Chapter 24

Vitality drained from Aria’s eyes as she stood there, listening in silence, unable to utter a single word. Witnessing her shell-shocked state, Adrian inwardly ground his teeth, sincerely resenting the fact that the person before him was not a man.

He even felt a flicker of resentment toward his late mother, who had raised him with the teaching that one should not strike a woman or a child even with a flower. Letting out a deep, internal sigh, Adrian called out toward the door.

“Is someone there? Escort Lady Neyno back to the Neyno estate—very slowly, and very kindly.”

“Yes, understood.”

The Neyno town house in Eclipse was to be liquidated regardless. Therefore, she was to be sent by carriage to the Neyno manor built on their remaining scrap of territory. The road there was poorly maintained and would be a jarring, bumpy ride, but Adrian felt no obligation to concern himself with her comfort.

The waiting knights dragged Aria out before she even had a chance to prepare anything. Her maid, who had come with her from her family home, ran after her in tears. Seeing this, Adrian evicted everyone who had arrived with Aria. Those who had been swayed by her influence fared no better; he issued a command that none of them were ever to set foot on Cassius land again.

After a rough cleaning of the estate, Adrian sat in his office to tackle the backlog of work. He suddenly remembered someone and called out:

“Adiel, send in Brown and Baylor from among the staff.”

At Adrian’s command, Adiel immediately brought in Brown, who had been getting a scolding from Jacob behind the mansion, and Baylor, who had been running around busy with errands.

The two looked at Adrian with bewildered faces, unsure of why they were there, and bowed. Adrian stood up from his desk and walked over to them.

“The reason I called you today is… because I am so grateful. Truly, thank you. Because you helped, we were able to save my child.”

“Ah, anyone else would have done the same in our position.”

“No, there were far too many who did not. I am truly, sincerely grateful.”

Had it not been for Brown and Baylor, something terrible would have happened to Raon. To reward the two who had prevented it, Adrian used the authority granted by Adolf to promote them from Grade 3 to Grade 2. He also provided them with a generous monetary bonus.

Brown, whose rank had jumped in an instant, suddenly became the superior of Jacob—the man who had treated him like a servant and bullied him just because he had started working a little earlier. As he put Jacob through the same ringer, Brown thought to himself: ‘I’ve been handsomely rewarded for grabbing onto the strongest, toughest rope in the world—Ms. Ramona’. Brown beamed a bright smile.

“As expected, Big Sister is the best. O Lord, I sincerely thank you for letting me be born in the same era as her!”

Every day was a joy for Brown as he headed home with a grin. It was all thanks to Ramona. Standing before the house of the woman who had brought sunlight into his dark, rat-hole of a life, Brown knocked gently. A small hatch at the bottom of the door opened, and a pink rabbit poked its head out.

“Hey, Toto! Long time no see. When did you get back?”

At Brown’s greeting, Toto’s nose twitched before it ducked back inside, and the door opened immediately.

“Uncle Brown!”

Seeing the familiar face, Raon lunged into his arms without hesitation. In the mansion, Brown was a presence Raon couldn’t even look up to, but here, he picked up the boy who had simply become the child next door.

“How have you been? You’re not hurting anymore, right?”

“Yes!”

As he stepped inside carrying the energetic Raon, Anna—who had already grabbed a spoon—gave him a bright smile.

“I love that you’re coming home on the dot lately. We can actually eat together.”

“Yeah, it’s all thanks to Big Sister.”

Before, he had to walk on eggshells even when leaving on time, but now he didn’t care about anyone’s opinion. Even Adiel, the head butler, had adjusted the schedule specifically so Brown could leave promptly.

“Uncle Brown, is my Daddy still busy today?”

“Yes, he’s very busy.”

“Mmm… I’ve slept three nights, so there are two left…”

Seeing Raon pout slightly, Brown laughed and pulled something out of his bag. It was a letter and a box Adrian had sent for Ramona and Raon.

“And this is for you, Big Sister. The Young Duke sent it.”

“I’ll open that later after we eat. Since you’re here, let’s eat together. Raon, you can read the letter after dinner.”

Ramona had prepared a feast so grand the table seemed ready to snap. The sight made everyone’s mouth water. Even Toto stopped nibbling his greens and twitched his nose.

“Let’s eat!”

Once Ramona picked up her utensils and took the first bite, Brown and Anna ate while looking after Raon as they usually did. Since they shared meals like this often, having the child there was no inconvenience at all. After everyone was full, Anna and Brown volunteered for the dishes, while Raon brought a cloth to wipe the table.

“Toto, don’t be grumpy. That’s not something rabbits should eat.”

Raon comforted Toto, who was lying dejectedly on his cushion, before tearing open his letter.

“Our little prince, what did Daddy write in the letter?”

“Um, it says to eat well and stay healthy. To listen to Mommy… and that he’ll be here after two more sleeps.”

Ramona stroked the head of the beaming Raon. Once Anna and Brown headed back to their house, she finally opened her box. Inside the black box was a smaller case and a letter.

The letter began by saying he would return soon and asked her to look after the child, followed by repeated expressions of gratitude on behalf of his family. Folding the business-like letter, she opened the small case inside. Within it lay a necklace that looked quite expensive.

It featured three layered, delicate gold chains of varying lengths, with twelve different gemstones crafted into the links. Beneath the necklace, which looked like it was decorated with birthstones, was a small note.

「I wanted to give you a meaningful gift, so I chose birthstones. However, since I did not know your birthday, after consulting with Raon, we decided to use all twelve. Please, for the sake of Raon’s and my sincerity, I hope you do not return this necklace.」

Recalling how she had rejected the box full of gold coins last time, Ramona shook her head at his tactic of framing it as a gift chosen with Raon. Since she had no memory of her past, she had chosen an arbitrary birthday and never held celebrations.

“Something like this couldn’t possibly suit me…”

Even when she lived in Baron Grace’s estate, she had never worn such flashy jewelry. It wasn’t that the Baron hadn’t given her any; he gifted her extravagant pieces every season, but she never wore them. Though they were items given by the person who saved her life, the thought that she must not be extravagant always lingered in her mind.

Feeling as though someone were whispering mocking words to her, Ramona never wore even basic accessories.

“Jewelry like this in a neighborhood like this… it doesn’t fit at all. I definitely shouldn’t wear it. It stands out. If I show this off anywhere, thieves will break in immediately, and that would put Raon in danger.”

The jewelry of a noblewoman with sturdy guards invites envy. But jewelry worn by a commoner with no means of protection invites jealousy—and if that leads to thieves, it would be bad for the child. Fearing harm might come to the boy, Ramona simply stared at the necklace for a long time. Stroking the twelve small birthstones, she gave a short laugh.

“I wonder which one is my real birthstone.”

Ramona, who couldn’t even remember a birthday that everyone else had, closed the necklace case.

“A gift beyond one’s station struggles to shine; I’ve received something unnecessary.”

It was a gift from Young Duke Cassius that she couldn’t even show off to others. To Ramona, the shining metal—which she dared not sell—was reduced to something of no practical value.

“Toto, that’s not for eating.”

Toto, who had been hovering around the box, twitched his nose and tapped it with his front paw. When the box failed to move, his interest waned, and he quietly snuggled into Ramona’s lap. Placing Toto on her lap, Ramona reached into her basket of sewing supplies, pulled out a few items, and began to work. Though the sun vanished and moonlight took its place, Ramona did not stop her task.