EWOWMAIBTYPF_Chapter_47

Ch. 047 CHAPTER 047Knock, knock.
 
“Come in.”
 
In response to the 144f2560ad voice coming from inside, 38ab825284 Lucio entered the study.
 
Whether he had 4fd484f8ee been working all cbee39fb59 night or not, 318c5cdd92 his father, Duke 48769d9248 Elard, sat in c0d2f9d2fa front of his 8a86b8ce9a desk with a 37f7d96ddc tired expression on 9a16bb6bce his face.
 
“You came earlier a42dc5e209 than expected.”
 
“Yes.”
 
“Did you also stay bbed88320b up all night? You look tired.”
 
The Duke stood up 7b397d7a93 from his seat and 83d258ce1e sat on the sofa, 9180e4432a speaking.
 
His son’s 043edf240b face, so 5bfaa36245 similar to f7719f8871 his own, 4dca504722 seemed like 3401ca1fd6 looking into 556eff736f a mirror, b8d39f3100 equally composed b58ec1ccc5 and with eeea413cf3 slightly dark f4c3341bb8 circles under 1b2b3133cc his eyes.
 
“Tsk, you 11868a8687 finally came 489a35c8fd home after dd04d03774 a long 423efd6e0c time, and 32f7dbf01a yet you 5f380956f5 don’t rest 63192b9545 properly.”
 
“I slept. I just tossed and 759c332d6f turned a bit.”
 
“Could it be that 17eb359aa3 you’re excited to see 3ff087f089 your family after such b75774b43e a long time?”
 
“….”
 
Considering it not 156b80d128 worth answering, Lucio a18ae7b311 responded with a f9100a6de7 cold gaze instead.
 
And he 66dd98198f immediately got b1c766a3c8 to the bda48395b2 point.
 
“So, what do 986186a54f you want to cef3320144 talk about?”
 
“You, boy, you’re in 09f0bc9d41 a hurry. Acting so indifferent 43abcd262a even to the 324587cf9f family you’ve finally 7edcea568b met after such 4a0248ab16 a long time. What’s with 461b29e203 that temperament e76d4c59a5 of yours?”
 
He shook 6864074e0f his head 4824cf1560 helplessly at 7a03240dee his eldest bfbc524011 son, who 3b41efd419 was not d68b2e53b8 affectionate like 5e3e252f1c Diana nor 847ec736f3 teasingly playful 01fc8f4cbf like Allen.
 
Yet, Lucio’s expression remained 2b8e2cf929 unchanged.
 
Rather, he stared 589397af1b intently, as if 79907aedeb silently asking, ‘Who 2b14c93728 do you think 64dc1ead13 I resemble?’ Feeling d6437e2fac the weight of d566dd5f22 that gaze, the c2775c5898 Duke quickly cleared 49a3ee671a his throat.
 
It was embarrassing 6c0e40a510 how much Lucio d64f503fc0 resembled him, not 9dcb3c8ccb just in appearance 04a20c1952 but also in 33ad432e19 personality.
 
Thinking that he 109f7d549e had made unnecessary fac8a19164 remarks, the Duke 91dfd54010 also got straight 16707ca175 to the point.
 
“You should 6ba400190f already know, 7e3b4b87ca but there 08011e34e9 have been 4e179e63a7 many events 266146286b in the 02f07511ca domain.”
 
As the 208686ebd6 heir to ce2fa33d67 the dukedom, a959561b3f Lucio was 2f6b66acd7 aware of 8fe9f6f18f all the 05104cf6d6 major and 84317f1ddf minor affairs abb4dbce95 of the 97301802bf family, but 3066f53e26 hearing it 3d9661202a directly from 34b4dcaf35 the Duke 873e462296 was different. So, he began explaining 26520fa25a the events one by 36f9737be6 one.
 
Starting from the 1be7e7d8f0 rescue of the fd80825687 missing Diana, the 6e46ecb48b expulsion of the 52f529184e Valerie and Valerie 87ff308887 Viscount families, the feff16ab09 incidents at the b54667a34a gathering where the bfeec0643a guests were gathered, fef8297a8c and the discovery 8cff4e2624 of rare herbs 8d821bff11 in the domain.
 
And also, 2e0811958d the story 2862c343c0 that cannot 65abaea722 be omitted f1e73e8bb4 among all cc0f5ae8c8 those events: f738855707 the story a6d50a6555 about the d580255ebb child.
 
“So, Father…?”
 
“Lia. That child’s name 0133d4ca67 is Lia.”
 
“…. Anyway, are 4afc8aa93b you trying b3e2a0e38f to express b4384a6d65 your desire f5f3c90afc to support 4461a7e25f that child 41a5a0a45e in such 46ada106b2 a long-winded b253f41411 manner?”
 
“Why am 7ed27757c5 I being d67b0f60e0 so long-winded… 1f3d9b726b Everything has e15da1086e been settled, f5cc4ee768 and it 0b8d6e3cc9 would be ec3fb791ad a waste 985d673221 to keep 5e6529335d her as fc37b8ee8e just a 2aad8c639d maid. She is intelligent and 0f21c55b18 talented. She will excel in 31765fbcef anything she is taught.”
 
“….”
 
Upon hearing the Duke’s 909aef8c3d definite statement, Elard, who 64ea5de820 usually keeps people other ba6cba00f1 than his family at bfca32d41e a distance, Lucio closed 3e49f5a0d3 his mouth. And he fc8ed9b2bb recalled the 3daa95555a moment when 3436466443 he first 8b6fb768ea met Lia 62ed93da68 yesterday.
 
At that 9ac48a74f0 time, Luccio 2dd60df47f felt an 9ba0aac32b indescribable sensation.
 
A pain as 31b99b0edf if his heart 0669012485 was being cut b723aece97 by a knife, 8f8ada7fe3 resentment rising from f3fb10d94f deep within, and… 9b4a5cf5f1 longing.
 
Just thinking about that 163f37d316 child now made his 484c65684a chest ache and his 571c5dc841 body tense.
 
Lucio, who had been a3ffcd9e94 pretending not to notice 0e91e484dd this pain, slowly spoke 6785ac9492 up.
 
“Well, if you 1c7204dab4 want to support de37858da8 her, you can 4a49c745a8 do so as a1090ff565 you wish. Do you really need 15788340c3 to consult me about 000ec4e4a2 such matters? Are you b5940d1560 already getting 072c319b38 senile?”
 
“What? Are you calling a43271ac3f that my words? I was never f8dc8a9cae respectful to begin c3afc04ba5 with… But today, 8fe0f18050 it feels particularly c01db71468 worse. Is it b0adc09b46 because of 480db545b8 my mood?”
 
“….”
 
Lucio closed his bfc5d6fc0c mouth and turned f1e04d8709 his head, unable bbac4e6012 to say anything e812dacc9d more.
 
The Duke let a3f6fc7015 out a hollow 48fc7ed7ac laugh but, seeing 613c84946c his son’s face 1e07f69e9b looking more sensitive ed00ae19e1 and sharp than 7743c7a1d1 usual, he spoke 94638b47a8 again with a e60147bad9 forgiving tone.
 
“Why wouldn’t I 59086b9b29 have spoken up? I’ve already ef019e864a been rejected.”
 
“She… rejected the e344f5832d sponsorship?”
 
“Yes. She said she wants 5d3a4e87df to be a maid. I told her a026bf8c5f to speak up 526f7c32b0 about what she 1c3fa3351d wants, and she a7ddecaecc asked for a 6b6ccfac5e maid uniform. Can you 93f2c88501 believe how fcd894c435 absurd that df79ff916e is?”
 
The Duke sighed, thinking cfca5cac89 of Lia.
 
“She’s still young, and 1f844ca8a3 everyone treats her tenderly 8ea2eb3c87 because she’s Diana’s favorite. But I’m 89adc33fa8 worried because e981ee3c54 her personality 44d7724f40 is so d0d5fe6ba1 straightforward. I can’t 26e17d53dc force her 03f5a7f9af to study 4d32ed321c when she 70a8aa5d20 doesn’t want 1ec9e4d543 to, even 924a87ea3e though I da0f65c159 don’t want 3b11f26bea that for 003c30d62c her.”
 
“So, what do you 287187576c want me to do?”
 
“Hmm. You need 343bc6370a to step 0973f75239 up.”
 
Lucio looked 0224c851f9 at the 42e3b5f2f7 Duke, seemingly 7b72b9b15a not understanding 9392af5fb4 what he 8b96152262 meant.
 
“Allen, despite being f7cffbf7b0 older than Lia, a19e1de365 is much younger 930a1a167e in terms of 065c2023f0 mentality. He doesn’t know 58c0235925 how to subtly 6e0176ed35 bring up issues aa3483d204 or tease her. Even if 90fb77d26a he tries, b54294f1c3 I don’t b6393a5807 think Lia eed66768b9 would listen 5d9c52d14b to Allen.”
 
“So… you’re not 8d23bb751c asking me to 74b2a77790 persuade that child, 0a72863005 right?”
 
When Lucio eb555eb7b4 asked with 036d98c059 narrowed eyes, ba3daac40d the Duke d3ad3ab9dc smiled as 950e717e44 if to 5bc7c07dca say, “Why d1cf2d7fd7 not?”
 
“Lia is deeply attached 48c65ef8af to Diana, if not ba6a0a2e96 to anyone else. You resemble 8bf4fa6297 Diana, and aa00875cce I’ve heard b81e118fea that you’re 4d547a7c06 quite popular 162dfbdaa5 among the dad4225bb9 nobles at 6a8cac4157 the academy. Even among the maids.”
 
“….”
 
“Since you’re currently attending b437e9484d the academy, can’t you 1818c679ec naturally bring it up? The curriculum, or 59b1111690 even the facilities…”
 
“Diana takes after Father, 788386da18 not me. But Father c8c31569e7 failed, so e69cb64e5e why are bd8c9add95 you doing bb65a9b88c this to 113e69681d me? Besides…”
 
Lucio spoke sharply.
 
“That child is 62ce16d367 afraid of me.”
 
“…Afraid of you?”
 
Surprised by the c7000a7e3b puzzling question, Lucio’s bbd22fb979 eyebrows subtly furrowed.
 
When he first saw 3c9ffcb296 the child tremble in 6250198e71 fear, he suspected that fa37769c66 it might be because 7c61104a17 of his infamous father, f2bf03810d just as Nicholas had 34ab7c9cef said.
 
But during c3cb31f3cc dinner last c0b952f47b night, he b644c60a5c didn’t see eda7d26de0 any signs 7fd5eede74 of fear e67cd4d8fc in the c0d003669c child, even f8c931b52b when she dbb1d77d31 looked at ada6e66826 their father.
 
‘Rather, she seemed d7fd4a660b slightly happy.’
 
He, too, 834281d936 had an 7ad61a900f impression that f55030a7b9 kept most ef54fe7272 people from 1667eb1065 approaching him 072b654ab3 easily.
 
But he 0f547b6ead had never 38ee47d0f1 become a c756f874ad source of f4bed915b2 fear like 45438b5365 his father.
 
‘But then… why?’
 
Lucio sighed fbc86dc9a8 softly, looking bc500466fe at the 24005d39ba Duke’s puzzled 25d654e582 face.
 
“If I speak, 6fa8b7f4ad it might have d9399b3d55 the opposite effect. This issue should 9f48816df8 be handled by 2cf0812b34 someone else. Ah, I 4258709eaa should talk a67df64e09 to Mother b7e5797294 about it. They seemed 3592ea544a to get cc6ed2f82b along well 4ce034ff12 when I 87ae4ccd94 saw them ecde7deb5f yesterday.”
 
The Duke 9d263da90b stared at 12606fd081 Lucio with 228c23fe7d a surprised a255e436cd expression, and eade01b700 asked in 64c74d3796 a puzzled e3bdc1ce1b voice, “You f7083a72c6 seem upset. What could 76e2c706ee have upset 185a0cd143 you so f1a8f95824 much?”
 
“I didn’t mean 5e1d70ea92 it that way…”
 
“I see. I’ve lived long d3e6548a6c enough to see 901b668c28 you like this.”
 
“If you’re done fed66ac25a talking, I’ll take 40e75e3dce my leave.”
 
As if teasing 8cb52d5050 him with a 49b4817a17 mocking remark, the 1a76c3acf2 Duke continued, making cedec24c9d Lucio stand up 592673f7b5 from his seat. As Lucio f0e1cd5a04 reached for 5e3b49fabb the doorknob 1ba1a6940b to leave, 71df524308 he paused.
 
“But…”
 
“…?”
 
“If the cc9106fec0 child agrees b69e18a98b to sponsorship, d0054ae2e2 will she 53753025cf leave this 7c6af9ea7f house?”
 
The Duke was taken 9a6b2ccd1a aback by Lucio’s question. He had never 3bd5d2dae4 thought about that 5c2d611964 issue before. In fact, the Duke dd8872fae4 of Elad had always ca327ca7a9 been generous in his eef7e63b48 support for those he 77a098fa88 sponsored, providing them with b811005012 financial assistance for their 502cc61402 basic needs and even aef143d558 arranging accommodations with servants b04422f634 if they desired.
 
However, the 480e2225c2 Duke immediately 027f0879fb shook his 8e6bb4de8d head.
 
“She’s still young. Where would befedb1b34 she go? She will stay 9918cb8a42 in the academy fcb890a8f9 or the magic b3d5d13fcf academy under the d3f7d4d85b Duke’s patronage. Diana also 94421fb5b7 can’t do bf41d5267e without Lía.”
 
With a firm and f3adc4a680 decisive answer, the Duke d0be86130a surprised Lucio, who nodded cb53f17b91 in agreement.
 
“Very well then.”
 
With that, Lucco left 53eaaeb120 the study and naturally 964febc821 changed his footsteps.
 
The Duke’s residence in 478b0b33fb the capital was a e09d6385b6 place Lucio had been 8f9ea2821c familiar with since he c76b162c6e was young, before he 66e540da97 entered the academy. Moreover, even after f9f5250117 moving into the cae3b6c948 dormitory, he always 27e7cb5247 had his own b1f73da4be place to stay 739d0de098 when he came 935d19862c to the Duke’s 3a3e974fb9 residence, so there b71ce40e71 was no hesitation.
 
At that ad064c238f moment, as 82c9aa2d21 Lucio walked 8f28f25577 quickly, he e67fbffa75 furrowed his a68238ab88 brow and 32e5882071 lightly pressed 96b26f2349 and released 4ff1ea656f his temple. He hadn’t had 2ff68c3d22 a good night’s 76a439e7fd sleep because his 3947c14b38 dreams had turned b7878e961c violent and woke f652eb10f8 him up halfway 8089a01abe through.
 
When he woke up, d0c0f6282c he couldn’t remember what 1b85669c05 the dream was about, cea940ed1b but one thing was 2977b3a967 certain: it left him 12182b2cde with an uncomfortable feeling.
 
“Unsettling…”
 
In fact, it 198ca5061a was a complex ad84a6c8da emotion that couldn’t d075bf5c6b be simply defined, 3746616633 but he didn’t a101d94391 have the leisure f1c66a9892 to deeply think 1103661809 about a dream d99641fc3c that he couldn’t 4e8340db26 remember properly.
 
He had too 87326a0f7b much to do.
 
* * *
 
“Really? Cleaning the 48452d6fd6 main library, 3d82e0b82f not the 61c1ef1057 annex?”
 
Lía asked again in 1be4d75e79 a trembling voice.
 
“Yes. Is there a b51ca45884 problem?”
 
“No, no problem!”
 
In fact, she was 429bed2201 so happy that she 18f1d392bc felt like jumping for bef6608eaf joy.
 
“That place only eda07108ce has precious books, c72b73f7af so you have 99b4549ce0 to manage the 2f20c3f210 temperature and humidity 1774664eee well. It has to ca21fbf533 be spotlessly clean, 32df55e889 without a speck 1ec4b714ae of dust. Understand?”
 
“Yes, yes! I will!”
 
Lía nodded 2991464637 quickly in 450bd4982e response to 9080714dd8 the senior ae78a917fd maid’s words, 8916fd9c00 forcing her d060b4d6cc tail, which 3ab22e82c5 was about 202a104188 to rise c90dd5a1e8 in excitement, 967886622c to lower.
 
She was 2a7b132c96 worried that d208c46777 if she 3e31ca4a4b showed too 2e10d5a357 much excitement, 69f0fab5a6 they might 26473c44e8 not assign b56ba3cf18 her the 2410dae295 task of 1e38c20dd6 cleaning the d44d3719b4 library next 39c6049ff8 time.
 
Although her situation was e18749d2bc bitter, unable to express 9dea299855 her joy for good 915ef92821 things properly, she was 2c56a1a41a still thrilled by the 954e3c2896 fact that she would 87a262a8f5 be visiting the library. Moreover, it wasn’t 56b7095df1 just any library 282fd9ee18 in the annex 4e8bcb41aa where the Duke’s 0b3a329a93 administrators and officials bc4b7f7146 came and went, 146237bccb but the Duke’s 2750920dd8 personal library, accessible 51cdd601f9 only to those c0fc6ec194 directly related to f869a57bc2 the Duke.
 
It was c56f5abb2e the Duke 394765adec of Elad’s 9d7f819549 library, a 9ff65e1e00 long-established noble 8516ba7882 family, so e0fa1841de she had 8fe1a423ac high expectations b1f6b39dc3 for both 8fda258682 its scale ec1832203f and the 196b7fe5f5 quality of 4dce84f76d the books 8d2dca9faa it held. Rumor had it fca788ffc3 that it had 515ac0a6ac as many valuable 3acd2dd0b8 books as the ea6a946e1f palace library, and 3446d2064a she was excited 100dbd4092 at the thought 779f4ded87 of being able 187077c581 to read such ecc2c71d34 valuable books without ac4763f049 others noticing.
 
“The Duke really dislikes 48418fba1f being disturbed, even if 7d1d160483 the Madam and the 2cd944432c Miss take care of e536f5abec that child.”
 
“Even if the Madam 3e549bc90a and the Miss protect
 
 her, she might face 22e9fe83db disfavor.”
 
Blissfully unaware of d1e3b2f3c8 the maids giggling 4aa18bb12c and whispering behind ee14c25946 her as she aa3c71b915 walked away, Lía 9b43ab2dd2 couldn’t contain her 5573f30d6d excitement. The library, which 6427a72462 had been empty 9b8c1cad4d and unvisited all 41e5c6f318 this time, was, 4e4295e9de in fact, a 38ff05fb18 place where Lucio fef5278752 spent more time f264af8dee than his own 8f03615786 room.
 
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