Aria almost burst out laughing at the sight of the mother and son bickering again. The corners of her mouth twitched subtly.

But she couldn’t leave them like this. Above all, she had to explain why the schedule was delayed by a day.

Aria removed her hand from Bonita’s head and explained with an apologetic expression.

“I’m sorry. It was raining too hard last night, so they said it would be difficult for the carriage to depart. Fortunately, the weather cleared up in the morning.”

When they were about to return after the social gathering ended yesterday, it suddenly started pouring as if the sky had been punctured.

It wasn’t a big problem for other nobles to return home. Most of their residences were not far from the marquis’s mansion in the capital.

However, the Lisianthus duchy was located in the southernmost part of the kingdom. It took several hours by carriage, and there were many unpaved roads along the way. If they weren’t careful, the carriage wheels could get stuck in the middle and be unable to move.

With no other choice, Aria was about to look for lodging nearby. That is, until Hazel made an offer first.

“Why don’t you stay overnight? Our children seem to want to play more with the young lady too.”

“…Should we?”

Aria didn’t particularly refuse Hazel’s kindness.

Moreover, even if the other didn’t recognize her, Hazel was one of Aria’s precious friends. It wouldn’t hurt to spend a little more time together.

When the marchioness gave permission, the three brothers were delighted. Derek exclaimed with a bright face.

“Wow, that’s great!”

“Ahem, I’ll show you around our mansion. The inside is splendid, not just the garden.”

“Stay with me instead of my brothers. They’re noisy, and we’re the same age anyway.”

The three brothers seemed to have taken quite a liking to Bonita. Hazel, in particular, seemed a bit surprised by the unusually enthusiastic Cassis and said:

“It’s the first time Cassis has shown interest in a child his age. He must like you, young lady.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Actually, Cassis takes after my personality a lot. So I was a bit worried…”

Unlike the two children who resembled Hazel’s gentle exterior and the marquis’s strangely innocent personality, Cassis was the opposite, with a prickly appearance and personality.

His mind was also precocious for his age, perhaps taking after Hazel.

Hazel looked at Cassis holding Bonita’s hand and smiled somewhat nostalgically.

Regardless of the questionable actions of the ducal family, seeing a daughter who was the spitting image of her friend standing next to her own son brought back old memories.

She also wondered what it would have been like if she had been close to Elodie since childhood. They actually met in their late teens, and now it’s an assumption that can’t be verified, but still.

“Let’s go to the playroom! We have a magic train play set that Dad imported from the Empire!”

“Brother, that’s my gift! Derek, you already got a pony, but you keep playing with my stuff…!”

“Hmph. You’re both too childish. Like kids. Right, Bonita?”

“Um, but we are kids…”

A maid slipped in among the noisy children. With red hair and freckles, she smiled familiarly and said to the children:

“Now, young masters. And young miss. I’ll bring you snacks, so hurry to the playroom.”

“Snacks!”

“I want chocolate cake!”

The four children trailed after the maid who was skilled at caring for children.

And so, the three boys of the marquis’s family and Bonita had an exciting day.

Meanwhile, Aria was able to have various conversations alone with Hazel for the first time in a long while.

“It’s been a while since I invited someone over. …After Elodie died, I didn’t call anyone unless it was absolutely necessary.”

“I see…”

“Yes. I suppose having too many outsiders coming and going isn’t good for the children either.”

Of course, she couldn’t open up like before. Aria had no intention of telling Hazel about her situation.

Hazel also only occasionally brought up topics about Elodie, without prying into how Aria and Bonita had been living.

Though they only repeated superficial conversations, the two got along quite well. It was natural since they were originally close.

Even if one side didn’t know that fact.

Hazel also seemed to feel comfortable with Aria, as her attitude had softened considerably by the time they parted.

“I enjoyed the day, Miss Hilton. Please invite our children to the ducal residence when you have time.”

“Of course!”

It was a very pleasant time.

Spending a day with Hazel, Aria realized anew how exhausted she had been lately.

Being among people who didn’t recognize her and were hostile was more mentally and physically tiring than she thought.

Moreover, they were family she held dear, weren’t they?

She loved them too, and they missed Elodie terribly… yet not being able to approach them was too painful.

The thought that they could never return to those happy times.

But still…

“Tsk. Well, it doesn’t make sense to drive through the rain with such a small and frail child. It would be a disaster if she caught tuberculosis like Elodie.”

Catherine clicked her tongue as she spoke.

Though she was scolding Aria, she too was unable to move due to last night’s rain.

That’s why she couldn’t go pick them up. Especially because of the river surrounding the Lisianthus duchy, driving a carriage in the downpour would have been suicidal.

“You’ve become a bit more honest, Mother?”

“I’ve always been honest!”

Seeing the two of them like this, being at the ducal residence wasn’t entirely painful.

Besides, now she had Bonita too. So, while she might long for the past, she didn’t want to go back to that time.

Because Bonita wasn’t there then.

“Did you enjoy the social gathering, Bonita?”

Luke bent his knee, ignoring his raging mother. His tone was warm as he asked the child.

“Yes…!”

Bonita nodded with a flushed face.

“I saw a gingerbread house, drew pictures, and Cassis, Allen, and Derek showed me around inside the marquis’s mansion. The playroom had magic moving Empire train toys and lots of books. Oh, and balls too. And also…”

Luke looked at Bonita, who was chirping like a little bird, with loving eyes.

He asked:

“Then what was your favorite?”

“Umm…”

Bonita chewed her lip as she pondered.

Every time she did that, the movement of her slightly chubby cheeks was shockingly cute.

“There were lots of paper, paints, and crayons. And canvases too.”

“Canvases?”

Luke asked, puzzled.

There were no separate canvases or sketchbooks in the ducal family’s playroom.

He was planning to bring in new fairy tale books for Bonita and redo the wallpaper, but he hadn’t thought to prepare drawing supplies.

Bonita’s hastily arranged playroom was currently filled with fluffy animal dolls, dainty accessories, and board games that most girls would like.

Aria, standing behind Bonita, quickly whispered to him.

“Your Grace, I have something to tell you about that.”

“What is it?”

“Well, actually…”

Aria hesitated, unsure how to begin.

Though she said she would explain, even she hadn’t imagined Bonita would be so good at drawing.

How embarrassing it was when other ladies showered her with questions about how Bonita started painting, if she taught her directly, or if there was a professional painter instructing her.

It was a sad thing to know nothing about a child she had given birth to.

“We’ll discuss it later.”

Luke said that as she paused momentarily.

He decided to focus on Bonita in front of him rather than Aria.

Luke spread his arms towards Bonita.

It was a signal to come for a hug.

“…?”

However, Bonita didn’t catch that desperate signal.

Seeing her granddaughter’s puzzled face, Catherine mocked her son.

“Hmph. How would the child know if you do that? You’re so clumsy.”

“…I don’t want to hear that from you of all people, Mother.”

Luke glared at Catherine with resentful eyes.

Catherine didn’t even snort at her son’s gaze, and held out her hand to Bonita with a flourish.

“Ahem. Hem!”

She deliberately cleared her throat for show.

“…?”

But Bonita, like before, didn’t catch Catherine’s intention at all.

She just stared blankly with innocent eyes, wondering what on earth this old lady was doing.

Seeing the two hopelessly clumsy mother and son, Aria laughed softly. She decided to help Catherine out of her predicament.

“Bonita.”

Bending her knees slightly and placing a hand on Bonita’s shoulder, she whispered.

“The lady wants to hold your hand. What do you think?”

“Ah…!”

Bonita exclaimed, finally realizing Catherine’s intention.

Bonita blinked her deep pink eyes like a baby rabbit, hesitated for a moment, then carefully reached out her hand. Even that was like a small, wary animal.

Swish.

Bonita’s hand, so small it was like a toy, wrapped around Catherine’s wrinkled index finger.

‘How can a person be this small?’

It was amazing that this warm, tiny hand moved with its own will.

Catherine bit the inside of her mouth hard at that fatally cute sight.

Though she had aged and walked with a cane, Catherine was still well above average height.

As the tall Catherine and the unusually small Bonita walked hand in hand, the servants watching them in the garden all looked at the two with warm expressions.

A close grandmother and grandchild were always heartwarming to see.

‘How cute.’

While Aria was also watching Bonita’s back with warm eyes as she walked, there was one person with a disgruntled expression.

It was Luke.

Aria looked up at his furrowed brow and asked mischievously:

“Your Grace, are you jealous?”