Mom's Possessed - Chapter 19
Elodie’s pregnancy was 8 years ago. She miscarried 7 years ago, and died 6 years ago.
If the child is seven years old, it means the duke committed adultery while Elodie was still alive. The fact that it overlapped with her pregnancy period made it even more despicable.
“Damn it. So now he’s brazenly trying to pass off his illegitimate child as his own? Who is the mother of that bastard?”
“It’s not certain, but……”
Renan was also trying to maintain his composure, but he was just as angry. He frowned and said.
“I heard he’s going to register the child under Elodie. But there’s something strange.”
“What is it?”
“The woman who brought the child.”
If she brought the young lady to the duke’s family, she was likely to be the birth mother.
If she was the young lady’s birth mother, she would be the adulteress. Of course, she could just be a victim. If she was a commoner or a low-ranking noble with a very low title, it would have been difficult to refuse Lisianthus Duke, a high-ranking nobleman.
Of course, given the duke’s nature, he probably wouldn’t have forcibly held down a woman who said no.
However, the fact that there was a child already made the back of his head ache.
It wouldn’t be strange if even more sordid private affairs came to light.
“Is that woman a commoner…?”
Dylan asked, gritting his teeth. Renan, who was well-versed in rumors, shook his head.
“Aria Hilton. You know her too, right? The youngest daughter of Baron Hilton.”
“Hilton— Wait. You don’t mean the woman who was Elodie’s maid?”
Renan nodded.
“They say she brought the child. And I heard she’s still staying at the duke’s mansion.”
There’s usually some connection between the servants of each family.
Especially in the case of Count Rothwell’s family and Duke Lisianthus’s family, since letters are often exchanged, Renan could know quite a bit about the situation in the duke’s family.
Dylan asked in an unpleasant tone.
“Surely that woman isn’t the young lady’s birth mother? Damn it. Elodie cared for her maid so much…!”
“Calm down. Nothing is certain yet.”
Renan patted Dylan’s shoulder, stopping his brother who looked like he was about to storm into the duke’s mansion right away.
“Let’s visit the duke’s mansion as soon as it’s tomorrow. We should hear their side of the story first.”
“What is there to hear? Will the fact that the duke fathered a bastard change just because we listen? At best, he’ll just make excuses. Damn it.”
“Well, that’s true, but……”
There was no possibility that the child was Elodie’s.
It’s nonsensical for a baby that died right after birth and even had a funeral to suddenly appear out of nowhere.
Renan ran his hand through his bangs, trying to calm his troubled mind. The pink hair that was like a symbol of the Rothwell Count family became disheveled in his hand.
“For now, let’s go visit. We need to check what the child looks like and who the mother is first.”
At Renan’s rational words, Dylan bit his lip. He clenched and unclenched his fist, then nodded stiffly.
“Alright. Let’s do as you say. But what about Father? Did you tell Father about this?”
Their father, Count Rothwell, was currently visiting the Crocus Empire as the representative of the diplomatic mission.
Hearing his brother’s question, Renan shook his head.
“No. He doesn’t know yet.”
Unlike the Empire, the Kingdom of Aleph was a country where communication culture was not developed.
Unlike the Empire, where long-distance communication was possible thanks to the communication device invented by the genius of the previous generation, Duke Escliff, the kingdom still used traditional methods.
They either hired fast messengers or rode horses to deliver letters one by one. There were specially trained carrier pigeons, but that was only for the military’s use.
Therefore, it would take a week to contact him from here.
Knowing this fact, Dylan rubbed between his eyebrows and grumbled.
“Then when Father returns, he’ll turn the duke’s house upside down. Of course, we’ll visit that damned bastard before that.”
[This is the timeline separator]
The sound of crackling firewood could be heard.
It was early spring and the flowers were blooming, but the night air was still cold.
Bonita was dozing off, nestled in Aria’s arms.
Aria patted the child’s head and quietly spoke.
“I wonder if the lady is alright.”
“…You seem to care a lot.”
Luke, sitting on the opposite sofa, asked with an uncomfortable expression.
“Don’t tell me your poor complexion since earlier was because of that?”
“She seemed to be very shocked,” Aria said cautiously.
“Of course, the lady is very healthy for her age, but… It’s been 6 years since I was at the duke’s mansion. A lot of time has passed.”
“Well, Mother won’t be healthy forever. …Wait a moment.”
Luke, who had been agreeing with Aria’s words, paused. A strange sensation as if something was off.
“6 years ago? Didn’t you quit your job right after my wife gave birth to the child?”
“Well.”
Aria noticed her mistake and took a breath.
The real Aria gave birth two months before Elodie. However, she heard the news that the baby died not even a day later. Aria commuted instead of residing in the mansion and barely conversed with the staff, so this was a fact only Elodie knew.
Afterwards, she returned to work and assisted with Elodie’s childbirth. Elodie’s daughter was also stillborn, and then.
Aria quit her job. She only visited the duke’s mansion once after that, right before Elodie died.
That’s when she heard the truth.
She doesn’t know how Aria managed to smuggle Bonita out. But she could guess the method.
The child who was cremated was probably the real Aria’s daughter. If her child and mine were switched, it would explain why Aria quit her job suddenly without any warning right after Elodie gave birth.
However, there was still something incomprehensible. What was Aria’s motive?
Elodie believed that she and Aria were bound by strong trust. They were like twins who grew up together. To Elodie, who only had two older brothers, Aria was a precious existence like a twin sister.
And it must have been the same for Aria.
…Probably.
When did she start planning such a thing?
Now that the real Aria is gone, it has become a secret that will never be known.
Elodie lost her beloved daughter, husband, family, and the childhood friend she considered a sister, all because of that incident.
There was a bitter taste in her mouth.
“Aria Hilton.”
Luke’s call awakened Aria from her reverie.
“This is quite strange. I’m sure you said you lost your memory before.”
“……”
“For someone who’s lost their memory, you’ve adapted very well to the duke’s household. You conversed familiarly with the gatekeeper Dalton as if you knew him.”
He sneered, twisting the corner of his mouth. His voice was small enough not to wake the soundly sleeping Bonita.
“If you’ve only lost the memory of raising Bonita, it’s a very convenient memory loss. Don’t you think, Miss Hilton?”
Aria chose to keep her mouth shut.
It’s impossible to reveal the truth. Then silence is the only answer.
Luke observed Aria, who was holding Bonita tightly. Her blue gaze was directed towards Bonita.
Her complexion was pale, perhaps startled by the unexpected question. Her hands were fidgeting nervously.
It was a gesture Elodie always made when she was anxious.
Her blue eyes were fixed on Bonita. Despite her anxiety, her gaze was filled with desperate love.
That sight tugged at Luke’s heart.
If that look was a fake created by acting, Aria Hilton was a better actress than any in the kingdom. Or a con artist.
Either way, it was extremely uncomfortable.
“Hand Bonita over to me. I’ll carry her and take her to her room.”
“No.”
Aria hugged the sleeping child at his request.
“I… I’ll carry her.”
Bonita was quite small for a seven-year-old, but she weighed just under 20kg.
It wasn’t easy for an adult woman to carry that weight for long, unless she was a man. Plus, she had to be careful not to wake the child.
“Suit yourself.”
Feeling irritated, he sneered, raising only one corner of his mouth.
“I’m quite curious how long Bonita will need you.”
The tone was light, but there was a sting in it. Aria took a breath at the knife-like question.
“Parents are absolute to young children, but in fact, that age doesn’t last long. Ah. Did I mention this last time too?”
He rose from his seat. The difference in eye level with Aria, which was quite significant even when sitting, was now immense.
“You are not my daughter’s mother. Even if she calls you that.”
He looked down at her with an incredibly cold face.
“Keep that fact in mind.”
Aria flinched. Luke felt a strange sense of satisfaction and discomfort at the same time at her expression, which clearly showed she was hurt.
Why he felt that way was something he couldn’t understand yet.
[This is the timeline separator]
It was before dawn the next day.
A carriage carrying two young masters of the Rothwell Count family departed vigorously.
“Drive as fast as you can. I don’t care if it’s against etiquette. It’s an urgent matter.”
Hearing the eldest young master’s threat, the coachman drove the carriage at an insanely fast speed. As a result, the two arrived at Duke Lisianthus’s mansion before eight o’clock in the morning.
Dalton the gatekeeper, who was yawning, was startled to see the approaching carriage.
With the silhouette of a black hunting dog, the symbol of the Rothwell Count family, embossed in huge size, there was no way he couldn’t recognize it, having worked at the duke’s mansion for a long time.
“Young masters, what brings you here at dawn?”
“We wish to see His Grace the Duke right now. It’s an urgent matter, so inform him of our arrival immediately.”
They had rarely come to the duke’s mansion since Elodie died, but they were still the elder brothers of the former duchess. Dalton immediately informed the duke of their visit.
The duke, who they thought would be flustered, was very calm. Luke muttered in front of Dalton.
“They came later than I expected.”
“Pardon?”
“Show them to the reception room. I’ll be there right away.”
*
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[su_service title=”Men In The Royal Harem All Yearn For Her (Female-dominant)” icon=”icon: star-o” size=”16″][/su_service]
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem…
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Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
[su_heading] NOTE: You’re bound to regret it if you skip this novel. Read the review & spoiler to find out what you might be missing!
Link to read the Review & Spoiler
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