Eloide became pregnant eight years ago. She had a stillbirth seven years ago, and she died six years ago.
If the child is seven years old, it would mean the Duke was unfaithful while Eloide was alive, even overlapping her pregnancy period, which was particularly abominable.
“Damn it. So now he shamelessly claims this illegitimate child as his own? Who is the mother of this bastard child?”
“We’re not certain, but…”
Lennon, too, was upset, though he maintained his composure. He furrowed his brows and said,
“I heard that the child was registered under Eloide’s name. But there’s something strange.”
“What is it?”
“The woman who brought the child to the Duke’s house.”
If the little Countess was brought to the Duke’s house, it’s likely her mother did. The Countess’s biological mother would be the Duke’s mistress. Of course, she might just be a victim. If she were a commoner or a low-ranking noble, it would have been hard for her to refuse the advances of the Duke of Lysianthus.
Still, considering the Duke’s character, he probably wouldn’t have forced himself on a woman who said no.
But the existence of the child alone was already shocking enough, let alone the possibility of more sordid affairs being revealed.
“Is that woman a commoner?”
Dylan, grinding his teeth, asked. Lennon, well-versed in gossip, shook his head.
“Aria Hilton. You know her, right? The youngest daughter of the Baron Hilton.”
“Hilton? Wait a minute. Are you talking about Eloide’s maid?”
Lennon nodded.
“That woman brought the child. And she’s still staying at the Duke’s house.”
Connections between households’ servants were common.
Especially between the Rothweil Counts and the Lysianthus Dukes, who often exchanged correspondence, Lennon was able to know some of the Duke’s matters.
Dylan asked in a disgusted tone,
“Don’t tell me she’s the little Countess’s biological mother? Damn it. Eloide cherished her maid so much…”
“Calm down. Nothing’s certain yet.”
Lennon patted Dylan’s shoulder, holding back his brother who seemed ready to storm the Duke’s house.
“Let’s visit the Duke’s house tomorrow. We need to hear the story first.”
“What’s there to hear? Will it change the fact that the Duke fathered a bastard? At best, we’ll hear excuses. Damn it.”
“Still, we need to…”
There was no possibility that the child was Eloide’s.
The idea of a baby, announced dead at birth and having undergone a funeral, suddenly appearing was absurd.
Lennon brushed his forehead, trying to calm his unsettled mind. His pink hair, a symbol of the Rothweil Counts, was disheveled under his hand.
“Let’s go and see. We need to find out how the child looks, who the mother is.”
At Lennon’s rational words, Dylan bit his lip. He clenched and unclenched his fist before nodding stiffly.
“Alright, let’s do as you say. But what about father? Did you tell him?”
Their father, the Count of Rothweil, was currently visiting the Crocus Empire as the head of a diplomatic delegation.
Lennon shook his head at his brother’s question.
“No, he doesn’t know yet.”
Communication in the Kingdom of Aleph was not as advanced as in the Empire.
Unlike the Empire, which had the genius of the previous generation, Duke Escliff’s telecommunication devices enabling long-distance communication, the Kingdom still used traditional methods. They employed fast couriers or sent letters by horse. There were specially trained messenger birds, but they were mostly for military use.
Knowing this, Dylan rubbed between his eyebrows.
“Then, when father returns, he’ll turn the Duke’s house upside down. Of course, we’ll visit that damned man before that.”
The crackling of the firewood broke the silence as the early spring night air remained cold despite the blooming flowers.
Bonita, nestled in Aria’s arms, dozed off sleepily.
Aria gently stroked the child’s hair and spoke softly, “Do you think the lady is alright?”
“…You seem quite concerned,” remarked Luke, sitting opposite on the sofa, his expression uncomfortable.
“Were you worried since earlier because of her reaction?”
“She seemed quite shocked,” Aria replied cautiously.
“Of course, despite her age, she’s quite healthy… But it’s been 6 years since I was last in the duke’s house. A lot of time has passed.”
“Well, mother can’t stay young forever… But wait,” Luke paused, sensing something amiss. “6 years ago? Didn’t you quit working right after my wife gave birth?”
“That’s…”
Aria caught her slip-up and inhaled sharply. The real Aria had given birth two months before Eloide, but the child had died shortly after. Aria used to commute instead of living in the mansion and rarely interacted with other servants, so only Eloide knew this fact.
After returning to help with Eloide’s childbirth, Eloide’s daughter was also stillborn, and then…
Aria quit her job, only returning once, just before Eloide’s death.
That was when she learned the truth.
My Arch-enemy Sealed My Memory and Said That He is My Husband
This is an incredibly captivating story that you absolutely shouldn’t miss! I’ll give a brief introduction here, and below you’ll find a detailed synopsis of the plot.
The female lead is a fierce and powerful demon king. The male lead is a once-in-a-millennium celestial lord, admired by the entire cultivation world.
They are equally matched, legendary rivals who have battled for centuries.
In the final duel, the female lead is gravely injured. The male lead saves her, seals her memories, and hides her true identity. He tells her that he is her fiancé. His entire life has been flawless—except for the one thing he never expected, never controlled, and never wanted to control: falling for his greatest enemy. She is his inner demon, his obsession.
When the female lead regains her memories, she is furious at his deception.
She makes his life a living hell.
And somehow, the male lead—possibly a total masochist—doesn’t mind at all. In fact, he’s happy she’s paying attention to him.
Yep, we’re back to my favorite trope: male lead suffering. If you love this kind of story, jump into the pit with me now!!!
Intro
Dong Xia lost her memory.
Her handsome and extremely powerful fiancé Li Qing comforted her: “It’s okay if you can’t remember. I’ll always be with you.”
Everyone thought Dong Xia’s ancestors must have burned incense to get such a perfect fiancé. He was the number one person in the immortal realm, yet he remained chaste and only loved her.
…
The day before marrying her fiancé, Dong Xia finally remembered everything.
She wasn’t suffering from memory loss at all.
Her arch-enemy had made her fake her death, destroyed her cultivation, replaced her memories, and pretended to be her deeply in love fiancé.
No wonder he said, “It’s okay if you can’t remember”!
Dong Xia laughed coldly as she pulled out her long knife: Li Qing, prepare to die 🙂
*
Li Qing, as the supreme being of the immortal realm, was the people’s shining beacon.
The only unknown stain in his life was his affection for Dong Xia, the ruler of the demon realm.
In the final battle of the war between immortals and demons, the sky collapsed and the earth shattered. The ruler of the demon realm was finally slain under the sword of the supreme being of the immortal realm, and everyone in the immortal realm applauded.
The cultivation world lost a ruler of the demon realm.
And in the back mountain of Li Qing’s cave dwelling, he secretly hid away a fiancée.
Notes:
1. The female lead is white on the outside, black on the inside, and the queen of flattery; the male lead repeatedly tests the edge of darkness, a VIP guest at the crematorium.
2. Fantasy cultivation world setting.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
