Chapter 95
Lucy returned to her room after telling the butler to prepare a room for Dino. Not long after, Anna came running, as if she had already heard the news.
“Miss, what’s going on? Why is Dino here?”
“You’ve already met Dino? He seemed curious about you anyway,” Lucy muttered in surprise.
“We literally bumped into each other in the hallway! He’s going to be staying here for a while, right? I was so shocked,” Anna said, pouting and crossing her arms as if displeased.
“It happened suddenly. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you first. Is Dino making things uncomfortable for you?”
“You saw for yourself. He always picks a fight and gets annoyed whenever he sees me!” Anna exclaimed.
Lucy let out a small laugh at that.
“Just endure it for a few days. Dino’s house is being repaired. He’ll only be staying here temporarily until the repairs are done.”
“I suppose I have no choice. But remember, this is our house, and Dino is a guest. If he behaves rudely, I’ll scold him thoroughly this time!”
Lucy suddenly wondered if Anna could scold Dino as fiercely as she did Shan.
The next day, a letter from Lucas arrived for Lucy.
As he had mentioned before, he was now living in the capital and asked her to invite him to her townhouse soon.
The fact that Dino was staying there made her a little uneasy, but she couldn’t delay inviting Lucas indefinitely. She decided on a suitable day and sent a reply asking him to come.
After sending the reply, Lucy hurriedly finished her business with the guild and, by evening, set off with Shan for Baron Diaro’s mansion. She wanted to meet him before the Baron could find her.
Like at the party, they switched to a small, unmarked carriage and arrived at the Diaro mansion, announcing their names to the gatekeeper.
“If you’re Lucy Diaro… could it really be…”
The gatekeeper stammered in surprise upon hearing Lucy’s name.
“Is my father at the mansion? You seem to recognize me—so why are you hesitating? Go tell him I’m here immediately!” Lucy slightly opened the carriage window and reprimanded the gatekeeper with a haughty expression.
“P-please wait a moment!”
Flustered, the gatekeeper ran into the mansion. Soon after, the gates opened, and the carriage drove inside.
Lucy stepped down first, holding Shan’s hand, and Baron and Baroness Diaro rushed toward them.
“Father, Mother. How have you been?” Lucy greeted them with a calm smile.
“You… you… how are you here!” The Baroness stammered in shock.
The Baron glanced at Lucy and Shan silently, then, with an indifferent expression, said,
“Come in first.”
Following Baron Diaro, Lucy and Shan entered the mansion.
Lucy slowly looked around the interior.
‘Not much has changed since I ran away.’
Contrary to Jessica’s claim that the family had fallen into ruin, the Diaro mansion still looked luxurious.
They were led to the dining room. The table was still set with partially eaten food, as if someone had been dining.
The Baron gestured for Lucy to sit.
“We were in the middle of a meal. Would you like to join us for dinner?”
“You still have no sense of manners. Coming at dinner time, of all times!”
“I see. I chose the wrong time. Oh, but I’ve already eaten,” Lucy waved off the maid who was about to set a plate in front of her.
“Then have them bring tea,” the Baron said casually, cutting his steak as he nodded to the maid.
“No, tea is fine,” Lucy replied. She didn’t want to touch anything offered there.
‘Who knows what they’d try to feed me?’
“By the way, when are you going to introduce me to the young man next to you?” the Baron asked, finally noticing Shan.
“Weren’t you uninterested anyway? That’s probably why you brought your daughter here instead of the reception room after all these years.”
Lucy’s sarcastic remark made the Baron slam down his fork and knife in displeasure.
“You went to Jessica’s birthday party and made her a laughingstock? Why suddenly show up here and do this?”
“Father, I’m truly disappointed. Is it wrong for a younger sister to attend her sister’s birthday party?” Lucy asked, bewildered.
“You should have come to see me first when you returned to the capital!”
“I had my own busy matters,” Lucy calmly replied, unfazed by his shouting.
The Baron was clearly unsettled by Lucy’s changed demeanor but showed no reaction.
“What could possibly have kept you busy? Where have you been all this time?” he asked, trying to hide his anger.
“I wandered the country to escape those you sent to kill me. Then I met my friend here and came to the capital with him,” Lucy said, pointing to Shan.
The Baron presumed Lucy trusted the man. From his appearance, Shan didn’t seem particularly noble, though he was large.
‘Did she pick some rich, foolish thug from who knows where?’
He knew well that naive young women like Lucy often thought the world before their eyes was all there was, making them recklessly brave.
‘Looks like this guy had some muscle in his neighborhood.’
The Baron studied Shan carefully, smiling faintly.
“So, where are you staying now?” he asked.
“At my friend’s house, so there’s no need to worry,” Lucy replied, again pointing at Shan.
“Are you married to him?!” the Baron snapped.
“Oh, no! I said he’s a friend!” Lucy exclaimed in surprise.
“You live with a man and aren’t married? Do you realize what kind of rumors you’ll have in this capital?” the Baron shouted, banging the table.
“I’ll forgive the past, but come home immediately!”
Lucy couldn’t contain herself and laughed out loud.
“Hahaha! Are you joking? You mean I should live in that attic again?”
“Lucy! What kind of habit is that toward your father?” The Baroness scolded, having quietly observed the conversation.
“What did I say wrong? Just because I’m not married yet, do you still see me as a naive girl? Are you planning to sell me to Duke Valor now?” Lucy said defiantly.
“So you dare cross the line after I’ve coddled you!” The Baron couldn’t contain his anger and stood up abruptly.
“Do you know what happened to our family after you disappeared, ignoring the marriage to Duke Valor?”
“So now you want me to beg Duke Valor for forgiveness and remarry? You truly are shameless to the end!” Lucy sneered, tilting her mouth.
“What did you say?”
“I came here today to get an apology from you. Reflect on what you’ve done in the past and apologize to me!”
“You’ve gone mad playing around with some strange man! No matter how impressive he is, once he steps into my house, things won’t go your way!” The Baron sneered at Shan, then shouted outside.
“Is no one outside? Drag him out and teach him a lesson!”
At his command, a group of large men rushed into the room.
