LUCIA

Chapter 31 Damian

"It must be hard for the Northern people who continuously get anxious because of this."

"If they do not live close to the border, I do not think they would be anxious. Things are quite different when you looks at it from afar."

Lucia nodded her head, sipping a little tea then suddenly exclaimed.

"Oh my goodness! How could I forget? Isn't today his birthday Jerome?"

The birthday date that Jerome had reminded her of before, was exactly today. She had kept it in her mind but had forgotten about it because they were fighting.

"I should have told him before he left. It's his birthday but he won't receive any congratulation, he'll just be fighting barbarians."

She felt so sad for him that her heart hurt.

"Mmm... Milady, Master had never taken care of his birthday separately."

"I expected that. Who would take care of his birthday like that? Only the people around him can."

"That...he doesn't like being reminded of it."

"...Why?"

"I don't really know much. But I often get the feeling that it's not only about his birthday, Master also dislikes being reminded of his childhood."

Jerome never spoke of anything he was unsure of nor did he carelessly speak his mind but because the Madam looked very sad, he gave a sincere reply.

'So he doesn't have any memories he wants to remember from his childhood...'

That was a sad thing.

Lucia had lived a difficult life but there was a moment in her life where her memories were filled with joy. She was happy until she was twelve years old. The times when she lived with her mother as a child were happy times.

The story of the Duke's tragedy in the west tower once again rose to the forefront of Jerome's mind. It was a terrible thing at the time and he shouldn't think of it nor speak of it so he tried to forget it.

However the thought always arose whenever he laid eyes on the west tower, and as time went on, he grew more interested in the background story than the murder itself.

The dead Duke had abandoned one of his sons to stop misfortune and left him to his own fate. As he did something no parent should ever do, he brought it upon himself.

"Jerome, you said you've never met the late Duke before, right?"

"Yes. I have served master ever since he became a knight."

"This may just be my prejudice but I think he was a very heartless man."

Jerome hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"From the little fragments that I have gathered, I don't think my thoughts differ very much from Milady's."

'His past is very far from ordinary.' (Lucia)

He didn't know his mother's face because she died not too long after delivery while his father abandoned one son after weighing the advantages and disadvantages.

It was only natural he grew to have such a cold and emotionless personality. Or rather, considering his past, he had grown quite excellently.

'Abandoning a newborn baby? I just can't understand why the late Duke would do that.' (Lucia)

It wasn't like any problems had cropped up, but because a trouble might happen, the late Duke abandoned his newborn son.

It was genuinely Hugo's luck that he was chosen to be the successor to the Duke.