Chapter 108
After receiving Lucian’s permission, I was able to bring Samuel and aunt, who were with Damian, into the mansion.
The two’s behavior was as if they were living a life of escape.
“Aunt?”
“Ah, Rachel.”
The once splendid blonde, pink-eyed woman burst into tears as soon as she saw me. Next to her stood Samuel, about the same age as Lucian when I first met him.
As Oscar said, the boy with the same hair color as me looked at me with pink eyes, just like Aunt. It was my first time meeting these two in person. Still, the reason I remembered was because of what Rachel’s parents had said.
Shortly after the possession, father once told me. I had a cousin who was younger than me, so that child would later become the heir to the County. In the Leonis Empire, women could not inherit a family.
As an exception, if the successor was too young, the heir’s mother could temporarily become the head of the family.
In any case, it was only a temporary measure, so still technically impossible.
When I saw it in the webtoon, I didn’t know it well because it was only the main characters’ stories, but after possessing it, I felt it through my skin.
The Leonis Empire was a more conservative country than I thought.
The nobles faithfully followed the rules issued by the imperial family in order to thoroughly protect their families. Therefore, there was no noble who dared to marry the same-sex even though they loved one another, and even in the original book, Lucian did not intend to marry the same way.
He’d rather lock his love up.
“Rachel… I’m so glad I met you. Thank god.”
“Mother, calm down.”
Samuel, who was standing next to aunt, said softly. Aunt, who had almost sat on the parlor floor, was startled and wiped her tears with her handkerchief.
“Duke, I’m sorry. Seeing Rachel puts my heart at ease, so I…”
“Get up first.”
Even though he didn’t look very old, Samuel was mature.
It seemed to prove that the dignity of the nobility was not obscured by a ragged appearance. I understood why father had designated him as the successor. Even if Samuel was his nephew, if his demeanor wasn’t enough, he might have appointed another successor in the collateral family.
“I’m fine, so don’t worry. Countess, Lord.”
With Lucian’s words, Samuel and aunt’s complexion improved.
“Lucy, would it be okay if they stay here?”
“Sure.”
After getting his permission, I told the two of them.
“First of all, I will show you the room. Talk to me after you rest. What happened?”
Based on their story, uncle was now a wanted person.
Even so, I wondered what had happened to the family. However, I couldn’t ask right away because they seemed to have come all the way here with a hard time just from their appearance alone. Also, the nobles may undoubtedly be ashamed of the current situation.
Even though we were family members, it was hard to feel affection for a stranger I had just met though I felt indebted to Rachel’s deceased parents. In addition, I felt a sense of debt to Rachel, whom I was borrowing her body from.
…So, these two people in her family were the ones I had to take care of.
“Come in.”
Lucian uttered to the outside of the parlor. Then, the butler came inside.
“Since you are the guests of the Leon family, you should serve them without any inconvenience.”
“Yes, Duke.”
“Oh, I’ll take them.”
I thought it would be nice for me to take them to the room where they would stay. But when I said that, Lucian’s eyes deepened. It was because if I went out in person, my schedule with him would be messed up, so he seemed annoyed.
“I’ll be back soon.”
I also wanted to come back as soon as I was worried about what had happened earlier.
Lucian, who was looking into my eyes, curled his lower lip. My heart pounded as if he was swallowing a sigh.
…Was he also angry about what happened earlier?
Why did I make Lucian angry by doing that? As a habit, I pondered over my mistakes. Surely, it was Oscar’s fault, so why did I hide him from Lucian?
The one who should be scolded was Oscar.
How many times had I told him to please knock? I also told him for a long time to speak properly in public. Not only did I say it, but Damian said it, too, though Oscar’s habit never changed… No, he didn’t seem to want to fix it.
Lucian stopped my thoughts, which were gradually becoming negative.
“Do it, Ray. You must be worried about your family.”
His answer was somewhat odd… No, it sounded weird.
They were not my family.
They weren’t the people I thought of as my family when I came here. Not only that, I saw them for the first time today. There were a lot of things I wanted to tell him, that it was a misunderstanding, starting with what happened earlier.
Still, with Oscar and Damian and Samuel and aunt, it was impossible to talk to Lucian.
“…Thank you. Then, I’ll be right back.”
“No, Ray. I’ll cancel the afternoon schedule and see you at dinner.”
“…Yes, I understand.”
I felt weird.
“I’ll excuse myself first, Countess Erland and the Lord, I have business to attend to.”
“Ah, yes. Of course. We’re just grateful.”
When Lucian got up, aunt and Samuel stood up and greeted each other.
I also got up and gazed at him. Lucian looked at me for a moment, then turned his back and left the parlor. My heart fluttered strangely at his simple attitude. I gently rubbed my chest with my hand. My stomach felt stuffy as if I had an upset stomach.
“Miss, I have a room ready. I will guide you.”
The butler came up to me and said, I calmed down and answered.
“Yes.”
I spoke to my Aunt and Samuel.
“I will guide you along.”
“Thank you so much, Rachel.”
“…Thank you, sister.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Thank you so much for coming here. Please wash and rest first, and then tell me what had happened.”
First of all, I guided them to the room in the hope that they could rest comfortably.
After telling the butler to take good care of them, I hurriedly went away. Lucian’s actions from before were replayed in my head. His wounded eyes and his actions that left me unexpectedly and easily were replayed over and over again.
I was about to go up from the guest room on the first floor to the second floor where the office was, and Oscar and Damian were standing in front of it.
As soon as Oscar saw me in expectation, he ran to me.
“Master, did I do well? Did I pick them up well?”
As always, in order to be praised by me, Oscar spoke with a charming gesture and tone.
Yes, normally, I would have complimented him, too… Normally. However, today was different. His act of bringing them in itself deserves praise, but what happened after that was a problem.
“Whoo, Oscar.”
“Yes, Master.”
Red eyes full of anticipation looked down at me. I always liked to see his young smiley eyes.
Unlike the original story, Oscar smiled a lot. And even Damian, who didn’t appear in the original. I must have thought of them as family. I was just trying to protect them. I was even more surprised at what I did unconsciously, even though I knew the other was Lucian.
But, I thought Lucian was also family…
…Right?
Did I think he was different because I had been away from him for seven years? We had been together ever since I brought Oscar and Damian back from the maze forest. It would not be an exaggeration to say that I spent almost the entire day together with them in the South.
Confusing…
Up until now, I felt like the light actions I had done while thinking that this place was in a webtoon came back like a boomerang. I shouldn’t let him go just because he was cute. It was about teaching Oscar good etiquette. If it were, an accident like today would not have happened…
“It was good to bring them in. Still, to come in without knocking like before would be very troubling.”
“Why? I think it’s urgent, so isn’t it right to tell it sooner?”
“No. Even if it’s urgent, you have to be polite here. I always tell you, knock and come in.”
“I know the Master is in the room, so why do I have to knock? The place where the master is is where I will be!”
Ordinarily, Oscar, who would have simply ignored or briefly complained about something he didn’t want to hear, stood his ground.
“We were always by your side in the South. So, why do I have to ask for permission to come to the Master here?”
As if he had endured it until now, Oscar’s words did not stop.
“I want to be with you, too! I also want to hold the Master and spend the whole day with you. Though why do I have to keep asking someone for permission!”
Unlike the meek red eyes in the original story, the eyes shone intensely. My heart was pounding when I saw him shoot like Rachel in the original webtoon.
“…It’s unavoidable. The owner of this mansion is Luci, and I am just a long-term guest…”
I opened my mouth to somehow convince him, but Oscar kept interrupting.
“Master. I see you forgot we are not human. Do not impose human order on shapeshifters like us.”
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