Seeing her expression, Carlos sighed.
"It is a little more complicated than that," he said gently.
He thought for a moment, then suddenly his eyes lit up with an idea.
"Let me ask you something," he continued. "If I were living in Europe, and I became very ill—almost at death's door—and you heard about it… would you stay away just because there was some risk in traveling to see me?"
Isabella thought seriously for a moment before answering.
"Of course not," she said confidently.
Then she tilted her head.
"But… that means your father treated you as well as you treated me when you were little, right?"
Krugger almost burst out laughing.
He quickly turned his head, trying to hide his reaction. Though he did not know exactly how the old duke had treated Carlos, he had seen enough of Carlos's life in New Granada to understand the truth.
The duke had not treated him like a son.
More like a useful subordinate.
Carlos's face darkened when he heard Isabella's question.
