Chapter 68

“Coco.”

After repeated refusals, Lennox put down the towel and made Harriet sit up. As she rose, he sat beside her and held her hand.

“I never told you, but… my most important dream is to have two or three children with you and create a happy family.”

“Lennox…?”

Surprised by his confession, Harriet quietly looked at Lennox. He was also in his late twenties. It was the age when most people had children, but Lennox still didn’t easily connect with the word “father.”

“As you know, I don’t have siblings. So I was very lonely.”

“…”

“I was always envious of Aaron. He had sisters and a brother. Visiting the Earl’s family always excited me and made me feel like I was floating.”

It was a story she heard for the first time. Harriet nodded instead of replying.

“Then I started having a crush on you, and as I grew older, I began imagining what it would be like to have a family with you. Having three children who resemble both of us… Becoming a father and mother and forming a harmonious family.”

Following his words, she naturally imagined children who resembled both Lennox and herself. Blond hair with golden eyes or black hair with blue eyes… Or like them, blond hair with blue eyes or black hair with golden eyes.

Either way, the child was adorable just by imagining it. Almost entranced, Harriet envisioned the child’s face and bit her lip.

“Coco…”

Lennox buried his head on Harriet’s shoulder and pulled her into his embrace.

“You are the one who will carry and give birth to the child. So your opinion is the most important. But what I can promise is…”

His large hand encircled her lower abdomen. Though the touch was gentle, Harriet felt a chill as if he were claiming ownership.

“I promise that I will take on most of the child-rearing. On weekdays, both you and I will be busy, so we’ll likely rely on a nanny’s help… But on weekends, we’ll raise the child ourselves. You only need to breastfeed. I’ll change the diapers and put the child to sleep.”

It was a detailed plan, as if he had thought about it for a long time.

“…”

Harriet, silent for a while due to mixed emotions, cautiously questioned him.

“It’s not because you need an heir? The people around you didn’t tell you to have a successor because I’m getting older?”

“Coco.”

His voice lowered as if to say, “How could you think that?” Sighing, Harriet pushed his hand away.

“Alright, I’ll think about it… Mm.”

Before she could finish her sentence, his hot lips covered hers. Startled, Harriet tried to pull away, but the look in his eyes, like a child longing for its mother’s milk, made her lose strength in her hands. Taking advantage of the moment, he tightened his embrace around her waist.

Even though she felt betrayed, emotions don’t just disappear. If she pushed him away now, Lennox might become more suspicious… and her plan would be ruined. Besides, today was a safe day…

After calculating, Harriet closed her eyes quietly, denying the heat rising in her body.

* * *

Despite the small commotion, the Duke and Duchess of Diorne appeared to be a loving couple wherever they went. The newspapers, which previously attacked the ducal family, were now completely won over, publishing articles about the harmonious couple and even using embarrassing phrases like “the epitome of a beautiful couple in this era.”

Yvonne, skimming through the newspaper, playfully looked at Harriet.

“At this rate, you’ll be touring the whole country. Your popularity is growing day by day.”

“…I hope that never happens.”

Harriet folded the newspaper irritably and picked up her teacup. The aroma of coffee and the scent of freshly baked bread filled her senses. She had been reaching for bread more often lately.

“Well, you brought some of this on yourself, didn’t you? Gaining control of the household from the inside and swaying public opinion in your favor.”

“That’s true, but I never intended for it to go this far. That’s the problem.”

Harriet cut the bread into bite-sized pieces and enjoyed the taste.

“Still, as a result, there are more customers at the department store. Most are noblewomen hoping to catch a glimpse of you, though.”

“I’m already struggling with invitations to various gatherings. I’m so busy, yet they want me to attend these events.”

Feeling a headache coming on, Harriet rubbed her temples and reached for more bread. Yvonne, watching her, suddenly asked.

“By the way, don’t you think your taste has changed a bit lately?”

“My taste?”

“Yes. You never used to eat bread, but now you do, and you’ve been enjoying sour fruits lately.”

“Maybe my taste is changing because I’m getting older. They say your preferences and tastes change as you age.”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

While Yvonne shrugged, feeling uneasy but not able to pinpoint why, the grandfather clock chimed, announcing noon. Harriet, suddenly recalling an appointment, stood up.

“Oh no, I’m going to be late.”

“Late? There’s nothing scheduled for the afternoon. Where are you going?”

“Claire.”

“Oh, come to think of it, she must be quite far along by now.”

“There’s still some time before the due date, though.”

Even though she had never met the child, Harriet felt a bit more at ease seeing Claire after understanding her own mother’s feelings to some extent.

“Have a good trip!”

Yvonne, smiling, stood up to see Harriet off. Then, as if something suddenly occurred to her, she called Harriet back.

“Senior! I just thought of something. Could it be that you’re…?”

“Hmm?”

Yvonne hesitated, unsure whether to speak or not, then shook her head. It was too early to make assumptions. If she was wrong, it would only upset the people involved, and she’d just be someone who got ahead of herself without thinking.

“No, nothing. Just have a good trip.”

“You’re being silly.”

Harriet chuckled and turned away.

* * *

Claire was becoming more stable by the day. She had started knitting clothes for the baby, and her skills had improved enough to be quite decent.

Feeling satisfied with her finished work, she even asked Harriet,

“If I have some left over, should I sell them as a side job to help with living expenses? What do you think, Director?”

Harriet snorted at the cheeky question.

“You’re not there yet. Look, you didn’t finish this part.”

“Oh, you’re right.”

Claire pursed her lips and focused on her knitting again. Harriet, pretending to read a book but glancing at her, suddenly asked.

“Do you think our family can’t provide for your living expenses?”

“…”

“I’m willing to give you the amount you mentioned before. If the child is indeed Theo’s.”

Harriet expected Claire to be overjoyed, waiting for a thank you, but Claire stopped knitting and placed her work on her lap. Curious about what was happening, Harriet set her book aside, and Claire hesitantly spoke.

“…Um.”

“Hmm?”

“About giving up the child after birth…”

Claire, who had been shamelessly bold, now seemed uncertain. Harriet, looking at her swollen belly, spoke soothingly.

“We won’t completely take the child away from the birth mother. You’ll be able to see the child from a distance once or twice a year. If you want, you might even meet the child, as long as you don’t reveal your identity.”

Claire’s eyes widened, as if she hadn’t expected such words.

“At first, you said…”

“I didn’t intend to.”

Thinking about the child’s life, Harriet initially thought it would be better for the mother, who seduced a married man, to be absent. But after observing Claire and reflecting on her own mother’s situation, Harriet’s perspective changed.

No mother should be separated from her child.

Claire, unable to believe it, opened her mouth in disbelief. Harriet laughed and asked,

“Why, are you dissatisfied?”

“No… I’m really grateful. I’m moved. But…”

Harriet’s expectations of Claire jumping with joy and gratitude were once again betrayed. Realizing something was amiss, Harriet sat up seriously.

“What’s the matter?”

“This child… Can’t I raise this child myself?”

“…What?”

“I!”

Claire, almost shouting, pointed to herself as Harriet’s eyebrows twitched.

“I know I’m an inadequate mother in many ways… If the child grows up in the Vanetti Estate, he’ll have a lot. But… I still want to raise this child.”

The warm atmosphere turned cold. Harriet’s face grew stern.

“Do you realize that’s completely different from what we agreed on? It’s a breach of contract.”

“I know… I know, but still.”

“How will you raise the child? What do you have? Once the child is born, you won’t be able to find a proper job without support.”

But without handing over the child, there would be no support. Claire’s tear-filled eyes looked at Harriet.

“I know! I know I’m incompetent… That’s partly why I approached Theodore Vanetti. I thought I’d have some fun and get some money. I never dreamed of having a child.”

“Then hand over the child. It wasn’t part of your plan, was it? If you’re worried about the child being mistreated by a stepmother, that’s an insult to me. Theo’s wife is a really good woman and also a close childhood friend of mine. She’s the one who asked me to look after you.”

“This child is mine!”

Claire, clutching her belly, finally let her tears fall.