Chapter 27
Mother, Mom (1)
Aria opened her eyes wide.
“A Friends?”
“Yes.”
Luke said bluntly.
“I wish she had more time to adjust, but every year around this time, there’s a children’s social gathering.”
“I know that.”
Aria had also gone to countless social gatherings when she was Elodie.
It was at such gatherings that she met the real Aria.
“…….”
She was silent for a moment, recalling her first meeting with Aria. Luke watched her.
‘The puffiness in your eyes has gone down.’
Even though she had cried so much yesterday, he didn’t like the fact that she looked fine the next morning.
… In fact, I just didn’t like the whole thing. I didn’t like anything about her.
‘If it weren’t for Bonita, I’d just throw her out of the estate.’
He clicked his tongue internally.
“Usually, a noble lady would bring her child to gatherings like this, but Bonita doesn’t have a mother…”
Luke’s tone of voice, as he was about to talk about Bonita’s mother, became gloomy.
It was always like this when he talked about Elodie.
Even though it had been six years since her death, he still couldn’t escape the shadow of his beloved wife.
He probably wouldn’t for the rest of his life.
“So you’re going to leave that role to me?”
“… I’m going to accompany you, too.”
“Of course I’d like it!”
Aria’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.
‘A parent-child social gathering!’
Just hearing the name it so cute.
Just imagining Bonita playing around with children her age made her smile.
‘To be honest, I wasn’t expecting it.’
Such social gatherings were usually reserved for noblewomen. It wasn’t common for a father to accompany a child, except in the rare case of a woman taking over the family.
But the Duke was not about to attend such a cute little tea party alone.
‘Well, I suppose not.’
Aria smiled vaguely as she imagined Luke attending a parent-child social gathering alone.
A two-meter-tall Duke mixed in with five or six-year-old babies that were not even one meter tall.
The children would probably all burst into tears, and the ladies would be at a loss for words because they could not bring themselves to told the Duke. It was obvious that the atmosphere would be chaotic.
Luke seemed to have imagined something similar to Aria.
He picked up his teacup with a slightly bashful expression.
“Anyway… The social gatherings of nobles start at a young age. For Bonita’s sake, she must attend this gathering.”
“I agree.”
The social world is ruthless.
Of course, who would treat the Duke’s only daughter carelessly, but it’s impossible to stamp your authority on everything.
Furthermore, the Duke family was not the only high-ranking noble in the kingdom.
There were other families of lower rank who, unlike the Duke, were deeply involved in central politics, or who, like the Counts of Rotweill, were wealthy from their large businesses.
If Bonita became close with the children of such families, it would definitely be helpful when she became a Duke.
‘I can’t let my child fall behind!’
The will of the two people who were drawing their child’s future came together.
*****
“Oh my!”
“What’s wrong?”
Marquis Hyacinth tilted his head at the exclamation of his wife who was reading the letter.
‘You don’t get surprised easily by simple things. How unexpected.’
Marchioness Hyacinth was a woman who was called the calm woman. Of course, she sometimes showed her emotions in front of her husband, but most of the time, she just had a calm smile on her face.
She was reading the letter with her eyes wide open. Marchioness said in a slightly excited voice.
“I got a reply from the Lysianthus Duke’s house. They said they would attend the social gathering held at the Marquis’ residence.”
“From Lysianthus?”
However, as soon as he heard the explanation from his wife, the Marquis could easily understand why she was so surprised.
The young princess of the Lysianthus Duke’s house was currently a hot topic in the social world.
The lost child that had been found after 7 years.
The only daughter of the only Duke in the kingdom, and the future ruler of the vast territory in the south.
To Marquis Hyacinth, who had several sons, the young princess Lysianthus was an extremely attractive match.
Of course, the other noble families would think the same.
‘Haa. I hope Our children shouldn’t treat the princess rudely.’
Marquis sighed inwardly as he thought of his stubborn sons.
Did they say the princess was seven years old?
At that age, girls are sensitive.
I was very worried that the wild eldest and second eldest might catch an earthworm and throw it at the princess.
The third son was calm, so I thought he would get along well with the princess, but…
The face of the Marquis, who had been thinking that far, turned pale.
“… Now, wait. So the Duke himself is coming?”
Although the Marquis of Hyacinth was the most powerful of the central nobles, the Duke of Lysianthus was scary. It didn’t mean the family.
‘It’s just that they are scary.’
If there was a competition for someone who looked fierce, the Duke would definitely win first place.
Even grown adults would tremble at the Duke, so what about children?
“Ahhh! It’s scary!”
“Mommy, ahhh! I want to go home!”
“He’s a monster! I’ll defeat him!”
“…….”
Marquis swallowed hard as he imagined the messy tea party.
Marchioness said, narrowing her eyes.
“Duke said he would be coming later in the party. And I heard that Lady Hilton is coming with the princess…”
“Hilton?”
It was a surname he had never heard of.
When the Marquis asked incredulously, the Marchioness clicked her tongue and explained.
“The Baron lady who brought the princess. Oh, no. Since there are no other family members left besides her, I guess I can call her Baron Hilton.”
In order to become a high-ranking noble of a count or higher, you must undergo a succession ceremony approved by the Emperor.
However, lower-ranking nobles below a Viscount did not need such a complicated procedure. When the head of the family died, the title was automatically passed to the eldest son, if there was no eldest son, to the daughter, and if there was no daughter, to their descendants.
You could give up the title if you didn’t want it.
However, there was no noble who would do such a stupid thing.
“She brought the child? Then the princess wasn’t the child he had with the previous Duchess?”
“That’s where it gets a little tricky.”
Marchioness said, fanning herself.
“For example, if the princess is the daughter of Baron Hilton and His Excellency the Duke. In that case, she could become the new Duchess.”
“Huh? Your Excellency has taken in another woman besides the previous Duchess?”
Marquis sighed, recalling the Duke of Lysianthus six years ago.
It was surprising, considering the Duke’s extreme love for his wife.
Of course, since the Duchess had already passed away, and since he only had one child, the Princess, there would be no fight over the succession. He was just surprised.
“Then it would be better to become friends with Lady Hilton as well.”
“… Actually, I’m not sure I like her.”
“Is there any other reason?”
Marquis’ tone was rough. She covered her mouth with her fan and muttered after hearing the Marquis’ question.
“Lady Hilton was Elodie’s maid when she was alive, and she doesn’t look good.”
“Hmm…”
Marquis let out an uncomfortable groan.
His wife was close to the Duchess, Elodie Lysianthus, before she died.
He knew there was nothing wrong with her intellectually, but she didn’t like the idea of a woman stepping into her friend’s seat.
It would be even more uncomfortable if she were her friend’s maid.
“Don’t worry too much. I won’t be openly hostile in front of her.”
“I wasn’t worried about your attitude,”
Marquis said hurriedly.
His wife was a person who knew how to distinguish between public and private affairs.
Although it was a political marriage, he trusted his wife as a political partner.
“Anyway, we don’t know the Duke’s intentions yet, right? If you are uncomfortable, you need only make a superficial acquaintance with Baron Hilton.”
“… Yes, that’s right.”
Marchioness said and folded the letter. Her eyes turned to the garden outside the balcony.
“Anyway, since the Princess is visiting our Marquis’ residence, I must prepare with all my heart.”
Marchioness stood up, not having any idea what the Princess looked like.
*****
“I’ll go!”
“Yes?”
Catherine shouted confidently after hearing Bonita’s story about attending the social gathering.
“Luke, if a big, dark guy like you goes, isn’t it obvious that the kids will cry? In that case, it’s a hundred times better if I go. Right.”
“Big and dark, what?”
Luke grumbled.
But he couldn’t deny it.
… It was true that he was big.
But it didn’t mean he didn’t have something to say back.
“Even mothers can’t keep up with children’s crying. But that’s because my Bonita is so nice, and who can stand a mother’s temper?”
“Ugh.”
Catherine couldn’t refute Luke’s soft words either.
Children, what? Even grown ladies and noblewomen would naturally avoid Catherine’s face.
Aria, who had been watching the confrontation between the two, smiled brightly and interjected.
“Then I should go!”
“You look fierce too…!”
Catherine, who was about to refute, seemed speechless when she saw Aria’s brightly smiling face.
She couldn’t help it.
Aria’s appearance was certainly gorgeous and refreshing, but when she smiled, the atmosphere changed a lot.
Besides, don’t they say that children like pretty people?
If she was angry, it might be different, but when she smiled like that, she was the kind of beauty that children would like.
Bonita, who was clinging closely to her, seemed to prove that fact.
At that moment, Bonita, who had been quietly listening to the argument, timidly shouted.
“I, I’m fine with going anywhere with Aria!”
Catherine finally gave in.
