HAPPILY EVER AFTER(8)
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The attached design depicted a lion’s head with two red gems as its eyes. Like the letter stated, it was a design for the Duke of Taran who represented the Taran family.
Lucia’s heart pounded in her chest as she stared at the familiar brooch design. It brought mories from her dream for the first ti in a long while.
Lucia had lived with the ntally unsound old woman for half a year, then her identity beca the old woman’s daughter, Lucy, around when she held the old lady’s funeral. A long ti had passed since the old woman’s daughter was reported missing, so her daughter’s records were erased due to it being ruled as a death.
When Lucia reported the old woman’s death, she also notified them to withdraw the ruling of the daughter’s death. And at the sa ti, she requested that an altercation be made to her na because it was recorded incorrectly. The similarity between the nas, Lucy and Lucia, allowed for the na change to proceed smoothly.
Using the excuse that her hair had turned white due to an illness, Lucia was given permission to dye her hair black. And so, she succeeded in remaking her identity into a new Lucia, with amber eyes and dark hair.
In order to make a living, she had to work. Lucia didn’t want to spend the rest of her life in the old lady’s old and isolated ho. Even as she feared that soone might be tracking her down, she got a job in a small workshop. And perhaps the workshop’s old mistress noticed Lucia working diligently because half a year later, she said to her:
[I plan on scraping this workshop and moving eastward. Do you have any money saved? I’m thinking of handing it over to you.]
So for the first ti in a long while, Lucia visited the cetery that led to the secret tunnel of the Count Matin residence. She went at dawn, and she made sure there was no one was in sight, several tis. It had been a long ti, but fortunately, the jewelry box she’d hidden was just as she had left it.
After returning to her place, Lucia checked the jewelry box to verify its contents and discovered an ornant that she was seeing for the first ti. It was a man’s brooch in the shape of a lion’s head. She thought about it, over and over again but she couldn’t figure out the source of the item. So eventually, Lucia sold everything in the jewelry box, but she couldn’t sell the brooch.
‘Are the designs the sa?’
She couldn’t be sure because the one in her hand was just a design pattern. Lucia stared at the design for a while, seized with a strange feeling, then she drew up a letter of commission.
* * *
“Milady. The young Miss’ guests are about to leave.”
“Oh, is that so? It’s already gotten so late.”
Lucia stood up, leaving the organization that she was doing alone for the ti being. There weren’t that many letters left anyway. As Evangeline got older, she grew more interested in playing with her friends than being with her mom, so Lucia’s days were relatively relaxed.
“Jero, how is Roxy doing?”
Lucia asked about Jero’s daughter, whose one year old birthday had recently passed. The girl had suddenly gotten a fever last night, so the doctor ca to see her several tis throughout the night.
“When I saw her around lunch, her fever looked like it had gone down a lot.”
“Haven’t you gone since you saw her at lunch?”
Seeing that Jero wasn’t replying, Lucia clicked her tongue. Even after marriage, Jero’s inflexible nature remained the sa. The place wasn’t even far. The building right next door was Jero’s newlywed ho. Even though it had been a while, Lucia was still amazed by the fact that Jero dated sobody and got married.
Jero’s wife, Olga, used to be a newly hired maid in the ducal residence. And she was a woman whom Lucia had a connection with in her dream. When Lucia ran the workshop, Olga was a very sincere and sociable worker she had.
Jero had been receiving employnt applications constantly because of the maids who kept quitting and when Lucia made a short visit to his office, she found a familiar face on one of the applications. So Lucia recomnded Olga. And about a year after Olga was hired, Jero and Olga ca together to see her and told her they would be getting married.
Lucia had absolutely no idea that the two of them were even dating, so she was surprised to hear that Olga was pregnant and when she saw Jero standing with his head bowed, she had burst into laughter.
The empty outbuilding was completely clean and revamped into a ho for the two of them to live in. And nowadays, Olga was ridiculously busy with raising her two children, so she rarely ca to the main house.
“Jero, it will be very hard on Olga to take care of two children when one of them is even sick. Stop here today and go ho.”
“Yes, Milady.”
Lucia left the receiving room to see her daughter’s guest off.
* * *
“I shall be returning as of now. I appreciate your kindness in accommodating again today.”
Prince Ethan, who gave his goodbyes in a mature manner.
“Today was fun. See you tomorrow.”
And the mischievous Jude, whose cheekiness was just like his brother, Chris.
“Thank you for your kind consideration, Duchess.”
Seeing the proud and prim young princess Selena, Lucia smiled pleasantly. They were all lovely children.
“Lady Eve, let’s play together again tomorrow.”
“Oh my, Lady Selena. I wanted to say that first.”
“Like I thought, we definitely have sothing connecting us.”
“It’s because we’re cultured ladies.”
Even though they were imitating noblewon, the two girl’s unique childish voices were unnatural, making it obvious that their conversation was imitating sothing they had heard sowhere.
Lucia desperately tried to hold back her laughter so she wouldn’t hurt the two girls’ feelings. Lately, the two girls were very fascinated by acting as noblewon, so they would have odd conversations with a weird tone.
The way Ethan looked at his sister made it clear he found her acting ridiculous and his snort was quite loud. Selena glared fiercely at Ethan. Then she hmphed and whispered loudly in Evangeline’s ear.
“Lady Eve. A cultured lady should be most careful of idiots like this one.”
“What? Hey! Selena!”
“Look at that. How uncultured.”
Ethan fud but held back when Evangeline’s gaze fell on him. If they were at the palace, he would have grabbed his naughty sister’s hair. Ever since Selena began to speak well, Ethan was slowly realizing that he could never out-speak his sister.
As she watched Ethan sulk with an offended expression, Evangeline smiled sweetly.
“Lady Selena, Sir. Ethan is not an idiot. He is the elder brother of the cultured Lady Selena, is he not? Lady Selena’s elder brother can’t be soone like that.”
Ethan’s expression was awkward as his ears flushed red.
Selena knew that her elder brother was the type to tornt her once they got back to the palace because he was angry, so she was in favor of making him feel better and replied primly.
“Hnn, well, that’s true.”
“Hooh. What of ? How am I?”
Jude butted in. Seeing Jude’s eyes filled with expectation, Evangeline thought for a mont then she said:
“Jude is a good person. You’re nice.”
“Hehe. Then, will you marry later, Eve?”
Lucia’s eyes opened wide and she watched the children’s conversation with rabid interest. Evangeline tilted her head and fell into thought. Lucia, the other children, and even the surround servants, held their breaths as they waited for the girl’s answer.
“The two young masters have returned.”
When a maid ca in and reported this, Evangeline scread ‘Elder brother!’ and ran out, her face gleaming with happiness. Selena, who had been acting like a noble lady, tossed that aside and ran after her at full speed.
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