Chapter 30
‘Why don’t you greet Lucian too? He may not be as polite as Amelia, but he is still your son, with your blood in his veins.’
I was about to interrupt the conversation, even if it meant being rude.
“How have you been?” the Duke finally asked.
“Yes. The mansion was so big that I was confused at first, but thanks to Lucian’s help, I was able to find my way to my room without getting lost,” Amelia replied, smoothly shifting the topic toward Lucian.
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Time flies when I’m with Lucian.”
The Duke’s gaze finally landed on Lucian. He looked startled, as if he hadn’t expected to hear that name.
I gently pushed Lucian forward. He had been hiding behind my skirt. His face was full of tension as he spoke.
“I-It’s been a while, Father.”
Lucian’s voice trembled, and he even stuttered—a rare sight.
Talking to his father is really that difficult for him.
I softly took Lucian’s pale hand and gave him a bright smile.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again. Your journey must have been long. Aren’t you tired?”
If Lucian couldn’t do it, then I had to act warmly toward the Duke—for Lucian’s sake.
“I’ve prepared tea that’s good for recovering from fatigue. Please have some to relax.”
I forced a smile, but my lips trembled.
I felt humiliated.
When returning home, isn’t greeting your family first the most basic courtesy?
Even if the Duke had no interest in Lucian, Lucian was still his son.
Yet, he had spoken to Claude and Amelia first, completely ignoring Lucian.
This would not have felt so offensive if someone had just looked Lucian in the eye.
Lucian had been standing right next to Claude, yet the Duke had never once looked at him.
At least for the sake of appearances, he could have acknowledged his son in front of guests. Now, what would Claude and Amelia think of Lucian?
They’ll think of him as nothing more than a shadow.
I didn’t care what people thought of me. I had given up on pride and reputation the moment I decided to depend on my brother-in-law’s family.
But Lucian was different.
He was the legitimate heir of the Belloman family.
He was only six years old.
How could a father be so heartless toward his own son?
“I shall do that,” the Duke replied casually, as if he had no idea what I was thinking.
“Marquis, would you like to join me for tea?”
“…Alright,” Claude answered, hesitating for a moment before nodding. For a brief second, his eyes flickered toward me before returning to normal.
Why did he look at me?
It’s not like I could join them anyway.
I watched the two men enter the room, then turned to Lucian.
“Lucian, let’s go inside too.”
“Okay.”
Lucian was still stiff from nervousness. I needed to help him relax.
“I’ve been informed of the situation. You’ll be staying at the Belloman estate until you recover from your injuries.”
“Yes. I feel bad for imposing, but I’ll return to Agris territory once I can move properly.”
“If you leave too soon, your wounds may worsen. You should stay until you fully recover.”
The voices of the Duke and Claude echoed through the large reception room. Their conversation was as formal and dull as any noble discussion.
“In that case… I’ll stay here for the time being,” Claude agreed.
Despite his polite words, his mind was filled with other thoughts.
I’ll get to see Rilfrey more.
He didn’t like staying in someone else’s home for too long, but if Rilfrey was here, that changed things.
The longer he stayed, the more time he could spend with her.
Claude was secretly pleased with the Duke’s suggestion.
However, that didn’t mean he approved of the Duke’s behavior.
He recalled how the Duke had ignored his own family and walked straight toward him.
Claude knew that the Duke didn’t care much for his son, but as someone who valued dignity and authority, he should have at least pretended in front of others.
That was the proper etiquette.
That was what family was supposed to be.
Even if it was just for show, he should have made it clear that his family was his priority.
But instead, the Duke chose to approach Claude first, completely overlooking Lucian.
Claude didn’t need to see more to understand how the Duke treated Lucian and Rilfrey in this household.
He had noticed Rilfrey’s expression earlier—her face was stiff, and the veins on the back of her hand had stood out in anger.
She had just been publicly ignored. There was no way she was happy about it.
Thankfully, Amelia had quickly shifted the topic at the right moment.
“I heard she’s just living off her brother-in-law’s family, barely getting by. We should take her to our house and let her live in comfort.”
Claude recalled what Amelia had said.
He had dismissed it at the time, but now it seemed all too true.
Maybe Amelia was right.
Marriage wasn’t something to take lightly.
But if Rilfrey was truly being treated like this here, wouldn’t it be better to bring her to his estate instead?
“…I was worried that Rilfrey might have made a mistake in front of you, Marquis.”
Claude, who had been absentmindedly responding, suddenly snapped to attention at the mention of her name.
“A mistake? No, in fact, Lady Rilfrey has helped me adjust here quickly. She’s also been looking after my niece.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
Of course. If Rilfrey wasn’t here, there would be no reason for him to stay.
“She is my savior, after all. I owe my life to her. If not for Lady Rilfrey, I would have died, buried under the rubble, without ever meeting my niece.”
Claude deliberately emphasized Rilfrey’s achievements.
She didn’t deserve to be treated this way.
The Duke needed to realize how exceptional she was.
“I heard about it. She personally stepped in to save you.”
“Yes. She even collapsed from exhaustion afterward. It’s not easy to prioritize others over oneself like that.”
Saying it out loud made him realize once again just how incredible she was.
A noble lady who had never done hard labor had personally grabbed a shovel to dig him out.
Not only that, but she had also cleverly used hunting dogs to locate him.
She was both intelligent and quick-witted.
“And that’s not all. Thanks to Lady Rilfrey, I was finally able to meet my niece.”
“How did Rilfrey know where Amelia was? She wouldn’t have even known you were looking for her.”
“Did you know that Lady Rilfrey volunteers at orphanages?”
“I’ve heard about it, vaguely.”
The Duke’s response was indifferent.
He seemed dissatisfied that Rilfrey was wasting her time on such things.
Then it was necessary to show that what Lucella was doing was not useless at all.
“Lady Rilfrey has been sincerely caring for children in difficult situations. Thanks to her kindness and warmth, my niece was able to open her heart.”
“Opened her heart…?”
“It means she revealed her identity to Lady Rilfrey and asked her to find her uncle.”
At Claude’s words, Duke Bellomen, who had been listening with an indifferent expression, widened his eyes.
“Amelia is intelligent and highly cautious. She knew that revealing her identity could cause trouble, so she deliberately kept it hidden.”
And yet, she had asked someone to find her uncle.
“Can you imagine just how kindly Lady Rilfrey must have treated Amelia for her to do that?”
It would have taken extraordinary dedication.
“She could have dismissed it as just a child’s lie. But Lady Rilfrey didn’t ignore Amelia’s words. She listened to every single one and took immediate action.”
Thanks to that, I was able to reunite with Amelia.
Claude’s voice carried strength as he added those words.
