Ruan was doing his daily work inside his office. Standing beside him was his assistant, Arham. Ruebn, the butler knocked on the door and came in, bringing refreshment to the duke. While Ruan and Arham were discussing their work, the butler placed the cup on his desk. Suddenly, the door swung open, which made the three almost jump out from surprise.
They glanced at the door and saw Medina, the head maid's face. She was fuming in red but on the verge of crying.
"How could you do this, duke! How could you cheat on the duchess!" she felt betrayed.
The three men inside the room were stunned and could not respond immediately. As if the head maid dropped a big crisis in front of them.
"Where did we go wrong?" the head maid sniffled. "I know you were deeply hurt when your parents died at a young age, but we did our best to raise you to be a better man."
"What is my wife saying, duke? An affair?" the butler in disbelief.
"Huh?" is the first thing that came out of Ruan's mouth. He sighed and brushed his hair through his hand, composing himself.
"Wait. This is my first time hearing this. Where exactly did this kind of rumor come from? "
"You can deny everything. But you can't hide the truth," The head maid insisted. "Fitz found the child, and… she has the Ledroux family trait. You can't deny those crimson eyes!"
Arham gasped. "You had a secret affair, and not only that, a child as well?"
Ruan gave a deathly glance at him. Arham clears his throat and straightens up. Ruan sighed again and stood up. He approached the head maid and soothed her. To ruan, The head maid and butler were like his second parents because they cared for him after his parents died.
"Calm down first, Medina," guiding her to sit on the couch. "What is this child you are talking about?"
Medina, calm down. "Ah, it was Fitz who brought her to the kitchen."
Ruan gazed at Arham, giving him a sign. Arham nodded and left the room.
"Can you describe to me this child you are talking about?"
"She is a little lady and has red eyes just like yours."
"I see," the only thing that Ruan could answer, and he was lost in thought
"I could not deny it since I did not see the child yet, and moreover, having crimson eyes means she was really a Ledroux. But how could I have a secret child when I never remember meeting other women? My wife had been gone for a long time. Did my father have a secret son outside and coincidentally bear a daughter? If it is a secret, son, then it could be possible. Since we don't have a relative that inherited the same trait as ours. Only the direct descendant inherited this trait and power."
"Your grace, I brought them here." Arham stepped aside, letting Fitz and the little lady enter.
Ruben gasped with surprise, and Arham appeared hesitant, doubting Medina's claim to the child. Clairene gazed around the room innocently while being carried in Fitz's arms.
Clairene's eyes widened when her eyes landed on Ruan. Their eyes meet, and immediately they wriggle in Fitz's arm. Fitz put her down, and Clairene dashed towards Ruan and huggedhis legs.
"Daddy!" she called out to him.
Medina wanted to collapse when she heard her call Ruan "Daddy." Ruben paled, as if his spirit had left his body. Arham and Fitz were stunned in surprise and could not believe what they were witnessing.
"Am I seeing things?" Arham commented. "I guess I am really exhausted. A cute little lady called the duke 'daddy'?"
Fitz commented, "I know the child is fearless, but to think she did not cry from seeing the duke, but instead acted cute by hugging him on his legs and calling him 'daddy.'"
Ruan's expression became dark, and he slowly approached the child.
"Who are you calling daddy?" he asked coldly.
"Your grace, could you calm down a bit? You're scaring her," Arham suggested.
Clairene didn't respond and just hugged Ruan's legs tightly. Ruan moved his hands, which alarmed Arham and Fitz.
Ruan lifted the child up to level his gaze. "I'm asking you, little lady. Who are you calling daddy?"
Clairence was surprised when Ruan lifted him up and their eyes met. She smiled and answered. "You, mister!"
"M-mister?" Arham and Fitz both thought. They hold back their laughter.
"Mister?" Ruan repeated, as if hearing new information for the first time. "No one called me that."
"Then, should I call you 'Daddy'?" Clairene tilted her head.
Everyone inside the room could not deny the child's cuteness and adorableness, except for Ruan, who still has a steely expression.
"Who are you, and why are you calling me daddy? I never had a daughter. Not, as long as I remember."
"I'm Clairene," the child answered honestly.
"Clairene? It's my first time meeting you, young lady," Ruan answered coldly. "My wife has already been gone for years. It's impossible for me to have a daughter. You might be a daughter of my father or a relative of mine."
Clairene stared at the duke for a moment. Their gazes returned to each other, and Clairene's eyes met Ruan's. Ruan smirked and was amused seeing how Clairene's eyes glow when it resonates with him.
Ruan puts the child down and gazes down at her. The people inside who witnessed as well the child's eyes glow gasped in surprise.
"Does it mean that this child is really the duke?" Fitz wondered in his thoughts.
"If the child's eyes resonate to the duke. It only means that there is a higher chance that she is his daughter," Arham thought.
Medina covered her mouth. "No," she murmured.
Ruben held his wife to support her while he, himself, also could not believe what she witnessed.
"Interesting. Just who are you really," Ruan said while gazing down at the child with his eyes glowing like a predator observing his enemy.
"I told you, I'm Clairene," she answered, pouting.
"Clairene, huh," Ruan repeated. "Who is your mother?"
Clairene's eyes widened almost like she was surprised to be asked about her mother. She pursed her lips, refusing to answer.
Ruan grinned. "Really amusing. A child who refused to tell who her mother is…" staring intently at her. "Or perhaps she didn't know who her mother was? "
Clairene clenched the hem of her dress with her teary eyes. She gazed down on the floor.
"Look at me, young lady," Ruan said authoritatively.
The people around them started to get worried for the child.
"Daddy is stupid!" Clairene suddenly burst out yelling and dashed towards Fitz, hugging his legs.
"Ah.. uhm…" Fitz doesn't know what to do. He just sighed and lifted her up.
Clairene clutched at Fitz's neck. "Let's go, sir. I don't want to see him."
"You…" Ruan started to march towards Fitz when Medina blocked his way.
"Your grace, I know I started this. But she is just child," she begged.
"Your grace, don't pressure her that much," Ruben seconded.
Ruan stared at the two and sighed, calming himself.
"Prepare that child's room. And Fitz, you will be the one who will watch over her. Report everything to me," Ruan instructed.
"Yes, duke."
"Should I use the west wing, duke?" Ruben asked for confirmation.
Ruan paused for a moment. The mansion has four floors. The first floor is where the banquet hall, dining area, and the servants' room are. The second floor is where the drawing room and the duke and duchess's office are. The third floor is where the library and the guest rooms are.
On the fourth floor, in the west wing, is where the rooms are allocated for the children of the duke and duchess. While on the same floor, on the east wing lies the room for the duke and duchess. On the outside, it looks like two rooms, but it has a connecting door inside.
Ruan's eyes landed on the Clairene whose back is still facing him and clutching onto Fitz.
"Very well, I guess that child must be kept close to know her identity."
"Yes, duke," Ruben answered.