Gastone’s eyes bulged after hearing what Draco had said. "What? Y-your mother?" he stuttered in disbelief.
Rocco, the previous King, kept the identity of Draco’s mother a secret, and those who knew her were kept silent.
"Yes..." Draco replied softly; sadness was seen in his eyes.
Gastone’s brows furrowed in confusion. "How can you be sure these are made by your mother?" he asked. In his mind, many painters in the Palace could have created those paintings.
"Well, look," Draco stated, pointing at the na sketched at the edge of the portraits.
"G...e?" Gastone tried to read the na, but most of it was unreadable due to its age. His eyes scanned the other portraits, which contained the sa letters. "Do you even know what your mother’s na is?"
"Haha, I didn’t know at first, but I do now. Co with ," Draco said excitedly. He walked quickly to the other side, going to another hallway. He stopped before a massive painting of a young woman dressed in a simple yet elegant gown.
Gastone followed behind and saw the painting. The woman had long, black hair and baby-blue eyes. He frowned because she looked familiar, but he couldn’t pinpoint where he saw her.
"This is your mother?" Gastone asked, glancing at Draco, who was staring at the portrait.
"Yes, I knew it was her after seeing the letter behind this portrait, but you don’t need to see it. However, it contains such sweet words from Rocco and how much he adored her," Draco explained with a smile, but his eyes showed how much hurt he was feeling at the mont.
Gastone remained silent for a couple of seconds. He could understand Draco since he didn’t know who his real father was yet, but he was not interested in knowing him at all.
"Basically, this painting was done by Rocco as a mory of her," Draco continued and sighed deeply.
Gastone noticed how Draco addressed Rocco with his na, not " father." He wanted to ask the reason for it but decided it wasn’t his business anymore.
"I see. He must have missed her a lot," Gastone replied. Eyeing the signature on the side, he saw Rocco’s na, a sign that he had made it.
"Yes, maybe. I don’t know, and I still don’t understand their story," Draco shook his head. He was still disappointed in his father for completely abandoning his true mate for the sake of status and the crown to the throne.
"Do you have any information about your mother? Maybe you can start searching for her," Gastone said, hoping he could help at all.
"Haha, I wish it was that easy, but no. There’s no information or even a hint as to where she is right now or if she’s still alive. It’s frustrating!" Draco’s voice rose as frustration hit him. He had been researching about his mother, but it all ca to a dead end.
"But do you at least know her na?" Gastone pressed further.
"Ah... yes. That’s all the lead I have, thanks to these portrait’s signatures," Draco chuckled, looking into another painting made by his mother.
"That’s good already. What’s her na?" Gastone asked, curious to know what it was.
Draco paused for a mont, staring into space as he recalled the ti he had known his mother’s na. It was sweet and bitter at the sa ti. "Giselle..." he whispered.
Gastone’s whole body froze as goosebumps traveled through his skin. "What did you say?" he asked, hoping he was mishearing it.
"My mother’s na is Giselle," Draco repeated softly.
Gastone’s breath hitched. He stared at Draco as if he had just uttered a forbidden word. "Giselle? Are you absolutely certain?" His voice trembled slightly, his usual composure unraveling.
Draco tilted his head, frowning at Gastone’s reaction. "Yes, why? Do you know her?"
Gastone quickly masked his unease, though the corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily. "No, no... It’s just... a coincidence. The na sounded familiar. That’s all." He forced a nervous laugh, turning away from Draco’s sharp gaze.
Draco narrowed his eyes. "Gastone, you’re a terrible liar. If you know sothing, tell ."
"I don’t!" Gastone snapped, his voice firr than intended. He rubbed the back of his neck and exhaled. His mind went back to the old woman he had t in the human realm, Giselle, the owner of the Orphanage where Lucia was from.
Draco crossed his arms, studying Gastone’s jittery deanor. He had known the man long enough to tell when sothing was off.
"You’re hiding sothing, Gastone. If you know anything about my mother, I need to know. Please," Draco’s voice cracked slightly, betraying his vulnerability.
Gastone sighed heavily. "Draco... even if I did know sothing, the truth might not bring you the peace you’re looking for. So stories are better left untold."
Draco’s fists clenched. "That’s not your decision to make. You don’t understand what it’s like to grow up surrounded by whispers and shadows, never knowing who your own mother was. I need to know— good or bad."
Gastone hesitated. He wanted to tell Draco about Giselle in the human world, who also turned out to be a werewolf. However, he was unsure if it was a good idea to tell Draco about it.
"Gastone..." Draco’s voice sounded pleading, urging Gastone to tell him.
Gastone sighed. His eyes stared at the portrait of Giselle, Draco’s mother. The more he stared, the more familiar he beca with her.
"Now that I look closely. They look the sa, but she was older now," Gastone whispered, finally seeing the similarity, especially the eyes.
"Gastone... please, tell whatever you know. I will reward you," Draco stated, stepping closer and holding Gastone’s hand. "Please."
Gastone’s head snapped at Draco. He knew Draco was desperate to know anything about his mother, but his action made Gastone cringe.
"Fine, but I don’t need any reward. However, you have to promise one thing— you won’t act recklessly. Understand?" Gastone stated, swiftly removing his hand from Draco’s grasp.
Draco nodded, his heart pounding. "I promise."
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