194 vi. The Selection

She still didn't quite understand why her grandmother asked for her presence. Even as a child, she has been quite aware that her father's side of the family lacked any familial affection toward her.

It wasn't just because her father was born second only to the heir that they got so little property to their name. The grand duke is capable of giving both his sons generous pieces of land and money without detriment to himself.

However, the duke and the rest of the family didn't think the second son deserved any. Except only as to keep appearances thereby giving him a piece of land and a suitable house to live in, he was deprived of the majority of the properties he could have inherited.

The main reason for all this is because he married a peasant with no good family name to boast about and much more a penny to her name. Since then, the whole of the dukedom and the rest of the nobles had looked down unkindly upon them.