It was only natural that Ruediger would have many things to ask and say. Since we’d boarded the carriage, he’d been under a forced vow of silence. When he tried to talk to Luca, the child didn’t pay attention, and when he tried to talk to me, Luca interrupted and ended the conversation.

I understood why there was a certain quietude in Ruediger’s comment that Luca reminded him of his older brother.

“Excuse my asking, but are you really Luca’s birth mother?” he said.

“No! Really, no,” I said defensively.

His gaze remained a bit inscrutable like he was still confused.

“Think about it. I’m only twenty-seven. Luca is ten. That would mean I got pregnant at sixteen. Would your brother really do something so depraved?” I said.

“He was more than capable of such a thing. He always said age was just a number and was even caught in a secret affair with a woman older than my mother.”

Okay, sure. I was naive to expect ordinary common sense and morals from a scandalous high-society Casanova. Then how could I prove my innocence to Ruediger?

“We could turn around and go ask everyone in the village. They’ll all tell you I’m Luca’s aunt. The old midwife who helped birth him is still alive and well,” I said.

Of course, I was worried they might also mention all the abuse Judith put Luca through, but it was the only option I could think of.

Seeing my discomfort, the characteristically straight-faced Ruediger responded calmly, “That’s okay. I can tell you aren’t his mother. I’m certain of it.”

“Really?” I said.

“Yes. Don’t worry. I’ll make that point clear to my family as well,” he said.

The color returned to my face at Ruediger’s benevolent words of reassurance. But it wouldn’t be good for him to think Luca was a liar either. Fearing he might get a bad impression, in a concerned voice I added, “Luca doesn’t usually lie. It’s just, well...”

“Yes, I know. He must’ve thought calling you his mother was the only way to keep you with him. He clearly doesn’t want to be parted from you.”

“Thank you for understanding,” I said. Only then could I truly relax. Is this what it’s like to be a mother? Having to worry not only about your own reputation but your child’s as well? Did this clever little boy have any clue what he was putting me through? I let a small sigh escape my lips as I looked down at his face on my lap. I lightly pinched his cheek.

“Mmm,” he groaned in his sleep.

Watching him sleep like a little angel, I couldn’t stay mad. I stretched out my fingers and stroked his cheek with the back of my hand.

Ruediger’s eyes rested on my hand for a while before he spoke. “I can see why Luca is fond of you.”

“What?” I blinked.

“It’s obvious you’ve raised him as your own.”

“Well, not exactly,” I said. I felt a pang of conscience at the compliment. Even if you discounted all the ways Judith had wronged Luca, my single month of kindness wasn’t much. It wasn’t enough to take credit for raising him. Hearing him referred to as my own child made me feel ashamed.

Watching me squirm as I sat there unsure how to respond, Ruediger seemed to assume I was just being humble. Suddenly, he made a resolute proclamation, “Then I’ll follow your example and treat him like my own son. Let us raise him well together as his mother and father. Do you accept?”

Was he joking? I stared at him dumbstruck. How could such a handsome face spout such nonsense? I mean, it was good that he wanted to be a father figure and take care of Luca like a son. But mother and father? How’d I get mixed up in all of this?

That makes it sound like he’s asking me to marry him. It was just the type of comment that might confuse someone.

But he doesn’t believe in marriage. He wouldn’t have said such a thing out of any interest in me. He must’ve been thinking purely of Luca. I wasn’t about to get confused, but who knew how someone else might’ve taken it. I sighed.

“I’m sorry, but someone might misunderstand you,” I said.

“What do you mean?”

“I understand your intentions, but you shouldn’t just say things like that. Other women might mistake it for a proposal,” I said, offering sincere advice.

He scrunched up his eyebrows like he didn’t understand what I was saying. “Why would I say such a thing to anyone but you, Miss Maibaum? You’re the one Luca sees as his mother. You have nothing to worry about.”

What? I’m not concerned you might think another woman is Luca’s mother—I’m saying someone could’ve thought you were proposing to them. What you just said to me sounded like a proposal!

But Ruediger clearly couldn’t wrap his head around it. He obviously wasn’t thinking of me as a woman at all—he just saw me as a kind of friend to raise Luca with. That’s why he couldn’t fathom that his words might be received any other way.

You’re lucky I’m not the real Judith. She’d definitely have taken that chance to lock you in as the father of her child.

Ruediger was a handsome, wealthy nobleman. In other words, he was exactly Judith’s taste. Considering that the novel mentions Judith’s pestering flirtations with Ruediger, I thought my prediction was pretty reliable.

Of course, in the novel Ruediger would never give Judith the time of day. Just then, the scenery outside the carriage began to change. The dense forest opened up onto a vast plain.

Ruediger glanced out the window. “We’ll be arriving in Neuhalt soon.”

“Neuhalt?” I repeated.

“Yes. From there we’ll take the train, which will bring us straight to Winterwald, so we should do some shopping in Neuhalt first,” he said.

Oh, that’s right. The train station was in a city called Neuhalt. It’d been a while since I read the novel, so I’d forgotten some of the place names. But even though I’d forgotten its name, I could remember the stopover scenes in Neuhalt because it’s where Ruediger transforms Luca into the handsome young master of a wealthy family.

Luca changes from his worn-out rags into a dandy little gentleman for his first taste of upper-class life. It was one of my favorite chapters—from Luca’s nervous excitement and awe to the carousel of luxury items and fine foods.

I still wasn’t keen on going to Winterwald and I’d have turned back immediately if there was a way out, but it was nice to be along for the ride in these little scenes from the novel. Luca would be so excited. Reading it in the novel was bound to be different from seeing it in real life. There’s nothing like experiencing something for yourself.

And Luca was such a cute little angel. I was sure all the clothes would look fantastic on him. The navy tailcoat in a child’s size. The sleek, dark brown riding uniform. The vivid descriptions of the outfits in the novel came back to me.

It’d be like watching a photoshoot. Were there cameras in this world yet? I wished I had a camera to take pictures. I started looking forward to playing dress-up with Luca.

My face glowed with excitement I couldn’t conceal. “Oh, I hope we get there soon. I can’t wait.”

* * *

“What do you think of this one? I’d say the cut isn’t bad,” Ruediger said.

“I don’t like it. Shouldn’t the back of the skirt be a little fuller?” Luca replied.

The pair were engaged in a serious debate—their faces looked so severe you’d think they were discussing something profound. The truth, however, was less exciting. Standing in the tailor shop, Ruediger looked me up and down, examining the dress I was modeling and clicking his tongue like something was missing.

“I’m sorry, Miss Maibaum. I know you were looking forward to this. The shops in the capital are a bit better,” he said.

What? This isn’t what I was looking forward to. I wanted to dress Luca up like a little doll, not be the doll myself. Of course, I wasn’t upset to shop for new clothes. I was more than happy. The tailor shops in this world felt novel—a very different atmosphere from a department store. And it was also exciting to look at dresses.

At first, I was just as enthusiastic as they were. When would I get another chance to try on such expensive, pretty clothes? And Ruediger said he’d pay for everything, so I had to take him up on it.

But did we really need to be here this long? Ruediger and Luca had already picked out at least twenty outfits for me. Even just standing there while they held something up to me was enough to wear me out. Then, if they saw something they liked, I had to try it on too. These weren’t light summer dresses that you could just slip on and off. I had to have an assistant help me into each piece. Just putting them on was exhausting.

It felt like we must have seen every single item they had in the store. Wasn’t it time to go shopping for Luca? I looked at the two boys with an awkward smile as they remained locked in discussion.

“I think this might be enough for me. Shouldn’t we get something for Luca?” I hinted.

“But this light purple really is nice,” Ruediger said to Luca.

“No, darker colors are better on Aunt Judith. It looks more elegant,” Luca replied.

Excuse me, is anyone listening to me? And wasn’t Luca trying to avoid Ruediger right up until we arrived at the tailor shop? Why were they suddenly having a conversation like it was no big deal? With their heads together eagerly discussing my outfit, they actually looked close.