Duke and Duchess Reunion - Chapter 74

Chapter 74

Aneta returned to work at the royal palace on the fifteenth day since her return to the capital.

Due to the widespread knowledge of her ordeal, everyone she encountered greeted her with concerned expressions and inquiries about her well-being.

Though she couldn’t know what they were truly thinking, Aneta responded briefly before moving past them.

The same scenario repeated itself several times on her way from the main gate of the palace to Lennox. After just a few steps, someone would stop her, and then another person would do the same after a few more steps.

Although it was quite bothersome to keep stopping, she didn’t want to go back to the mansion.

Under Isabel’s strict supervision, she had spent most of her time confined to her bed.

Even this morning, Isabel had subtly suggested postponing her return to work, but Aneta ignored it and refused.

‘I need to show that I’ve returned to normal to end this situation where people treat me like fragile glass.’

Though she regretted it upon waking up due to her disrupted sleep pattern, the fresh morning air quickly cleared her mind.

‘It was a good idea to come out.’

Aneta took a deep breath, savoring the morning scent she hadn’t experienced in a while. The cool air filled her lungs, clearing her head.

Aneta walked with a surprisingly light step toward Lennox. Upon reaching the office, she knocked and entered to find Carlos waiting for her.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Aneta.”

Having stayed by Aneta’s side almost constantly at the Adenauer Marquisate, Carlos greeted her as if welcoming a lover he hadn’t seen in a long time.

He was holding some papers, indicating he had been reading something.

“I’m back. What were you reading so intently? ”

Aneta glanced at what Carlos was holding. It didn’t seem like official documents.

“It’s a newspaper. Someone sent it here, and there’s an article about you.”

“About me? That shouldn’t be the case.”

Aneta tilted her head, trying to recall any recent events that would warrant an article. She couldn’t think of any.

“Please tell me it’s not an article about the kidnapping.”

Given the time that had passed, it wouldn’t be surprising if that story was still being milked. Aneta frowned, and Carlos spread the newspaper on the table before him.

“No, it’s not. Come here and see for yourself.”

“What is it? ”

Aneta approached Carlos and looked at the table. She didn’t need to read anything else; her name was clearly in the article’s headline.

“Scandal Surrounding Aneta Adenauer Marquis Unfounded, Purely Fabricated.”

Aneta reached out and picked up the newspaper. The journalist who wrote the article was directly refuting the scandal against her.

Emphasizing that it was a malicious rumor, the journalist also included testimonies that Aneta had supported various artists in the same manner.

“Madame Lefevra and your other beneficiaries have come forward as witnesses.”

According to Carlos, the journalist had gone out to find witnesses personally. The testimonies collected served as evidence that Aneta had not given special treatment to the painter Ellen.

Among them, Lefevra briefly explained why Aneta had first decided to support a male painter. Something Aneta once confided in Lefevra convinced the public of her innocence.

The most assertive witnesses were those who had seen the painting hanging at the Adenauer Marquisate before Elena’s death.

Encouraged by Lefevra, they claimed Aneta’s innocence after viewing the painting released by Ellen. The two painters’ styles were so similar that even someone unfamiliar with art could easily recognize the resemblance.

During the time Aneta was resting, the scandal that surrounded her quickly subsided.

“The trial will soon reveal that the rumors are baseless, so it’s only a matter of time before I’m cleared of these accusations.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Aneta felt satisfied as she checked the journalist’s name. As she had suspected when she confirmed that the newspaper was published by Hermione, the article was written by Rita.

“So the newspaper was sent by Rita?”

“It seems so. There was a note attached as well.”

Carlos handed over a note that read, “This is a small way to repay your kindness.” Despite the gesture, Aneta didn’t feel like she had done anything particularly generous for Rita.

Determined to reciprocate any help received, she set the newspaper aside and watched as Carlos, who had briefly left his seat, returned with something in hand.

The brown bottle he held was quite familiar to her.

“And this is your medication. The physician said you ran out last night and sent more.”

“I thought I was done with this medication.”

“The physician advised you to keep taking it until this bottle is empty, just to be safe. I hope you’ll listen to the doctor’s orders.”

The doctor had left the Adenauer mansion three days ago to return to his original position.

Aneta thought about how she needed to repay not only Rita but also him as she looked at Carlos.

He had already opened the medicine bottle and was measuring out the dose that Aneta needed with a spoon.

“You make it hard to be a good adult by showing up like a ghost whenever it’s time for my medication.”

“You’re particularly irresponsible when it comes to your health. Since I want to live a long, happy life with you, I have to take care of you.”

Carlos was more diligent about Aneta’s medication than she was. Watching him mix the medicine with water, she understood why the physician had entrusted the bottle to Carlos instead of her.

“Here, drink this.”

Aneta glanced down at the glass handed to her. The dark, almost black liquid exuded a bitter smell that hinted at its taste. She brought the glass to her lips and grimaced at the bitterness.

However, Carlos, seeing her furrowed brow, urged her on with a determined look.

“You have to drink it all, Aneta.”

Isabel and Carlos, usually gentle with her, became unusually strict about this. Knowing they wouldn’t relent, Aneta had no choice but to gulp down the bitter medicine, which tasted worse than the poison she had ingested a few days ago.

As soon as she finished, Carlos promptly handed her a glass of water.

Aneta rinsed her mouth thoroughly before speaking.

“No matter how many times I take it, I can never get used to the taste.”

Could anyone ever get used to such a dreadful taste? She clicked her tongue in distaste at the sight of the nearly full bottle.

After taking the medicine, they each worked on their paperwork. Most of Aneta’s tasks had been completed before her abduction, so there wasn’t much left. She quickly finished the dozen or so documents and looked up.

She found Carlos, who had already finished his work, watching her with his chin resting on his hand.

Wondering why she hadn’t noticed his intense gaze earlier, she finally spoke.

“Why are you staring at me like that? ”

“Because you’re beautiful.”

Carlos’s straightforward compliment made Aneta feel bashful.

“And because I still can’t believe what you said to me.”

“Does it still not feel real to you?”

“Would you make it real for me?”

“Are you serious, again?”

Aneta recalled how Carlos constantly asked for the same thing whenever he was by her side.

“Yes, that. Say it again.”

As expected, Carlos looked at her with hopeful eyes.

The words Carlos wanted to hear were the same ones he had repeatedly asked her to say whenever he was near.

Each time, Aneta obliged.

“I like you.”

“Just one more time.”

“I like you, Carlos.”

Carlos didn’t take his eyes off Aneta’s lips as she spoke. It was as if he wanted to memorize how her lips moved when she expressed her affection for him.

Some might laugh at how delighted he was over such simple words, but to him, Aneta’s feelings were anything but simple. No matter how many times he heard it, the words thrilled him, and he wanted to hear them over and over again without any embellishment.

Aneta didn’t need to ask if he liked hearing it; she could see the answer in the way his lips curled upward uncontrollably.

Encouraged by his reaction, Aneta spoke with more sincerity.

“I love you.”A deep, overwhelming emotion washed over her.

She had always thought they were parallel lines that could never meet and that they should never meet. All they could do was move forward together towards the same goal.

But those lines had shifted. He had reached out endlessly towards her, and her heart had been colored by him.

The line she had drawn had bent towards him, running relentlessly and unhesitatingly.

How could she deny a heart that was more desperate than her breath? Aneta realized that her feelings for Carlos were growing deeper with every moment.

Carlos, who had been frozen in shock, stood up with a heart full of emotion. He approached Aneta and placed his hand on the armrest of her chair, lowering himself to her level.

He gazed at her with the most loving eyes and confessed.

“I love you. I love you more deeply than I love myself. But I will love you even more tomorrow than today, and more the day after tomorrow than tomorrow. I believe the reason I’ve lived my life was to meet you and to love you.”

Carlos’s love for Aneta was never trivial. It was a love that grew heavier day by day, sometimes painfully so, but he embraced that pain as part of his love.

That was his love. heavy love that made him want to endure.

“I will strive to become someone you can love without any worries. I swear I will never make you feel anxious or neglect you just because I have won your heart. So please, just stay by my side.”

Carlos had the confidence that he could give Aneta an even deeper love now that she trusted him and gave him her heart. His earnest feelings were conveyed to Aneta without a doubt.

“No, you don’t need to make any effort. You already are that person to me.”

How could she not believe in someone who had always confessed his love honestly and consistently? Aneta placed her hand over his.

In the end, the two lines overlapped, but she had no regrets.