One Day, I Picked Up a Mom - Chapter 65
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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One Day I Picked Up a Mother – Episode 65
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It had already been thirty minutes since a black carriage that didn’t belong to House of Rharhart had entered through the gates of the Duke’s Manor.
The people riding in that carriage were probably Count and Countess Bain.
Even though they had arrived earlier than the appointed time.
‘Why isn’t he coming?’
Even as the clock hands passed noon and indifferently flowed by ten minutes, twenty minutes, Ludrio did not appear.
Thanks to that, my gaze busily moved between the window, the door, and the wall clock.
“Lady Luciana?”
Only then did I come to my senses at Hark’s calm voice and lift my head.
“You seem to be having trouble concentrating.”
“…When do you think the Count will come?”
He said he would come to get me.
Was he deliberately making the Count and Countess wait?
Or perhaps he thought it would be better for me to face the couple alone and wasn’t coming to get me?
Was Ludrio already facing them?
Hark, whom I looked at again, smiled faintly as if troubled.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I’ll look at it now.”
Realizing it was a gentle expression telling me to concentrate, I hurriedly lowered my head, but Hark’s suggestion followed.
“If you’re really concerned, shall I call someone to ask?”
Just then, a neat knocking sound broke the silence.
Then the door opened and the person I had been waiting for appeared. Ludrio looked at me as if telling me to come out.
“I’m a little late.”
As I hurriedly got up from my seat and approached, he extended his arm with a brief excuse.
When I hesitantly looked at his outstretched arm and his face, he took my hand and placed it on his arm.
Then he pressed it gently with his hand so I couldn’t pull it away again.
“After talking with you yesterday, I sent someone to the Bane Barony. To find out more accurately what the situation was.”
Then, as he began walking, he spoke quietly.
“The Count was greatly angered by his wife’s mistake. It seems they argued the entire time before coming here. She just keeps repeating that she mistook someone, but can’t give a proper explanation.”
“What?”
“Contrary to your worries, it means there’s no connection between you and the Count.”
He, who had been speaking while looking straight ahead, turned his head.
His gaze that met mine carefully examined me.
“Then Rosemond Bain really mistook me for someone else?”
“…Yes. Even when the Count roughly questioned her about who she had confused you with, she couldn’t answer.”
A small sigh escaped my lips. To think all of this was really Rosemond Bain’s misunderstanding.
Along with the relief that it was fortunate, I finally felt the tension that had been stiffly holding my body completely release.
“So there’s nothing to worry about.”
Ludrio, who had stopped in front of the drawing room where the Bain couple would be waiting, was looking straight ahead.
‘So this is why he was late.’
I looked at his profile and quietly nodded.
Perhaps because the tension had eased due to the inside story he had told me, a corner of my chest filled warmly.
He was excessively kind again this time. …And that was very uncomfortable again.
When the attendant opened the door, Ludrio slowly began walking.
Then those who had been waiting hurriedly rose from their seats. Was it because of the nearly hour-long wait?
They already looked exhausted beyond measure.
Count Bain’s face was pale with fright, and Rosemond beside him was trembling slightly and had her head deeply bowed.
“I greet Your Grace the Count.”
Then Count Bain placed one hand on his chest and deeply bowed his upper body with formality.
“I am deeply sorry for having to visit due to such an unseemly matter.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the Count anxiously swallowed dry saliva.
Ludrio thoroughly ignored such a Count and approached the couch with slow steps, seating me first.
To anyone watching, it was the careful manner of treating someone extremely precious.
“My wife, my wife failed to recognize such a noble person and committed a foolish act.”
The Count, who glanced at me, bowed his head even deeper.
The Count was only being extremely cautious, showing no sign of recognizing me at all. Nor did he seem to want to confirm something from me.
And the same was true for Rosemond Bain.
Unable to even lift her gaze once, she stared at the floor as if to bore a hole through it, gripping her skirt hem until her fingertips turned white.
In that appearance, I couldn’t find anything like resentment or bewilderment. All I could read from her was just fear.
“A foolish act.”
Ludrio, who sat next to me and held my hand, slowly uttered that word as if rolling it around in his mouth.
“Yes, it’s far from enough to cover this commotion with the mere word of a simple mistake.”
“…I’m sorry, Your Grace. My wife seems to have seen things due to her severely weakened nerves.”
Cold sweat formed on the Count’s forehead.
He swept his wife, who was trembling like an aspen leaf beside him, with a sharp glare, then roughly grabbed her shoulder.
“What are you doing instead of apologizing immediately!”
He shouted while keeping his voice as low as possible.
“Don’t you really know what situation your arrogant and ignorant behavior has created?”
At the fierce rebuke, Rosemond’s head seemed to bend as if it would break toward the floor.
Unable to even face me, she barely managed to speak in a voice that seemed ready to crumble at any moment.
“I’m, I’m sorry. I really made a big mistake…”
Unable to finish her words, tears from the lady fell to the floor with a thud.
“I made a mistake.”
Ludrio had said the Bain couple had argued, but now I could see that Rosemond had been unilaterally scolded.
They seemed very afraid of making enemies with House of Rharhart, I suppose.
Watching their fear wasn’t particularly pleasant.
Moreover, if there was no connection between me and that Count, if everything was a mistake due to Rosemond’s unilateral misunderstanding.
There was no reason to be high-handed and intimidate them.
‘They’re coming to ask for forgiveness, and that’s the end of it. You just need to sit next to me and decide whether to forgive them or not.’
Did those words from yesterday mean he would gladly follow my decision if I said I would end this situation?
I pondered for a moment, then gently moved my hand that was under Ludrio’s large hand.
Ludrio, who noticed that sign, immediately turned his head to look at me.
“….”
The skin touching his was excessively hot, and his face filling my vision was also too close.
I hesitated for a moment, then leaned a little closer to him and whispered low.
“…Count Roderich, I don’t want to make an issue of this anymore.”
At those words, Ludrio’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
“Yes. If that’s really what you want, Luna. Today’s meeting will end with this.”
He stared at me intently for a moment, then nodded.
Ludrio seemed indifferent to however the matter ended.
Whether he had no particular desires, he really followed obediently as I wanted.
“Since my fiancée says she will show mercy, I will no longer question the lady’s mistake.”
“I am deeply grateful for your generous disposition. I will be careful and more careful so that such unseemly incidents never happen again.”
As soon as his declaration fell, the Count deeply bowed his upper body once more.
“Please go now.”
Whether Ludrio’s dismissal was welcome, the Count almost pushed his wife as he hurried out of the drawing room.
Rosemond Bain was looking only at the floor even until the moment she left the room.
“I told you. It’s nothing much.”
When I was blankly staring at such Rosemond, Ludrio whispered quietly.
At the sudden whisper, my shoulders naturally hunched up.
He slowly released my hand that he had been holding and leaned back against the seat.
“Trust me a little.”
His eyes narrowed as he turned his head slightly to look at me. I hurriedly averted my gaze and turned to face forward.
Unlike him, who was completely relaxed and at ease, tension instantly filled my body.
“When did I ever not trust you…”
“You were picking at your dinner and breakfast unusually.”
Just as I was about to refute his point about it being unusual, embarrassingly intense hunger hit me.
Ludrio looked at me with my lips pressed tightly together and nodded as if he had expected this.
“Iban’s lesson will end soon. I’ll have lunch prepared here, so eat comfortably with the child.”
He said as he stood up from his seat.
While I was pleased that I could dine alone with the child, I was simultaneously a bit worried about the meal between Ludrio and the Dowager Countess.
However, my desire to eat comfortably eagerly accepted his proposal.
“Thank you.”
At my answer that popped out as if I had been waiting, Ludrio’s low laughter poured down over my head.
“That’s settled, so don’t get up.”
When I tried to stand up from embarrassment, Ludrio gently pressed down on my shoulder to make me sit, still with a smile on his face.
After he left with that inexplicable laughter and the heavy door closed, complete silence finally arrived.
‘Why was he laughing…’
I belatedly touched the shoulder he had pressed.
Even though he hadn’t pressed hard enough to hurt, the spot where his hand had touched kept feeling warm.
“…”
However, I soon pushed away the rising thoughts and buried myself deep into the couch.
My stiffly held back sank helplessly into the soft texture.
In truth, I hadn’t been able to sleep a wink since yesterday due to worry.
As the relief that all the commotion was over released my tension, the fatigue I had set aside finally came rushing in.
I quietly closed my eyes, thinking to rest them just briefly until Iban arrived.
How much time had passed.
“Cecilia.”
A low voice settled by my ear, awakening me from light sleep.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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