Light pink hair. Eyes a bit darker than that. He was gritting his teeth, but his appearance still looked gentle.

Has he aged a bit since then? The playful, youthful face in her memory now carried the weight of time. The title of the lesser earl, which often seemed out of place, now seemed quite fitting.

Aria felt a surge of confusion and surprise, separate from her gladness. She had come to the parlor in search of Luke, who was late for breakfast, only to find her brother Dylan here, and with such an angry expression.

Aria, instead of running to him as usual, halted in her tracks. She was no longer Dylan’s cherished younger sister, just a former employee with a distant past relationship.

If one dug deeper, perhaps even enemies. Considering that Aria was the one who had taken away Eloise’s daughter and was indirectly responsible for her death, that term might be more fitting.

The person responsible for her own death – Aria chuckled internally at the absurdity of her situation. This second chance she had received was a different matter from her happiness.

“……So, you were indeed here, Aria Hilton.”

Aria flinched at the sound of Dylan’s voice reaching her.

‘So, he knew.’

Had rumors spread?

Aria awkwardly adjusted her skirt and respectfully bowed to him.

“The lesser earl of Rothweil… I greet you.”

“Such formal greetings are unnecessary. Rather, don’t you have something to tell me?”

“Something to tell you?”

“I’ve heard you brought the duke’s illegitimate child here.”

“……Illegitimate child?”

She was about to nod but paused at her brother’s choice of words.

Illegitimate child. Was there another Duke Lisianskus besides Luke? For a moment, she entertained such an absurd thought.

But upon further reflection, she understood why he would make such an assumption.

Even Eloise herself, until just before her death, would have unquestionably believed her daughter was stillborn.

Dylan, having not seen the birthing process and only hearing the outcome, would have felt even more so. Aria chose her words carefully.

“You will understand if you see for yourself.”

“See for myself?”

Dylan’s expression worsened at Aria’s cryptic words. He crossed his arms and tilted his head.

“Indeed. I suppose I do need to see what kind of child this is.”

His attitude was unmistakably hostile, but Aria knew he would never harm Bonita.

After all, just one look was enough.

Bonita was Eloise’s daughter.

An undeniable truth no one could refute.

As Aria and Dylan were talking, Luke and Lennon emerged from the parlor. Lennon, who had been conversing with the duke, shifted his gaze from his brother to the blonde woman in front of him.

He narrowed his brows, recalling the past, when the beautiful woman before him served as Eloise’s maid.

Aria Hilton. The very woman who brought the duke’s child to the mansion.

“…….”

Unlike Dylan, Lennon did not speak to Aria.

Observing the awkward standoff, Luke suggested to Dylan.

“We were just about to have breakfast. Why don’t you join us?”

“I’d rather not—”

“Bonita will be joining us too.”

Bonita – that was the girl’s name.

They had not been here long, but already they seemed like a happy family gathered around the table. It irritated him somewhat.

However, it didn’t seem right to argue further here. Strictly speaking, the duke having a child wasn’t something to be heavily criticized.

Unlike the Crocus Empire, which praised monogamy and lifelong love for one partner, the nobility of the Aleph Kingdom preferred to leave as many descendants as possible.
Without gender distinction, the empire passed titles to the first legitimate child born, unlike the kingdom’s male-preference succession culture.

Even the lesser nobility of the provinces had concubines, albeit discreetly. Especially for a prestigious house like the Duke’s, even illegitimate children were crucial to prevent the lineage from dying out. The current and previous Duke of Lisianskus were exceptions, being devoted husbands.

Yet, the feeling of betrayal was undeniable. Dylan followed the Duke in silence, glancing back at Aria. At that moment, Lennon suddenly spoke to her.

“Miss Hilton, was it?”

“Yes? Oh, yes.”

She didn’t offer Lennon the same formalities as before. Despite the Rothweil family’s noble lineage, Lennon’s status wasn’t particularly high, being unlikely to inherit the title.

In a sense, Aria, set to inherit the Barony of Hilton, was on par with him. Though Lennon could take offense, he wasn’t known to be overly fastidious.

“The atmosphere seems different.”

“……Yes?”

“The Miss Hilton I knew had a different vibe.”

Aria pondered Lennon’s comment. Did the real Aria have a close connection with Lennon?

“Hmm.”

Lennon’s rosy eyes scrutinized Aria thoroughly, as if seeing through her.

“Something’s… No, never mind.”

Lennon had a reputation for being astute, rumored to have the purest fairy blood in the Rothweil family.

Whether that was true or not, his keen intuition in business had multiplied the family’s wealth several times.