Forty-Seven

AFTER SOME TIME STARING AT ME, SHE PRESSED HER LIPS, "Did it hurt? Was he gentle to you?"

Why would I want him to be gentle to me? "Yes, he was gentle. And it only hurt at first, than it was good. Really," I gulped, "really good."

"You are really impulsive, Hope."

"It's my charm," I winked.

"More like your sin," she mocked and rolled her eyes. "Will he keep sleeping in your chambers like this? It's been two nights already." We are doing anything but sleeping in here, though.

"No. He'll sleep in his chambers, so people won't talk about it and make ill intended assumptions."

"We are luck that the staff here seem to be quiet and pretended not to see anything. If it was back on the Bissonnette County everyone would be talking about it shamelessly. But people here are respectful, and the little they talk about you, is just to say that you are the new Lady in the house, the new boss."

I gasped, "They are already saying that?"

"Mhm. It seems like Sir Jay never bought anyone else here, or back in his home, since these people came here with him," they did? "The only person they said that wonder around his house in the north is his sister. I tried getting names, but none of them said a thing. It's like your fiancée made sure they stay shut, or they really no nothing else."

I expected as much, "It would be too easy if we could know from them. But don't worry, he'll tell me when he's ready. I won't pressure him about it either, because that could end bad."

A nod, "I feel bad for the poor kid, he's just two years older than you and doesn't have his parents anymore. At least he still has a sister. It must be lonely," she mumbled biting her bottom lip. "But now he has you too."

My cheeks felt hot and I knew I was blushing. "How did you felt when he called you mother-in-law?"

A big smile appeared on her lips, making my heart feel warm, "It felt good. Respectful. Even though I'm in a lesser social position, he considers me your mother because you said so. And he treats me well. He even seemed a little careful, it made me like him," then she turned her eyes to me. "Thank you, Hope, for considering me your mother like this."

"That's because you are, Mari. Since the second I lost mine when I was a newborn, you took me under your wing and raised me. Gave me all the love I know, care, and tons of attention. You were there when I said my first word, when I began to crawl, to walk, to talk, to eat for myself, to read, to write, to run. It was always you by my side. You were never just my nanny, you were the mother I had during those 20 years of mine, no one else's. If I didn't respect you as I do, and had you as my mother after you took me in as your own, that would make me an ungrateful bitch in my eyes. And I'm everything but ungrateful," holding both of her hands, I kissed them.

Then I felt drops of tear falling on my skin, and when I met her emerald eyes, she was crying. "You are the most precious thing that ever happened to me, Hope. The most precious. And I may not have given birth to you, darling, but you are my child," then she stood on her toes and kissed my forehead. "I'll always love like so."

"I'll always love you too," I squeezed her hands softly, and took a deep breath. "Well, hm… there's something I need to tell you!" It's only fair for me to be honest with her now, and tell her before she learns from the others.

"What is it?" She blinked.

"There's something I've been keeping from you since I was old enough to think for myself," which was from the second I opened my eyes and realized I had been reborn here. "Something I've never directly told anyone. And I want you to know before it spreads."

Her eyebrows went up, "Now I'm worried."

Sigh, "I have magic, Mari."

It took her some time to react, as she stared at me, blinking, waiting for me to say I was joking. As I didn't, her eyes widened up, "What do you mean by that? Magic? Are you saying you had magic all this time and hid from everyone? Hid from me?"

I gulped, "Yes. I know, it was better if I had told you. But I didn't. I didn't want anyone to know about it. You know how I never wanted the spotlight to myself, and how I wanted to have a low profile life. Mari, you know that more than anyone."

"Yes, I know, Hope. But how having magic would have changed that? If one thing, having magic would make your life better. People wouldn't have mistreated you as they did. These fuckers of your biological family wouldn't have messed with you the way they did," she growled the last part, furious, but not with me.

Taking her by the hand, I made her sit down on the bed and I sat with her, "Mari, I'm not a normal magic wielder like you, or the people in the Bissonnette County."

"What? How are you nor normal?"

"Mari, you know the strong and powerful history behind my mother's northern house, right? All the power our ancestors used to have, and how important they were for the north. For the Kingdom overall. You've heard about that, right?"

A nod. "Of course. The shadow magic wielders. Late Countess Yolande's house was and still is famous for that. Although they lost a big part of that fame, and their power, when the shadow magic disappeared from their lineage. Vanishing. Many people thought it was a punishment from God, because lots of people died for their magic. After all, if what part of what's said in the books is true, it's extremely dangerous," then she looked up to me. "But why are you bringing that up?"