The Male Lead’s Father Refuses to Break Off Our Engagement

Chapter 66

 

“So, how did you meet the Duke?”

asked Marchioness Evans, who hosted today’s tea time.

She was quite friendly to Evelia, and as she was attending tea time for the first time, she was very careful not to show off.

Evelia was grateful for her consideration.

‘Next time we have tea time, I’ll definitely invite you.’

Thinking so, she recounted what she had previously discussed with Cassis.

“Cassis, I mean, the Duke came to Venion mansion on business and saw me….”

Then I covered my mouth and lowered my head shyly. That simple act alone caused everyone to go crazy.

“It seems the Duke fell in love at first sight.”

“Oh my god, it’s romantic.”

Evelia opened her fan and waved it as if she was embarrassed.

It was then.

“That’s amazing.”

Someone said, the voice sounded like an exclamation, but it was strangely edgy.

Evelia looked at the person responsible for the voice. It was a woman who introduced herself as belonging to a certain Count family.

Their eyes met, and for the briefest of moments, a sneer appeared on the countess’s face, then vanished.

‘You’re being sarcastic, right?’

The Countess spoke as if she had heard Evelia’s inner thoughts.

“Don’t take it too personally. That’s because I think you’re truly amazing. how…”

She left out the last part, but Evelia got the gist of what she was trying to say.

‘I guess you’re wondering how he fell in love with an illegitimate child at first sight.’

Meanwhile, the Countess continued speaking.

“Well, if it’s the Duke.”

Again, what she meant was clear.

‘Because Cassis had an illegitimate child with a commoner woman, it is possible to love an illegitimate child…’

I was angry. It didn’t matter that people pointed fingers at me and called me an illegitimate child.

But to touch Cassis and Ruth was unbearable.

They never deserved to hear this.

Ruth, who was born with nobler blood than anyone else, and Cassis, who suffered from the rumors to protect the honor of his older sister, whom he loved more than himself.

‘No, even if the real Ruth is an illegitimate child born to a commoner, there is no reason to hear such things.’

As Evelia’s face hardened, the women around her poked the Countess’s sides. Nevertheless, the Countess was confident.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“Countess, continuing from earlier….”

It was the moment when Evelia couldn’t bear it anymore and was about to say something.

“Hwaaaaaaa!”

Suddenly, the sound of crying spread through the garden, where the pleasant sounds of children’s laughter echoed.

The Countess, who continued to get on Evelia’s nerves, reacted.

“Oh my God, Thomas! What’s happen?”

She hurriedly ran towards the garden. Some wives also followed.

Evelia, who followed them leisurely, was surprised to see a crying child and a black-haired child fighting.

“Young master?”

Before Evelia could approach, the Countess separated Thomas and Ruth.

“Thomas! How is this happening?”

Thomas, whose face was scratched with fingernails, whimpered and fell into his mother’s arms. He whimpered in frustration and pointed at Ruth.

“Ruth suddenly hit me!”

The children around him agreed.

“That’s right!”

“He was wrong!”

Evelia looked at Ruth. Ruth, who also had a scratch on his arm, didn’t make any excuses and just kept his head down.

Evelia knew. The child was barely holding back his tears now.

I didn’t know exactly what happened.

But one thing. I knew that Ruth wasn’t the kind of kid who would act like that for no reason.

However, now was not the time to argue about right and wrong, but it was more important to comfort Ruth, who was hurt for whatever reason.

Evelia stretched out her hand to Ruth.

“Come here, young master.”

Ruth whined. As Evelia approached little by little, he even took a step back and ran away.

The child’s eyes were on Thomas, who was crying bitterly in his mother’s arms.

But it wasn’t an angry face. The child seemed to be envious of Thomas for some reason.

‘Maybe Ruth…’

Evelia hesitated for a moment and then opened her mouth again.

“Ruth, come here.”

Ruth blinked in surprise. Evelia sat down on her knees and spread her arms, not caring that her skirt was getting dirty.

She mustered up the courage to say the words she’d never properly uttered even when she was Han So-yoon.

“Come to mom.”

Ruth’s eyes grew even wider. When Evelia slightly nodded to indicate that it was okay, the child burst out crying and ran into her arms.

The child, who had kept his mouth shut, sobbed and mumbled with every breath.

“Mom, uh-huh, mom.”

“Yes, Mom, it’s here.”

“Mom, mom, mom.”

Ruth repeated the word ‘Mom’ as if he were a baby learning that word for the first time.

The child’s tears wet Evelia’s shoulders. Evelia swallowed her overflowing emotions and patted the child’s back.

Ruth put his hands around her neck and cried for a long time. Evelia held him tightly until se calmed down.

“Are you really, Ruth’s mom?”

After a while, Ruth calmed down somewhat and asked. Evelia smiled with wet eyes.

“Of course.”

The honorifics that had been maintained so far had disappeared everywhere. But Ruth laughed and wondered if that was better.

Evelia regretted.

‘If I had known you would like it this much, I would have called you a long time ago.’

Cassis was called Cassis, but why couldn’t Ruth be called Ruth?

Even though I decided to become Ruth’s mother, why didn’t he call her Mom?

You should have said Ruth and Mom a little sooner.

Evelia had decided to become Ruth’s mother for three years, but in fact, Evelia had not been able to completely open her heart during that time.

Evelia asked as she wiped Ruth’s face.

“What happened? Tell your mom.”

“Huh.”

Ruth was so emotional again that he cried.

“Thomas….”

“Huh.”

“He says I’m an illegitimate child that doesn’t even know about my mother… that Eve isn’t my mother…”

A gasping sound could be heard from those around me. People’s eyes turned to the Countess and Thomas.

The Countess asked her son.

“Thomas, did you really say that?”

Perhaps sensing the seriousness of the situation, Thomas began to hiccup. However, the child could not lie and say no.

Everyone here guessed what had happened.

He dared to criticize the heir of the Adelhard family as an illegitimate child.

Thomas grumbled as if it was unfair.

“But, but it’s true….”

The Countess hurriedly covered Thomas’ mouth.

Evelia approached the Countess, who was smiling awkwardly. Then she spoke firmly.

“The Adelhard family will never forget this incident.”

“Du-Duchess…”

“No matter what anyone says, Ruth is my son and heir to the Adelhard family. If anyone hurts our Ruth, we will not remain silent.”

The Countess shouted as if she felt unfair.

“Don’t you think you’re overreacting to something a mere child said? Thomas is only seven years old. Although Thomas made a mistake, there was no need to talk about his family…”

Evelia raised her hand to stop the Countess, and spoke firmly.

“A child can do that. Because it’s a child.”

Her eyes cooled down.

“But the Countess can’t do that.”

Children are the mirror of their parents. Did Thomas criticize Ruth because he thought Ruth was an illegitimate child?

‘Absolutely not.’

The Countess would have said, in front of the child, that Ruth was illegitimate and shouldn’t be around.

So, those words would have naturally come out of Thomas’ mouth.

Evelia let go of Ruth and moved a little closer to the Countess.

“I ask you a question, Countess. I swear to God, you’ve never criticized Ruth in front of Thomas?”

“I am… Duchess I…”

The Countess, whose lips were quivering, eventually knelt in front of Evelia.

“I’m sorry, madam. I did something wrong in educating my child. Please forgive….”

“I thought I told you that earlier.”

Evelia held Ruth’s hand and turned her back mercilessly.

“Adelhard will never forget what happened today.”