When he finally arrived at his destination, Lucius sat down and began reading the reports on his desk. But as he was sifting through the papers, he kept glancing at the chair where Deatrice usually sat.
Eventually, Lucius got up and paced around the room. It was then that he noticed a white envelope on the dressing table.
There was no name to indicate who the sender was. However, Lucius recalled Prince Edinâs attendant, whom he bumped into on the way here, and naturally assumed that the letter came from him.
âHow loathsome.â
Holding down the profanity stuck down his throat, Lucius hurriedly went to the terrace.
Right, itâs about time for the prince to convey his apology to her.
He imagined the prince mustâve written some sickeningly sweet words in this letter to make up for yesterdayâs blunder, perhaps even blatantly asking for some time alone with her to apologize personally.
Lucius closed his eyes, feeling all kinds of emotions churning inside him from this single piece of paper.
Should I rip it apart?
As soon as he had that thought, Lucius went back to the dressing table and picked up the envelope.
Even if they were only married by name, the idea that they shouldnât touch each otherâs things didnât come to mind. In any case, as soon as Deatrice finds out about its existence, she would most probably throw it away. Lucius said he was only saving Deatrice the trouble of having to read such a detestable letter by placing it in the trash where it rightfully belongs.
But even then, this lingering feeling didnât go away.
Lucius sat crookedly in his chair and stared at the trash bin, then decided after a while that he would still read it if only to check what kind of rubbish the prince was capable of saying.
Of course, he wasnât obsessed with jealousy. He was simply scouting the current situation to better deal with similar things in the future. Prince Edin was the one who crossed the line in the first place, so reading his private letter wasnât exactly a big problem.
Eventually, Lucius opened the letter.
As soon as he read the first few lines, he quickly realized it wasnât from the prince. But he couldnât stop his eyes from going further.
[You canât even keep one bastard in check?
I donât even know where to begin criticizing you for your pathetic ignorance to give up so easily. You whine over your situation, but youâre not the only woman going through this as every other has their fair share of struggles to maintain their marriage.
That bastard may be insignificant, but heâs still a man and youâve already lived with him for so long and even a former lover to boot. Your personality mustâve been so awful he couldnât bear to be close to you, let alone bed you.
Iâve long wanted to be rid of you, so donât think you can ask for my help. I donât have the spare resources to spare for an overgrown girl who canât even manage herself. Spend the night with him at any cost within three daysâ time, or elseâŠ]
After that, the following words were only filled with insults.
Lucius felt a burning sensation somewhere in his chest. Feeling more than humiliated, he soon could no longer read and eventually crumpled the letter.
***
âYouâre telling me to wear this?â Deatrice said, looking down at the thin slip with contempt. The material practically revealed every inch of her skin!
The maid in front of her nodded her head and lowered her eyes tactfully.
âAfter I have confirmed that you have worn it to your bed chambers, I shall check the following morning to see if you have consummated. I advise you to keep some traces of the deed intact and call for me as soon as you are able.â The servant remained calm and spoke a language that was difficult to hear.
Deatriceâs face turned pale, but it wasnât too surprising. The Bondi royal family still undergoes these kinds of tests after all. She bit her lip and tried to suppress her turbulent emotions.
From an early age, she had always been told to be aloof from others and show a front of being cold yet strong. Therefore, she put that practice to good use as she placed her hands on her waist and breathed in.
When she raised her head a few minutes later, only an indifferent expression remained on her face.
Deatrice wasnât embarrassed about showing her naked body to a servant, so she took off her clothes as the maid held her steady. Then she put on the flimsy slip that barely hid anything.
Deft fingers fastened the cloak she covered herself with. Deatrice eyed the female before her and wondered where her father had found such a maidservant. She hadnât seen her when she was still in the dukeâs home yet her nimble hands suggested she had been serving for a long time already.
Has her father found himself a new woman?
But she thought it was unlikely that he would leave his daughter at the hands of a servant that belonged to a woman no better than a stranger.
Still, she wouldnât put it past her father that he could do such a thing. Her speculations might even be spot on.
With the door looming before her, Deatrice bit the inside of her cheek and dragged out her thoughts. She needed a few more moments to calm her emotions.
After muttering a few prayers, Deatrice opened the door. The maid bowed her head deeply and stepped back.
In the room, Lucius looked as if he was waiting for her. As soon as she entered, their eyes met and Deatrice couldnât keep looking at him any longer than a second. She turned her eyes away and sat down at the dressing table.