Aria initially didn’t fully understand what Bonita was saying, perhaps because her head was pounding.
Her ears were ringing, and her stomach felt uneasy. Suppressing the headache, she slowly recounted yesterday’s events, as if searching for a book in an old shelf.
And she remembered.
She had shared a drink with Luke alone at a late hour yesterday and what had happened between them. Why she had slept in this room alone instead of with Bonita…
The moment Aria realized, she jolted, trying to get up. However, the attempt was thwarted by the overwhelming hangover that hit her as soon as she raised her head.
“Mom.”
Bonita’s voice reached her.
“Are you hurt?”
“Uh, no…”
Aria groaned. Even though she tried to act okay, a moaning sound involuntarily escaped. Bonita’s complexion turned pale.
“Did Dad do that?”
About to ask what happened, Aria turned her gaze to where Bonita had been looking all along.
Her own wrist.
No matter how forcefully he had grabbed it, it still hurt every time she moved even after a day. Naturally, the bruise hadn’t faded at all.
Aria hurriedly offered an explanation.
“No, it’s just because I drank too much.”
“I know.”
Bonita said.
“When Aria drinks, she also gets a hangover the next day. But it doesn’t result in bruises like this.”
“I tripped and fell…”
Aria regretted the moment she spoke. No matter how Bonita was a child, it was a pitiful lie that she couldn’t be deceived by, an utterly pathetic lie.
She opened her mouth again, intending to find a proper excuse.
But Bonita was faster.
“When Aria gripped my arm tightly, my hand ended up like this.”
The moment Aria heard those words, she became speechless.
What else could she say?
Each time Bonita discovered that she wasn’t an ordinary child, it hurt like being punched in the back. But what Bonita desired was not comfort.
Bonita firmly gripped Aria’s wrist with both hands. Bonita’s body trembled as she checked the bruised area, avoiding the swelling.
“…Daughter?”
Aria, worried that Bonita might be crying, checked the child’s face, but Bonita’s eyes were clear. Bonita had never been a child who cried easily. Even when Aria shed tears many times, Bonita had never cried once.
And it was the same now.
Bonita, clenching her lips, looked up at Aria. Aria still gazed at Bonita with a puzzled expression.
Aria hadn’t said a word about what Luke had done, but with just the reactions of her mother trying to justify herself, Bonita realized that her assumption was correct.
Moreover, who else in this house could directly harm Aria other than Luke?
If it was an outsider’s doing, Aria wouldn’t have to come up with such feeble excuses for Bonita.
As the speculation turned into certainty, disappointment towards Luke welled up in Bonita’s heart.
“Mom, it’s better for you to sleep more.”
However, Bonita didn’t express such feelings explicitly. Instead, after letting go of Aria’s arm, she forcefully covered her eyelids.
“When you’re in pain, you need to sleep more.”
“Just a moment, Bonita…”
“I’ll bring breakfast to the room later.”
Bonita hoped that Aria wouldn’t face Luke right away. For her, facing Aria’s gaze was as agonizing as it was right after the first time Aria experienced something painful.
Of course, at that time, Bonita had no choice. The house was too small to avoid the mother she lived with.
However, the Duke’s mansion was very spacious, and there were many rooms. Even if they lived in the same house, it was possible to avoid each other for days if they wished.
Bonita thought that was fortunate. Mom, or rather Elodie, was undoubtedly in love with Luke, but because of that, she would have been more hurt.
Just like Bonita in the past.
But contrary to Bonita’s hope, even after closing her eyes, Aria couldn’t fall asleep again. There were two reasons for this.
The first was a physical cause.
Alcohol initially induces drowsiness when first consumed, but ultimately, it is a substance that disrupts sleep. As someone who poured alcohol into her stomach last night, Aria naturally couldn’t keep her eyes closed for long.
The second was a mental cause.
Not only had Bonita discovered what happened yesterday, but now she was also receiving care. Moreover, from a seven-year-old daughter.
Aria’s cheeks flushed with apology and shame. Bonita’s occasional maturity and understanding stabbed her heart deeply.
It wasn’t simply that she matured early; yesterday’s Bonita was just as innocent and bright as a child of her age.
Bonita returning to this attitude was all because of her and Luke. It wasn’t just about today’s events.
While Bonita’s personality naturally contributed to her calmness and maturity, the influence of the environment in which she grew up could not be ignored. So whenever Aria saw Bonita like this, she felt guilty.
Aria closed her eyes and hugged Bonita tightly. The characteristic high body temperature and the fast, rhythmic heartbeat of a young child were clearly felt.
“Sleep well, Mom.”
Male lead is a Destined Young Husband (Female-dominant)
One-sentence summary: Wife-master, listen to my explanation!
Li Ruantang, a young lady from a prestigious family, stumbled and fell. When she woke up, she saw a noble and beautiful young man sitting by her bedside, wiping away tears.
The young master had slightly reddened eyes, and his every move exuded charm.
The sight made Li Ruantang’s eyes hot and her heart flutter. After all, she had made a bet with the young master Meng from the neighboring family. If she couldn’t marry a husband before the end of the year, she would have to admit defeat and give up the jade she had worked so hard to obtain.
Outside the window, the flowers were in full bloom.
Rather than losing the bet, the jade, and her face, Li Ruantang calculated that it would be better to seek marriage with the young master in front of her, killing three birds with one stone.
…
Meng Jun never thought that an accident during a spring outing would lead to them rolling down a cliff and into a river, yet still survive.
Now they were trapped in an unknown village, and Meng Jun had overheard that the family who had rescued them had their own intentions.
After all, it was Li Ruantang who had lost her mind and sought marriage first. He was only trying to protect himself!
Glancing at Li Ruantang, who was listing her own merits, the young husband’s voice softened, and he blushed as he lied, “W-wife-master, Wife-master, don’t you remember me?”
The young husband’s voice was clear and handsome, coaxing Li Ruantang’s heart to be soft and sweet, and she spared no effort to protect him.
It wasn’t until they returned to the capital that Li Ruantang suddenly remembered.
When they had fallen off the cliff, in order not to implicate Wei Yunruo, whom he secretly admired, the young husband had instead pulled her, who was slightly farther away, down the cliff with him…
Short summary by Yuushi L: Initially, the male lead (ML) liked another girl, while the female lead (FL) liked the ML. Both fell off a cliff. The FL temporarily lost her memory, and the ML, fearing others might take advantage of him, claimed FL was his wife while they were staying in a village. Later, when they returned home, the FL regained her memories and remembered that the ML liked someone else, so she kept her distance from him. However, during their time living together in the countryside, the ML’s view of the FL had completely changed. From this point, his pursuit of the FL begins.
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