Chapter 38

Without even having time to drink tea, Harriet headed straight to the place Philomena mentioned. Philomena, who was rummaging through the keys at her waist, took one out, inserted it into the doorknob, and turned it. With a creak, the sound of old hinges folding, the door slowly opened.

“Here it is.”

Philomena, who opened the door, stepped back as if inviting Harriet to look around freely. As soon as she entered the room with excitement, Harriet exclaimed in admiration.

The four walls of the room were covered with portraits. From the people of the Ducal family several generations ago to the present. It was fun to compare the changing styles of the paintings over the ages. Starting with women buttoned up to the neck modestly, as the timeline approached the present, there were women in dresses that boldly exposed their cleavage. Philomena, who straightened her shoulders proudly, kindly explained.

“This is a room that records all the people of the Ducal family for hundreds of years. Not only the direct lineage but also the closest collateral branches have portraits.”

“That’s amazing…….”

Harriet, who honestly admired, was mesmerized by the portraits on the wall. It was a space full of grandeur, elegance, and pride that could not be expressed in words. A room that only a prestigious family with a strong lineage could possess.

“Normally, only one portrait is left when one becomes an adult, but in the case of the successor, records are made from childhood to old age.”

Harriet, who skillfully headed somewhere, politely pointed to one place. Harriet widened her eyes at the portrait she pointed to.

“This is a portrait of the Young Master as a baby.”

In a small frame, about the size of a palm, was a portrait of a newborn baby just making its first movements.

“Normally, they start at around 5 years old and draw at 5-year intervals, but the Master was so delighted when the Young Master was born that he immediately called the family painter to draw it. This is unprecedented.”

Listening to Philomena’s explanation, Harriet unconsciously reached out and touched the baby’s portrait. The baby wrapped in swaddling clothes was undoubtedly Lennox. The cute features with a few strands of blonde hair and a bright smile were definitely him.

“This is the Young Master at about 5 years old.”

Philomena pointed to the portrait next to it. A young boy with bright eyes was sitting on a chair much larger than his own body, looking straight ahead. Although he was dressed splendidly, he couldn’t hide his mischievous expression. Harriet couldn’t help but let out a low laugh.

“Isn’t he adorable? No one could stop the Young Master at that time. He caused trouble every day and ran around the mansion so much that……. We even considered, disrespectfully, whether we should put a leash on him.”

“I understand. Young boys are usually full of energy like raging bulls.”

“Thank you for understanding so generously.”

Philomena, who answered slyly, then showed Lennox at about 10 years old. Harriet, who turned her head with anticipation, was surprised and widened her eyes. It was a portrait with a completely different atmosphere from before. It was certainly the same person, but Lennox at about 10 years old looked expressionless and gloomy. A slightly older boy stood facing forward with a dry face. A sword was strapped to his waist.

Philomena, whose expression also darkened, calmly explained.

“Around this time, the Young Master accidentally learned how his mother passed away. After finding out she died of postpartum fever after giving birth to him, he seemed to think it was his fault and stayed in his room for days, and the atmosphere in the mansion was like a funeral all the time. It was gloomy and dark. He stopped talking and lost his expressions. We were very worried.”

“I see…….”

It was the first time Harriet heard about the Duchess from someone else. Philomena swallowed a bit of saliva in the heavy air and, as if trying to change the mood, energetically introduced the next portrait.

“This one is around 15 years old.”

Though not as bright as at 5 years old, the boy standing in the portrait looked much brighter than at 10 years old. This was the Lennox that Harriet also knew well. She felt as if she had returned to her childhood.

“He brightened up a bit around this time. He didn’t tell us what the reason was, though.”

“I see.”

Either way, it was good that his expression brightened again. Harriet, who smiled silently, looked around for Lennox at around 20 years old.

“Here it is.”

Philomena, seeing her, pointed to the left. Lennox, only a few years younger than now, was sitting in the portrait. He was sitting in a chair at a desk, holding a quill in one hand and looking into the distance as if deep in thought.

Philomena, who softly laughed at Harriet’s silent focus on the painting, followed her gaze to the portrait.

“After this, he refused to have any more portraits painted. I barely persuaded him to have the one at 20 years old done.”

“I see.”

“Not long after that portrait, he went to study abroad. He sent letters occasionally, but he didn’t visit here even during vacations, so we were a bit disappointed.”

“I see…….”

Harriet nodded and noticed something.

“By the way, what is this empty spot?”

In a room filled with portraits, there was a single vacant spot.

“It seems deliberately left empty.”

“Ah.”

Philomena let out a small laugh and smiled.

“That’s where your portrait will go, Young Madam.”

“My…… portrait?”

Surprised, Harriet turned to look at Philomena. With a face that seemed to ask why she was asking the obvious, Philomena added.

“Yes. We paint the portrait of the Duchess even if they are not blood relatives.”

“Ah…….”

Harriet bit her lip and avoided her gaze. She was currently pretending to be Lennox’s wife, but they were to part ways in half a year. Remembering the fact she had momentarily forgotten, she couldn’t meet Philomena’s eyes calmly.

Unaware of Harriet’s thoughts, Philomena, with a dreamy face, murmured further.

“Once the baby is born, there won’t be any more space for portraits here, so I plan to suggest expanding the next room.”

“…….”

“The thought of the two of you having a baby, just imagining it is really…….”

Harriet couldn’t find words and was flustered when someone entered through the open door and interrupted the two.

“Just imagining it is lovely, isn’t it?”

It was Lennox, who had been watching the two women with his arms crossed.

“Our baby, Coco.”

Harriet avoided his gaze instead of answering.

A baby!

It was something she had never thought about. Hearing that word from the man in front of her made her face flush just imagining it.

Ever since they kissed in the cave, her heart raced strangely whenever she saw him, and her body felt hot.

She thought it might be a precursor to a cold since she got caught in the rain, but it wasn’t that either.

“When did you arrive?”

“Just now.”

Lennox, who responded to Philomena’s friendly greeting with a smile, stepped behind Harriet and took her arm. Then, without giving her a chance to avoid it, he made her touch the empty spot.

“Thinking of you being painted there, it really fills a deep place in my heart.”

“Oh, I forgot I had a lot to do. Excuse me, then.”

Philomena, quick-witted, left the newlyweds alone and swiftly exited the room. Harriet, surprised, quickly turned her head.

“Coco.”

Lennox, who embraced her shoulder as if she had no chance of escaping, kissed her on the ear.

“Did you sleep well?”

“You can tell by looking. Let go.”

Her voice came out more indifferent than usual, almost coldly, but her face was bright red. Harriet, who had escaped his grip for fear of revealing her pounding heart, crossed her arms in feigned anger.

“What are you doing right now?”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s too much. Even in front of Philomena.”

Harriet, who cleared her throat, tried to brush past him, but he caught her arm.

“What about the kiss in the cave?”

His eyes, stripped of any laughter, looked down at her. It was an intimidating feeling she hadn’t felt in a while, and Harriet straightened her back.

“You didn’t refuse back then. You even responded. If the rain hadn’t stopped, maybe…”

His gaze, which lowered, traced her slender neck, slightly visible collarbone, and then her chest. His subtle gaze was undressing her inch by inch. Harriet, whose face turned as red as a ripe apple, shook off his hand and covered her chest with both hands.

“No, I was just caught up in the mood. There’s nothing more.”

“Really?”

Lennox, who had briefly been expressionless, tilted his head with a slight smile.

“I don’t think so. You’re attracted to me.”

It felt like watching a predator approaching with drooling jaws. As she instinctively took a step back, Lennox matched her pace, stepping forward one or two steps. Harriet, who was restless at the unchanging distance, finally felt her back hit the wall.

“Stop!”

If she stayed like this, her heart would really burst.

Do I really have some kind of illness?

As Harriet frowned and clutched her left chest, Lennox, who had stopped approaching, looked worried.

“Coco, are you hurt?”

“No. I’m not, so just stay still.”

Harriet, who shook her head firmly, raised her palm as if training a dog.

She was gripping the doorknob behind her. As she slowly turned it, Harriet pointed to the window, seizing the moment.

“Oh, look over there!”

Taking advantage of Lennox turning his head, she quickly turned to leave the room.

“No chance.”

“Kyaaah!”