Chapter 26
Getting to know you (2)
‘Oh, she held me first?’
The hand that wrapped around my index finger was small and weak, but it was still warm. The warmth of a living being was transmitted.
Luke was dazed by the unrealistic situation.
Then Bonita urged him on.
“Duke, hurry up!”
“Oh, right.”
Bonita seemed completely unaware that she had just approached Luke for the first time. That made Luke even happier.
‘Little by little… are we getting to know each other?’
Yes, this is what a normal child would look like. I didn’t want Bonita to be afraid of him anymore, or to look away from him.
Joy came to him when he realized that fact.
He covered his mouth with the hand that was not being grabbed even as he was being dragged by Bonita. He didn’t manage his expression well.
He must be smiling strangely.
“Oh, but where are we going?”
Bonita, who had been walking so confidently, hesitated as soon as she was on the hallway.
The Duke’s mansion was so large and complicated that no matter how many times she saw it, she never got used to it.
Bonita released her hand from Luke and tapped her cheek.
Her eyes were teary.
‘I got lost in the house!’
How could this happen?
It was a very shocking thing.
“…….”
Luke, meanwhile, stared at the fallen index finger, his mouth open, his expression soon sharpened, and he began to walk away.
“Isn’t the path a bit complicated? This is the way to go.”
“Have you memorized this wide place, Duke?”
“I’ve lived in this house since I was born.”
Luke tried to match Bonita’s walking speed. The difference in strides was so great that Bonita had to walk more than five steps for every step he took.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to memorize it even if I live here for a year.”
“… It’s okay.”
Luke said.
“You’re going to live here for the rest of your life. You’ll get used to it eventually. And….”
Meeting his gaze, the maid put down the rag and bowed her head.
“If you ever get lost, ask the servants or maids. Most of them have worked in this mansion for a long time and know the way around well.”
“I will.”
Bonita answered in a solemn tone.
As they walked along, the two of them reached the door of the mansion. The servant at the front quickly opened the door for the Duke and Lady.
“Oh.”
As soon as the door opened, a chilly air came in. Luke carefully stopped Bonita who was about to leave.
“The night air is cold, so you’d better put on your coat and go out.”
One of the maid, who quickly noticed the Duke’s words, moved quickly. Bonita stared at her with curious eyes.
The maids of the Lysianthus Mansion never ran, but they moved with a very elegant and fast gait.
To Bonita, it was very surprising. Bonita asked the maid who brought the coat.
“How did you get here so quickly?”
“It’s the result of a lot of practice. We are always ready to serve you, Lady.”
The servant in the maid’s uniform put the coat on Bonita and spoke in a very kind voice.
“And please call me comfortably! You are my young lady.”
“Yes.”
Bonita awkwardly replied.
She’d been told all the time not to use formal word, but she still hadn’t gotten used to it; they were adults, much bigger than her.
“Come on, let’s go.”
Bonita followed Luke and turned around slightly. The maid was still standing behind her with her hands clasped together politely.
Shake, shake.
Bonita waved her hand behind. The maid’s eyes widened.
‘So cute!’
It had already been four years since she had moved into the Duke’s mansion.
It wasn’t like that when the former Duchess was here, but ever since she had moved in, the Duke’s mansion had always been gloomy.
She had never thought that the atmosphere would change so much just because a child had come in.
“This is real employee welfare!”
She smiled gently and cheered inwardly.
She was already happy here, but she knew it was only going to get better.
*****
The grounds of the Duke’s garden were vast. It was more like a forest than a garden.
After wandering around for about 30 minutes, Bonita was now completely exhausted.
The scary thing was that this was a house yard. Not an estate.
Even from the entrance of the mansion to the main gate, there’s still a long way to go.
‘It’s hot.’
In addition, she was sweating profusely because of the coat and scarf the maid had wrapped around her.
Bonita’s hands untied the small scarf.
Luke, who had been fidgeting while looking at Bonita, spoke first.
“If you’re tired, how about taking a rest?”
“But…”
Bonita stammered, clutching her brown shawl tightly. She was definitely tired and thirsty, but she wanted to find Aria.
If Bonita had been a normal seven-year-old girl, she would have laid down on the floor and begged to be carried at this point.
However, Bonita had never been carried or held by anyone except when she was a very young baby.
She had briefly held Aria after she had changed strangely, but…. That was Aria. Not Luke.
From Luke’s perspective, he had never held a child before either. His fingers twitched a few times.
“Bo-Bonita-”
“I can walk!”
His attempt at a ‘hug’ was nullified by Bonita’s spirited shout. Luke put his hand back down, hiding his regret.
Fortunately for Bonita, they were able to find Aria sitting on the bench about five minutes later.
“Uh-”
Bonita’s feet stopped as she tried to run towards her, calling out. Aria was being hugged by the pink-haired uncle she’d seen earlier.
His name was – Lennon, I think?
While Bonita tilted her head, she stood up and quickly slipped out the other side.
Lennon didn’t seem to notice the Duke and Bonita’s presence.
Luke’s brow furrowed as he watched them. It was because he felt uncomfortable for some reason.
‘What was going on that made them stick so close together?’
The Lennon he knew was a man with a lot of personal space.
He wasn’t the type to easily close the distance with his family. Why was he like that with that woman…
“Mother!”
“Oh, Bonita?”
Meanwhile, Bonita ran to Aria, who was left alone.
Aria stuttered in embarrassment when she found Bonita, then quickly raised her head. Only then could Luke see Aria’s face properly.
Her eyes were red and swollen. Her cheeks were soaked with moisture that hadn’t been wiped off.
Bonita’s eyebrows drooped.
“Mother, have you been crying?”
“Huh?”
Aria, who had been surprised by Bonita’s sudden appearance, soon realized what she was like.
She quickly rubbed her face with her sleeve. She wiped the moisture away, but her eyes were still swollen from crying for an hour.
Aria denied it, blinked through her red eyes.
“So-something got in mom’s eyes. It’s nothing.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
Aria smiled. Her eyes were still red, but she had her signature mischievous smile.
Bonita, who had been worried that Aria might have ‘come back’, looked relieved.
Still, she couldn’t completely relax. Bonita grabbed Aria’s finger and asked,
“What’s my name, Mom?”
“Huh? It’s Bonita.”
“Thank goodness.”
Bonita muttered and buried her face in Aria’s clothes.
Then she thought of Aria in the past.
“Emily, Emily…”
“Emily, why are you crying? Mommy’s here.”
Aria would get drunk and cry several times a month. Bonita was always by her side.
When Aria cried like that, she would look at Bonita and call her by a different name.
But fortunately, Aria didn’t seem to mistake Bonita for anyone else at this point.
However, Elodie, who didn’t know about this situation, was just bewildered.
And Luke.
‘Why am I feeling so bad?’
He frowned at the emotion that was slowly rising.
It was strange that Lennon was hugging Aria, but it wasn’t unpleasant at all.
But he was strangely irritated.
His bright red eyes scanned Aria’s face earnestly. The traces of tears that could not be erased are irritating.
Even when he threatened to separate her from Bonita, whom she cherished so much, she smiled brightly instead of crying.
She cried?
In Lennon’s arms?
What happened?
Luke’s eyebrows twitched as he thought about that.
‘Why am I thinking like this…?’
It’s not enough to look at Bonita. He owed it to his daughter to fill in the gaps of the past seven years.
Aria Hilton was left at the mansion only as Bonita’s nanny.
If Bonita stopped looking for her, she would be useless, or rather, someone who should be investigated.
She must have been involved in Bonita’s disappearance.
It might not be the case, but the odds were extremely low. It was unclear why she had come to this mansion now, seven years later.
… Yes, why?
Whenever he tried to figure that out, his jaw clenched. No matter how much he thought about it, Luke couldn’t figure out the reason.
Just then, Aria turned her head toward him.
He’d been looking at her the whole time, and their eyes locked.
Aria smiled brightly.
“Duke, did you come out because you were worried about me?”
“… Of course not.”
He snorted.
“I only came out looking for you because Bonita was looking for you.”
“Oh, really?”
Despite the cold rebuke, Aria smiled brightly like a flower.
“I’m so happy that our Bonita was worried about me.”
“Hehe.”
Bonita’s cheeks turned red as Aria gently stroked the child’s head. They were a truly loving mother and daughter.
“……”
Luke’s heart felt heavy.
He didn’t know why.
