Catherine, still maintaining her stern attitude, showed surprise when she saw Aria for the first time in two days.

However, when Aria raised her arm to pick up utensils, Catherine was shocked by the revealed wrist. Catherine raised her voice unintentionally.

“What in the…!”

“Is there a problem, ma’am?”

“There is a problem! How did your wrist get injured like that?”

“Haha… There was a little incident.”

Aria didn’t say much, but Catherine, like Bonita, speculated about the cause and was shocked.

What could have happened to make their relationship so cold, and why Aria’s wrist ended up like that, Catherine couldn’t even begin to guess.
Catherine specifically called Aria aside, a rare instance of a one-on-one conversation. It was a long-awaited opportunity.

She asked bluntly, “Is it my son’s doing?”

“Well…”

Aria grinned uncomfortably. She fidgeted with her wrist and soon let out a sigh.

“Yeah.”

At the possible truth, Catherine nervously touched the tip of her wand with an anxious gesture. Although it was usual for her to scold Aria as she pleased, she had developed some affection for her while spending time together. Moreover, she felt genuinely sorry.

It was Catherine who had suggested to Luke that he drink with Aria. If their relationship had further soured due to the events of that day, Catherine would bear some responsibility.

“To be honest…”

Catherine spoke up.

“At first, I didn’t like you very much. I couldn’t understand why Luke would let you be. But now, my thoughts have changed a bit.”

“Is that so?”

“But don’t get me wrong.”

Speaking in such a tone was quite unlike Catherine. She awkwardly coughed a few times, turned her head, and mumbled in a very soft voice.

“If you were to disappear again, I might feel strangely empty… not that I’m admitting anything!”

Aria, startled by the “disappear again,” raised an eyebrow.

“…What?”

What’s that supposed to mean?

Aria couldn’t fathom how such a conclusion could be drawn from their previous conversation. Whether it was Luke, Catherine, or anyone else, she couldn’t understand why everyone viewed her as a woman wanting to take over the position of the former Duchess, Elodie.

Taking someone’s place like that?

What nonsense.

No, even setting that aside, it didn’t make sense.

Except for the day she had drinks with Luke, Aria had never expressed affection or shown any interest in him. Regardless of her feelings for Luke, she had prioritized Bonita over him. Without Bonita, things might have been a bit different. She might have risked being cast out to try to gain recognition from Luke.

But anyway, hadn’t that never happened?

“I’m heading out now! Don’t dwell on it, and see the physician about your condition!”

Without giving Aria a chance to respond, Catherine disappeared. Aria, still holding her sore wrist, let out a sigh.

It was fortunate that Luke had left for the capital during this period.

“It’s awkward to see him now.”

Originally, she shouldn’t have drunk alcohol.

Thinking back to that day’s mistake left a bitter taste. It felt like she had crossed an irreversible river.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t so.

“Miss Hilton, I’ve come to diagnose.”

While in the room, a little later, the Duke’s personal physician arrived. It seemed that what Catherine had conveyed was not an empty word.

Aria, with a slightly surprised tone, asked, “Doctor, aren’t you on vacation until tomorrow?”

“His Grace asked me to return today, promising a bonus. So, please return by today.”

The young doctor smiled slyly.

Rebecca, now in her early thirties with red hair, was a beautiful woman who had worked at the Duke’s residence since Elodie was alive. She extended her hand to Aria with a friendly smile.

“You mentioned a sore wrist.”

Aria obediently showed her wrist. After examining the condition, Rebecca furrowed her brows.

“It might take a while. Still, there’s nothing wrong with the bones, so aside from a bit of pain, there shouldn’t be much discomfort.”

“Are you leaving now?”

“Oh, I also need to check on Miss Bonita. His Grace mentioned that there might be something a little unusual with her, so he asked me to take a closer look.”

Upon hearing this, Aria fell silent for a moment.