Chapter 22
Julia Adelhard
Ruth was in a good mood these days: he had the stepmother he’d always wanted.
At first he thought it was a lie. However, as the days passed, Evelia continued to stay in Adelhard mansion.
Not only that, but she spent time with Ruth whenever she had free time.
‘I guess she’s really going to be my stepmother! The four-leaf clover granted my wish!’
Today too, Ruth was excited and played hide and seek with Evelia.
However, Evelia found Ruth in an amazing way even though she had just arrived at the mansion.
Ruth puffed up both cheeks and pondered.
‘I need a new place.’
After thinking about it, the child headed to the portrait room on the top floor. Since it is the most remote place, Evelia will find it hard to find him.
The child hid behind the curtains and behind the sofa. However, it seemed that Evelia, who was smart no matter where he hid, would find him soon.
‘What should I do?’
The troubled child’s eyes suddenly turned to the bookshelf in the portrait room.
A bookshelf that doesn’t fit the place. Ruth walked over to the bookcase and instinctively began to pull out the lowest book.
When he finally pulled out the red book, the bookshelf moved with a click.
“Wow.”
Ruth looked around and hurried inside. He then found out. An easel in the middle of the room.
‘What is this?’
Ruth circled the easel and carefully pulled the white cloth.
The child who finally saw Julia’s portrait, he let out an exclamation.
“Wow. pretty.”
The child didn’t know it, but it was the first time the child had ever seen his mother’s face.
* * *
It was an unremarkable afternoon. Cassis deliberately went out to avoid the men sent by Count Venion, and Evelia ate lunch with Ruth.
Evelia was going to have lunch and take a walk in the garden with Ruth, as she had been doing the past few days. But Ruth grabbed her arm and dragged her as she headed toward the garden.
“Lady Evelia.”
“Yes?”
“I want to go somewhere else today.”
“Somewhere else?”
“Yes. I want to go to the portrait room.”
Ruth looked around and murmured softly, as if he were telling a secret.
‘Are you playing secret games?’
Evelia lowered her voice to accompany the child.
“Is there any treasure in the portrait room?”
“It’s not a treasure…”
Ruth blushed in embarrassment.
“I saw a picture of an angel.”
“Angel?”
“Yes, she is very pretty. I wanted to show it to Lady Evelia too.”
What kind of picture is that? Evelia recalled a picture of a baby angel she had seen in Europe the other day.
The baby angels with chubby limbs and white wings were so cute that I wanted to bite their rosy cheeks.
Was it the same picture that Ruth saw?
“Can’t you?”
“No way.”
Evelia took Ruth’s hand.
“Well then, shall we go?”
“Yes!”
Ruth led the way to the portrait room on the top floor of the mansion.
Evelia was worried that the room was closed, but the door was open.
She looked around the dark portrait room with the curtains drawn. A few familiar faces appeared among the unfamiliar ones.
A portrait of Cassis and a portrait of Ruth, obviously painted in childhood.
Even though the two looked like twins, it wasn’t that difficult to tell them apart because of their facial expressions.
‘Cassis must be expressionless, and Ruth must be smiling brightly. Both are cute.’
While Evelia was expressing her thoughts, Ruth approached the bookshelf in the corner of the room.
“Come over here.”
Ruth whispered and took out a book from the bookshelf when no one was looking.
Then, with a rattling sound, the bookshelf was pushed back slightly, revealing a secret space.
Even at the urging of the child who beckoned her to come this way, Evelia couldn’t move her steps easily.
‘Can I take a look?’
I don’t know what kind of portrait it was, but putting it inside like this meant that it was something to be treated with great care.
Even though she was engaged to Cassis, she doubted whether she could see it, as she was practically an outsider.
But while Evelia was thinking about it, Ruth went inside.
“Young master, wait a minute!”
I hurriedly followed the child, wondering if something would happen if I let him alone.
Despite my worries that I was about to see a family secret, there was nothing inside.
In a white room about the size of a dressing room, there was an easel covered with a white cloth as well.
“This is it.”
Ruth pulled the easel’s fabric before Evelia had time to stop it. Revealing the painting on the easel. It was a portrait of a woman.
She was an impressive woman with bright platinum hair that seemed to glow in sunlight and reddish purple eyes.
Evelia seemed to understand why Ruth called this woman an ‘Angel’. The woman in the portrait was so beautiful that she deserved the title of angel.
Without a doubt, it was the prettiest person she had ever seen. More than Hollywood actors in the past, who are counted among the top 10 in the world for their looks.
And considering all the circumstances, I was able to figure out the identity of this woman soon.
‘Julia Adelhard.’
Cassis’ older sister and Ruth’s biological mother.
It was a sure thing. The hidden portrait and the platinum-haired woman. It all represented Julia.
‘Shouldn’t I leave soon?’
Julia was a traitor to Cassis. Besides, if Ruth found out about the existence of Julia, whom he had been trying to hide so much, she didn’t know how he would react.
It was the time when Evelia was about to tell him to go back. Ruth murmured, as he sat in front of the portrait and watched in disbelief.
“I wonder if my real mother was this beautiful?”
Evelia was speechless for a moment.
‘Do you miss your mother?’
Ruth has never had a mother since he was born. No one told him about his real mother because Cassis insisted.
It was a child who missed affection to the point of being obsessed with Evelia, who just greeted him warmly. It was natural for him to miss his real mother, who he didn’t even know her face.
‘I guess they’re attracted to blood.’
Evelia asked quietly.
“Do you miss your mom?”
“No, it’s not like that…”
But it was then.
“What are you doing here?”
I heard the voice of Cassis that shouldn’t be heard here. His voice didn’t contain any emotion, but it made it even more frightening.
Ruth jumped to his feet as if he felt his unusual momentum.
“Fa-Father!”
“Who found this place?”
His gaze turned to Evelia.
“Is it you, Lady?”
“No! I, I did!”
“you?”
“Yes! I asked Lady Evelia to come with me! So don’t be mad at her.”
Cassis kept his mouth shut, then grabbed Ruth’s arm and left the room.
Cassis had never been warmly affectionate toward Ruth, but he had never been angry with her either.
Ruth trembled in fear at his anger.
Cassis, who came out to the hallway, slammed the portrait door closed and coldly dismissed it.
“Never come here again.”
“But…”
“Did you understand me?”
Ruth wanted to protest more, but then dropped his head.
“… Yes.”
* * *
Ever since she started staying at the Adelhard Mansion, Evelia had been reading to Ruth at bedtime.
It was to replace the work that the nanny used to do, but the nanny said, ‘The young master sleeps better when you read to him.’
But despite her soothing voice, Ruth couldn’t sleep easily today.
“Do you think father is very angry?”
Ruth squeezed the blanket with both hands and rolled his eyes.
She seemed to be looking at Evelia, or at Cassis, who wasn’t here.
‘It’s unfortunate.’
He should be too busy doing his own thing to worry about such things.
It seemed that only Ruth’s heart was uncomfortable with the circumstances of the adults.
“No, he’s not angry.”
Evelia said confidently.
Despite his momentary anger, Cassis would never be angry with Ruth. Evelia believed that.
“But…”
Ruth pursed his lips and pulled the blanket up to his head.
