The Duke's Passion

Chapter 743  Why Sunny was left behind?

Meanwhile, inside the mansion's dining hall…

Tilly, Law, and Rufus were already eating their breakfast, while Fabian served them refreshments. The head seat where Stefan always sits was empty, and a few chairs where Samael and Lilou would perch.

"Will my father survive?" asked Law when he couldn't take the silence anymore, raising his eyes at Rufus, who was sitting just across from him. "If Mother recovered her memories just as Tilly said, then that means she will remember about Sunny."

Rufus froze as that slipped his mind, gazing at Tilly, who also paused in forking a piece of pea. "Uhh…"

"His Grace will surely die," Fabian was the first to recover. Unlike Tilly and Rufus, who had almost forgotten about Sunny with everything that had happened during these months, Fabian had already thought long and hard about it all night. Hence, the black funeral attire he was wearing. "But it was Tilly's decision to leave Sunny behind." Law set his eyes to Tilly and sighed. "Tilly, you should clarify that Father had nothing to do with it."

"But then again, His Grace should've rushed to Sunny instead of heading straight to Karo, where my lady was," Fabian answered in a knowing tone. He could already imagine the argument Lilou and Samael were having right this second. "Why did you even leave a three-year-old child all alone in that place?" this time, Rufus couldn't keep his curiosity at bay anymore, since the topic was brought up. "Why did you take Law and left Sunny behind? Even if you asked the La Crox to look after that child, it was still dangerous."

Tilly pursed her lips and glossed her lazy eyes across the people around the table. As she did, she noticed Claude coming in from the side. But unlike the previous days, Claude had shaved and seemed to have taken a good bath since he didn't look like an old haggard man anymore.

"They're still not done?" Claude asked while he pulled the chair in the farthest before sitting on it. "His Grace was caught, unfortunately," Fabian happily filled him in. "You look younger now, my Lord. I wonder what happened?"

Claude looked up at Fabian when the latter served him a plate and poured him a glass of orange juice. He let out a shallow breath and smiled.

"Thanks," he expressed, grabbing the glass of refreshment to his lips. As he took a sip, he noticed the plain butler uniform and the black ribbon attached to his chest. "You've prepared."

"I am always prepared, my Lord."

Claude shook his head mildly, ignoring Fabian while he glanced at Law and Rufus, whose attention was on Tilly. He overheard their conversation when he came in, so he was also intrigued about what was Tilly thinking about leaving Sunny behind. "Because Sunny grew up in the mainland," was all Tilly explained, making Rufus and Law furrow their brows. Claude glanced at Fabian, and unlike them, he didn't seem surprised at Tilly's vague answer. "What does that even mean?" Claude blurted out under his breath, keeping his eyes on Fabian. Between Tilly and Fabian, the latter was better at explaining things. "What Lady Tilly means is that compare to the young master, Sunny isn't influenced by her parents' teaching," Fabian translated since Law and Rufus also looked in his direction for some translation. "By this, she means, Sunny is born on the mainland and had a different outlook compared to the young master. Aside from the fact that the young master is needed here because of the gift His Majesty bestowed upon him, the young master had grown up in the south Minowa, which is a very different environment from the mainland."

"Stop sugarcoating your words, Fabian," Rufus snorted. "What you both mean is Sunny took after you two and influenced her young mind?"

"Exactly." Fabian nodded, keeping his smile that was reaching his squinting eyes. "The young master is capable with principles."

"And that young child doesn't have principles? Is that what you're insinuating, Fabian?" "I wouldn't say she doesn't, but rather, unlike your virtuous principles, the young miss tends to be logical." "Even if that logic is evil and dangerous?" Rufus scoffed in disbelief as he couldn't wrap his head around this reasoning. "Would it hurt if you took Sunny since you already brought Law with you?"

He then set his eyes back on Tilly. "The Madam loves her children more than anything and anyone in this world. I wouldn't be surprised if she went back to the mainland now that she knew about her daughter's situation."

"Sunny wants to stay," Tilly spoke after the brief argument between the Barrett brothers, raising her eyes at the eyes cast upon her. "If she wants to go, she wouldn't agree to be left behind."

"But… even if she's exceptional. She's still a child." This time, Claude couldn't help but raised his concern. It reminded him of his childhood in the royal palace; just because Claude was mature at a young age, everyone just treated him as someone who could decide all on his own. If not for Klaus' guidance, Claude would've made even graver mistakes. "But Sunny will disappear if she stayed with us." Tilly put down her cutlery and raised her chin, settling her eyes on Law. "We are back in a time where Law and Sunny shouldn't be alive. Law is an exception, being able to hold the future, but Sunny… she will eventually disappear if she stayed with us."

"What?" Rufus gasped in dismay, not having heard of such a thing.

"The energy outside the mainland is far different from in the mainland." Tilly let out a shallow breath. "I need to keep her safe."

"How — how can you keep her safe on the mainland? Where our enemies are?"

"She left the mainland." Tilly turned her head to the other entrance. Her eyes instantly landed on Lilou's figure, who had just come and heard the last part of this conversation. "The mainland isn't a safe place for her, Lilou. Now she is safe with us. That is why… I sent her to a place that had the same energy as the mainland, but was a safer place for her."

Lilou's lips quivered, taking a careful step into the dining hall, eyes on Tilly. "Where is she?" she asked under her breath. "She'll be in my brother's care."