Chapter 20

For nearly a week, neither Adrian nor Edward had been seen, but now both appeared at once. As Edward glared at Adrian and Diane with a chilling expression, Diane couldn’t help but tremble.

She couldn’t understand why Edward was suddenly so angry.

“Uncle! Why are you yelling again? You’re scaring Teacher!”

Only Leon seemed completely unfazed by Edward’s presence, speaking with irritation.

Edward ignored Leon’s voice and looked straight at Diane.

“Miss Diane Lina, have you been eating here all this time?”

“Ah, yes. Well…”

Diane found it hard to answer and her words trailed off.

“For the time being, she had agreed to eat with Leon.” 

Adrian interjected, cutting into the conversation.

“Why?”

“Leon often eats alone and wanted company. Isn’t that right, Miss Lina?”

Adrian looked to Diane for confirmation.

“Ah! Yes, that’s right.”

Diane quickly replied, but Leon interrupted.

“No, that’s not it! Teacher agreed to be my mom. That’s why we eat together.”

At Leon’s words, both Adrian and Diane blushed in embarrassment, while Edward’s eyebrows furrowed.

Edward’s gaze shifted to Adrian, as if demanding an explanation.

“Edward, let’s talk later. Let’s eat first.” 

Adrian tried to avoid the conversation.

But Edward wasn’t willing.

“No, talk now. Miss Diane is the reading teacher I hired for my nephew. When did she become his mom? Whose idea is this strange situation? I leave the house for a week and suddenly the reading teacher has become my sister-in-law?”

“That’s not it! It’s really not, Ed!”

Adrian’s voice rose.

“Then explain! Tell me! Why is the reading teacher having dinner with the Duke and his son, having private conversations, and what’s this about being a ‘mom’?”

Now Edward’s eyes were fixed on Diane.

Diane wanted to stand up and leave.

She was only eating with Leon because of his stubbornness, and because the Duke had requested it, even though Roden had relayed the message. Yet Edward looked at her as if she were some shameless, brazen woman.

But with Leon sitting right there, it was hard to say, ‘It’s because Leon insisted.’

Now Edward was looking at no one else—just Diane.

“Edward. I said, let’s talk later!” 

Adrian’s voice grew louder.

“Be quiet! Miss Diane Lina, answer me! Why are you sitting here eating with my brother and Leon?”

Diane sighed.

She was worried about Leon, but she couldn’t avoid the situation any longer.

Leon couldn’t keep being stubborn forever.

“President, Young Master Leon often eats alone. I am only eating with him at the Duke’s request. It’s uncomfortable for you to act as if this is something I wanted. Please don’t misunderstand or look at me like that.”

Even as Diane spoke confidently, Edward glared at her.

But Diane was no longer flustered or blushing—she was annoyed herself.

“Teacher is my mom…”

Leon tried to speak again, but this time Adrian didn’t hold back.

“Leon Wale! Enough! Stop!”

Leon closed his mouth at his father’s stern voice, but anger began to show in his eyes.

“Edward, since you’re here, just sit and eat. We’ll talk later!”

Adrian spoke firmly, and Edward, though he scoffed at his brother’s tone, sat at the table.

Throughout dinner, silence hung over the table, and except for Leon, no one ate properly.

Finally, after dessert, Leon jumped up and hurried to Diane.

“Teacher, let’s go!”

As if it were his right, he grabbed Diane’s hand and dragged her out of the formal dining room.

Edward watched them leave, his face twisted.

Once the two left, Edward turned to Adrian.

“What is this? What the hell is going on? Explain now.”

“Leon misunderstood. He thinks the reading teacher came to be his mom.”

“What kind of crazy misunderstanding? Why would the reading teacher be his mom? She’s the woman I hired!”

Adrian’s eyes widened slightly.

‘The woman I hired?’

What did that mean?

“And you—why did you hire this reading teacher for Leon? How do you know her? I never wanted a reading teacher for my son! I’m the one who’s troubled by this sudden female teacher showing up!”

“If you didn’t want one, then just don’t care. Make Leon stop his nonsense.”

Adrian finally sensed something.

Even at the last dinner, and just now, Edward—who was usually lenient with Leon—seemed unusually harsh.

Adrian had thought Edward was just scolding Leon for his attitude toward the new teacher.

But now, it seemed his assumption was wrong.

Was Edward ever the type of uncle to care about his nephew’s manners or behavior?

No, not at all.

But he was especially prickly about Leon calling the teacher ‘mom.’

Adrian stared at Edward, as if trying to read his mind.

“What was that about wanting to talk to Diane Lina?” 

Edward demanded, his tone almost threatening.

It was as if Adrian speaking privately with Diane Lina would be a disaster.

In the end, Adrian asked outright.

“Do you… see the reading teacher as a woman?”

“Of course she’s a woman, not a man!” 

Edward answered without hesitation.

‘Isn’t she?’

But then Edward added,

“She’s always been a woman, from the very beginning.”

“…?”

‘From the very beginning?’

Adrian couldn’t understand Edward’s words.

But one thing was clear.

His younger brother, who’d never shown interest in women, saw the reading teacher as a woman.

“So you really are interested in her…”

“Interested? Shut up! Isn’t it wrong for a Duke with a child to be interested in a much younger unmarried woman? Why does it matter who I’m interested in? Just make sure Leon never says ‘mom’ again!”

Adrian’s mouth fell open.

It was blatantly obvious interest.

‘Edward… interested in a woman?’

Adrian was shocked that his brother was showing interest in someone—especially a woman.

Edward was always blunt about his feelings and thoughts, but this was the first time Adrian had seen this kind of emotion.

And it wasn’t just that Edward didn’t want to hide his interest—he seemed unable to.

“What? Why are you looking at me like I’m some kind of idiot?”

Edward frowned at Adrian, who was staring at him in amazement.

Only then did Adrian think he needed to keep Edward from acting like a wild beast with his claws out.

If left unchecked, that beast might scratch his own son.

“Ed, do you know I met Earl Lautrec?”

“Why should I?”

“I was gone for a week.”

“So what?”

“I met Miss Heina there.”

“Who’s that?”

“You’re really…”

Adrian started to add something, then stopped, sounding exasperated.

The Lautrec Earldom was right next to the Wale Duchy.

Adrian had visited the Lautrec Earldom on his way to the Duchy.

“What?”

Edward knew the Lautrec Earldom but didn’t seem to remember they had a daughter.

Seeing Edward’s blank face and his annoyed expression at having to listen to someone else’s story, Adrian almost sighed.

“That girl you used to meet every time we went to the Duchy as kids. The Earl’s daughter.”

“Why should I remember her?”

She was the girl they saw every time they visited the Duchy, and even as an adult, she sometimes appeared at Rettrang’s social events. Adrian wondered how Edward could be so oblivious.

Adrian himself hadn’t attended social events since his wife died, but Edward was even worse.

“I met her.” 

Adrian said, giving up.

Edward just stared, as if asking what Adrian meant.

“I thought Leon needed a mom. Actually, the Earldom brought up a marriage proposal last year. So I went to see her—to see if she was still interested, and what she thought.”

Edward’s tense expression slowly relaxed.

“Really? So you’re going to make that Earl’s daughter play mom for Leon?”

“Yes. Leon needs a mother at his age. Like you said, I wanted to see if it was appropriate for a Duke with a child to propose marriage to a much younger unmarried woman.”

“Ah, what does it matter? With you, even if you had two or three kids, women would line up for you. If they made a proposal first, just do it. Do it now.”

Adrian was dumbfounded to see Edward—who’d just said it was shameless to be interested in Diane Lina, a much younger unmarried woman—suddenly take the opposite position.

“Ed, you really are shameless.”

But Edward didn’t seem to hear Adrian’s criticism.

“So I’m getting a new sister-in-law?”

He muttered to himself and stood up, as if the conversation was over.