Two weeks after preventing the Duke and Duchess of Winstone’s deaths, Hestia hurriedly took a carriage to the largest hotel in Byron upon receiving unexpected news.
However, before she could enter the hotel, the carriage had to stop.
A lavish carriage was blocking the entrance to the hotel.
Hestia quickly got out of her carriage and approached the Duke and Duchess of Winstone, who were talking to the hotel manager.
“Greetings, I am Hestia, the eldest daughter of the Frost family. I am here to pay my respects to the Duke and Duchess of Winstone. It has been a while.”
The reason Hestia rushed to greet them without catching her breath was that the Duke and Duchess of Winstone were there.
The couple beamed at her when they saw her.
“Hestia, it’s been a while!”
“You’ve become even more beautiful since we last saw you. Have you been well?”
Since their wedding, Hestia had occasionally met Icarus and Flora when Icarus came down to Byron or during national events.
Icarus and Flora maintained the same beauty they had 10 years ago.
Although their eyes had deepened with age and their aura had matured, they still possessed an ageless charm that could rival anyone in their twenties.
Hestia smiled at their unchanged appearance.
“Thanks to the Duke and Duchess’ support, we have been doing well. I am grateful.”
“Those are words for us to say. We’ve grown a lot thanks to the Frost family. Is the Baron not here?”
“My father and mother are currently on a business trip. If we had known you were coming, they would have adjusted their schedule. I apologize.”
“There’s no need to apologize. We arrived without notice ourselves.”
Indeed, the Duke and Duchess of Winstone’s visit was not on the schedule.
Originally, Hestia’s parents should have been present, but since they were both away, Hestia had to come in their place.
“Shall we go inside? I will guide you.”
Hestia led them to the hotel’s most luxurious lounge, taking over the task from the hotel manager.
Icarus smiled as he observed her competence in guiding them through the hotel.
“I knew you were helping with the Baron’s work, but you’re quite skilled at it. Have you done this often?”
“I wouldn’t call myself skilled. I’ve just had a few occasions to host guests in place of my father.”
“You’ve grown up so well. I feel embarrassed thinking about how I was at your age.”
The Duke and Duchess’ kindness brought a smile to Hestia’s face as she served them tea.
They were once again impressed by her skillful tea preparation.
“You could get married tomorrow without any issues!”
“Thank you. But I’m not even engaged yet.”
“Really? I’d have thought there would be a line of people wanting to be engaged to you.”
“My father has turned down all suitors…”
When Hestia awkwardly mentioned this, both Icarus and Flora burst into laughter.
“The Baron has always been very protective of Hestia.”
“Yes, indeed! My brother also rejected suitors. He wouldn’t just accept anyone.”
“I apologize for that.”
Embarrassed, Hestia bowed in apology, and Icarus waved it off.
“No, I was too hasty back then. Now that I see our son, I realize how unreasonable my proposal was.”
Realizing he was referring to Leonhard, Hestia slowly lifted her head.
“Isn’t the young master eight years old this year?”
“Yes, Hestia, you haven’t met him yet, have you?”
She had avoided meeting him by making various excuses, fearing that she would be pressured to become engaged to Luciard.
“You’ll meet him eventually, but he’s very much like me.”
“Haha, he’s very handsome, taking after me. More importantly, he’s quite gentle, making it easy to raise him.”
“It’s rare for a child to be so gentle. Perhaps he takes after you both. Thinking about my siblings, oh dear…”
Hestia sighed sincerely, and their hearty laughter filled the room once more.
“May I ask why you’ve come to Byron?”
“We were on our way back from a brief visit to the capital.”
“…On your way back?”
Hestia had assumed they were headed to the capital.
“Have you heard about Luciard running away?”
“Yes, I heard he disappeared after graduating from the Academy…”
“Yes, he vanished right after graduation. I couldn’t attend the ceremony due to some urgent matters.”
Icarus sighed deeply as he recalled the situation.
Luciard had initially decided not to attend the Academy but then suddenly changed his mind and enrolled.
According to Academy policy, he couldn’t return to the family home until he completed his secondary education. So, they exchanged letters occasionally, and Icarus visited the Academy to see him from time to time.
Luciard graduated at the top of his class from the swordsmanship department and continued with higher education.
Since he could return home during the summer vacations of his senior years, he frequently visited, bringing gifts for his nephew with him.
Even though they were apart for six years, their bond remained strong.
So, when Icarus said he couldn’t make it to the graduation ceremony, he said it was alright.
“I never imagined that would be the last contact I’d have with him.”
When Luciard didn’t show up after graduation, Icarus felt something was wrong and contacted the Academy immediately.
He then realized Luciard had not only missed the ceremony but had disappeared entirely.
“He had completed all the required credits, so he graduated without needing to attend the ceremony. I heard he was top of his class from the start to graduation…”
Being top of his class doesn’t change the fact that he disappeared and caused trouble.
“However, he does send occasional updates.”
“Still, he does occasionally send brief messages to us.”
He would send strange gifts along with short notes saying, “I’m doing well.”
On Leonhardt’s birthday, he would send numerous presents, which was quite bewildering.
“So… It doesn’t seem like he harbors any ill will towards you?”
“Don’t you think so?”
Icarus sighed as he rubbed his head in frustration.
“I wish he would at least tell me if he’s angry with me directly. I wouldn’t be upset or reprimand him over something like this…”
Flora comforted Icarus by holding his hand.
“A few days ago, we received a report that Luciard was seen, so we headed east and then stopped by the capital briefly before coming here.”
“Ah, so that’s why you were on your way back.”
It made sense now. If they had gone to the capital, they would have passed through Byron, which had seemed odd earlier.
“Did you have any success with your search?”
Flora shook her head.
If they had found Luciard, he would have returned with them.
“It should be fine. He has been sending periodic updates. He might just be traveling alone.”
“Do you think so?”
“Yes. Besides, if he graduated at the top of his class in the swordsmanship department, he’s unlikely to be in any danger.”
Even though he had vanished without a word, Luciard would likely be fine. After all, he was a mature adult now.
‘He originally ran away at 12, so maybe this delay is just an extension of that.’
Considering it was just a delayed version of that, it might be easier to accept. Maybe he’s just got a restless spirit.
“Luciard isn’t the type to fall victim to others, is he?”
“No, that’s not his nature.”
“Then you shouldn’t worry too much. You know your brother better than anyone.”
Icarus thought about Luciard for a moment.
Although he struggled to express his feelings due to his unfamiliarity with being loved, he was a younger brother who tried hard to get along with him.
Most importantly, he hadn’t distanced himself because he disliked him.
Icarus’s anxious heart eased a little.
“Thank you. Your words have been comforting.”
“It’s an honor to be of help to the Duke,” Hestia said.
“…I’m still envious. If you’re not engaged yet, how about reconsidering our Luciard?” Icarus suggested.
“Oh my, you’re really something. You’re making Hestia uncomfortable,” Flora chided.
“Why not? Luciard would make a very good match. He’s just wandering a bit now, but he would take great care of a family. You saw his portrait, didn’t you? He’s quite handsome, wouldn’t you say?”
Seeing Icarus still interested in her even after ten years, Hestia gave an awkward smile.
“Oh, by the way, I received the letter you sent the other day. Have the roads been repaired?”
Icarus mentioned a letter Hestia had sent a few weeks ago.
In the letter, she had suggested postponing their trip to the capital because the road had been damaged in an accident.
“Yes, the road has been fully repaired. Your journey should be smooth.”
In truth, the damage to the road was a lie.
It was just a white lie to help the Duke and Duchess avoid an accident.
It had already been two weeks since they were supposed to have died.
Hestia approached them with a somewhat relieved heart.
* * *
“Is that the Duke of Winston?” one of the siblings asked.
“Yes, so let’s make sure we see them off properly in place of our parents,” Hestia replied.
The next day, Hestia, along with her younger siblings, went out to see off the Duke and Duchess of Winston. With their parents away, she did her best to ensure their absence wouldn’t be felt.
She had their youngest sibling, Eric, carry the gifts for the couple and waited for them to come out.
The Duke and Duchess smiled upon seeing the Frost children waiting by the carriage.
“We were trying to leave quietly, but to be seen off like this…”
When Annie and Eric handed over bouquets and gifts, the Duke and Duchess smiled brightly and seemed very pleased.
“It’s nothing. We prepared in a hurry, so I hope you like it. This is a new product we just launched. I hope you find it to your liking.”
“Frost’s products are always satisfying. We’ll make good use of it.”
“It was nice to see you again, Hestia. I hope we can meet again next time.”
“Yes, I look forward to seeing you next time. Please travel safely.”
As the three children beside Hestia bade farewell, the Duke and Duchess got into the carriage with warm smiles.
Before the carriage door closed, Hestia suddenly felt a chill on the back of her neck.
Feeling a sense of foreboding, she absentmindedly grabbed the carriage door.
Seeing the puzzled expressions of the Duke and Duchess, Hestia’s lips trembled.
‘Why am I acting like this?’
The day they were supposed to have an accident had already passed.
And it wasn’t just a day or two; it had been two whole weeks.
Although there was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind, Hestia shook her head.
“It’s nothing. I just picked up a handkerchief that fell.”
“Oh, really? Thank you.”
Hestia picked up the handkerchief that Flora had dropped and closed the carriage door.
Soon, the carriage carrying the Duke and Duchess of Winston departed from Byron.
Watching the carriage leave without any issues, Hestia sighed.
Elvin called out to Hestia, frowning and pointing at her hand.
“Why is your hand shaking? Did the Duke upset you?”
Hestia then realized her hand was trembling.
She wrapped her shaking right hand with her remaining left hand.
“It’s nothing. The Duke adores me. Don’t you remember? He even suggested once that I consider marrying his younger brother.”
“What did he see in you?”
“…What’s wrong with me? I’m quite beautiful, charming, and intelligent.”
“Ugh. Do you really need to say that yourself?”
Elvin stuck out his tongue in a gesture of disgust.
Hestia’s eyebrows twitched momentarily, but she soon smiled and put her arm around Elvin’s smaller shoulder.
“Elvin, even if you say that, I know you love me more than anyone else.”
“What nonsense are you talking about!”
“Let’s keep the teenage drama to a minimum, okay?”
“Yuck! It’s noisy! Who likes who!”
Elvin blushed and desperately tried to pull away from Hestia, while Annie and Eric looked on with expressions indicating, “Here we go again.”
Hestia soon pushed aside her thoughts of the Duke and Duchess and left with her siblings.
[Translator Note: Hi readers, Are you liking my project? If yes, Can you please drop some comments to motivate me? Thank you]