The Return of the Luna Duchess

09 The Butler Witnessed It

"Muh muh muh~"

What is that sound? Why does it sound so near? And...why does it feel like there's something heavy on my chest?

Stirring awake, I open my eyes to see a mop of black hair that delicately curls on the ends blocking my vision.

I feel the weight on my chest shift and the hair disappears from view, replaced by a pair of red ruby-colored eyes that stare back at me while a wide, one-tooth welcoming smile radiates from my one and only youngest son, Kieran.

"Muh muh muh!" he babbles happily as he crawls all over me.

I can't help but smile at that.

From the corner of my eye, though, I can see that Keenan is still fast asleep. So I gather Kieran in my arms and plant kisses all over his face while he laughs his little heart out in delight.

I've always wanted to do that, too and I'm glad that I finally have the chance to do so.

Even though I know I said that I will take baby steps when it comes to my boys, I think it's safe to say that I can forego such a thing when it comes to Kieran.

This is because, unlike Kieran, Keenan is older and I've hurt him far longer than his younger brother. What's worse is that he knows it too, hence why he's so wary of me.

I have to remember that he only came to me for the sole purpose of me feeding his brother to make him 'happier'.

Not that Kieran looks like he's hungry right now as well.

Though, come to think of it, I have to see what kind of books Keenan has been reading one of these days.

Are those the books his teachers are making him read or does he read those kinds of things of his own accord?

If it's the former, I might want to have a talk with his teachers. If it's the latter, then I'm going to have to check on the books in the library myself. I want to see the books that Keenan has access to and check what's appropriate for him and what's not before stowing the others away.

Anyway, I don't think it's safe for me to suddenly bombard my eldest with love and affection when it's clear as day that the hug I gave him shocked him to his core already.

No. I'm going to take my time with Keenan since he's so wary of me. I don't want to make things any worse between us than it already is.

"Muh muh muh~" Kieran gurgles happily again as I feel him nuzzle my cheek.

"Shh, shh, little one, your brother might wake up. He still needs to sleep," I whisper in his ear, which probably tickled him and made him laugh harder.

Shaking my head at him, I can't help but giggle at his cuteness. However, because I know that Keenan is still sleeping, I have to hold my laughter and my giddiness in.

I hug Kieran close to me and inhale his sweet baby scent.

I still can't believe that I'm here now. Here with my boys.

I thought, back then, being with them like this was only going to happen if I died and live another life.

I'm still not sure about what exactly happened to me but I think I managed to do just that.

I'm finally with my boys after five years of struggling and fighting against my urges to come to them whenever I hear someone mention them in my presence.

"I'm not letting the two of you go. Never again." I vow under my breath and kiss the top of Kieran's hair.

I glance at Keenan, who's still peacefully sleeping. Shifting a bit in place, I lean over towards him and watch him as he sleeps.

He looks so young and so at peace. It's like he has no worries in the world unlike in that 'future' I saw.

Back then, he was always so dreary-looking, and so deep in thought. Even though he was already at the age of fifteen, he shouldn't have had those expressions on his face.

He should be smiling and laughing gaily just like Kieran here. The handsome face that he had gotten from his father should have been an open and charismatic one, not the dark and brooding one.

But there was no one to blame for why he grew up to be that way other than me.

Well, that's not happening this time around.

I smile down at the well-behaved baby I have in my arms, who was silently looking up between me and his sleeping brother while sucking on his thumb.

Leaning forward, I smooth back the soft silver hair from his forehead and planted a kiss there.

"My babies...I love you both so much. More than you will ever know," I whisper as I hug them close to me, gently still so I won't wake Keenan.

I stayed like that for a moment or two, soaking at the moment that I finally have my boys with me.

However, the peaceful and loving atmosphere we have was suddenly broken when a loud and frantic banging was heard on my door.

"My Lady! My Lady!"

The Head butler's voice from outside is muffled but I can still hear the panic in his tone.

I frown and hold Kieran close to me when I felt him flinch in surprise at the noise. I don't want the Head butler to further cause a racket and spook Keenan too. It's best I let him inside already.

Shifting my hold on Kieran, I sit up straight in bed before calling out, "Come in, Alfred."

The banging and the frantic yelling ceased all of a sudden. However, the Head butler still didn't come inside the room for some reason.

Now, what's that all about?

With a frown on my face, I look down on Kieran and see him staring at the door, thumb still in his mouth, looking like...well, like a baby.

Thankfully, I think he wasn't as spooked as I thought he would be. He probably recognized the Head butler's voice and calmed down after the initial surprise.

Glancing at Keenan, I heave a sigh of relief when I see him still snoozing away. I'm glad that the noise didn't wake him up.

I hear a small click and the door opens. As the Head butler enters gingerly, he immediately bows his head and closed his eyes, placing his hand on his chest as a sign of respect that servants usually give to the masters of the house.

It's funny because this is the first time I've ever received such a show of respect after how many years of being the duchy's Duchess. Even before I decided to act like everyone's Detestable Duchess, I never received such a thing before.

Probably because they already know that not only was I forced on their beloved Duke, but I'm also someone who is considered at the bottom of the Wolf Shifter tier list.

Therefore, I was not worthy of either their Duke or their respect.

The Head butler on the other hand...

"What is it, Alfred?" I ask him, devoid of my usual cold and dismissive tone.

Back then, when I saw myself die, the only people who felt grief regarding my demise were the Head butler and my youngest son. I can hardly blame my Keenan for forsaking me because it was my own fault that he became so jaded with me in the first place.

Therefore,

"I apologize for rudely disturbing your peaceful morning, Your Ladyship," the Head butler's answer snaps me out of the past and into the now. "However, I regret to inform you that both the Young Masters have gone missing."

Well, considering that he still has his head bowed, he obviously didn't see that the said two 'Young Masters' are with me.

It's rather silly, to be honest.

I also notice something different about me ever since I woke up from that dream of sorts.

Anyway, the thing I noticed about myself since then was that I feel...lighter and happier. I find it easy to smile and laugh about things now that I was in that dream.

On the other hand, if I did get back from the future, it just means that I am less jaded and less of the Detestable Duchess that I was.

Maybe it was because I can finally breathe, knowing I am safe from my father's clutches. But maybe it was because I finally decided to Hell with my father and be with my children. Or that maybe, after seeing a future that could have been avoided, I finally mustered up the courage to step up and protect my children from my father head-on and not just do it covertly.

Well, no matter what the reason was, this lightness and happiness I am feeling right now feel right somehow.

Shaking my head, a smile on my face, I adjust Kieran in my hold and cleared my throat. "You don't have to worry about the boys, Alfred."

The Head butler flinches again and I noticed that he also went silent before when I called for him to come in.

I'm seriously wondering if something has happened to the Head butler before he came here to report that the boys are supposedly missing.

My eyes widen in surprise when he suddenly bowed from the waist.

"Your Ladyship!" he shouts. "I beg of you. Even if I know you have little to no interest in the Young Masters as a maternal figure, I know that you are faithfully doing your duties as the Duchess of von Hansen without fail!"

Well...he's not wrong.

And although it hurts to hear that I was not obviously a very caring and loving mother to the boys, I have no other choice but to accept it since it's the truth.

However, I will strive to not let it be a truth any longer.

"Therefore," the Head butler continues, unaware of the deep thoughts that I have as well as the boys' presence in the room with me. "I implore you, not as a Mother but as the Duchess, to think about this grave situation. The disappearance of the Young Masters is a crucial point in the duchy and if the Master gets wind that the Young Masters are gone, we--"

"Alfred," I cut him off, smiling at Kieran when the little boy reached up his free hand to play with my hair before turning back my attention to the Head butler.

"First of all, there is no 'we'. If the children did disappear, you are not going to be blamed for their disappearance. As a Duchess and as their Mother, the wrath that the Duke will incur upon the duchy will be received by me and me alone. Besides," I shrug and gently untangle Kieran's fingers from my hair. "There's no need for you to worry about the boys."

"But, Your Ladyship, as the Head butler I--"

Finally, the Head butler lifts his head and I watch with a small smile tilting at the corner of my lips when his eyes widen in surprise upon seeing Keenan still sound asleep in my bed and very well-behaved Kieran who was just sucking his thumb in my arms.

"M-my Lady, h-how...why...the Young Masters..." the Head butler tries to articulate what he was supposed to say but the shock from the sight he's seeing right now seemed to be too much for him to digest.

My shoulders are shaking already from laughter and I decided to just give the man a break. Otherwise, I might keep on shaking and it'll wake Keenan.

"As you can see, Alfred, the children are here so you can stop panicking now." I adjust Kieran with one hand and I reach out, using my other hand to smooth out Keenan's hair.

"Can you have someone send us some food here for Keenan, Alfred? No, no, no, Kieran. Stop that, you'll get your fingers all tangled up in my hair again," I softly reprimand Kieran who only glares at me, before huffing and sucking on his thumb even harder as a response.

How very cute.

Right there and then, I already know that I will easily be wrapped around Kieran's little finger. All because I know that I won't be able to get mad at him whenever he's like this.

Of course, the same goes for Keenan as well. In this lifetime or second chance, I will happily be at the mercy of my boys.

Merely shaking my head at Kieran, I glance back at the Head butler.

I catch him gaping at me for a moment before he blinks and finally regains his usual composure.

He nods his head before bowing from his waist. "It will be my pleasure, Your Ladyship."

He looks and acts the how he usually does now, however, that small smile that quirked at the corner of his lips didn't escape my notice.

Normally, I would comment and take issue with that.

But this time, I didn't.

And he knows that I noticed him smiling from what he's seeing.

That's because he knows that I can easily pick up even the tiniest bit of changes happening around the house. I normally use that skill of mine as a weapon against the servants, criticizing their duties and making them hate me.

But now, everything's going to be different.

Additionally, if there's anyone other than my sons that I should trust in this second shot at life, it will be the Head butler.

Maybe, unlike in my other life, I might do something different and tell him a thing or two about my situation sooner or later.

Because back then, when I saw myself die, the only people who felt grief regarding my demise were the Head butler and my youngest son. I can hardly blame my Keenan for forsaking me because it was my own fault that he became so jaded with me in the first place.

The Head butler was about to turn on his heels and leave my room when he pauses.

"Oh, and what about the Youngest Master, Your Ladyship? He's hard to feed so would you like me to bottle feed the Youngest Master or..." he glances at the still sleeping Keenan.

I shake my head at that. "No need to bring a bottle. And there's no need for you or for Keenan to go to so much trouble as to feed Kieran. You still have other duties to attend to for today and Keenan should focus on eating his meal. I'll feed Kieran myself."

The Head butler blinks and seems to freeze in place at that.

However, his ethics as a butler preceded his curiosity that he composes himself and gives me a nod then heads out of the room.

All I can do is frown in confusion as my gaze follow him out.

Again...what was that about?

***

The Duchess has changed.

That was the only thing that was on repeat in Alfred's mind.

For years, ever since the Duchess arrived after her marriage to the Duke, he also disliked her. He is ashamed to admit that he disliked her because of her lot in life.

Not only was she the daughter of a seedy weasel of a Count, who was only obvious after the Duke's assets through his daughter, but she was also a Wolf Shifter with a stunted Awakening State.

Back then, to Alfred, she was nothing but a disgrace and a blemish to the pristine and crystal clear reputation of the von Hansen Dukedom.

However, when she started doing her duties as the Duchess, Alfred's opinion of her changed.

As someone who had worked for the von Hansens almost all his life, being someone who's a part of a loyal household that serves the mighty von Hanses for generations, he has already seen a lot of things and knows almost everything that goes on in and out of the estate.

Therefore, he already knew that a lot of women, who were vying for the position of the von Hansen Duchess, can never hold a candle to what the current Duchess can do.

Despite the fact that her attitude slowly but surely became nastier and nastier by the day, Alfred somehow suspected it was but a ruse. Especially considering how she still maintained the duchy estate's finances and reputation in pristine condition.

If she really was the Detestable Duchess, shouldn't she bring down the duchy with her as well?

Yes, her criticisms are more than harsh, but she doesn't make a criticism out of thin air. There will always be a cause and somehow, Alfred found that to be fair, despite it being said so harshly.

Additionally, his respect for her grew seeing how she managed to direct all the bad rumors to herself and not the Dukedom itself. She directed all those hate and those scorn to her and only to her while the Dukedom, the Duke, and her sons were subjected to adoration and pity for living with someone like the Duchess.

Alfred doesn't know what it was but he knows something was up to make the Duchess do something so drastic.

He doesn't want to put pressure on her so he decided to just silently give her the support she needs from the sidelines and hopes that one day, she'll ask him for his help.

He didn't know when or where, but somehow, he found himself being loyal to her.

But, his loyalty towards the Master and the Young Masters takes precedence. And the Duchess is avoiding any connections with the Masters which made him unable to express he was also on her side.

However, discovering that the Young Masters has spent the night in her room...

It makes him happy.

He hopes that one day, he'll be able to freely express his admiration and his loyalty toward the Duchess.

With a wide smile on his face, Alfred heads to the kitchen and did as the Duchess ordered him to with a spring on his steps.