Chapter 11

It happened last summer, when he took a few days of break, and they went on vacation to his summer residence in the northern lands.

Then an unknown woman came to him with a little boy claiming that it was his child.

- My child?

- Yes! - The woman cried out and nodded her head affirmatively.

Usually the guards detained everyone still at the main entrance, checking the identity of each visitor so that such people could not penetrate him.

However, as they arrived at the summer residence for a small rest, the discipline of all staff was somewhat weakened.

That day Lennox asked what Juliet would like to do during a short vacation, she replied that she would like to ride a boat on the lake.

Since this was her first request in three days that they had spent in the bedroom since she arrived, he did not hesitate to agree.

Hearing his answer, Juliet, who usually rarely showed emotions, laughed joyfully and said excitedly that she would be away for a while to prepare for a walk.

It was at the moment when she was absent that a newcomer-sold was mistakenly let an unknown woman into the main hall, mistaking her for Juliet.

Lennox was waiting for Juliet there at that time, sitting on the couch like a lazy black panther, when uninvited guests welcomed him.

- This is your son, Duke. Look at that.

The woman introduced herself and said that she was a maid of an actress, but he did not remember hearing her name anywhere or seeing her face.

She was dressed in a tasteless dress and her face had bright makeup, but the most remarkable thing about her was that she presented him with her child as a gift, as if he were a doll.

The boy looked ten years old, and he was wearing a shirt with a bright brooch, shorts and hat.

He was trembling and for some reason he couldn't even look him in the eye.

Lennox gave the boy an indifferent eye.

- He looks older than a seven-year-old child.

- Oh, that's because he's the Duke's son, because of that he's a little bigger than an ordinary child! Eric will look the same as you when he grows up. He'll be a great knight!

The woman was embarrassed for a moment, then pushed the boy forward, putting him in front of her.

After that, she took off his hat with an important look.

- If you look at this black hair and red eyes, you'll see that it's a child of your blood, right? Eric is your son, Duke.

Lennox stared at a frightened boy with his red eyes.

Everyone in the empire knew about it.

The children of the Carlisle family were born with black hair and red eyes, without exception.

Ruby red eyes, as bright as the blood of white pigeons.

It is for this reason that he fought for many years and destroyed all those who claimed the rights to his title so that his legitimacy of the pedigree would not be jeopardized.

And now the boy brought by this woman had these red eyes and black hair.

- My son. - Lennox muttered stretching his words, while rising from his seat.

At that time, his secretary Elliot, who was absent on another assignment for a while, heard about the episode and hurried to him.

- Your Serene Highness!

Elliot turned pale at the sight of a woman and a boy.

- I'm sorry. It happened because I was absent for a while...

- Don't worry about it.

- Yeah?

Lennox went up to the boy and put his hand on his shoulder, then looked at Elliot with a smile.

- What's more, Elliott, I want you to come up and look at him. This boy is my son.

- Okay, Your Serene Highness.

- Do you think he looks like me?

Lennox leaned over and met a frozen boy with a look.

- Is your name Eric?

This question was asked in a soft, affectionate voice that was completely different from its usually hard tone.

In addition, his beautiful appearance also fascinated this little child.

And at the moment when the boy finally relaxed and nodded slightly to him, Lennox's hand quickly grabbed a catchy brooch from his shirt.

- What are you...!

And before the woman had time to scream with fear...

Bullshit.

The brooch broke in his hand.

At the same time, the boy showed the original color of his eyes and hair.

- It wasn't a very smart move. He's not my son - Lennox muttered, looking at the pieces of the brooch in his big palm.

The brooch was a cheap magic tool that changed the color of the eyes and hair.

At that moment, the woman finally recovered and rushed to him, but she was immediately captured by the knights, who sang along just in time.

- Oh, there's something wrong here... you misunderstood everything!

- Elliot.

- Yes, Your Serene Highness.

- Throw them away.

Having ordered his secretary, Lennox turned around and headed for the exit from the main hall.

He heard loud screams and crying behind him, but it didn't touch him at all.

However, he did not have time to take a few steps, as he noticed a woman standing at the entrance to the main hall and looking indifferently at this stage.

She stood holding on to a marble column at the entrance.

It seemed that if she had lowered her hand now, she would fainted.

.... Juliet?

Then he didn't dare to ask how long she had already stood there.

Juliet didn't pay attention to him at all.

Her eyes were chained to a screaming woman and a crying child.

- Wait, you're making a huge mistake, Duke! It's your son!

Lennox suddenly realized that he was unconsciously clenching his fists.

He only looked at Juliet, but she didn't look at him.

She didn't take her eyes off the woman she was dragged away while she screamed fertilously, like she was obsessed.

After the knights brought them out, there was silence in the main hall.

There are only two left in it - he and Juliet.

Juliet then turned her head in his direction.

Their eyes met for a moment, but he didn't say a word to her.

Juliet also looked at him silently with a pale face, which was not reflected in criticism or surprise.

She was just looking at him with calm blue eyes.

As always.

***

For Lennox, this incident was something that was not worth paying attention to at all, because in the Carlisle family childbirth was not such an easy task.

As legend has said, the blood line of their distant ancestors came from inhumans and did not allow mixing blood.

It is for this reason that their family has never had side branches, despite the large number of mistresses.

As a result, the Duke never worried about illegitimate offspring.

Moreover, he never had a long relationship with a woman.

The only exception to this rule was only one woman, Juliet Montagu.

But people who wanted to benefit from it didn't know about it. There were countless scammers who came to profit from it, believing that if the child had red eyes and black hair, he could be impersonated as the Duke Carlisle's son.

But did he explain to her then why he did so or not?

If you think about it, that incident made him mad. Then he warmly canceled not only the walk on the lake, but also the remaining days of rest, after which they immediately returned home.

But maybe Lennox didn't explain anything to her.

Juliet didn't ask him about it, and he hated wasting time on such things.

Lennox, instead of thinking about her and clarifying everything, just left everything as it is, deciding that it didn't matter.

"You just passed by her, didn't you?"

Juliet didn't follow him and didn't ask for an explanation of the rest of this play, but just stayed in the same place.

When all the luggage was packed and it was time to leave, she only quietly climbed into the carriage without even asking why they were coming back.

And all the way while they were driving back, Juliet sat next to him and looked silently out the window.

But even at that moment, he didn't say anything.

Damn it!

Their relationship has been like this from the beginning.

He didn't explain anything, and Juliet didn't ask him anything. And for a long time, he thought that such a relationship was quite natural.

Lennox always believed that their connection would have ended anyway, as it was with other women with whom he quietly parted without long goodbyes.

He thought that a short, easy breakup of a relationship did less harm, allowing both to go further without regret than saying a lot of annoying, meaningless words.

But maybe it wasn't.

Even if she didn't ask if I should have stopped by her and asked what she thought about it?

Lennox thought too late about a possible outcome.

Perhaps Juliet, who was looking for him, didn't see the moment when the woman's lies were revealed.

Also, it's probably all Juliet saw was just a scene where a crying child and a screaming woman were pulled out.

She could only see the back of a man who said it wasn't his child and turned away from them in cold blood.

Juliet stayed there for a long time alone after he passed by her without explaining the reasons.

What was this fragile silent woman left to think alone?

Rabidly rushing on his horse down a deserted street, he was brushing his teeth tightly.

"Just let me go."

"Didn't I behave well all this time?"

A weak smile on her lips and a clear desire to end their relationship as soon looked like she was hiding something.

He didn't think at all about what he would do next with all this, but one thing was obvious.

He was supposed to meet Juliet.

And when he meets her, he'll definitely ask her.

He just had to ask why the hell she was running away and why she was so scared?

He will have to explain to her that all the worst she imagined about him was untruth.

A black horse of the rare breed has traveled a long distance in the shortest possible time. Immediately upon arrival at the mansion, Lennox jumped off the saddle, leaving an excited and hot stallion in the yard.

As he told me, everyone was preparing to leave for the north. The courtyard of the mansion was filled with wagons and fussy servants who took luggage out of the house.

- Oh, Your Serene Highness?

The palace mansion recognized him and ran up to him in surprise.

- Where's Juliet?

- Huh?

- I asked where Juliet is?

- Oh... the young lady said she'd come a little later...

Eventually, Lennox, having not heard the servant's answer to the end, went to the mansion.

- Mr.!

When the knights who followed him one step late just appeared in the courtyard of the mansion, he had already entered the building and jumped over two steps up the stairs leading to the second floor.

- .... Juliet?

However, when he opened the door to her room on the second floor, it was empty.

The mistresses of the room were never seen anywhere.

The only thing he saw was a shimmering, bluish glow from a butterfly soaring in the air.