.”
“You flatter me.”
“And so humble, too.”
Duke Bellomon looked pleased as he continued speaking with Amelia.
Lucian and I, however, might as well have been invisible.
The Duke’s attention was completely focused on Amelia and Claude.
