THE PROPOSAL: PART 4

Arriving at the palace of the Duke, she can't help but think about what she's supposed to say to Hugh.

"He wouldn't kick a child just because I brought him without his consent, right? Besides, I really need to leave this place. Now, I have Anton to care for." She whispered to herself that only she could hear. It was a reminder of what really was her position in this mansion.

"Did you say something, Miss Leticia?"

"No, nothing… could I ask you Hazel to prepare a bath for Anton?" Leticia requested. Her mind let go of the thoughts of Hugh and focused on what she needed to do for now.

'Let's make Anton settle first. He needs some rest for now."

"Of course, I'll also tell the head butler about what happened so we can prepare a separate room for Anton."

Hazel smiles at Anton while Austin was carrying him as he fell asleep.

They knew that the tension must have left his body and when he saw Leticia, he immediately let it all go and went to sleep.

"He must really have been tired…" Hazel said with a bitter smile.

Leticia could only look at the face of the child with pity. She doesn't know what kind of hardship he faced or how he ended up in the hands of those adults.

But what was important was to comfort the child as Leticia didn't know what kind of trauma he experienced.

Leticia fixes the hair of Anton that went to his eyes. Then, she met Austin's eyes.

"You'll make a report to His Grace, right?"

"That's right."

"Then, could you ask the Duke to meet me so that I could explain about Anton personally?"

Austin blinked a few times. "Alright…"

"Thank you!"

***

The moment that the Duke arrived in the evening, Austin immediately asked for a meeting with him.

And now, he was at the office telling him about what happened in the afternoon.

"...that's what happened, Your Grace."

Hugh's fingers were interlocked and his chin rested on them. He was patiently listening to what Austin said.

"So, you're telling me that she easily ran away from you?"

Austin flinched. Hearing the cold tone and stare of his commander made him shiver.

'Is that really what he gets from everything I said? Not her eyes glowing or how she beat two thugs with just a lumber in her hand?!' Austin thought as he frowned but as he glanced at the front he ceased his thoughts and froze. Seeing that the Duke was glaring at him with a glint in his eyes, Austin decides to answer first. 'I need to save myself first!'

He bowed his head and apologized to Hugh. "It was my mistake, Your Grace! I'll accept any punishment that you'll give."

"I don't need any incompetent people in my knights, Austin. Remember that!"

"I apologize, Your Grace! That won't happen again!"

"As it should be. You're the vice-commander of the Black Stallion Knights. If you can't even protect a single lady then what's the purpose of giving you that title?!" Hugh sighed and massaged his temple. "Leticia saved my life. I also dragged her here with a promise that I'll protect her. That's why I placed you to be by her side. But what? She easily outran you?!"

Gulp!

Austin could only swallow the lump on his throat. His body was still leaning forward but the pressure that he was feeling from the Duke was making him shut his mouth and eyes.

What his commander said was correct. He was also confused as to how Leticia moves so swiftly that he easily lost her among the crowd. As well as how she could beat two men all on her own.

'If she's not lucky and those thugs easily reflected her attack then I also don't know what might happen while I'm busy catching up on her…'

Austin didn't have any excuse. So, he bowed his head further in shame.

Hugh sighed.

"Get out and ask Hans to bring you to the dungeon. Stay there for one day. Reflect on your incompetence."

"Yes, Your Grace!"

Austin went out and closed the door. As he was now outside the Duke's office, he immediately sighed.

"Haa… the dungeon huh?"

"Well isn't that better than getting the usual 'training' from the Duke himself?"

Austin turned his head and saw Hans, the head butler, walking towards him.

"Such a perfect time for you to appear!" Austin said sarcastically while he brushed his green hair, "You're right… this is much better." he then gave a resigned smile.

Hans also responded with a smile. "Then, shall we?"

***

Meanwhile, Hugh was left alone in his office. He thinks about what Austin said that piqued his interest.

"Her golden eyes were glowing?" He frowned as he thought about it.

"Why did her eyes glow?" He pondered.

"There's also that peaceful feeling whenever I'm with her." Then, Hugh looked at his wrist where the contracted seal of Aquila's was placed. "She also made them calm."

'I need to observe her more…' he thought as he opened the right drawer and picked up a document that he made Hans prepare. 'With this, I can make her stay and observe what she really is…' he added.

Hugh then recalled what Austin said at the end.

["...Lady Leticia also asked if she could have a meeting with you to tell you personally about the child."]

He stood from his chair and looked at the night sky outside.

"That's right… Let's meet first. We have something to talk about..." Hugh smiled thinking about how Leticia would respond.

***

At the same time, in Leticia's room, Anton was sleeping soundly at the bed after he took a bath and ate.

Because when Hazel was about to lead him to the room that Hans prepared for him, Anton started to cry.

Anton clung onto her insisting that he wanted to sleep beside Leticia and he didn't want to be anywhere but beside her.

It was as if he couldn't trust anyone but just Leticia. And they understand why, so she lets Anton do what he wants.

Leticia knows that what Anton needs the most is reassurance that no one will hurt him in this place.

And that's what Leticia wants to do.

Leticia was appalled at the sight of the child's body. Even Hazel grimaced when she saw the scrawny body of Anton full of bruises and cuts.

"It's just months ago since he got adopted but it was as if he's been living this way for a long time." She whispered while getting teary eyes looking at the child.

Thinking about what happened a while ago, Leticia's blood boils again. "I should have beat them more!"

She learned through those thugs that Anton was actually about to be sold when he ran away from them. Leticia asked about the merchant family that adopted Anton but those thugs didn't know about anything and were just asked to capture the child.

'They must be in the lowest rank or they are just for hire for the people who do the slave trading!'

The more she thinks about it, negative thoughts swirled inside her head. 'What if not only Anton was a victim of those people? What if the other children also experience it?!'

She bit her lower lip in frustration. "What if this happened because we didn't look through the background of the people who adopted Anton… that merchant family!"

Leticia grits her teeth. She promised herself that she needed to know what really happened and that if there were more children that came from the orphanage that happened to be in the same situation or Anton was an isolated case.

All of a sudden, Anton grumbled in his sleep. "Ugh… ummn!"

As if someone was hurting him, he stretches his hand to protect himself.

"Ugh! N-no!"

Leticia bit her lips again seeing that the child was traumatized.

"I'll definitely make them pay!" she swore to herself.

She started to caress Anton's head. And slowly, his crumpled face begins to smoothen.

"Haa…" Leticia let out a sigh of relief.

Anton's tormented face becomes peaceful.

Suddenly a knock came in.

"It's me, Leticia."

Leticia turns her head towards the door and remembers that she asked Anton to pass her message to Hugh.

She opened the door and saw Hugh standing there looking comfortable wearing a white v-neck shirt where some part of his chest was exposed. A blue coat was draped on his shoulder and his hair was down.

"I heard you want to talk? I also have something to say…" Hugh then smiled while looking at Leticia.