Her mind, still hazy from sleep, started to clear. She began to recognize her surroundings.
The sound of the fire crackling in the fireplace was soothing, and the brass kettle on top was bubbling with boiling water.
The satin feather quilt covering her was warm, and next to the big, pretty bed hung a bell rope to call a maid anytime.
Bonita slowly opened one eye.
“Oh, you’re awake?”
Aria was there.
Changed into pajamas and lying beside Bonita, she looked at her with an affectionate gaze.
Bonita placed her hand over Aria’s, which was gently patting her belly. Aria laughed as if tickled.
Bonita wished she could cut out this moment and keep it in an album forever.
So, even if her current mother disappeared, she could recall this moment and be happy.
“Are you getting up? You can sleep more.”
“No, I’m fine.”
But that wasn’t possible.
Bonita wriggled and sat up. Aria, who had been awake for a while, helped her get down from the high bed.
Gurgle.
A sound came from Bonita’s thin belly. She blushed. Aria laughed softly.
“Indeed, we haven’t eaten anything since lunch yesterday.”
And that was the same for Aria. She came to put Bonita to sleep and ended up dozing off until morning.
Plus, she couldn’t bear to leave the room when Bonita, with her arm bent, was sleeping so cutely.
Aria stroked Bonita’s soft cheek once, then slipped into her fluffy slippers. Since she slept in her clothes from the day before, there was no need to change.
“It’s seven o’clock, so the Duke will be coming down soon. Shall we go to the dining room?”
“The dining room?”
Bonita’s eyes widened.
In the four days—now five days since morning returned—that Bonita had been at the Duke’s mansion, aside from tea parties with the Duke, she had always spent time only in her room. Consequently, she hadn’t fully realized how big the mansion was.
“Is there a dining room in the house?”
“Usually, noble houses have separate dining rooms.”
Bonita was struck again with fresh amazement. She had already marveled at the sight of the enormous kitchen, but to have a dining room inside the house!
Bonita held Aria’s hand with a blank expression. Aria led her through long corridors and down two flights of stairs until the dining room finally came into view.
“Lady!”
The kitchen maids, upon spotting Bonita, exclaimed in surprise, their eyes quickly shifting to Aria, who firmly held Bonita’s hand.
“Did the lady wish to come down?”
“No, I just thought it wouldn’t be bad to start having meals together with the Duke.”
Aria spoke naturally, albeit slightly condescendingly.
It was, in fact, the proper approach.
Even though Aria Hilton originated from the former duchess’s maid, unlike common maids or servants, she was a daughter of a baronial family. Even if that family was now in ruins, she was of noble birth.
‘Ah, now that I think about it.’
The Hilton baronial family had no collateral branches.
And given Bonita’s apparent ignorance about it, it seemed that after Aria’s death, Aria had never visited the baronial estate, leaving it neglected for six years.
There might have been secret visits without Bonita’s knowledge, but that was just a possibility.
‘I need to check on that.’
The Hilton baronial family died out seven years ago, except for Aria.
At that time, Aria spent six months arranging funerals and managing the family affairs, separated from Elodie. And when she returned…
Elodie had given birth to a dead child.
Or so she thought.
Aria shook off these memories. What mattered now was that her daughter was with her.
Her task was clear.
‘Having a noble title makes a world of difference.’
Bonita was the sole heiress of one of the only two dukedoms in the kingdom. As Bonita grew, the need for a governess would diminish, so Aria needed to find a reason to stay by Bonita’s side before that.
Perhaps as a teacher.
For that, formally inheriting the Hilton baronial title would be advantageous.
Elodie might have been immature, but she was not unintelligent. With her knowledge of etiquette and arithmetic, she could effectively assume the role of a teacher.
Though it pained her that she could never be officially recognized as Bonita’s parent, Aria resolved to compromise with reality.
“What’s this? Why are you holding hands with my son, no, my possible granddaughter so affectionately?”
Then, a gruff voice interrupted.
Looking up, Aria saw Catherine with a crooked expression.
“Lady Lysianthus?”
My Step-brother Is Obsessed With Me (Female-dominant)
A gentle female protagonist vs pitiful in the early stage, and a sick male protagonist in the later stage
Cheng Songer transmigrated into the body of a vicious cannon fodder female supporting character with the same name as her in a female-dominant novel.
In the original story, the cannon fodder female supporting character was inhumane, committing domestic violence, gambling excessively, being lustful, and even wanting to sell her stepbrother to a brothel for money.
As luck would have it, she just happened to transmigrate at this time.
Seeing Cheng Qingzhi biting his lip, enduring the tears in his eyes, looking pitiful, her heart softened.
She stuffed the money back into the Madam’s hand and reached out to him.
“Brother, come home with me.”
