/
She raised her hand and covered her face. In the end, Dixie shed a few tears.
Deatrice looked at her quietly and waited for her to stop crying.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I… I just—” she stuttered, wiping off her tears. “Deatrice, you don’t have to do this. I am not worthy of your prayers. I wouldn’t dare to ask anything of you.”
A bit confused, Deatrice responded. “Why? It is a common thing to pray for family members.”
“That…”
When Dixie did not respond, Deatrice’s gray eyes looked at her and spoke in a gentle tone. “Both brother and sister…”
“Yes?” Dixie asked.
“Lucius didn’t cry, but he was wracked by guilt in the end. But if he is truly guilty, then why insolently plot something behind my back?”
Dixie perplexedly looked at Deatrice for a moment, then was stunned. “Don’t say—”
“Yes, I know it, Dixie. Lucius told me that our marriage wouldn’t last long. That’s why no matter what I do, it’s useless.” There was no hint of resentment in Deatrice’s voice. She had accepted her future wholly in her heart.
“Then…” Dixie felt her voice disappear in her throat. What the hell was her brother thinking when he divulged that information? To think that the woman in front of her prayed for her, her son, and her unborn child?
They even held hands!
Perhaps reading Dixie’s thoughts, Deatrice smiled to reassure her and took her hand again. “Do not worry. Dixie. I will obediently accept the annulment. I truly have no more intention of forcing things to work out between us.”
“Why?”
“Because…” Deatrice looked away, “even if I win or lose against him, my father would simply wed me to another more influential man. I’ve no doubt that that marriage would be far more insulting than this one.”
“…”
Dixie suddenly remembered herself six years ago.
She was in danger of losing all her fortune if she didn’t get married as soon as possible. So she married a man who she only had a bit of interest in, but would protect her wealth.
Of course, she grew to love Raymond. But back then, she was very unhappy.
Her lips flattened into a thin line, trying to ignore the fact that Deatrice would also suffer if she accepted the annulment. Similar to the misfortune she had experienced then.
“In that case, I feel relieved. Following my brother’s will means all those other unnecessary fights can be avoided.”
“Relieved? How does that make you relieved?”
“That… don’t misunderstand my words. I meant that instead of prolonging the agony, you made it easier for both of you. But I’m sorry that you would feel hurt and suffer through all that.”
It was then that Deatrice smiled, almost looking like one an older sister gives to her younger sister. “You speak of the issue as if you weren’t one of the prime instigators of why it had to happen.”
“…”
“If we never had such a past, would we have still made the same decisions?”
Dixie didn’t say anything to the other woman’s gentle words.
Deatrice lowered her head slowly and kissed the back of Dixie’s hand. It was a short but somewhat forgiving kiss. As if saying, ‘I don’t have hard feelings for you.’
The room was cozy and warm, but Dixie felt cold. Whether it was because of Deatrice cold gray eyes or because of her pregnancy, she didn’t know.
Deatrice said in a lighthearted tone, as if in jest, “After Lucius came back, I often felt pretty guilty about what happened six years ago. But who knew it was enough for him to create a devious scheme against me?”
Stopping to see if Dixie was listening, she continued.
“He is far too scarred by what happened and, frankly speaking, I don’t think he should marry someone if he has no good feelings for them. So, Dixie, don’t even think about pushing Spirt to marry him just because she likes him. I don’t know who will marry Lucius in the end, but he still deserves a second chance at a happy marriage.”
The friendly tone in Deatrice’s voice revealed her attitude on the matter. As if all those were shallow that had nothing to do with her. Dixie pulled her hand from Deatrice’s with a reddened face.
“I only wish for my brother’s happiness.”
At those banal words, all the slight interest in Deatrice’s face disappeared. Deatrice got up and kissed Dixie on the forehead as she lay down and spoke.
“’Then rest. Dixie.”
After saying that, she got up and left.