“Thank you for explaining.”
There were no further questions.
Bonita and Luke fell into a moment of silence.
It wasn’t an uncomfortable atmosphere.
They were just lost in their own thoughts.
Hugging the heart-shaped cushion, Bonita rested her head on it.
“Was it all just my imagination?”
The existence of the first Aria and the second Aria, could it all be just delusions?
“No, no.”
They were different.
It couldn’t be explained as a case of having multiple personalities or simply losing memories.
It was definitely different.
But Luke said there is no such thing as a soul. Having two people in one body is an impossible thing.
“Dad was wrong.”
Bonita concluded in her mind.
Luke is a very kind and good dad, but that doesn’t mean he always says the right things.
So, this time, her thoughts were correct. Luke was wrong.
However, Bonita didn’t express it outright.
Because if she directly said he was wrong, he might feel disheartened.
Moreover, Bonita herself was confident, but this was a difficult issue to explain to others.
Bonita noticed the existence of the second Aria due to her innate attention and observation skills, as well as her deep interest in Aria.
Luke, who doesn’t know the first Aria, wouldn’t be aware of the fact that she had changed. It was a difference in information.
Bonita, who had been swinging her legs, lifted her body in recoil.
Sitting up with her back straight, Bonita turned her head towards Luke.
“Can I ask one more thing?”
“Anything.”
“Dad, if Mom comes in a completely different appearance, you won’t recognize her, right?”
Luke’s face became serious.
He said firmly,
“No.”
His tone was filled with conviction.
“I won’t fail to recognize her.”
Bonita was momentarily speechless.
‘Are you sure you won’t recognize her?’
No matter how much she thought about it, it seemed that way.
Given the circumstances, the second Aria was undoubtedly Elodie, Bonita’s birth mother.
“Mom, I’m sorry. For dying too early and not being able to find you…”
Otherwise, he wouldn’t say such things.
Bonita’s expression became ambiguous.
“Wouldn’t it be a bit difficult even for Dad? If she has a completely different face…”
“There’s no way. Is there anyone in the world who would be a fool to not recognize their beloved person right in front of them?”
Here.
Bonita swallowed the words that came up to the tip of her tongue.
Even though she said it herself, calling an adult a fool was too impolite.
Bonita still seemed incredulous, and Luke, with a raised eyebrow, said,
“Dad recognized Bonita at a glance.”
“Well…”
Didn’t everyone else recognize her too?
While Bonita was still pondering, Luke, with a furrowed brow, said,
“Dad recognized you at first sight.”
“That’s true…”
Although she said it herself, she began to worry if she had become extremely rude compared to before.
In Bonita’s mind, two Bonitas emerged.
One of them shouted.
“It’s starting to go as you worried! At this rate, you’ll end up like those worthless rich kids who throw tantrums in the marketplace because they’ve grown up so pampered!”
Upon hearing this, the other one retorted with a twisted tone.
“What if you’re a bit rude? It doesn’t mean your mom and dad will abandon you.”
The two voices that were shouting in Bonita’s mind started to quarrel with each other.
“What nonsense! Then what about all those kids abandoned every year? How can we trust the adults?”
“It’s not about trusting the adults; it’s about trusting mom and dad!”
“Those two are also adults!”
She groaned.
The two opposite selves fiercely argued but suddenly diverged in a completely different direction.
At that moment, Luke’s hand rose to Bonita’s heated head.
The gentle strokes were palpable. Bonita opened her previously closed eyes.
Luke’s face filled her sight.
He asked, “Bonita, should we try writing a letter now?”
Bonita nodded briskly.
Luke had good handwriting.
Like most nobles, he received education to write in a sophisticated style from a young age.
Combined with his habits and personality, his handwriting looked exceptionally elegant.
Bonita felt an odd sensation looking at the somewhat wild characters.
“It’s about what I said, but I can’t read a single word.”
“You’ll be able to read soon.”
Although Luke reassured her, Bonita felt uncomfortable being unable to read for the first time since birth. She fidgeted with her fingers.
“I hope I can read soon.”
“Then, shall we continue the lessons with Rothern?”
“I want to.”
Bonita, who received a letter from Luke, replied.
“I’ll learn to write letters like Dad.”
“A very nice thought.”
Luke smiled approvingly.
“To whom do you want to write first when you can write a letter?”
“Well…”
Bonita honestly confessed.
“Aria.”
She hurriedly added,
“And after that, I’ll write to Dad and Grandma. And to my friends too.”
“That’s something to look forward to.”
Luke’s hand moved over Bonita’s head.
Initially hesitating as if touching each strand of hair, the hand now comfortably stroked Bonita’s head.
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
