The Duke's Passion

Chapter 620  I am your new father

Claude exited the back door alley, walking to the corner. When he leaned his back against the wall, his eyes sharpened.

"Uncle, any news about those felons?" he asked without looking at the other figure leaning on the other side of the alley. "I barely got useful information from them aside from that this organization was also moving from place to place. Probably, to avoid the people they had offended."

"Apparently, they were experienced in hiding their traces." Klaus, who was clad in a cloak, clicked his tongue in irritation. "We caught a few members last night. But those fiends cut their own throats."

"They probably knew dying right there and then is better than seeing me."

"Well, you didn't have the best image."

Claude let out a shallow breath, gazing up at the sky. "Even though the Baron talked, he knew too little. Penny doesn't give out important details about the organization. I don't know if that is because she doesn't completely trust me or... there's a deeper reason."

"In any case, you're staying here for so long."

"Uncle, I am still working." Claude frowned as he glanced at his shoulder. "You just hate all the paperwork you have to work on during my absence."

Klaus's expression died. "Why would I enjoy doing such a boring thing? Anyway, we found evidence of the route their group is using. I will go there tonight to confirm. If my intuition is correct, these people will expand to La Lona. Silvia will kill us if we didn't take out the root here, and it reaches the March."

"That's why I'm here, so it doesn't reach Auntie." Claude let out a deep sigh. "By the way, Lilou sent you a letter. No, I think, even Hell, Fabian, Tilly, and Law sent you a letter. They didn't have to parade they have all the time in the world." Claude chuckled, thinking that that little family on the mainland had a good life. In a blink of an eye, Klaus already disappeared from his standpoint. Claude didn't even need to check because he knew his uncle already left without parting words. "He's always so cold," he mumbled with a chuckle, idling in the back alley near the guild's dwelling. "They are surely evasive people." Claude wouldn't have a problem subduing an organization. Their only problem was, these people were too careful. There was barely a slip-up to give him an opening to catch them. He knew these felons were aware they were no match once the Earl and the mad chief knight catch them. So they were avoiding a confrontation with him. "What should I do?" he slipped his hand inside his clothes, taking out a small canvas he always kept with him. He opened it with his thumb, gazing at the small portrait he got for his birthday two years ago.

His eyes instantly softened as he smiled subtly. "If you are in my position, what will you do, Auntie Lilove?" came out a whisper, staring at Lilou's soft smile in the painting. To him, the members of the guild were just like Lilou, warm. The reason he liked Lilou from the start was that she was warm and unsuspecting. Penny reminded him of his auntie. Although he didn't want to compare, they shared some similarities in personality. "Hey!" Claude snapped his eyes and turned to the source of the voice. "What are you doing there?" Penny tilted her head to the side, eyes falling to the small piece of paper in his hand. Her brows furrowed when Claude folded it and slid it inside his inner clothes. "Talking to someone," he answered, sauntering towards her.

"Talking to that thing you were holding just now?" she inquired with an arched brow. "Is it a portrait of your lover? You look a little forlorn while staring at it." Claude chuckled as he stopped in front of her. "Why are you asking? Jealous?"

"What if I am? Will you tell me?" "I can't believe you will go that far just to fill your curiosity." He clicked his tongue, getting a grasp of Penny's personality after staying in the guild for a week. Penny rolled her eyes as she pivoted on her heel, walking back while he walked beside her. "So... how did your lover die?" she asked after taking a few steps, glancing at him. Claude cast her a side-eye. "How can you conclude so fast?"

"You looked at it with such longing in your eyes." "But that doesn't mean she's dead." He peeled his eyes away from her, lips pressed closed. "I just missed her, that's all."

"Is she that important?" "Very."

"Then, if she's not dead, why aren't you together?" Penny stopped, eyes on Claude's back as the latter took a few more steps before he stopped. "Come on. I'm your new father. You can tell me. Maybe I can give you good advice."

A short laugh escaped his mouth as he cocked his head back. "She's married."

"..."

His lips curled into a smirk, enjoying the aghast expression plastered on her face. He knew she would sport such a complicated look. That was why he didn't hesitate to answer her question. "Any good advice aside from letting her live happily with her husband, Father?" he inquired mischievously, chuckling like a devil when she didn't answer. "Don't worry, Penny. She is important to me, but that doesn't mean I am unhappy. I just naturally miss her from time to time, especially when things are tough."

His words were perceived as his 'tough' situation for getting tangled with a vicious organization. Thus, Penny frowned as she stared at his back while Claude resumed his steps. She raised her brows when he suddenly stopped by the back door of the pub and set his eyes on her. "By the way, you should let your hair down from time to time." Claude smiled charmingly, winking at Penny as she would usually tie her hair up. "You look good with it."

After stating such words, he entered while she stood still. Her eyes lingered on the shut door, expression blank. "Goodness gracious... why is he so good-looking?" she murmured, shaking her head to get that charming face out of her head. A moment later, she marched towards the door to enter the pub.

As she did, she murmured out of plain curiosity. "I wonder what kind of woman she is for that bewitching young man to have such a look in his eyes?"

Chapter 620  I am your new father

Claude exited the back door alley, walking to the corner. When he leaned his back against the wall, his eyes sharpened.

"Uncle, any news about those felons?" he asked without looking at the other figure leaning on the other side of the alley. "I barely got useful information from them aside from that this organization was also moving from place to place. Probably, to avoid the people they had offended."

"Apparently, they were experienced in hiding their traces." Klaus, who was clad in a cloak, clicked his tongue in irritation. "We caught a few members last night. But those fiends cut their own throats."

"They probably knew dying right there and then is better than seeing me."

"Well, you didn't have the best image."

Claude let out a shallow breath, gazing up at the sky. "Even though the Baron talked, he knew too little. Penny doesn't give out important details about the organization. I don't know if that is because she doesn't completely trust me or... there's a deeper reason."

"In any case, you're staying here for so long."

"Uncle, I am still working." Claude frowned as he glanced at his shoulder. "You just hate all the paperwork you have to work on during my absence."

Klaus's expression died. "Why would I enjoy doing such a boring thing? Anyway, we found evidence of the route their group is using. I will go there tonight to confirm. If my intuition is correct, these people will expand to La Lona. Silvia will kill us if we didn't take out the root here, and it reaches the March."

"That's why I'm here, so it doesn't reach Auntie." Claude let out a deep sigh. "By the way, Lilou sent you a letter. No, I think, even Hell, Fabian, Tilly, and Law sent you a letter. They didn't have to parade they have all the time in the world." Claude chuckled, thinking that that little family on the mainland had a good life. In a blink of an eye, Klaus already disappeared from his standpoint. Claude didn't even need to check because he knew his uncle already left without parting words. "He's always so cold," he mumbled with a chuckle, idling in the back alley near the guild's dwelling. "They are surely evasive people." Claude wouldn't have a problem subduing an organization. Their only problem was, these people were too careful. There was barely a slip-up to give him an opening to catch them. He knew these felons were aware they were no match once the Earl and the mad chief knight catch them. So they were avoiding a confrontation with him. "What should I do?" he slipped his hand inside his clothes, taking out a small canvas he always kept with him. He opened it with his thumb, gazing at the small portrait he got for his birthday two years ago.

His eyes instantly softened as he smiled subtly. "If you are in my position, what will you do, Auntie Lilove?" came out a whisper, staring at Lilou's soft smile in the painting. To him, the members of the guild were just like Lilou, warm. The reason he liked Lilou from the start was that she was warm and unsuspecting. Penny reminded him of his auntie. Although he didn't want to compare, they shared some similarities in personality. "Hey!" Claude snapped his eyes and turned to the source of the voice. "What are you doing there?" Penny tilted her head to the side, eyes falling to the small piece of paper in his hand. Her brows furrowed when Claude folded it and slid it inside his inner clothes. "Talking to someone," he answered, sauntering towards her.

"Talking to that thing you were holding just now?" she inquired with an arched brow. "Is it a portrait of your lover? You look a little forlorn while staring at it." Claude chuckled as he stopped in front of her. "Why are you asking? Jealous?"

"What if I am? Will you tell me?" "I can't believe you will go that far just to fill your curiosity." He clicked his tongue, getting a grasp of Penny's personality after staying in the guild for a week. Penny rolled her eyes as she pivoted on her heel, walking back while he walked beside her. "So... how did your lover die?" she asked after taking a few steps, glancing at him. Claude cast her a side-eye. "How can you conclude so fast?"

"You looked at it with such longing in your eyes." "But that doesn't mean she's dead." He peeled his eyes away from her, lips pressed closed. "I just missed her, that's all."

"Is she that important?" "Very."

"Then, if she's not dead, why aren't you together?" Penny stopped, eyes on Claude's back as the latter took a few more steps before he stopped. "Come on. I'm your new father. You can tell me. Maybe I can give you good advice."

A short laugh escaped his mouth as he cocked his head back. "She's married."

"..."

His lips curled into a smirk, enjoying the aghast expression plastered on her face. He knew she would sport such a complicated look. That was why he didn't hesitate to answer her question. "Any good advice aside from letting her live happily with her husband, Father?" he inquired mischievously, chuckling like a devil when she didn't answer. "Don't worry, Penny. She is important to me, but that doesn't mean I am unhappy. I just naturally miss her from time to time, especially when things are tough."

His words were perceived as his 'tough' situation for getting tangled with a vicious organization. Thus, Penny frowned as she stared at his back while Claude resumed his steps. She raised her brows when he suddenly stopped by the back door of the pub and set his eyes on her. "By the way, you should let your hair down from time to time." Claude smiled charmingly, winking at Penny as she would usually tie her hair up. "You look good with it."

After stating such words, he entered while she stood still. Her eyes lingered on the shut door, expression blank. "Goodness gracious... why is he so good-looking?" she murmured, shaking her head to get that charming face out of her head. A moment later, she marched towards the door to enter the pub.

As she did, she murmured out of plain curiosity. "I wonder what kind of woman she is for that bewitching young man to have such a look in his eyes?"