Chapter 37
Your Grace, are you jealous?
Aria nearly burst into laughter as she watched the mother and son bicker once again. The corners of her lips twitched in amusement.
But she couldn’t just leave them like that. More importantly, she needed to explain why their return had been delayed by a whole day.
Aria removed her hand from Bonita’s head and gave an apologetic smile as she explained.
“I’m sorry. It rained so heavily last night that it was impossible for the carriage to depart. Fortunately, the weather cleared up by morning.”
Just as the social gathering had ended and they were about to leave, the sky suddenly opened up, pouring down rain as if a hole had been punched through the clouds.
For the other nobles, it wasn’t a major issue—most of them lived near the marquis’ estate in the capital, so they could easily return home.
But the Lysianthus duchy was in the far south of the kingdom. The journey took several hours by carriage, with many unpaved roads along the way. If they weren’t careful, they could have ended up stranded with a stuck carriage wheel in the middle of nowhere.
Left with no choice, Aria had started looking for accommodations—until Hazel made her offer first.
“Why don’t you stay the night? My children seem to want to play with the young lady a bit longer.”
“…Shall we, then?”
Aria saw no reason to refuse Hazel’s kindness.
Even if Hazel didn’t recognize her, Aria still considered her a precious friend. Spending a little more time together didn’t seem like a bad idea.
Once the marquise gave her approval, the three brothers cheered. Derek exclaimed with a bright face,
“Wow, this is great!”
“Ahem, I’ll give you a tour of our house. The inside is just as impressive as the garden.”
“Don’t hang out with my brothers. They’re too loud. You should stay with me instead—we’re the same age.”
It seemed the three brothers had taken quite a liking to Bonita. Hazel, in particular, looked surprised by Cassis’ enthusiasm.
“This is the first time Cassis has ever shown interest in a child his age. He must really like the young lady.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Cassis actually takes after me quite a bit, so I was a little worried…”
Unlike her other two children, who had inherited Hazel’s gentle demeanor and the marquis’ oddly cheerful disposition, Cassis was the complete opposite—both in looks and temperament.
His mind also seemed more mature for his age, much like Hazel’s had been when she was young.
Watching Cassis hold Bonita’s hand, Hazel smiled with a hint of nostalgia.
Whatever mysteries surrounded the duchy, seeing her son standing beside a girl who looked so much like her dear friend brought back old memories.
She wondered how things would have been if she and Elody had been close since childhood. But they had only met in their late teens, and now, such thoughts were nothing more than a what-if scenario.
“Let’s go to the playroom! My dad brought in a magic train set from the Empire!”
“Hey! That was my present! Derek, you already got a pony, but you keep taking my stuff!”
“Hmph. Both of you are so childish. Like little kids. Right, Bonita?”
“Uh… but we are kids, though…”
Amidst the noisy chatter of the children, a maid stepped in.
She had red hair, freckles, and an air of familiarity as she smiled at them.
“All right, young masters. And young lady. I’ll bring you some snacks, so let’s head to the playroom.”
“Snacks!”
“I want chocolate cake!”
The four children eagerly followed the maid, who was well-versed in handling them.
And so, the three sons of the marquis and Bonita spent a fun-filled day together.
Meanwhile, Aria had the rare opportunity to sit down and chat with Hazel alone.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve invited anyone over… After Elody passed away, I stopped welcoming guests unless it was absolutely necessary.”
“I see…”
“Yes. Having too many outsiders coming and going isn’t good for the children.”
Of course, things weren’t like before. Aria had no intention of confiding in Hazel about her current situation.
Likewise, Hazel only occasionally brought up Elody, never pressing Aria for details about how she and Bonita had been living.
Their conversation remained somewhat surface-level, but they still got along well. After all, they had always been compatible.
Even if one of them didn’t remember that.
Perhaps Hazel felt comfortable around Aria as well, because by the time they parted, her attitude had softened significantly.
“I had a wonderful time, Miss Hilton. If you have the chance, please invite my children to the duchy sometime.”
“Of course!”
It had been an enjoyable day.
Spending time with Hazel made Aria realize just how exhausted she had been lately.
Being surrounded by people who didn’t recognize her and treated her with hostility was more draining than she had imagined.
Especially when those people were the very ones she cherished.
She still loved them, and they still longed for Elody.
And yet… she couldn’t reach them. That was the most painful part.
Knowing she could never go back to the happiness of the past.
Even so…
“Ugh. Well, I suppose it would’ve been reckless to travel through the rain with such a small and delicate child. If she got sick, like Elody did with tuberculosis, it would be a disaster.”
Catherine clicked her tongue in disapproval.
Though she was scolding Aria, she had also been unable to retrieve them last night due to the heavy rain.
With the river surrounding the Lysianthus duchy, trying to drive a carriage through the storm would have been suicidal.
“You’re being a little more honest than usual, Mother.”
“I’ve always been honest!”
Watching them argue, Aria thought that maybe—just maybe—being here at the duchy wasn’t so unbearable after all.
Besides, she had Bonita with her now.
She might still long for the past, but that didn’t mean she wanted to return to it.
Back then, Bonita hadn’t been there.
“Did you have fun at the social gathering, Bonita?”
Ignoring his mother’s fussing, Luke bent down, his voice warm as he addressed the child.
“Yes…!”
Bonita nodded enthusiastically, her cheeks flushed with excitement.
“I saw a candy house, drew pictures, and Cassis, Allen, and Derek showed me around the marquis’ estate! The playroom had a magic-powered imperial train set, so many books, and even a ball! And also…”
Luke gazed at Bonita fondly as she chattered away like a little bird.
Then he asked,
“So, what did you like best?”
“Hmm…”
Bonita pursed her lips in thought.
Each time she did, her slightly chubby cheeks moved, making her look almost unbearably adorable.
“There were lots of paper, paints, crayons, and even canvases.”
“Canvases?”
Luke raised an eyebrow.
The duchy’s playroom didn’t have any canvases or sketchbooks.
He had planned to bring in more fairy tale books for Bonita and even redo the wallpaper, but art supplies hadn’t crossed his mind.
The hastily prepared playroom was mostly filled with plush toys, delicate trinkets, and board games—things that most young girls would like.
Standing behind Bonita, Aria quickly leaned in and whispered to him,
“Your Grace, I need to speak with you about that.”
“What is it?”
“Well, actually…”
Aria hesitated, unsure of how to begin.
She hadn’t expected Bonita to be so gifted at drawing either.
When the noblewomen had bombarded her with questions—asking how Bonita started painting, if she had been taught by a professional artist, or if Aria had personally instructed her—she had been completely at a loss.
Realizing she knew so little about the child she had raised was… a bitter feeling.
“…Let’s discuss it later.”
Seeing her momentarily lost in thought, Luke decided to let the matter rest for now.
Instead, he turned his full attention back to Bonita.
He opened his arms, inviting her for a hug.
“…?”
But Bonita completely missed the signal.
Catherine, noticing her granddaughter’s confused expression, let out a scoff and sneered at her son.
“Hah. Did you think she’d understand just from that? Honestly, you’re so awkward.”
“…That’s the last thing I want to hear from you, Mother.”
Luke shot her a disgruntled look.
Catherine ignored him completely and instead extended a hand toward Bonita.
“Ahem. Ahem!”
She exaggeratedly cleared her throat.
“…?”
But just like before, Bonita didn’t understand.
She simply blinked, staring blankly at the elderly woman, as if wondering what on earth she was trying to do.
Watching the two of them struggle, Aria let out a small laugh.
She decided to step in and help Catherine.
“Bonita.”
Lowering herself slightly, Aria placed a gentle hand on Bonita’s shoulder and whispered,
“The lady wants to hold your hand. What do you think?”
“Oh…!”
At last, Bonita understood, her eyes widening in realization.
She hesitated for a moment, blinking her deep pink eyes like a cautious little rabbit, then slowly reached out her hand.
Even that small gesture was hesitant, like a wary little animal.
Slide.
Bonita’s tiny, almost doll-like fingers wrapped around Catherine’s wrinkled index finger.
How can someone be this small?
It was astonishing that such a warm, delicate little hand could move with its own will.
Catherine bit the inside of her cheek, struggling to contain her emotions.
Even though she was older now and walked with a cane, she was still exceptionally tall for a woman.
And with her towering height next to Bonita’s exceptionally small frame, the sight of them holding hands was almost comically endearing.
The servants watching from the garden all wore affectionate smiles.
A close bond between a grandmother and her grandchild was always a heartwarming sight.
She’s so cute.
Aria, too, gazed warmly at Bonita’s back as they walked.
But among everyone present, there was one person who didn’t look so pleased.
Luke.
Noticing his furrowed brows, Aria looked up at him with a mischievous grin and teased,
“Your Grace, are you jealous?”
