LUCIA

Chapter 84 Memories of Mother

Hugo didn't have any special feelings for his wife's maternal family. He could respect the man because he was his wife's grandfather, but it was only up to point she wanted.

In the receiving room, Lucia waited for her grandfather. Seeing her sitting anxiously, Hugo wrapped one arm around her shoulder and hugged her. Lucia didn't come out to greet her grandfather and was waiting in the receiving room so that the old man's visit would not look special, even to the servants.

The closed door of the receiving room opened, and Jerome came in, escorting a gray-haired old man. As if frozen, the Count stood at the entrance for a while looking at Lucia. Then with shaky steps, he slowly walked towards Lucia.

Lucia saw the face of her uncle from her dream in the old man's face. And she also saw the face of her late mother.

The two of them, grandparent and grandchild, stood a few steps apart and stared at each other silently.

"Please sit down. You sit too." (Hugo)(TN: He refers to grandpa with the first one and Lucia with the second.)

Hugo stepped in and dissolved with the tense atmosphere. Lucia sat down on the sofa after the Count sat down.

"Is it better if I leave you two alone?" (Hugo)

Lucia shook her head and grabbed his hand. Then she took a deep breath and opened her mouth.

"It's nice to meet you. I am Vivian...Grandfather."

The Count's eyes shook violently. He looked at Lucia with a very sorrowful look in his eyes. He moved his lips a few times but didn't say anything. Then after a good while, he managed to say one word.

"Amanda...?"

As soon as the Count entered, he quickly looked over the receiving room. When he didn't see Amanda, his heart sank with anxiety. Even though he was meeting his granddaughter for the first time and she looked lovely like his daughter, could the keen affection be compared to his own child? He chose to believe his daughter couldn't make it due to unavoidable circumstances. No matter how anxious he was, he couldn't abandon hope.

Lucia's chest surged with heat. This person was a father who missed his daughter. Who knew how much her late mother wanted to see her father for the last time? Lucia's heart ached when she thought about her mother.

"...She passed away."

Lucia saw a mixture of many emotions run through the old man's eyes. Surprise, shock, disbelief, anger, sorrow, despair. Seeing many painful emotions flash by in an instant, Lucia began to sympathize with the pain of the wounded old man. The grief of a parent who lost their child was shown in the teary eyes of the old man.

The Count covered his face with his hands, lowered his head and began to cry.

Tears also fell from Lucia's eyes. She leaned into Hugo's embrace and buried her face in his chest.

There weren't many things to talk about between a grandparent and a grandchild that were meeting each other for the first time. After greeting each other awkwardly, they began to converse relatively easily through the common topic of 'Amanda'. The father remembered his daughter, and the daughter remembered her mother. They found commonalities and differences, and even laughed occasionally.

"The pendant. Are you looking for it?" (Lucia)

Lucia thought her grandfather would ask her about the pendant. But even after they had been talking for a while, he hadn't said anything so she brought it up first.

"...Do you have it?"

The Count looked a little surprised but his reaction was calmer than Lucia expected. The problem pendant that her mother took with her when she ran away. It was the reason why Lucia was able to meet her uncle in her dream.