Chapter 196

Chapter 196

Deatrice sent a brief look to Rosalynn, indicating she should leave for a moment. Rosalynn appeared surprised by the fact that Deatrice was asking her to leave when she was already on edge, but she soon backed away, bowing slightly.

“Why would you send everyone away like this?”

Tom looked at Rosalynn as she left, then pursed his lips.

“As I said, I have something to ask.”

“But I’m busy too. I was just about to meet someone on behalf of the master. I don’t know what you want to ask, but if it’s in that field, I don’t think I can be of much help either.”

“That field?”

“Yeah… well, things like dresses, or asking for information about objects and such.”

Tom said this dismissively, indicating that he had no interest. Deatrice felt her head pounding as she realized that Tom’s attitude suggested he wouldn’t be helpful in purchasing items.

But instead of dwelling on it or getting caught up in unnecessary discussions, she decided it would be best to get straight to the point.

She handed him the necklace she had brought, and Tom sighed, wearing an awkward expression.

“I told you… I can’t help with this kind of thing.”

“Quietly, open the locket.”

Tom reluctantly opened the locket, muttering. When he saw the portrait that emerged, his eyes widened in surprise. He brought the portrait closer, examining it closely, and then exclaimed.

“Is this Bella Anise? It’s incredible how she looks exactly like master… But how did you get your hands on this?”

His amazement quickly turned into suspicion as he looked at the portrait. Deatrice briefly questioned whether entrusting this matter to Tom was a wise decision. But she couldn’t risk leaving such an important task to a stranger or even to Rosalind. Rosalind might be on her side more than Lucius, but she couldn’t be sure she’d convey the truth without any distortions.

“Do you also see the resemblance between her and Lucius’s birth mother?”

“Even a passing dog would probably see it that way. They look completely identical.”

“Then we definitely need to find out for sure. The Bella Anise I saw in the Duke’s reception room six years ago didn’t look like that.”

“…What?”

Tom furrowed his brows as if he couldn’t comprehend it. Then, he seemed to consider the possibility of her words being true, scrutinizing her face for a moment. But he quickly decided that doubting her judgment was a safer bet.

“Well, it’s only natural, isn’t it? This woman in the portrait appears to be around twenty, and the one you met back then must have been middle-aged…”

“Do you think I can’t tell people’s ages, so that’s why I’m asking you?”

Tom’s face turned red at her mocking tone.

“So, what’s your point? Surely… you don’t want to claim that they are entirely different people, do you?”

He looked at Deatrice with a face that said he didn’t understand what she meant. When Deatrice didn’t respond, Tom sighed.

“Then, what do you mean? Surely… you’re not suggesting something else?”

He looked at her with a face that said he didn’t understand what she meant. When Deatrice didn’t respond, Tom sighed.

“Why didn’t you tell Lucius?”

Deatrice replied in a dry tone, “I plan to tell Lucius once everything is confirmed. I have nothing to hide. If that weren’t the case, I wouldn’t have asked you. I don’t want to confuse Lucius with baseless suspicions. As you said, it’s possible that age has changed her appearance. The person I saw and the portrait are not entirely different. They certainly share some resemblance. But finding someone who looks similar is also not an impossible task.”

Tom looked at Deatrice with distant eyes for a moment after hearing her words. It was hard for him to believe that Deatrice doubted her own father so much.

He wondered if the first thought that crossed her mind upon seeing this portrait was that his father had set up everything.

Tom couldn’t fathom what life would be like for someone who couldn’t trust their own father so completely. He had always thought that family meant unquestioning trust and reliance on each other.

“I don’t want to believe that my father did something like that,” Deatrice said as if she had read Tom’s thoughts.

“After Lucius became like that, my father was the only one I had, and it’s not easy for me to hate the only person I could rely on. So, I tried my best to understand my father all this time. But this is a separate matter from understanding. It’s about finding out exactly who Lucius’s birth mother is. I don’t want to cover up something so important under denial. So, please, I’m asking you. Do your best to find out, not for me but for Lucius.”

“Of course, I’ll do that.”

Tom pocketed the necklace with an uncomfortable expression, having accepted her request.