âBut mâlady,â she pleaded pitifully on her tear-stained face, âyou will definitely regret it when the time comes. Youâve only ever lived in mansions before and a tiring, mundane life is not for you. You would not be able to endure!â
On her knees, Rosalynn looked desperate. But Deatrice was so angry that the rage that rose to the top of her head made her fingertips tremble. Her limbs had betrayed her.
When Rosalynn learned of the disgraceful fact that Lucius would abandon her, she did not expect it to end like this. It was just that she was her servant, so it wouldnât be a bad thing for her to know what was going to happen to her.
Just as Lucius told Deatrice to prepare, Deatrice meant nothing more and nothing less by saying forwarding the command to Rosalynn. But this cheeky servant seemed to have misunderstood her intentions.
âDid you really think my father will help me?â
âYou are his only child! No matter what, the duke mustââ
âIt seems like you havenât read his letter.â Deatrice uttered with scorn, âA servant who had already betrayed her master didnât think of opening the contents of the message she brought? Absurd.â
Although she had come in anticipation of fierce criticism, she couldnât help but shed tears at Deatriceâs bitter anger. Rosalynn endured her masterâs reproach as she knelt down on her knees as tears dripped to the floor.
Deatrice, who was walking around the room, threw the letter in her hand at Rosalynn.
âYou thought yourself clever to deduce I have implicitly instructed you to ask help from my father. You kneeling right now is nothing more than a formality. But in reality, you would think that I did what I wanted and that your self-righteousness saved my pride. Right?â
âOh, no, mâlady. Iââ
âLook at the letter, Rosalynn.â her expression became stern and unyielding, âYou have done a despicable thing. I know who my father isâyou donât.â
Rosalynn looked down and saw the letter that fell in front of her. When she glanced over its contents, more than half of what was written was the dukeâs anger directed towards Lucius. He only made mention of his daughter a scant few times, but it was filled with mean accusations and coldness.
âYes, my father feels humiliated about this matter, but do you think itâs because he cares about me or his reputation?â Deatrice started, âAll he said was that he knew very well that I and Lucius didnât get along on our first night. But then heâs now telling me to get pregnant as leverage?â
Her gaze turned icy.
âHe tasked you with spying on our first night together to ensure the deed is done. But they say that if you donât finish the job within three days, they will take you, a traitorous servant, and whip you, then sell you off somewhere.â
Rosalynnâs face turned white.
âAre you happy now? You thought you were helping me, but you only made matters worse.â
Deatriceâs gaze on the maid, whose shoulders were slumped down and her legs in disarray, fell on her briefly before looking away.
They both fell into silence, with Deatriceâs face buried in her palms.
Her fatherâs harsh accusations about what she had done and her failing to live up to his expectations scratched her heart. The thought of begging Lucius to sleep with her caused her mood to plummet.
âMâlady, I⊠I have committed a grievous offense.â she sniffled, âIf the duke will take me away, I⊠I will accept it. So, you should neverâŠâ
The words couldnât escape from her mouth.
Deatrice was well aware of Rosalynnâs feelings, but she waved her hands and told her to leave.
âGet out, Rosalynn. I donât want to see your face for a while.â
Red-eyed from crying, Rosalynn shed a few more tears then rose from her seat, politely bowed, and left. Deatrice raised her head.
Her appointment with her empress awaited her, and she didnât even have time to lament her plight. The empressâs attendant was already urging her from the outside.
Deatrice picked up the letter, put it on her dressing table, and went out in a hurry.
***
Lucius woke up the next morning in the emperorâs study, holding his head that seemed to explode.
At the banquet and after that situation with Deatrice, the emperor called for him separately and asked him to have a drink in his study. Unable to decline, Lucius inevitably had to follow.
Lucius had always tried to avoid drinking with the emperor because the latter had a habit of bringing out weapons and fighting when he was drunk. This time around, he thought he was lucky because he had that promise.
After that happened, he didnât have to go back. He uncomfortably crouched down on a chair and fell asleep in a different room from her.
That evening, when he saw Prince Edin kneel before Deatrice and whispered something passionately with his face buried in her white satin gloves, Lucius, with intense jealousy, felt a strange feeling as if his future was unfolding then and there.
It was also something he had vaguely foreseen some time ago. When Deatrice learned of his cruel intentions, Lucius wandered outside Deatriceâs room like a dog on a leash, lost in a terrible mood. He didnât acknowledge it at that time, but the destination of those feelings back then led to his reaction last night.
It wasnât the first time, so it wasnât surprising. Didnât he already have a history of putting everything down in front of her?
Lucius spent quite some time in the emperorâs study. After hearing that Tomâs report had arrived, Lucius slowly got up and went to their room. Fortunately, there was no Deatrice in the room. But on the way back, he ran into Prince Edinâs attendant and his mood fell rapidly.