Why the Northern Duke Wanders the Snowfields - Chapter 62

“You look tired for some reason.”

Under Agnes’s concerned gaze, Aubrianna felt needlessly embarrassed, said she was fine, and took a sip of tea.

“I know. Kaeloc and I are the ones who actually went riding, yet we’re perfectly fine….”

That was true. Kaeloc’s face practically glowed with a healthy sheen.

With a light movement, Aileen popped a piece of fruit into her mouth and chewed, then offered some to Kaeloc. At the sight of how extremely intimate they seemed, Aubrianna subtly turned her head away and fiddled with the lace scarf wrapped around her neck.

“Wear this when you go. Lunch is being held in the garden, so it should be fine.”

Once Aubrianna actually took the scarf, she realized there were so many marks on her neck that she felt embarrassed to face the young Renee.

“Thank you.”

“Please stop speaking so formally to me. You’re the mother who gave birth to Young Master.”

Apparently uncomfortable with it all this time, Renee finally spoke her mind.

But Aubrianna was still a maid. So she couldn’t speak casually to Renee, who was the daughter of a baron.

With a sorrowful smile on her lips, Aubrianna put off answering and attended the lunch Agnes had invited her to.

“It’s nice eating out in the garden like this. The weather has really warmed up.”

Aileen enjoyed the spring breeze as she put a small finger food into her mouth. Aubrianna silently rolled a nut back and forth with her fork.

“It has.”

Kaeloc agreed as he slowly stroked the round dining table.

“We studied here yesterday, and maybe because the sunlight was so nice, everything went straight into my head.”

Whoosh.

Aubrianna’s cheeks flushed scarlet. The spot Kaeloc was stroking was exactly where she had spread her legs and taken him yesterday.

It was fortunate that the tablecloth covered it. Otherwise, traces of what she’d spilled might still have been there.

The thought alone was so embarrassing that she squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again.

“Oh! It seems Theo has woken up.”

At Agnes’s words, Aubrianna turned her head and saw Renee approaching with Theo in her arms, rubbing his eyes. Aubrianna hurriedly stood and took Theo into her arms.

“Uppaam.”

His babbling was still incomprehensible, but his hand naturally reached toward her breast.

“He must be thirsty after waking from his nap.”

At Kaeloc’s words, Agnes smiled and stood, telling her to feed him comfortably.

Aileen glanced sullenly at Aubrianna holding the baby, then got up at Agnes’s suggestion and walked through the garden with her.

Once they disappeared from sight, Aubrianna pulled aside the loose fabric over the chest of her dress and drew Theo closer.

“I haven’t liked the recent fashion, but it certainly looks convenient for nursing.”

“That’s true.”

Otherwise, she had to wear a dress with buttons, and in that case, it was troublesome having to undo each button one by one while the hungry baby fussed for food.

Perhaps he saw something else fascinating now that they were outside, because the baby’s face was filled with curiosity. Theo seemed to nurse for a moment before soon spitting out her nipple and looking around.

“Now that he’s eating baby food these days, he doesn’t nurse very much anymore.”

As soon as Kaeloc finished speaking, his hand grasped her exposed breast.

“Kaeloc!”

Startled, she called his name in a low voice, but Kaeloc paid no attention. He kneaded it as if savoring its soft weight and smooth flesh, then pinched and toyed with the nipple where milk still clung.

Aubrianna bit her lip and glared at him, but Kaeloc merely smiled shamelessly, withdrew his hand, and licked his wet fingers with his tongue.

“It’s still this sweet, though.”

If no one were here, I’d suck it instead.

At the man’s whisper, Aubrianna hurriedly pulled her dress back into place. Soon Theo began squirming as if he wanted to get up, and Kaeloc lifted the baby into his arms.

“All right, all right. Shall we go look at some flowers and trees? A man, you see, has to know how to appreciate flowers. That way, he can give them as gifts to the woman he loves.”

With that, he winked at Aubrianna and disappeared with the baby in his arms.

‘The woman he loves.’

Agnes had generously told them they could pick the beautiful flowers in the greenhouse whenever they wanted.

But Kaeloc always visited Aubrianna’s room carrying armfuls of flowers, as though he truly intended to pick every flower in the greenhouse. Thanks to that, her room was always filled with fragrant flowers.

Was that Kaeloc’s way of conveying his feelings to her?

If so, should she be able to tolerate that sight a little more?

Aubrianna found herself looking at the faces of the people returning together.

Agnes, who had initially treated Lady Lott coldly, had grown familiar enough to call her Aileen. Even Aileen, speaking to Theo in Kaeloc’s arms, wore such an affectionate expression that they almost looked like one family.

Aubrianna rested her arm on the chair and waited until they reached the table.

“Aileen, you really do like babies.”

“I’ve always wanted to marry young and have lots of children.”

Her gaze was different from when she first saw Theo.

“But….”

Aileen’s gaze turned toward Aubrianna.

“Did you know? There’s been a huge controversy in the capital lately because so many cuckoo chicks have been turning up.”

“Cuckoo chicks?”

Renee, who had been given permission to join them for the meal, asked as she took a bite of a small cookie.

“I heard that recently, some mistresses of older nobles have given birth to illegitimate children with completely different hair and eye colors, then demanded that the men take responsibility, sometimes even going so far as to demand marriage.”

Older nobles referred to those who had lost their spouses, married off all their children, and taken mistresses out of loneliness. If a mistress stayed by such a man’s side until his death, she could inherit a great deal of wealth, so many young women sought such arrangements.

“Oh my!”

Renee covered her mouth in surprise, and Aileen asked, “You said the baby’s name is Theo, right? His eyes are such a beautiful sky blue.”

Her expression was openly mocking.

Aubrianna clenched her fists.

‘How dare she.’

She could endure being insulted as a whore. But she couldn’t tolerate Theo being insulted.

Just as her delicate fingertips turned white,

“Thank you.”

Kaeloc gave a faint laugh as he looked into Theo’s eyes.

“That was my mother’s eye color.”

At Kaeloc’s words, Aileen pursed her lips with a flustered expression.

“They’re the eyes of my beloved friend, Aileen.”

With Agnes joining in as well, Aileen had nothing more to say. She pouted and lifted her teacup.

“She truly was beautiful.”

Watching Agnes sink into her memories, Aubrianna leaned forward.

“How did the two of you become friends?”

She was curious. Kaeloc’s mother….

In all her life, aside from her mother, Aubrianna had rarely met anyone else who knew Blanc Gore.

“We made our social debut together.”

It was a time when she was excited with clumsy anticipation, yet sometimes cried because she wasn’t accustomed to the language of high society.

“I was royalty, so there were plenty of people who treated me well, but Cecilia’s personality was such that… she was always at the center of some commotion.”

“What was her personality like?”

Kaeloc quietly sat down beside her and took her hand. Aubrianna didn’t pull away and held his hand in return.

“She was always full of curiosity and burning with a sense of justice. She was usually quiet, but whenever someone was harmed, she would step forward and try to resolve it herself.”

“She must have been quite the tomboy,” Renee said while drinking warm milk with honey.

“Yes, Renee. She was exactly your age.”

“I’m not a tomboy. I’m very mature.”

Aubrianna nodded in agreement with her protest. Renee was a mature child.

“This baby has Cecilia’s exact hair and eye color. That only makes me miss her more.”

“My goodness! So that’s why the baby is so beautiful.”

Just moments ago, she had treated Theo like a cuckoo chick.

At Agnes’s words, Aileen’s attitude changed completely. She sprang to her feet and approached Theo, who was in Kaeloc’s arms.

“His eyes really are the color of a clear sky after the clouds part following rain.”

Watching Aileen, Kaeloc casually offered, “Would you like to hold him?”

Aileen recoiled in surprise and stepped back. “No. My clothes have too many jewels on them.”

Indeed, her clothes were covered with an excessive number of jewels.

“My, how thoughtful of you. Are you worried Theo might get hurt?”

“No. I’m worried he might pull off my jewels.”

Apparently realizing too late what had slipped out in response to Agnes’s question, Aileen quickly lifted the corners of her mouth into a smile and changed the subject.

“Anyway, it’s fortunate he didn’t inherit Miss Morel’s unusual eye color.”

“I heard many people from Blanc live in the capital these days….”

As the noon sun grew stronger, Aileen put on the hat she had taken off and replied, “When I attended a ball recently, I exchanged greetings with several ladies from Blanc who married Trilan nobles.”

Emphasizing the word ‘ladies’, Aileen lifted her fan and murmured, “Though none of them had red eyes either.”

Then she turned her gaze back to Kaeloc and asked, “Your Grace. You said recently that your memories seemed to be coming back, didn’t you? How is it? Have you remembered anything else?”

Aubrianna’s expression stiffened.

His memories are coming back? Did meeting Lady Lott make him remember something?

Kaeloc slowly raised a hand and stroked his chin.