"Ivana!" the Duchess said bitterly, curling her lips, "I know you're trying to spare my feelings, you don't have to defend him... It's not his fault, it was my mistake to misjudge someone!"
"No, it's really not like that, he did come back. Uncle Lucas came back!" Ivana blurted out urgently.
"He came back?!" The Duchess looked at her incredulously, "You say he came back?"
"He..."
Ivana frowned, biting her lip hesitantly.
At this point, Ivana couldn't bear to remain silent any longer.
She had to speak up, to tell the whole truth.
She didn't know how things would unfold afterwards, she just felt that the Duchess deserved to know the truth.
"Yes, he did come back!" Ivana said with conviction, "Uncle Lucas had his difficulties, he didn't intentionally abandon you. After his mission was over, he returned to the country, applied for discharge from the military, and went through all the procedures to come back and find you."
The Duchess shook her head, "Impossible, I never saw him!"
