Chapter 11
Stupid Granddaughter (3)
At the old woman’s roar, Bonita took a step back.
‘Fake daughter? fraud?’
She didn’t know what relationship the elderly lady over there had with the duke, but judging by the clothes she was wearing and the attitudes of the knights around her, it was clear that she was a noblewoman.
Moreover, no matter how much she thought about it, the only person she could call a fake daughter or a fraud was her. Bonita’s thoughts quickly took a turn for the worse.
The blood drained from her face. Her little shoulders slumped, and it was almost pitiful.
Meanwhile, Aria panicked in a different way than Bonita.
She had a knowledgeable and flirtatious tone.
An attitude of not caring about what others think.
Even though she is over sixty, she still has well-maintained skin and hair, and dresses in fancy dresses with sparkling jewelry.
Her identity is…
‘Mother?’
It was Catherine Lysianthus, the previous Duchess.
In other words, she is Aria’s mother-in-law.
I should probably add the “former”.
“Didn’t you just declare that you wouldn’t be coming back from the resort? I wonder what all the fuss is about when you suddenly come here out of the blue.”
“Luke you bastard!”
“Ouch.”
Perfect!
Catherine swung her wooden stick at Luke. Luke, who hit on the head, groaned with a look on his face that didn’t look like it hurt at all.
He grumbled with an annoyed face.
“Please stop being rude.”
“Do you think I care?! I’ve lost my husband and my golden daughter-in-law, and you’re the only blood relative I have left!”
“Don’t say ‘that’ to someone in a way that makes you feel bad.”
“Hmp. Where on earth is that mother-daughter fraud group that deceived you? I’m not here to see you, so tell me where they are right now!”
“Ha….”
Luke sighed. Meanwhile, Catherine was scanning her surroundings with eyes.
And then the two mother and daughter came into her gaze.
Although it was quite a distance away, the only child here was Bonita, so Catherine quickly knew who they were.
“There you are! These damn things!”
“Mother!”
“Don’t stop me!”
Luke chased after his mother who ran. At first, he planned to stop her, but it was because he had this idea in mind.
‘Anyway, my mother will know when she sees it.’
Of course, she does not have Lysianthus blood, so she does not have such instincts.
However, didn’t she resemble Elodie so closely that Bonita didn’t need such evidence?
As Luke expected, Catherine’s expression, which was ready to chase away the woman and child, was changing by the minute as she got closer to the two.
Catherine looked startled as she left only a few steps behind. Her gaze turned towards the adult woman.
Aria smiled brightly and greeted.
“It’s been a while, madam.”
“You…!”
Aria lived at the main mansion in Lysianthus with Elodie for more than three years.
Catherine’s eyes widened as she recognized her. But what shocked her even more was the other side.
“Bonita, say hello. This is madam Lysianthus, the Duke’s mother.”
“The Duke’s mother…?”
“Yes. That makes her a maternal grandmother to Bonita.”
After hearing Aria’s explanation, Bonita, who had been hiding behind her the whole time, stuck out her head. Catherine’s eyes were fixed on the child.
Bonita paused when she saw the old lady with her mouth slightly open, then she bowed cautiously.
“Hello, madam.”
But the greeting did not reach Catherine’s ears at all.
All she was seeing was Bonita’s pink hair as sweet as cotton candy, coral colored eyes that looked bright or dark depending on the light, and facial features that resembled someone else’s.
“No, what is this?”
The ill-tempered old woman who had been roaring like a lion just now has disappeared.
Catherine stood there for a long moment, unable to yell at them to get away from Luke or return their greeting as she had planned.
Luke, who came late, watched his mother from afar. He was thinking of stopping her if she went on a rampage, but looking at the situation, he thought it would be enough without him doing that.
“Madam?”
It was Bonita who broke the silence. She wondered if the precious old woman in front of her was angry at her.
“If I’ve done anything wrong, I apologize. sorry.”
“No, not like that.”
Catherine stuttered. She was still distraught.
Her mind was confused.
‘They look so much alike?’
Of course, she had a reason why Catherine was so surprised.
As the noble daughter of the Marquis of Violet and motherless, she had longed since childhood for a sibling of the same sex with whom she could confide. When that dream could no longer be realized, she had hoped to have a beautiful daughter.
However, after becoming Duchess of Lysianthus, she gave birth to three sons. Unfortunately, the third child was weak and died young.
So when her oldest son, Luke, married a beautiful, sunshiney daughter-in-law, Catherine leaped for joy for the first time.
Elodie approached her mother-in-law Catherine, who was famous for being strict and having a bad temper, without prejudice. It was natural for Catherine to prefer Elodie than her own son.
Even though it only lasted 3 years.
Since then, she has been so heartbroken that she has left the Lysianthus Mansion and it has been several years since she stayed in the villa in the southern part of the kingdom.
Then, out of nowhere, Elodie’s stillborn daughter appeared.
This had happened often in the past, so this time my head opened as I wondered if some fraud was trying to scam my son again.
For that reason, I ran like crazy…. I did…
My head went white at the sight of a tiny little girl who looked like Elodie. Catherine’s heart skipped a beat as she recognized the traces of Elodie on her chest from long ago.
‘No! Come to your senses, Catherine Lysianthus!’
Catherine gasped, reaching for Bonita’s squishy cheeks as if mesmerized. She stepped back, stunned.
“What do you think, Mother? Do you believe me now?”
“… Huh. She definitely looks a little similar.”
“Little?”
“Uh, anyway!”
Catherine shouted.
“I can’t admit it! It would be better to give birth and lose it. Is it even possible for a stillborn baby to suddenly appear?!”
“That,”
“You saw it clearly back then! The baby Elodie gave birth to was dead! How could the child she gave birth to and buried come back alive-”
“Mother.”
Luke interrupted Catherine in a calm voice.
Catherine followed his gaze and gasped at the sight of Bonita’s pale face.
“The child listens, and.”
He declared as he approached Bonita.
“Bonita is my daughter.”
“Luke.”
“I’m pretty sure… I’m still trying to figure out how this came about, of course.”
He glared in Aria’s direction as he said those words. The look in his eyes was cold enough to convince even Aria, who was not afraid of Luke.
After seeing Luke’s attitude and seeing Bonita, Catherine spoke in a much more subdued tone than before.
“But you should at least do a paternity test. Your father says it’s Lysianthus’ instinct or something, but honestly, I don’t know about that.”
“… I was already planning on doing that.”
Because Bonita resembled Elodie so much, he didn’t say much, but there was still enough room for her presence to seem strange to others.
Besides, she was one of the few who could take over the position of Duke Lysianthus. There were many people who would salivate if they disappeared without an heir immediately.
Such people will undoubtedly try to raise questions about Bonita’s origins.
To silence them, it was necessary to call a priest and conduct a paternity test.
Once it was confirmed that she was Luke’s own daughter, there was no doubt about her legitimacy. If it weren’t for the color of her eyes, you would be able to tell just by looking at her appearance that Bonita is the former Duchess’ child.
“Well, let’s say that’s the case with the kid. Who is that woman? Didn’t she quit her job when Elodie died?”
Catherine’s question led to an awkward silence.
As much as Luke wanted to talk about her suspicious behavior, he couldn’t bring himself to threaten or belittle the caregiver the child depended on in front of Bonita.
“Miss Aria is currently allowed to stay in the mansion as Bonita’s foster caretaker. I will explain the details separately later.”
“What? You just have to explain it right now-”
Luke’s eyes grew fierce at Catherine’s offhand remark, and she shut up as her finger pointed furiously at Bonita from an angle only she could see.
Aria took advantage of that opportunity to sneak in.
“Madam, since you came like this, how about going and enjoying a picnic with your son and Bonita?”
“Picnic? Something trivial like that?”
As Catherine was about to snort, Bonita’s face caught her eye.
“I like it very much. Normally, in life, there are times when it is better to spend a somewhat boring and leisurely afternoon rather than being busy and work all the time.”
It was a quick change of attitude.
Aria clapped her hands.
“Then since it’s lunch time, let’s go back under the tree and have a quick bite to eat! The servants prepared a picnic box!”
“No, what, just sitting on the floor and eating,”
“Wow, really? Can I open the picnic box?”
Catherine and Bonita’s words overlapped.
Coral eyes sparkled with anticipation. Catherine, seeing that, cleared her throat briefly and continued her sentence naturally.
“It’s not bad either. Ever since I was young, I preferred eating on the floor rather than at the table.”
