Evelia sneaked out of the mansion without the maids noticed and headed to the main street.
‘I think it was here.’
While searching for the information guild, recalling the original novel, a child caught her eye.
‘Ruth?’
Ruth, who should have been at the Duke’s residence by now, was running toward the store.
The speed of the run was so fast that it looked dangerous as if he would fall at any moment.
‘It’s none of my business.’
By the time Evelia tried to turn her head.
Ruth tripped and fell.
“Young master!”
The nanny ran to him, but the child lay on the floor and didn’t move.
‘It would be embarrassing.’
Evelia tried to ignore it this time as well. She repeated that she had nothing to do with Ruth.
However, the image of Ruth I had seen yesterday flickered before my eyes. The figure of a child with tears streaming down his eyes as if he were about to cry.
‘I can’t….’
Even with that thought, Evelia involuntarily moved towards Ruth.
“Young master.”
“Lady… Evelia?”
Ruth, who had not raised his head at the voice of his nanny, raised his head at Evelia’s voice.
The child swallowed his tears, but his face was already covered with tears.
“The floor is cold. So wake up.”
Evelia took Ruth and looked at the child’s condition. His knees were exposed beneath the shorts that noble children wore.
She frowned. Then Ruth lowered his head and murmured.
“I’m sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing, young master?”
“I’ve caused trouble to Lady Evelia.”
Evelia let out a small sigh. Ruth flinched again.
“It’s nothing to apologize for. When children run around, they fall and get hurt. Are you okay, by the way?”
“It doesn’t hurt.”
Lie. Evelia, however, didn’t bother to point out that and gave her gaze to the nanny.
“Please return to the Duke’s residence and treat Young master.”
“All right.”
“No!”
Ruth urgently grabbed Evelia’s hand.
“I’m… I’m here to buy a present for Lady Evelia. I can’t go back until I buy a present!”
The child’s face was determined. Evelia was more confused than delighted with the child’s words.
‘What on earth is he saying?’
She calmly persuaded the child.
“It’s okay if you don’t give me a present. So hurry in and treat yourself.”
“But…”
“I prefer young master to be healthy rather than presents.”
Ruth pursed his lips and then shouted.
“Well then, can you come with me? I really want to invite Lady Evelia to tea time this time!”
* * *
‘Why am I here?’
Evelia thought as she looked at Ruth, who was bowing his head on the other side.
It was only an hour ago that this timid child invited her to tea time.
Evelia tried to refuse this time too, but she had no choice but to follow after seeing the child drooping his shoulders.
In contrast to his bold invitation, Ruth had been timid again upon arrival at the Adelhard mansion.
“Young master. You should offer tea to Lady Venion.”
The child spoke only after listening to the nanny standing behind the chair whisper carefully.
“Lady Evelia. I haven’t made any, but I hope you enjoy it.”
It was an obvious line that anyone could see memorizing in advance. Evelia smiled and raised her teacup.
“Yes. I will eat well thanks.”
The tea brewed by the nanny was black tea with a slight sweet strawberry scent. As soon as I took a sip, the pleasant strawberry flavor filled my mouth.
Ruth watched her drink tea from the corner of his eye and sipped a hot chocolate.
Evelia put down the teacup and picked up a cookie among the colorfully decorated desserts and placed it in front of Ruth.
“Have a cookie too.”
“Yes.”
Ruth timidly bit off the cookie.
It was a sight that made it impossible to tell who was the owner of the mansion and who was the guest.
There was no conversation between the two. Ruth rolled his eyes and couldn’t speak, and Evelia didn’t bother to speak.
Because I tried to be as friendly as possible.
How many minutes had passed like that? Ruth, who was nibbling on a tiny cookie with his front teeth, handed one of the macarons to Evelia.
“Come on, Lady Evelia. Try this one too. It is very delicious.”
When Evelia just looked at it and didn’t think about taking it, the child timidly added,
“I, that… It is my favorite.”
How could I ignore this child’s favor? Evelia finally accepted the macaron with a faint smile.
“Looks delicious. I will eat well.”
Ruth’s cheeks turned red as he stared at Evelia taking a bite of the macaron.
The child put Madeleine on Evelia’s plate this time.
“Try this too. It’s like eating clouds.”
Evelia picked up Madeleine and then let go of the chocolate muffins.
I was full and tried not to eat, but I had no choice but to eat when Ruth stared at me with his eyes wide open.
“Hehe.”
It wasn’t until after seeing Evelia eat the muffin with the fork that Ruth picked up the muffin and gave it a big bite. It seemed that the tension was completely relieved.
Evelia drank tea, barely lowering the corners of her lips that kept rising.
Even after that, Ruth was happy and Evelia had an awkward tea time.
Maybe it’s because of Ruth, but Evelia was more burdened with Margaret standing in a corner and looking over this place.
It wasn’t a wary look, but it was a face that looked nervous somewhere.
‘Is it because I treated Ruth coldly?’
It was completely like a cushion of thorns. Evelia decided to finish the story quickly and go back.
“Young master, why did you invite me to tea time today?”
“Ah…”
I didn’t mean to criticize Ruth. I was just asking out of curiosity. But Ruth shook his shoulders and mumbled as he put down the half-bitten cookie.
“I want to…”
“Yes?”
“I want to ask Evelia to be my mother.”
Evelia couldn’t show any reaction to him. It must be roughly that, she expected, but it was because her heart was confused when she heard it herself.
But I couldn’t keep avoiding him just because I felt uncomfortable. Evelia took a deep breath and opened her mouth.
“Young master. I’m sorry, but I can’t be your mother.”
“Why? Because I’m an illegitimate child…”
Evelia was startled at the child’s words.
“It’s not like that.”
“Really?”
“Adults have adult circumstances that they can’t tell the children.”
Secrets, threats, forced engagements and breakups. It was not a good story for a child to hear.
Evelia thought about how to make Ruth less hurt.
‘I wonder if there is such a way.’
Ruth must have already been hurt since the breakup came out.
Still, she wanted to leave as many good memories as possible.
But before Evelia could come up with an excuse, Ruth, who had read her mind, shed tears.
“So you’re really not going to be Ruth’s mother?”
“I…”
“What the hell is this?”
The moment Evelia opened her mouth, a terrifying voice resonated in the drawing room. Ruth got up from his seat in surprise.
“Fa-Father!”
Cassis Adelhard, who had come in without a sound, came quickly and hid Ruth behind his back.
Cassis seemed more wary than the last time Evelia had come to visit.
Last time he tried to hide his emotions, but now he didn’t hide them. His anger towards her was evident in his contorted expression.
Evelia stood up from her seat to be polite and pondered.
‘It’s natural for him to react like this.’
Although she has her own wealth, how could Evelia, the daughter of a Count and an illegitimate child, be engaged to Duke Adelhard?
Why did Cassis have no choice but to accept this marriage talk even though he was wary of her and despising Count Venion and Evelia?
What is the secret that Count Venion, who put the powerful Cassis Adelhard into a corner, dares to blackmail him?
That’s right…
“Why is the young lady with Ruth without my permission?”
It was that Lucius Adelhard was not the biological son of Cassis Adelhard.
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