Chapter 34

“Teacher, you have to read the bedtime story.”

Leon grabbed Diane’s hand just as she was about to leave the room, after helping him get ready for bed and taking him to his room.

“It’s too late tonight. You should sleep now.”

“But…”

For some reason, Leon trailed off, lowering his head. Leon was not one to stop speaking or let his words fade away.

“What’s wrong, Young Master?”

“Can’t you read to me? Soon, you won’t be able to read bedtime stories to me anymore.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Mom.”

“What?”

“I might get a mom soon. Not you, but another mom. That lady from earlier.”

“Ah…”

A tremor passed under Diane’s eyes.

He had never said anything like this before.

He had always insisted that his teacher would become his mother, so much so that he was stubborn about it with absolute confidence.

He even threw tantrums, refusing to meet Lady Lautrec, so Diane had to persuade him that if he kept that up, she’d have to leave the mansion immediately.

But…

Even though he had insisted so much, it seemed that somewhere in his heart, he sensed that his father was going to marry someone else.

Seeing Leon’s endlessly dejected face, looking at her so desperately, Diane wanted to hug him tightly. She couldn’t bring herself to do it, though.

She couldn’t become this child’s mother, but she wished with all her heart that he would have a truly good mother. Until the day she left this mansion, she resolved to love him as much as she could. The feelings surged together and made her chest ache.

“Alright, I’ll read it to you. What does it matter if you sleep a little late once!”

Diane sat down next to Leon, who was lying in bed, and began to read the book they hadn’t finished the night before.

“Teacher, do you like me?”

But before she had finished even a page, Leon interrupted her.

It was clear he craved something other than the story.

“Of course! I like you.”

“Then why can’t you be my mom?”

“Young Master, just because I like you doesn’t mean anyone can be your mother.”

“Why not! You can be my mom, so what I want should be the most important, right?”

Diane sighed and put down the book.

Leon seemed to understand, but couldn’t accept it. It was hard to know how long this endless squirrel-wheel conversation would go on. Sadly.

“Because your father is going to marry someone else. That lady will be your mother. To be your mother means to be the Duke’s wife. Your father will marry someone who can be a good mother to you.”

“Then why can’t you marry my father, Teacher!”

“Well, that’s because…”

Diane suddenly found herself at a loss for words.

She had been about to say, “Because the Duke and I aren’t in love,” since that was the truth.

But she didn’t think the Duke and Lady Lautrec were in love either.

The Duke wasn’t marrying Lady Lautrec out of love, but simply because he had found a suitable candidate to be Leon’s mother.

If she herself had been suitable, she could have become the Duke’s wife and Leon’s mother.

But she wasn’t a suitable candidate.

No, she didn’t even belong in the category of suitable or unsuitable in the first place.

“Because what?”

“Well, it’s because… the Duke and I aren’t in love.”

She didn’t want to talk to a child about the wall between social classes. And for some reason, “not in love” felt like a more important reason than “different status.”

It would be easier to explain to Leon, too.

Well… anyway, it was true.

“You could just fall in love.”

“Love isn’t something you can do just because someone tells you to.”

“…”

Leon turned his head and stared at the blanket covering his legs.

“Young Master?”

Diane called Leon gently, but he still wouldn’t meet her eyes.

Diane decided to wait quietly beside him.

“Then who do you love, Teacher?”

After a while, Leon suddenly looked up at Diane and asked.

Who does she love?

Of course…

“I don’t love anyone yet.”

“Will you love someone someday?”

“Maybe? Someday?”

“What kind of person? What kind of person will you love, Teacher?”

“Hmm…”

Diane paused to think.

Someone who came to her room when she was alone, with shining blond hair and warm green eyes. Kind and gentle words, a pretty face and a nice scent, someone who kissed her cheek and said ‘good night’…

‘…!’

Realizing she was thinking of the Duke, Diane shuddered in shock.

‘Diane Lina, are you crazy! Why are you thinking about the Prince!’

The Prince from her childhood was just a prince from her memories.

She hadn’t longed for him, only thought of him occasionally.

Later, she’d thought of him as a fairy tale prince.

Meeting the Duke here in the Duchy, who had once been that Prince, was delightful and amazing, but she hadn’t let herself get lost in delusions…

She bit her lip.

“What’s wrong?”

Leon blinked and asked, noticing her strange expression.

“Oh! No, anyway, Young Master, your father is absolutely not the one. The person I’ll love is definitely not the Duke!”

Diane shook off her delusions and shouted loudly, as if scolding herself.

“…”

But after she spoke, she saw Leon’s face twist completely as he closed his mouth again.

“Young Master?”

Leon just glared at Diane and didn’t answer.

“Young Master, I really do like you. Even if I can’t be your mother, my feelings for you will always be the same.”

“…”

Leon still said nothing.

He was truly upset.

“Should I go now?”

Diane watched Leon carefully and asked.

“Go away. If you’re not going to love my father and marry him, if you won’t be my mother, then just go away!”

Leon turned his back and pulled the blanket over his head.

From the little child’s back, covered by the blanket, Diane felt not just sulkiness but deep loneliness.

She felt sorry and pained.

She shouldn’t have said it like that. She shouldn’t have been so harsh.

Regret surged.

He was a lonely child…

A child who truly wanted a mother, and thankfully liked her so much.

In trying to hide her own embarrassment, she had ended up hurting him unexpectedly.

〈The scene where the main character gets kissed by her mom, dad, and brother before sleeping is the most important. I really wanted to do that well.〉

〈Why is that important? Getting kissed every day is boring. They just get saliva on you.〉

〈I see… If you have a mom and dad, you get kissed every day.〉

She remembered the conversation she’d had with Prince Ed.

She’d learned that children with parents get kissed every night, and remembered how much she had envied that.

“Young Master.”

“…”

He stayed curled up, silent.

“Young Master, until you get a mom, should I give you a bedtime kiss before you sleep?”

“…”

“You don’t want that?”

“…”

“If you don’t, that’s fine. Good night. I’m leaving.”

“Do it!”

Suddenly, Leon pulled the blanket down and shouted.

Diane smiled softly.

“But it’s a secret, Young Master.”

It would be a problem if anyone found out. She was just a commoner tutor, and he was the Young Master of the Duchy.

“Yes! Got it.”

*Smooch.*

As soon as Leon replied, Diane bent down and kissed his cheek.

“Good night, Young Master.”

“…Mm.”

Leon answered in a barely audible voice.

Diane brushed the hair from Leon’s forehead, pulled the blanket up to his shoulders, and left the room.

It had been an emotionally exhausting day because of the three men of the Wale Duchy.

And there was something unsettled in her mind that she hadn’t sorted out.

‘In the tea room… Ah, never mind! Later, later.’

She was too tired. For now, she just wanted to rest without thinking.

❖

The Earldom guests’ rooms were in the East Wing on the second floor.

After saying goodbye to the guests on the second floor, Adrian went up to the third floor and checked his watch.

It was close to ten o’clock.

He thought about asking Leon what he thought of Lady Lautrec.

Leon might have fallen asleep, but maybe he was still awake.

After a moment’s hesitation, Adrian walked toward the East Wing where Leon’s room was.

But when he reached Leon’s door, it was quiet inside, so he thought Leon might already be asleep. Not wanting to wake the child, he carefully turned the doorknob to avoid making noise.

As the door opened slightly, he unexpectedly saw Diane Lina sitting by the bed.

Was she reading to him at this hour?

Leon must have insisted on being read to.

The teacher must have been tired, especially after all the commotion earlier.

He decided he should tell them to stop and go to bed.

Thinking Diane might be startled if he spoke suddenly, he considered knocking on the open door—but then he heard their conversation and froze in place.

“Then who do you love, Teacher?”

“I don’t love anyone yet.”

“Will you love someone someday?”

“Maybe? Someday?”

“What kind of person? What kind of person will you love, Teacher?”

“Hmm…”

He hadn’t expected them to be having such a conversation.

Leon must have brought up, once again, asking Diane to be his mother, to marry his father.

He knew he shouldn’t eavesdrop, but if he knocked now, the teacher would be even more embarrassed.

He decided it was better to just leave.

Adrian watched Diane’s silent face, then turned away.

“What’s wrong?”