“Do I look like someone who would bring an illegitimate child into this house? If you seriously doubted that, it’s utterly absurd. Did you hit your head or something?”

Luke’s jest, devoid of malice, flew through the air. However, Dylan’s mind was already overloaded, making him immune to Luke’s mockery.

“This is impossible.”

He stammered, fully comprehending why Aria Hilton said, “You’ll understand if you see for yourself.”

“Um, the girl, her name was Bonita, right?”

“Yes… but why?”

Facing Dylan Rothweil, Bonita did not show the same fear she had when she first met Luke.

Instead, she was filled with curiosity.

After all, even to Bonita, this man she had just met resembled her strikingly.

To the point where, compared to Luke, he looked more like her biological father.

The Rothweil siblings closely resembled each other, and with Bonita being a perfect example of heterosis, the similarity was uncanny.

Dylan wasn’t the only one bewildered. Even Lennon, usually composed, was visibly shaken.

Though managing his expression, Aria could easily read his emotions. After all, they had lived together for over twenty years. That much was simple.

And Bonita—

“Let’s start with the meal.”

“But…”

“You must be hungry.”

Luke addressed Bonita, who was wrapped around Aria’s skirt.

“Right?”

“Yes, yes.”

Bonita was extremely curious about who the two men in front of her were and why they looked so much like her, but as Luke said, she was indeed hungry.

Just as she thought this, her stomach growled. Luke chuckled softly.

“Let’s take our seats first. We can talk over the meal.”

The Rothweil brothers were so dumbfounded throughout the meal, they barely knew if they were eating or just staring. Catherine, who rarely laughed, even let out a puff of laughter at their expressions.

Bonita, while mindful of the two men, alternately accepted food from Aria and Luke. Even though she insisted she could eat by herself, they continued to put finely chopped meat on her bread.

…Truth be told, it was convenient.

Humans are indeed fickle. No matter how determined one is to stay vigilant, once they experience comfort, it’s hard to go back.

In Bonita’s case, having let her guard down only made it more so. After all, Luke, despite his fearsome appearance, was not unkind.

The meal ended quickly. Of course, the Rothweil brothers didn’t leave for their mansion right after the meal.

They simply moved to a different location.

Not to the drawing room this time, but to a much more comfortable, familial space.

Dylan paused as he entered.

“This is…”

“Come in.”

“The room is still the same.”

Lost for words, it was Lennon who muttered softly.

It was the room the Rothweil brothers often visited when Elodie was alive.

Compared to those times, the room’s interior had hardly changed, preserved by Luke’s efforts.

Consequently, not only the Rothweil brothers but also Aria momentarily lost themselves in thought.

‘It’s still the same here.’

Now, they were curious about what Elodie’s room, once used by the late duchess, would look like. Of course, Luke wouldn’t allow Aria to enter that space—and Aria had no intention of asking. Entering such a place would only deepen her regrets.

Luke, observing the brothers entering the room, stopped Aria who was following with Bonita.

“Wait, stop right there.”

“Yes?”

Aria, about to enter with Bonita, turned around.

Luke paused, then spoke.
“Bonita also has the right to face the two of you. It’s only fair to give them some time alone.”

“Ahh…”

Realizing Luke’s consideration, Aria sighed softly. It was something she hadn’t fully considered.

‘Indeed, that makes sense.’

The right to face a child isn’t exclusive to parents. Especially since Bonita has no other siblings.

In the absence of the duchess, the Rothweil family would undoubtedly be a support for Bonita. Aria understood this well.

Of course, it pained her heart…

“10 minutes should be enough.”

Luke, checking his wristwatch, closed the door. His eyes showed no suspicion that the two men would do anything harmful to Bonita.

After all, he trusted them.

“Uh, um, that’s…”

Left alone with Bonita (though Lennon was there too), Dylan stumbled over his words, not knowing what to say.

He was not known for his composure. As a physical person, he usually brushed off things he couldn’t understand.

That was, until this moment.

‘Elodie’s daughter, alive?’

He wanted to cry out in disbelief, but reality was undeniable. He couldn’t deny it, for they looked too much alike.

“Um.”

Bonita, becoming braver as she adjusted to the ducal residence, cautiously spoke first.

“You were introduced as… from the Rothweil family, right?”

“Ah, yes, right.”

“Stop stuttering like a fool, brother.”

Lennon, arms crossed, watching his brother’s foolish behavior, intervened.

Apparently, seeing someone more nervous than oneself can be calming. Lennon was just that case.