Chapter 23
Her reply held quite a strange nuance. A daughter rebuking a father for worrying about his son? It was an answer that oddly missed the point, yet spoke nothing but the truth.
However, Aurora’s expression as she looked at the Duke of Lancaster was nothing but bright and innocent.
“That may be true, but… isn’t it about time he ended this rebellion? He’s not getting any younger.”
The Duke of Lancaster spoke with a heavy sigh. At that, Aurora reached out with a look of deep concern and took the Duke’s hand as it rested on the table.
“So that’s what you’ve been brooding over. But Father, I think that would be solved if you just let go of your greed regarding Brother. You have too much ambition. I see signs of you becoming a villain. You really should be careful.”
Once again, it was a response that veered off-topic while containing a naked, blunt truth.
The problem was that Aurora’s concern for the Duke was entirely sincere.
Hearing Aurora’s words, the Duke of Lancaster could only let out one long sigh after another. Between his son and his daughter, he wondered why they had both grown up like this; he suddenly felt a desperate craving for a drink.
Shaking his head as if giving up, the Duke left Aurora with one final piece of advice.
“The state of affairs is grim these days. You, at least, must stay within the Lancaster mansion. Don’t even think about going out.”
At that, Aurora’s eyes grew wide and round.
The Duke was starting to feel a little afraid of what she might say next.
“Are you placing a grown daughter under house arrest right now? Um. I’m not sure what I should say to that, but…”
“If you don’t know, then just keep your mouth shut and listen to your father.”
“Yes. I will.”
Aurora answered promptly, then immediately began to ponder how she might sneak away to Brunel without her father ever finding out.
