"...All the jewels and items left by the previous Duchess were left in their places as they were first received. It was so neat that there was nothing to organize."
"That's right."
At the butler's cautious remarks, the Duke of Theses folded the letter as he had done at the beginning.
What do you mean? Everything was just that woman.
The elegant handwriting, the clichéd but unsatisfactory content, and even the name that she could not catch up with were hers.
He can't say it out loud, but it goes without saying that it feels strangely scratched inside the viewer.
"I liked you."
Insane.
Suddenly, an afterimage of Evangeline's red eyes flickering hung over the white stationery. He hurriedly put the letter in the envelope as it was and pressed down on the pen to grab it. As the thick Ink stains spread out as if trying to erase her eyes, the Duke frowned again.
"What else is left?"
"...What are you talking about?"
"It's in my hand, and I think she left it behind, too."
He pointed to the envelope of the same color that he was holding in the butler's hand. If he didn't know, she would be the only one who wouldn't have worn such an annoyingly colored envelope.
"Give it to me."
The Duke's fingers were ticking. Evangeline shouldn't have told him to do that, but it was ridiculous that the butler, who had now come and handed out all the letters, hesitated.
He thinks there is more to be scratched here.
His eyes were revealed to be arrogant. It seems that it is several times thicker than the previous one, and there is a lot to say, but there is no reason why it cannot be read. At most, a single letter turned people upside down, and he was very excited to see what and how much they had prepared this time.
"What are you doing? Hurry up and change."
"That's not it... This is not something she left for Your Excellency."
"..."
"This is a letter to Rex in the annex."
The butler took out a letter that looked like more than ten pages from the envelope and fiddled with it. Evangeline's handwriting, which was only one line revealed on the fluttering letter paper, was more elegant.
[To my eternal baby and companion, Rex, whom I always love and miss, Mom]
"..."
I asked him to go and read it to me himself, but looking at the Duke's expression, it seemed difficult. When the butler who had put down the letter left as if he were running away, the Duke slowly swept his thin face with one hand.
"Hah."
This woman is real.
The twisted corners of his mouth finally distorted. It was a shame because he had read the invitation letter of the Imperial Family first, but if the order had been reversed, he would have been tearing any sentence in the world to shreds.
***
"Oh my God, what kind of young lady is so beautiful?"
A small teahouse overlooking the port of Marais, the owner who handed over the menu was impressed by Evangeline's beauty. As it is a port city, there are many people coming and going, but it is really hard to see such beauty. Her pink eyes, which could be seen through her pressed hat, were as mysterious as they were mysterious.
"Just in case, Charles was brought here, but Charles is also a man. Oh, by the way. I'm the main responsibility. Didn't you disturb me?"
"If you know, please go. Before the regulars are cut off."
Unlike Evangeline, who blushed with embarrassment, Charles, who crossed his legs, was shameless. He waved his hand away and pulled his upper body toward her.
"We even talk about it. So what is my grandmother doing?"
"Oh...Yes."
She was not used to this kind of atmosphere, and she struggled to pick up the tea.
After all, it was hard to call it a luxury tea, but at least it was better than yesterday. This may be why humans are adaptable animals.
"Actually, I had something to ask my nanny."
"What is it?"
"Just a little."
"What are you waiting for anyway? If we went home like this, my young lady would say something again, and I wouldn't be able to do this, but now that I'm here, tell me coolly. If I know anything, I'll help you."
"My biological mother."
"..."
It was funny that a man who was so unrestrained was speechless. Evangeline, who smiled bitterly, looked at him silently.
"I thought that if it were my nanny, I would know my biological mother."
"Hmm... Let me see. That's not..."
Suddenly thirsty, Charles drank his tea all at once. No matter how much he knew about her situation, it seemed that it was so unexpected.
"Do you really have a biological mother?"
"That's right."
"..."
"Now, I don't know what to do, but I was just curious. I want to know what kind of person gave birth to me before starting a new life."
Evangeline pursed the corners of her mouth sadly. Since she was born, she didn't have a mother, so she never felt a sense of loss.
Her father was generous in every way, and her nanny raised her with love.
Nevertheless, the child's pure curiosity popped up without warning.
"Father, how is a child like me born without a mother?"
No matter how young she was, she clearly remembered how embarrassed her father was. It was enough to make her feel guilty as a child. She wasn't particularly scolded, but after that, she never asked about her mother.
She just thought that there are many people in the world, and there must be enough children like her who don't have a mother. It wasn't until Evangeline grew up a little later that she vaguely heard that her mother had divorced as soon as she was born and had left far away.
Evangeline thought her mother was a person who had nothing to do with her forever.
"My father didn't say anything, but I thought that if it were my nanny, she might know. My mother may have contacted me separately."
"I'm sorry, but I've never heard of anything like that either. My grandmother was busy just praising our young lady."
"...I see."
"But now, may I ask you why you're curious about your mother?"
It was a question that popped up, but it didn't feel rude. On the contrary, she seemed to be cautious of this man. In her ear as she grinned, the voice of someone who was as unstoppable and shameless as Charles suddenly hovered
"And what about my child?"
The feeling she felt when Deccarno first said that was still intact. That man is so forceful. It was not only a fresh shock but also absurd.
But that night, she lay in bed and pondered those words over and over again. What if she really had a child? She doesn't know, but she doesn't think she would have left the Duke so easily.
It was completely different from what she had been doing well without her mother, and she didn't need her mother. She wanted to give her child a perfect home with everything as much as possible. In the first place, there was no possibility of having a child, so it ended up being a delusion, but after that, another question remained.
Why did her mother have to leave her when she was young?
Just imagining that she had a child, she tried to live with a man who had no regrets left.
"...It's not that I want to blame my mother or lean on her. I just felt like my father suddenly left and I was left alone in the world... I guess I wanted to confirm that my bloodline exists."
"..."
Evangeline felt embarrassed after saying it. The very idea of trying to get her mother to acknowledge her existence might seem childish to this man. Evangeline shook her head as if she was belatedly correcting herself.
"To be honest, I'm not even the main character of a children's book, so I don't think there is any great story. But,"
"Hey..."
"...Yes?"
"I'm sorry, but you look like the most children's book hero I've ever seen."
"Oh... Yes."
He was muttering something serious, and a puffy laugh came out of her mouth. She laughed again at his surprise, and laughed once more at Charles' mutter, "Honestly".
"I haven't read storybooks or anything like that."
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