The Countess looked at Rowena blankly for a while before she chose to confide in her empathetically.

“Actually, five years ago, I had assumed you to be a foolish idiot who pretended to be smart just relying on your appearance.. Even with all your expensive  earrings, necklaces and dresses, you seemed like you had no capability at all and your expression was all too… How can I describe it? Melancholic? You didn’t look happy like you should but you didn’t seem as though you wanted to leave his side any time soon..”

A sharp observation made by the Countess for a long time now was being truthfully told to her and after a short moment of panicking, Rowena opened her eyes and admitted plainly.

“Yes, that’s right. You’ve watched me rather closely… But why have you chosen to hang out with me, now?”

“I see that you’ve changed a lot since coming back. The way you responded to Baroness Estelle with elegance when she was trying to shame you changed the way I used to think about you. At the same time, I became curious about the reason for this transformation.”

Rowena remembered the Baroness’ use of the word “illegitimate son.” She had managed to endure in the face of so many insults, but this time, it was towards her own son. That was enough to make her jump forward to defend him, regardless whether it seemed rude or not. It was all for the sake of the young child that still follows her around at a distance, an individual who was born out of disgrace in the eyes of others.very time she reflected on that fact, she would always be overwhelmed with the bitterly throbbing pain.

The Countess approached her then with her eyes narrowed and pursued her lips mischievously.

“You’re not going to tell me?”

There was a moment of silence. Rowena looked quietly at the woman before her. For some reason, she thought that she could trust her and try relying on her, she had a gut feeling  knowing why this was so; the Countess bore the same resemblance as the impression Jeremy had in her eyes. Genuinely discerning eyes that were sincere, forthrightly honest as they would seek to assist others but never hurt them. 

“No, I’m not going to tell you. It’s a secret.”

She seemed like a good person, but still, she couldn’t talk to just anyone she felt that was trustworthy about Damian. 

The Countess shrugged her shoulders and gave up  easily at the polite rejection.

“Just as I thought so. In that case, let’s go. I gave instructions for a servant to put down the placement mat in a sunlit area  so that we can have lunch there.”

“Sounds perfect.”

The two women were about to continue with their walk when they heard the young boy suddenly call out to his puppy.

“Bobo!”

“Young master!”

The familiar voice of Joanne quickly drifted far from where they were. Rowena turned back to look and saw ahead of Joanne who was chasing after Damian running between the dense trees in plain sight.  Where Damian was headed for was not the general area, which was open to the public, but the dark, gloomy  innermost area. Her eyes caught a glimpse of Bobo’s leash that had been undone and his tail disappearing off soon  in the darkness.

“Damian!”

Rowena sensed something unusual about the situation and chased after her son without sparing a moment to think about the situation. When she rushed forward leaving the startled Countess behind her, she bumped into someone walking from the other direction.

“I’m sorry!”

She apologized hurriedly as she walked by. She did not even get the chance to look at the other person’s face properly when her arm was roughly grabbed.   

“You have to apologize properly.”

The voice seemed somewhat nervous however sharp it sounded. Rowena turned to see a young girl who looked to be no more than nineteen years old. She seemed to have a great deal of authority based on the entourage following behind her. Even so, she was in a hurry so she patiently submitted to the situation and closed her eyes before opening them again, repeating her apology to the lady. She was about to follow Damian when the woman standing beside the girl raised her voice loudly.

“Oh my, isn’t this Miss Philone?”