The Duke’s Substitute Bride is a Maid

Chapter 20: Ronald’s Mother

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Ronald looked at Irene, who was curled up in a ball, and clenched his fists.

When he had just arrived here, he had learned from Irene’s maid that Rhett had used witchcraft on Irene and wanted to erase her memory. In his rage, he had killed Rhett with his sword.

But of course, Caesar would not let him off after killing a prince in such a ceremony. So out of helplessness, Ronald had no choice but to use Irene as a hostage.

When he had held the longsword to her throat just now, she must have been scared out of her wits.

Moreover, in the process of retreating and running to the carriage, he had killed a few more soldiers before he was able to escape.

Now in Irene’s eyes, he should be a completely bad person, right?

Ronald wanted to comfort Irene, but he withdrew his hand multiple times.

Irene slowly raised her head to look at Ronald. Her eyes were misty, and there were drops of water on her eyelashes. She looked very pitiful. “Where are you taking me?”

This stumped Ronald. He had originally planned to bring Irene back to Croce, but with Irene’s current mental state, Ronald was afraid that bringing her back to the palace rashly would further agitate her.

They couldn’t stay in Celt. His arrest warrant would definitely be plastered all over the streets. However, if he were to send her back to Murcia just like that, he would not be satisfied.

Ronald tried his best to soften his tone. “I’ll bring you home.”

Irene’s hands that were hugging her knees gradually tightened. At that time, Rhett had said the same thing. He had brought her home, but she had not expected to go from one abyss to another.

Irene understood in her heart that Ronald was talking about going home to Croce. She had spent so much effort, and yet she had to go back to where she was?

Irene pretended not to know and nodded obediently.

It was a long journey from Celt to Murcia. With Irene around, Ronald could not travel day and night.

Irene gradually calmed down, but she did not talk much. Ronald was not in a hurry. When she wanted to talk, Ronald would talk to her. When she did not talk, Ronald would quietly accompany her.

Irene felt that Ronald would definitely take her back to the palace, but when she got off the carriage, she was in a manor. “This… isn’t Murcia.” Irene looked at Ronald who was the first to get off the carriage. “Where is this?”

Ronald rubbed the back of Irene’s head. “Didn’t I say that I’m your husband? This is naturally our home.”

Ronald had always had a manor in Croce, but… after his mother left, he had never returned.

When Ronald said this, Irene saw the desolation in Ronald’s eyes. It was very faint, but it was an expression that Irene had never seen before.

He clearly had his own manor, but why did he have to live in the palace before?

The front yard of the manor was a well-manicured lawn. In the middle stood a statue that was several stories tall.

Irene walked over. Her height had just passed the base of the statue, and there was an inscription on the base. “Mrs. Smith.”

Irene touched it, and it felt cold. She could feel that it was a rare Machilus thunbergii wood, a wood type that was unique to China. Irene looked up and saw that the woman was wearing a Chinese cheongsam. Irene looked at Ronald in confusion.

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Ronald knew what she wanted to ask, so he held her shoulder and sat down on the bench behind her, “My mother is Chinese. Her Chinese name is Wen Wan. She was born into a prestigious family in China, so there was an endless stream of suitors in China. But she fell in love with my father, who was visiting China. After she married my father, she never returned to China.

During her time in sickbed, she often told me about the things that happened before she met my father. She said that her greatest happiness in life was to marry my father, but her greatest regret was that she could not return home. My father had the sculpture made. After my mother died, my father soon followed.”

Irene looked at Ronald’s eyes filled with grief and reminiscence. Just looking at the sculpture in front of her, she could imagine that Mrs. Smith must have been a very gentle woman. The sculpture was lifelike. It must have taken a lot of effort. His father must have loved his mother very much.

Irene raised her hand to wipe away the tears from Ronald’s eyes. Only then did Ronald realize that he was crying. He held Irene’s hand and pulled her into his arms without saying a word.