Chapter 14

Shrugging her shoulders, Ramona looked at Aria and covered her nose with a handkerchief.

“I don’t believe this is a conversation to be having in front of a child.”

‘If she has a brain, she really ought to use it once in a while,’ Ramona thought.

Even if she was a noble and the boy wasn’t her own blood—meaning she only cared for herself—this was still going too far. It would be understandable if her head was so empty it was pristinely devoid of thought, but this was ridiculous.

Though she had spoken it as a “mumble” to herself, there wasn’t a soul nearby who didn’t hear it. Even the servants were incensed by the suggestion of adopting another child when there was already a legitimate heir, though they couldn’t show it.

Hearing Ramona’s mutterings, however, felt like a breath of fresh air. It was like drinking a glass of ice-cold, extra-fizzy soda on a hot day.

“No matter how uneducated you are, do you really not know when to stay out of a conversation?” Aria snapped.

“That’s not true. My mom is super smart. She taught me, and my tutors said I was very well-learned,” the child interjected. Whoever raised him certainly taught him to speak well.

“Ramona, was it? Seeing you, I can tell exactly how you’ve raised this child. Interjecting while adults are talking at every turn…”

Aria, who had been relaying the “troubles” she’d had with Raon to Ramona, let out a scoffing laugh.

“Aria, that’s enough.”

Adrian finally cut in, unable to listen any longer. No matter how much his son might have been in the wrong, Aria’s constant nitpicking of the child was starting to grate on his nerves.

“Is the blood thicker than water, then? Regardless, I’ve given my opinion, and I trust the Young Duke will agree with me.”

Seeing Aria being so unyielding this time, Adrian let out a deep, internal sigh. They say the human heart is fickle.

Before Raon was found, he had been so grateful and fond of Aria for saying she would marry him even though he couldn’t have children. But now that Raon was found and she was still insisting on adoption, it was starting to sound like a threat.

“To an outsider, it might look like you’re trying your hardest to adopt your own biological child,” Ramona remarked.

Her words were like a pebble thrown into a pond, the ripples spreading to every corner of the dining room. At the sight of Aria so stubbornly demanding an adoption despite there being a legitimate heir, several servants instinctively narrowed their eyes.

“Ms. Ramona, I think that’s a bit of an overreach.”

“Is it? Young Duke, Lady Neyno, my apologies. I spoke too far.”

Seeing Ramona apologize so readily to Adrian’s intervention, Aria’s expression hardened completely.

“Still, if you absolutely must adopt, why not choose a child from one of the branch families instead of one Lady Neyno picked out? That would certainly lessen the number of people who share the same suspicion I first mentioned.”

With a bright smile, Ramona turned her attention to Raon as the meal was brought in.

“Mom, this is delicious. Hurry and try some!”

Raon cut a piece of meat and placed it on Ramona’s plate, smiling radiantly.

“Wow! Is it because Raon gave it to me? It tastes even better than yesterday. Our little ‘Ugly Prince’ should eat up too. Here, say ‘ah’!”

She cut a piece into a child-friendly size and fed it to him directly. Watching him nibble away was simply adorable. In the midst of the heavy silence, only Ramona and Raon’s conversation bloomed. Since there were no formal etiquette rules forbidding talking during a meal, Aria could only watch them in silence.

As soon as the incredibly uncomfortable meal ended, Aria informed Adrian she would be having tea in her room and stormed out.

Skipping the tea time, Ramona stood up first to pack her things. Raon and Adrian followed her.

“I’m sorry for ruining the atmosphere of the meal,” she said.

“It’s alright. Lady Aria was also at fault for bringing up the topic of adoption when you, the one who raised our Raon, were right there.”

“Thank you for understanding. But… do you really plan on going through with the adoption? If that’s the case…”

“I don’t care! If Dad adopts another kid, I’m leaving this place to live with Mom!”

This was a place where he was kept warm and well-fed, where he wore fine clothes, and where his every word was a command. Seeing Raon smile as he declared he’d give all that up to live with Ramona, Adrian shook his head slightly.

“Unfortunately, Raon, I don’t think you’ll get your wish. Your grandfather has a rather formidable personality, and he would never agree to an adoption when he has a biological grandson.”

The current head of the family was Adrian’s father. Therefore, no matter if he was the successor to the Duchy, he had to follow the head’s orders.

As his hope vanished, Raon looked at Ramona with big, watery eyes as she prepared to leave. Seeing the gaze that seemed to beg her to take him with her, Ramona stroked the child’s face.

“Our Ugly Prince promised to listen to me, right?”

“…Yes.”

Raon answered weakly, his head drooping.

“If Raon keeps acting like this, I don’t think I can come back next time. Won’t you send Mom off with a smile? That way, I can leave with a happy heart.”

“Then… will you come again next time?”

“Yes. If you listen to your dad and stay brave and healthy, I’ll come again.”

Only after she promised to return did Raon finally let go of her. Feeling as though she had forcibly torn the child away, Ramona didn’t say a word the entire carriage ride back.

“Thank you so much for raising the child so well. I don’t think I could ever thank you enough.”

Though she had once been Baroness Grace, she was now a commoner who had to work to make a living. It couldn’t have been easy for such a woman to raise a fatherless child alone. On top of that, Adrian was truly grateful that she had provided Raon with an ample education.

“It was only natural. I didn’t want to see Raon growing up to be an ordinary man living as a farmer. I taught him in the hopes that he wouldn’t have to live like I do.”

Thinking that learning something might be useful later, she had him study various things instead of putting him to work. She believed that even if it was hard now, the day would come when he realized his studies hadn’t been in vain.

“I see. Truly, thank you. Oh, and… I’m very sorry to ask this, but Raon mentioned that you’ve lost your memory…”

“Ah, Raon really told you everything, didn’t he? Yes, it’s true. I don’t remember the past. To be precise, I have no memories prior to going to the Grace Barony.”

When she woke up at the Grace Barony, Ramona’s mind was a complete blank. In the midst of that, the only thing she remembered clearly was her own name.

“If you wish, we would like to help you find your memories. Your family might be looking for you desperately…”

“That won’t be happening. Never.”

Ramona, who had been talking with an awkward smile, suddenly had a sharp look in her eyes. According to Andrew, she had been sweeping away in a torrent on a rainy day—without even waving a hand for help.

Seeing her drowning, Andrew had tied a rope to himself and jumped into the rapids. Because he had risked his life to save her, Ramona had stepped aside immediately when she found out Andrew had another woman.

He had risked his life to save her; what wouldn’t she do for him?

“Didn’t you say you took Raon in because you wanted a family?”

“I needed a new family, not an old one.”

If she had a family, she felt she wouldn’t have been living alone like this until now. Or, perhaps she had a family that was better off without, so she intentionally hadn’t looked for them. She gave a bitter smile at the thought.

Then, suddenly snapping back to the present, she spoke to Adrian.

“Young Lady Neyno… since she’s your fiancée, I won’t say anything too harsh, but… you should keep a very close eye on her.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what I said. And no matter what happens, please protect our Raon. So that he doesn’t get hurt.”

He was a child she had raised and protected since their time at the Grace Barony. Even though he was now the heir to a famous Duchy and under their care, she couldn’t help but feel anxious. Even now, it pained her to think of Raon living as an unwanted nuisance at the Grace Barony, always walking on eggshells.

“Don’t worry about that. He is my child; I will protect him. And there are many people there to protect him as well.”

Whether those “protectors” were truly Adrian’s people or spies planted by Aria, there was no way to know. But saying anything more would be interfering in their internal affairs, so Ramona held her tongue and stepped back.

The carriage came to a halt, and Ramona stepped out before Adrian could even reach for her hand.

“Hurry back to the child. Well then, I’ll take my leave. See you next time.”

Ramona closed the carriage door and signaled the coachman. The carriage then headed back the way it came. Watching the carriage slowly recede under the escort of the knights, she muttered to herself.

“Now that I’ve given him the hint, unless he’s become brain-dead on the battlefield, he’ll do some thinking.”

That was as much as Ramona could do in that house. Just because she had raised the child didn’t mean she could get deeply involved when she wasn’t part of the family. That was the line she had drawn for herself. The moment she crossed that line, there was no telling what kind of storm might break loose.