And so it begins! Luca was on his way to Winterwald. As I watched myself take part in the first big event of the novel in real-time, it would only be a slight exaggeration to say I felt like I might stand up and applaud. But obviously, I couldn’t. I reminded myself of the two rules I had to follow: I don’t know anything about what’s happening. I’m just Luca’s kind aunt, that’s all.

I repeated the words in my head like I was trying to brainwash myself, then tried to appear stunned and concerned. Estimating how long I had to wait before I could agree to the proposal without raising suspicion, I put on a troubled face and twisted my guiltless tea cup around in my hands.

Ruediger absolutely ate it up. He cautiously leaned in to persuade me. “I know you must be apprehensive, but Winterwald can and will provide Luca with an excellent environment in every way.”

He was telling the truth. In the novel, Ruediger and his parents—Luca’s grandparents—treat Luca like a member of the family, not an illegitimate child. Since Ruediger has no thought of marrying, Luca is their only grandchild. Their decision to treat him as the heir to the Dukedom is what causes the extended family’s dissent and the ensuing calamity.

As I remembered the thorny path that lay ahead of Luca, my face slipped into a frown. Suddenly I felt torn. Did Luca really have to go? Wouldn’t he be fine here with me? Despite those thoughts, I knew in my heart that Winterwald would never give up on him.

The Winterwald blood flowing through Luca’s veins was a more important issue than Ruediger was letting on. Since I was his aunt and not his mother, it wouldn’t be easy to win a custody battle. Even if I were his mother, there was no guarantee. And even though I’d tried to treat him well for the past month, that didn’t justify the years of abuse.

Luca himself would want to go with Ruediger. That thought left a somewhat bitter aftertaste—it was as if the past month of effort was for nothing.

Stop wallowing. You were nice to Luca because you wanted to be, not because you expected something in return. It’s best to stick to the plan. When you second-guess yourself and change the answer right before the bell rings, you’re always wrong. With that conclusion to my moment of uncertainty, I took a deep breath.

“It’s so sudden,” I said.

“I understand,” Ruediger said, nodding his head slowly.

I continued with a pained smile, choosing my words carefully, “It might be hard for Luca to take in while he’s sick. He should finish his medicine and get some rest. Could you come again tomorrow when he’s feeling better?”

“Of course. I should be thanking you for your courtesy.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Anything for Luca.” I stuck to the role of sad aunt parting with her beloved nephew until the moment I saw Ruediger out the door. Luckily he didn’t seem to have a clue that I’d planned to send Luca with him all along.

Well, that’s one thing down. When Ruediger disappeared from view I finally breathed a short sigh of relief.

* * *

That night, I summoned all my cooking skills to dish up a delicious pot-au-feu. Luca emptied his plate in a flash, so it must’ve been tasty. I watched him with satisfaction.

This might be our last dinner together. I did my best, even if it was only for a month. Pleased with myself, I tried to remember the scene for later. I decided not to tell Luca about Ruediger’s visit. He’d find out tomorrow anyway. It was partially a defense mechanism to help me calm down after the panic of Ruediger’s sudden appearance.

The next day, Ruediger returned as promised. Luca, whose fever had broken overnight, stared at him, dumbfounded by his unexpected entrance.

“My uncle?” Luca said.

“That’s right. Your uncle,” I said, smiling gently. I nudged him forward with a hand on his back. I expected him to introduce himself, but his back tensed and he stood firmly locked in place. Was he shy?

I smiled awkwardly at Ruediger and nudged Luca again. “Go on, say hello.”

“That man doesn’t look anything like me. How could we be related?” he said. He stared distrustfully at Ruediger.

Uh-oh, this isn’t right. Things were getting off to a strange start, but I thought he must just be grouchy from his cold. I tried to comfort him.

“We don’t look alike either, but we’re still family, right? You can’t judge on looks alone,” I said.

Of course, Judith originally shared Luca’s suspicion. Ruediger and Luca looked nothing alike, from their hair color to their eyes, to their facial structure. I only knew they were related because it said so in the novel. If I hadn’t read it, I might be suspicious too.

“That’s not the same!” Luca said, raising his voice. There was now hostility in his eyes as he stared at Ruediger. In the novel, he accepts his uncle in an instant. What was going wrong?

Was I supposed to let him see us fight over him? But that would defeat the point. While I tried to come up with a way to convince him, the situation seemed to be making Ruediger sweat as well. His smooth face—so sleek it seemed like a needle would glide right off of it—collapsed into a worried expression.

“Luca, you look just like my older brother. Golden blond hair. Blue eyes. He didn’t look anything like me either. He took after his mother and I took after our father. So it’s only natural we don’t resemble each other. Ah, I know. I have a locket with his portrait. Have a look for yourself,” he said, rifling in his breast pocket for the locket when he realized Luca wasn’t buying his verbal explanations.

The picture in the locket showed the profile of a man like a Greek statue. He looked exactly like a grown-up Luca. I always wondered why Lalisa had a one-night stand with some mysterious scoundrel, but now I understood it.

Well, if he looked like that, what was she supposed to do? She was only mortal. Sufficiently convinced, I nodded my head, but Luca just kept glaring at the locket in denial. I put my arm around his little shoulders and tried to comfort him in a cheerful voice.

“Your uncle’s family is really rich. They’re nobility. If you go with him, you can eat meat every day and learn everything you ever wanted to know.”

“What about you?” he asked.

“Me? I’ll be here of course.”

Look at him, thinking of his aunt. I felt proud. How could Judith demand compensation for raising him when he was such a little angel? She was a mess.

Now he won’t feel betrayed right? Okay, good. All I have to do is see him off nicely. However, counter to my good intentions, when I looked into Luca’s eyes I could clearly see a trembling sense of betrayal. I blinked in surprise. He looked almost hopeless.

What happened to him? What’s wrong? At that moment, his eyes flashed. He wrapped his arms around my waist and screamed, “Mommy!”

What? At first, I didn’t realize he was referring to me. Of course, I didn’t. Lalisa was his mom and he’d never once thought of Judith as his mother. He rarely even called her his aunt. Even when he did, it sounded resentful, like he was lashing out.

At a complete loss, I stuttered, “W-what? What’re you talking about? I’m not your mom, I’m your aunt!”

But Luca yelled again like he wanted to drive home the point, “Mommy! Don’t leave me!”

“What? I’m not your mom. Luca! What’s gotten into you?” I said. I smiled awkwardly as I looked back and forth between him and Ruediger.

Ruediger looked bewildered. His eyes widened and his tightly closed lips twitched in consternation.

Okay, first let’s calm Luca down. Then we can deal with Ruediger. I tried to soothe him in a tender voice, but he just pressed his teary-eyed face deeper into my skirt.

“I promise I’ll keep calling you aunt. Just please don’t leave me.”

Hold up, now things are getting really out of hand. He was making it sound like I’d ordered him to call me aunt to hide that I was an unwed mother. Sure enough, Ruediger’s face started to harden.