The moment Leon entered the room, away from the prying eyes of others he immediately took the cloak off that was covering Leonna revealing the thin, scarred little girl still sound asleep.
He layed Leonna on the bed and gently tucked her in his warm blanket. Then Leon closed every window and curtain of the room. Making sure that not even a speck of light can pass so that Leonna would not be waken up by the light.
[Ha. what am I doing?] Leon thought, amazed at what he's capable of doing. Leon never thought that their would come a day when he would do what he is doing right now for someone.
"We haven't even known each other for more than a day yet you immediately got me wrap around your fingers." Leon mumbled to himself, as he stroke Leonna's red hair.
Leon didnt know what it was but their's something in this little girl that just melt his heart, something long forgotten.
[A beast like me is not capable of such emotion. Leonna is just the only kid who dared to look at him with such clear and brave eyes.]
[Indeed, adopting is something I never thought I would do, but looking at it now it didnt felt wrong.]
Leon stayed by Leonna's side for a couple more minutes before going out of his room. Leon went straight to his office and sat on his chair.
Minutes later a knock from the door grab the duke's attention.
"Come in Winston." Leon stated, he already knew who it was since their is only one person allowed to enter his office other than himself.
The door opened revealing the Viosta Family butler, Winston VonKnox.
"Your Grace, the tailor is on the way and so is the jeweller. I brought Martha with me, I'll sent her in on your command." Winston said as he lightly bowed his head, his left hand at the back and his right hand at the front in an "L" position.
Martha is the head maid of the Viosta Mansion, she is very capable and responsible, but her perfectionist attitude is what earned her the title head maid.
"Good. Tell Martha to wait outside for a minute also tell her to call Manox right away. I need to talk to you alone." Leon said with his authoritative aura.
Although Winston is confused at why the Duke ordered for the Viosta Doctor to come, he did not asked, he carried his job with loyalty to the Duke.
[Is the Duke hurt? No. Thats impossible, I rather believe that heaven will split wide open than to believe that the Duke got hurt.] Winston thought.
Winston closed the door behind him and walked toward the sitting beast on his chair.
Leon looked at his butler in the eye before saying....
"I found a child..." The Duke started.
"A child?" Winston was taken aback at what the Duke said.
[Is that what he was carrying earlier?!] Winston thought in a shock expression, his eyes widen and his mouth slightly opened.
"Yes, that was what I was carrying earlier. Her name is Leonna Viosta I found her at the southern part of the kingdom in some orphanage, and she will be the lady of the house of Viosta." Leon answered nonchalantly as if he already knew what Winston was thinking.
For a brief moment the room became dead silent. Winston did not know how to react to this news.
It took him a few seconds before snapping out of his reverie.
"Viosta?! is she your....you know....ahm.. child?" Winston asked a little bit hesistant.
Leon with a stern face looked at Winston, his head was resting on his knuckles as his arm rested on the table on a vertical position.
"I dont know....Yet. But the child has red hair and red eyes." Leon continued.
"Red hair and eyes?! only people with Viosta bloodline have red hair and red eyes!" Winston could no longer contain his emotion, no amount of words can describe how shock Winston is.
"I know. But whats weird is that I dont remember any woman whom could possibly be the child's mother." Leon said as he rub his temple.
[I thought you dont like woman. ] Winston thought, but looks like the duke knew what he was thinking and threw a fountain pen at him.
He immediately dodge it, he smirked at the duke who missed.
"Tsk." the duke snorted.
"Maybe you were drunk and you cant remember?" Winston said.
"Impossible. There is no one in this empire who could hold his alcohol better than me." Leon with puffed chest and confidence said.
Winston looked at him with disgust "thats not something to be proud of duke."
"Did you ask the child who her mother was?" Winston asked again.
"No. I didnt get the chance and the child is a little.....different."
"Different?" Winston was once again confused. Leon sigh in frustration.
"I'll show you later." Leon said. Winston just nodded in response.
"I want you to investigate everything about the child, this is the reason why I told you this. I dont know if she's my real daughter yet, but nontheless I will treat her as one."
Winston flinch as he didnt know how the so called beast of the kingdom become a father to a child. But at the back of Winston's mind he was excited to see the unseen.
"One more thing, there will only be a few select people in this mansion who would get to see Leonna. You and Martha are one of those people, although rumors of me having a child must already be spreading by now throughout the kingdom. I still dont want people to see her just yet." Leon stated with a serious tone.
"May I ask why your grace?"
"You'll see later when I introduce you to her." Winston just nodded in response.
[There must be a very serious reason as to why the duke doesnt want to let other people see his daughter.]
Just saying 'the duke's daughter' in his mind sent shiver down Winston's spine.
"Though were not sure yet if she truly is my daughter, I want the whole empire to know that she is a TRUE Viosta. Daughter of the Grand Duke Leon Viosta. Keep your investigation discreet."
Winston almost choke at his own saliva. [That little girl has the duke on the palm of her hands. Its scary to have that such power at a young age.]
"For now thats all, inform me immediately if you found something about Leonna's mother. Now go get Martha."
Winston nodded before bowing slightly to the Duke, then he went out of his office to call Martha.
"Your Grace, its an honor to be at your presence." Martha said as she bowed in a 90° angle.
"Rise, Martha." Leon said and Martha did. "What can this humble servant do for you your grace?"
"I need you to pick two maids of your choosing befitting to take care of my daughter."
Martha's eyes widen at what she just heard, [Daughter? the duke has a child? is that was he was carr--]
Martha looked at Winston and Winston just nodded in response. Although still baffled, Martha hold her emotion..
"Y-yes your grace." With Stammering voice Martha responded. She didnt have the courage to ask any more question to the Duke, the fear of the Duke would be mad is over powering her curiousity.
"Good. Make sure that they know how to keep their mouth shut. Only a few select people can see the Lady Leonna Viosta."
"Yes your grace." Martha responded then Leon dismissed her and told her to meet them infront of the duke's bedroom after she had choosen two maids, Martha excused herself to go to the maid's quarter to choose two maids for Lady Leonna.
Martha was excited, her heart was pumping in joy knowing that the Duke had a daughter and that she has another master to serve.
[I wonder what she looks like?] Martha thought. Can no longer hold her excitement she rushed to the maids quarter and called for Rose and Cynthia.
Rose started working for the Duke around the same time she started working for the duke, while Cynthia just started working a few months ago but Martha thought that since Cynthia is a mother she would know how to take care of Lady Leonna.
She already knew their personality and where their loyalty lies. Martha told them of what is about to happen and of course Rose and Cynthia was shock to know that the duke had a daughter.
But although they have a lot of questions they couldnt ask Martha since even Martha only knew so little about the young miss.
Leon and Winston spent a few more minutes at the duke's office talking about the dukedome and the threat that was rising before making their way to Leon's bedroom where Lady Leonna was resting.
Just like Martha, Winston was excited to see what the lady looks like and her personality.
[She will surely be spoiled. I will make sure to serve her only the best of everything. She will be wearing the cutest and most expensive clothes on all of the kingdom! ] Winston thought happily.
Not knowing that he would be in for a surprised.
Martha, Rose and Cynthia was already infront of the duke's bedroom. When they saw the duke approaching they immediately bow in respect.
"Rise." Leon said and the three maids did.
Leon looked at them one by one but when Cynthia met Leon's eyes she immediately got flustered. Her face went bright red.
[He's so beautiful.] Cynthia thought in admiration, Leon's face was stern and his expression was cold.
"The three of you will be responsible for taking care of my daughter. The lady of this house. If something were to happen to her dont even think that you could escape death. I will not hesitate to kill you if she got hurt."
That sent shiver down the maids spine, fear coated their entire being.
"Understood your grace" The three maids responded in union.
Then Leon slowly turned the door knob to open, they all went inside the duke's bedroom.
The room was pitch black, you could not even see the shape of the furtiture it was so dark.
Then from a distant a loud growling sound can be heard.
"Wha-what was that?" Rose asked in fear. Cynthia, and Martha was terrified at the sound as well but they remained hidden behind the duke's back.
Even Winston was slightly startled. [I though we were meeting Lady Leonna?] Winston thought.
"Leonna." Leon called.
Winston and the maids was waiting for an innocent little girl to come out of the darkness but what they saw was far from an innocent little girl.
In the corner of the room they saw a pair of red eyes, it was so red that it looks like it was glowing from the darkness.
Winston took a step back while the maids stumble in fear. "Ahhh!!!" they screamed.
Then to their surprised the red pair of eyes suddenly charged at their direction. Winstons and the maids was ready to run out of the room when.....
"Old man!!!"
A small thin red haired little girl ran towards the duke's direction in all four of her limbs like an animal.
"Ehhhh?!" Winston dumbfounded at what he just heard and saw.
Leon welcomed Leonna in his arms as he picked her up and carried her. Leonna instinctively wrap her tiny little arms on the duke's neck.
"I told you to stop calling me old man and start calling me Father or Dad." Leon said with a gentle smile on his face.
Martha, Rose, Cynthia and Winston was shock at what theyre seeing. In all the years they worked in the Viosta Dukedom they never once saw the duke smile.
------
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Thoughts? Opinions? constructive criticism? hahaha. Any confusion? I'be be glad to answer any questions on the comment section! mwah.