Chapter 42
“There’s only one thing I have to do from now on.”
Make sure Lucian and Edwin don’t grow up hating each other.
They don’t need to become best friends, but at the very least, they should be kids who can understand each other’s positions.
“And to do that, I need to stop the retainers first.”
Soon, the Duke would be heading back to the capital.
This meant that the retainers would no longer be afraid of the one person they were, and they would begin to act out even more.
“I’ll have to keep a close eye on them so they don’t say anything ridiculous to the kids.”
Back in the day, people would have scolded me for meddling in another family’s affairs—but not anymore.
Now, I was the one who helped the Duke find Edwin—his benefactor.
Knock knock.
The sound of a knock pulled me out of my thoughts.
“This is Claude Agris.”
It was Claude, coming to my room.
“Yes, please come in.”
I quickly got up and straightened my clothes.
At the same time, Claude opened the door and came in, still leaning on his crutch.
I rushed over to help him.
“You don’t need to trouble yourself…”
“It’s no trouble.”
I linked arms with him and guided him to the chair by the tea table.
“I feel like I’m always bothering you whenever we meet.”
“Not at all. Please don’t think that way. But… what brings you here today?”
Unless it was something involving the kids downstairs, Claude had never come to my room personally.
“I just… wanted to have some tea with you.”
“All of a sudden?”
“Yes. Maybe because the weather’s gotten chilly, I wanted something warm.”
Really? It’s a bit chilly in the mornings and evenings, but it’s not that cold for winter.
“I guess he really is weaker now. He used to be so healthy, and now he’s feeling the cold.”
He must still be dealing with the aftereffects of the carriage accident.
“In that case, you should have some ginger tea. It helps warm the body.”
“Do you like ginger tea?”
“Yes. I drink it often in winter.”
“Then I’d like some too.”
I asked Riley to bring us some tea.
Soon after, she left the room, and only the two of us remained.
“What about Amelia? You came alone?”
“Amelia went to see Lucian. She packed up a bunch of toys, saying she wanted to play with him.”
“Oh, Lucian must be thrilled.”
More than thrilled—Lucian would probably jump out of bed for Amelia, even in his sleep.
“He’s been going through a tough time lately, but having Amelia around will really help.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Claude smiled, though it looked a bit stiff.
He must have noticed—if he had eyes and ears—just how tense the atmosphere was at the Bellomon estate.
And by now, he must have realized—
That this household was even more messed up than he imagined.
“What else does Lucian like, besides Amelia?”
Claude changed the subject, naturally lightening the mood before it could get too heavy.
“Lucian’s a typical boy—he likes physical activities. Ball games, sword fights, climbing trees…”
“Climbing trees?”
“Yes. He’s like a monkey. Even if I tell him it’s dangerous, he insists on doing it anyway.”
I shook my head, thinking of Lucian swinging his legs from a tree branch.
Who did he take after to be so wild?
“And what about you, Lady Rilfrey? What do you like?”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
Claude’s blue eyes looked right at me.
“I… like sweets. Chocolate and cookies.”
“And?”
“And… I enjoy watching soccer matches.”
It didn’t take long to answer.
Once I started talking, everything I hadn’t even realized about myself just spilled out.
We kept talking about what I liked, even as Riley returned and poured the tea.
“Don’t you like croquet? That’s a ball game too.”
“That one’s too slow-paced. I like the fast and intense action in soccer.”
“I see. And besides sports?”
“Well… I like going for walks on nice days. And picnics too…”
Claude raised his teacup to his lips—
Then immediately grimaced as soon as he took a sip.
“Ahem, hmm.”
Claude let out a short cough. His face turned red as he cleared his throat.
I looked at him closely and asked,
“Does the tea not suit your taste?”
“No, it’s fine.”
He shook his head and brought the cup back to his lips again. But as soon as he drank it, his eyebrows furrowed.
“Ginger tea has a strong taste, so people either like it or don’t… Didn’t you say you liked it earlier?”
“Yes, cough, I like it.”
“Then why…”
Why do you keep making that face?
“Well, cough, do you have a favorite spot for picnics?” he asked, quickly changing the subject.
“I usually go to the hill behind the mansion…”
I was still watching him with concern—he kept coughing but insisted on drinking the tea.
And then it hit me.
“Ah…”
I understood why he kept drinking the tea even though it clearly didn’t suit him.
He’s doing it for me.
In the original story, Claude was a righteous man, but not a particularly kind one.
Yet here he was—dragging his unwell body to come see me.
Whenever Edwin’s name came up, he would gently change the subject. He kept asking about things I liked.
And he drank tea he clearly didn’t enjoy, just because I liked it.
He was worried about me after everything that happened with Edwin.
He couldn’t just say “cheer up,” so he showed his concern in this roundabout way.
This was Claude’s clumsy way of comforting me.
“The weather’s nice today… cough, shall we go on a picnic?”
“Right now?”
“Yes, cough.”
This was the same man who said earlier that he was cold.
“Sure. Let’s go.”
I smiled and nodded, pretending I hadn’t noticed what he said before.
Warm sunlight streamed in through the window.
Meanwhile…
Edwin was sitting on the windowsill, watching the scenery outside.
His room was on the third floor, and from there, he could clearly see the hill behind the mansion.
He leaned close to the window, eyes fixed on the man and woman sitting on a picnic blanket.
More specifically, Lucella and Claude.
On the yellow blanket were all kinds of sweets.
Lucella smiled happily as she ate a cookie, stopping now and then to admire the flowers in the grass.
Claude watched her with a gentle smile.
He looked a little unsure when he ate chocolate, but the expression disappeared quickly, replaced with a warm look—as if he had never frowned at all.
“…Looks fun.”
Edwin murmured, fogging up the glass with his breath.
In his heart, he wanted to run down to the hill right away.
He wanted to go to Lucella, ask to join them, eat cookies together.
But he couldn’t.
Lucella, who had been looking at him with such a conflicted expression lately, was smiling brightly for the first time in a while.
Having grown up in orphanages, Edwin had learned to read people’s expressions. That habit didn’t leave him, not even in front of Lucella.
Lucella was kind and gentle. But behind her smile, there was always something… complicated.
And after it was revealed that Edwin was the Duke’s biological son, that complexity deepened.
She still smiled at him when they spoke, but it wasn’t the light, easy smile it used to be.
But now, Lucella looked genuinely happy.
Even Claude, usually stiff like a statue, had a soft expression—as gentle as the one he wore for Amelia.
Maybe even gentler.
Realizing that made Edwin hesitate to approach them.
And he couldn’t go find Amelia either.
‘Where is Amelia?’
‘Lady Agris is with Young Master Lucian right now.’
‘Oh…’
Edwin didn’t need an explanation.
He already knew why Amelia went to see Lucian.
It’s because of me.
Since coming to the Duke’s mansion, Edwin had overheard countless whispers:
“It’s the first time I’ve ever felt sorry for Young Master Lucian.”
“What’s going to happen to him now?”
“He must be heartbroken…”
Edwin was sensitive to others’ moods—and very perceptive, too.
He didn’t fully understand everything that was happening, but one thing was clear:
His arrival had hurt Lucian.
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• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Freya• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
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