Chapter 38
Children’s Social Gathering (8)
Hazel subtly manipulated public opinion in the royal palace while assisting her husband, the marquis, effectively holding real power.
She believed her intellect was far superior to that of ordinary people. And in truth, that was likely the case.
Even so… she had no idea.
Hazel instinctively reached to unfold her fan, only to realize she had just left it on the tea table.
She bit her lip hard.
It was an uncharacteristic mistake.
Perhaps she was more anxious than she had thought.
Her brown eyes turned once more to Bonita. That pink hair, that face—it kept dragging her back to the past.
A memory both dreadful and sweet.
Aria, after tightly hugging Bonita and letting go, happily looked around the candy house.
A fence made of cream-filled crackers, jelly rocks, biscuits, chocolate, and a house dusted with sugar powder—Aria’s face lit up with childlike curiosity and wonder as she took it all in.
She suddenly turned her head toward Hazel.
“This place is truly amazing.”
“Ah… yes, it is.”
Caught off guard by the sudden eye contact, Hazel forced a smile.
Just then, children who had followed Bonita peeked out of the house one by one. The boys and girls quickly ran to their mothers.
Each child clutched a drawing in their hands, holding it like a precious treasure.
“Mom! Look at this! I drew our family!”
“I drew a castle!”
“I made a knight in shining armor!”
The noblewomen, who had been subtly watching Aria and Bonita, now turned their attention to their children, smiling warmly as they admired the drawings.
‘No crying children today?’
‘Phew. At least it’s quiet for once.’
Fights usually broke out toward the end of every social gathering, so they had been bracing themselves. But today, luck seemed to be on their side.
Hazel, too, looked at Allen, who had come up to her, and gave him a gentle smile. He was the child she scolded the most, but she loved him just the same.
“Allen, did you draw something too?”
“Ah, this is…”
Allen, who was holding a rolled-up piece of paper, hesitated and hid his hands behind his back. He looked as if he wanted to conceal whatever was in his grasp.
Curious.
Though intrigued, Hazel didn’t press him to reveal his secret.
After much hesitation, Allen finally spoke, his cheeks slightly flushed.
“I got it as a gift.”
“A gift?”
The paper?
Or the drawing itself?
Either way, it was adorable. Smiling lightly, Hazel took the paper Allen handed her and unfolded it.
Her hand, which had been casually scanning the drawing, suddenly stopped.
At the same time, several noblewomen behind her gasped.
“Oh my.”
“The artist must be exceptionally skilled. It’s so vivid… Maya, did you take this from the candy house?”
Countess Lavinia turned to her daughter, just in case.
Of course, since the house had been made for the children, taking a drawing or two wouldn’t be a problem. But technically, everything had been prepared by the Marquis’ household.
However, her daughter’s response was entirely unexpected.
“The Lady drew it for us!”
Maya’s exclamation reached Hazel’s ears loud and clear.
So that’s why it felt strange.
Hazel mused to herself.
She was the one who had designed and decorated the candy house for the children. There was no way something she wasn’t aware of had ended up inside.
And a servant wouldn’t have placed such a drawing there without understanding its value.
Hazel smoothed the edge of the paper, checking its texture.
It was undoubtedly the same type of paper used inside the candy house. And the drawing was done not with paint but simply with a pencil.
Slowly, Hazel blinked. But no matter how many times she looked, the drawing remained unchanged.
It was Allen’s face. The Allen in the drawing wore a slightly awkward smile, as if he had been caught posing for a photograph.
Hazel turned around.
The noblewomen looked utterly astonished.
It was an unusual reaction.
Even though the atmosphere of children’s social gatherings was more relaxed than those of adults, these were women who had spent their lives mastering the art of concealing their emotions.
…Yet, their reaction was understandable. Hazel herself had nearly dropped the paper when she first saw it.
As the mothers expressed their shock, some of the children holding Bonita’s drawings puffed up with pride. The noblewomen began gathering in small groups, passing around the four drawings.
Hazel couldn’t resist the temptation either. She subtly stepped in and displayed the one she held.
The noblewomen looked at Allen’s portrait with envy. Understandably so—aside from Allen’s, all the other drawings were landscapes.
Hazel turned her attention to the remaining four pictures.
‘A genius…’
That was the only word that could describe them.
If these drawings had truly come from the hands of that seven-year-old child standing over there, then it was undeniable.
For a moment, Hazel set aside all political considerations and simply admired the artwork.
Then, something caught her eye.
Unlike the grand depictions of natural scenery, old castles, or imagined royal palaces, one drawing overflowed with realism.
A worn-down street filled with people passing by. Stains on rooftops left unattended, a cat and dog eyeing each other warily, a child pointing at the dog while a weary laborer looked on.
And most striking of all—a beautiful woman.
She was just a small detail in the large composition, but Hazel found it difficult to tear her gaze away from her.
They say artists pour their souls into their work.
Though Hazel didn’t believe in such old superstitions, if that were true, then this little artist’s soul had undoubtedly been devoted to this woman.
That woman was… Aria Hilton.
Unlike the other noblewomen, who seemed oblivious, Hazel immediately grasped the significance of the scene.
This must have been a place where those two had lived. She memorized the street’s details with absolute clarity.
With such precise depiction, she could surely find the location.
And once she did…
‘…What am I even doing?’
Hazel hesitated, suddenly questioning herself.
What did she plan to do after finding it?
Was she suspecting that the girl called Bonita was not actually Elody’s daughter?
But no one knew better than she that such a thing was impossible.
Besides, with Luke officially declared as Bonita’s father, the idea of another mother was laughable. Even a passing dog would scoff at the notion.
Hazel slowly rubbed her eyelids. She had clearly experienced too many shocks today.
That was why she felt so unsettled. Nothing more.
Trying to gather her thoughts, Hazel instinctively glanced at Aria again.
“Did His Grace provide separate art lessons from a young age?”
“I hear painting has become a fashionable hobby among young ladies in the social circles. Developing talent early would be wonderful.”
“My child could never match this, but… perhaps it’s time we hire an art or music tutor.”
“Speaking of which, Miss Hilton, weren’t you also interested in art? How did you get started…?”
Aria was surrounded by noblewomen.
Hazel assumed she must be overwhelmed by their enthusiasm and reached out to calm them.
But then…
‘Oh.’
Her hand froze in midair.
At first glance, Aria’s expression seemed troubled by their excessive curiosity.
But Hazel saw through the mask—there was something else hidden beneath it.
Aria was flustered after seeing Bonita’s drawings.
Just like the other noblewomen who had been unaware of Bonita’s talent.
…But wasn’t that strange?
At the tea table, Aria had claimed to have raised Bonita herself. Bonita’s behavior toward her also reflected that of a child toward their primary guardian. It couldn’t have been a lie.
It couldn’t have been.
And yet… how could she not know?
Had she really never seen the child draw even once in the past seven years? Despite being her primary caretaker?
…Did that even make sense?
“……”
Hazel rubbed her tired eyes.
Her suspicions only deepened.
****
“Oh my, lady!”
The gatekeeper, Dalton, beamed as he rushed over to Bonita, who had hopped down from the carriage.
Bending his knees, he met Bonita’s eyes.
He looked utterly smitten by her cuteness, his face lit up with a broad grin.
“My lady, did you have fun on your outing?”
“Yes!”
Bonita eagerly nodded, recalling the candy house that looked like something out of a fairy tale and the lively children.
She especially enjoyed drawing again after so long. It felt like she had returned to the familiar, worn-down house where she once waited for Aria in the past—before coming to the ducal estate.
“I’m glad to see you so happy.”
Dalton hesitated, his fingers twitching, unable to bring himself to pat the noble young lady’s head.
Aria, noticing his wistful gesture, chuckled behind him.
Tap.
A pale, almost ghostly white hand rested on Bonita’s head.
Bonita grinned as she felt Aria’s gentle touch ruffle her hair.
Dalton shot Aria a look of intense, burning envy.
Just then, the front gates swung open.
“You’re later than I expected.”
A deep voice—Luke’s.
Beside him, Catherine tapped her cane against the ground, her expression filled with discontent.
“Later than you expected?! You came back a whole day late! How could you spend the night out with such a tiny child?!”
“…Didn’t I ask you to stay inside, Mother?”
“So, you’re telling this old woman to stay cooped up in her room? They say raising sons is a waste of effort, and now I see why…”
Luke pressed his fingers to his forehead.
