Leave her past

Charlotte looked at herself in the mirror and asked Zoe if Édouard wasn't in the palace. 

"Yes, Your Excellency," Zoe replied. "His Excellency has gone out to work and will return around noon," she informed Charlotte. 

"What does he do? Is he strict with his subjects? He isn't polite to anyone around him. He isn't even good to his father and brothers. Is it true that he was never involved with any woman?" Charlotte's questions confused Zoe.  

"His Excellency brought some great changes in Wexnon. I remember people were dying of hunger and the higher-ups were hardly bothered about it. I belong to the servant class. We used to fight for grains, water, and money. His Excellency appeared like a God and then helped Wexnon get out of the extreme distress," Zoe answered her first question to Charlotte. She bit her bottom lip and realized that Édouard had done wonderful work for his people. 

She had heard that the market was down, but she never bothered about it. Perhaps, she had everything and belonged to a well-off family. Hearing Zoe, she wondered what the condition of the people in Beromont. 

"His Excellency is strict on those who do not understand their duties well. I should not be saying this, but people in higher positions always take benefits and exploit the poor. His Excellency is different and he understands the pain of a common man," Zoe answered Charlotte's second question. 

"His Excellency isn't involved with any woman. He was busy working for the betterment of his people. He is a mighty person. I remember when the royalty and nobility were enjoying themselves while our Duke was in a war. If His Excellency hadn't led the tropes to the far west and fought against the enemy for three continuous years, we would have been someone's slaves," Zoe explained to her.

Charlotte was astonished to hear all the answers and find a different side of Édouard, which was a hidden one. She never heard Mathieu saying this. She knew that Édouard was leading the war, but she didn't know the situation was tough outside. 

Charlotte suddenly felt guilty for thinking wrongly about Édouard. If she asked herself, her inner voice would only say this: Édouard was a moral man with high values and a deep thinker. The way he kept his people above the pleasures of being the Prince or the Duke clearly showed it. 

She stood up from the puffed velvet stool and went to the bedroom. Zoe followed her and found Charlotte was moving away from her pictures with Mathieu. She had put them inside the cupboard. 

Charlotte didn't want Édouard to take action and throw them away. She was still unaware of his temper. It would be better not to make herself sad if he threw any of her photos with Mathieu. 

"Your Excellency, can I say something?" Zoe asked. 

"Hmm." Charlotte shut the cupboard's door and turned to her. 

"To walk ahead in life Her Excellency should leave her past," Zoe said. "Forgive me if I crossed my limit," She immediately apologized too. 

"Have you ever loved someone?" Charlotte asked her and walked up to her. 

Zoe shook her head. 

"Then, you cannot understand me, Zoe. I didn't fall in love instantly, but it took me a year to find my man in Mathieu. He suddenly died, and my world fell apart. This marriage I chose because, more than me, my father was upset by society's tantrums. Society doesn't let you live, Zoe, especially if you are a woman. I decided to die too and almost succeeded, but Édouard saved me. After that, I didn't get enough guts to even attempt it again." 

Charlotte's words were heart wrenching for those who would want to empathize with her. She knew many around her couldn't even relate to her. 

"Forgive me, Your Excellency, for taking your situation so lightly," Zoe said and lowered her eyes. 

"Show me the kitchen," Charlotte said. Zoe looked at her in inquisitiveness. "I want to bake cookies. I am craving some. It has been a long time since my mind wanted to do something," she asserted. 

"Sure, Your Excellency," Zoe replied, and they proceeded to the kitchen.

~~~~~~ 

"Your Excellency, please forgive us for not listening to your command. We should not have been harsh on our sister. We beg you to reconsider your decision of not demoting us," Hayden requested to Édouard and hit Winfred with his elbow, gesturing to him to speak too. 

"We were impolite to our sister because she did not understand what was good for her. She was ruining her life, and we ended up getting furious at her. We have realized our mistake, Your Excellency," Winfred said this time.  

"Then, what about you both leave your jobs? My decision is rigid. I didn't warn Hayden to not imply the order later. You both should go and work rather than begging me." Édouard refused to listen to their requests and dismissed them. 

"Please, Your Excellency," Hayden again pleaded. 

"You are fired from your job, Hayden," Édouard said. Hayden was shocked to hear the statement of the Duke, and so was Winfred. 

"Pardon me, Your Excellency?" Hayden thought he had heard wrong. 

"You are fired, Hayden. Now leave before I lose my temper," Édouard said, and he looked at the ledger in front of him. It was the monthly tax report ledger. 

Winfred grabbed the arm of Hayden and they both walked out of the office. "We should not talk with the Duke. He has fired you. It is better if we speak with Charlotte," Winfred advised his elder brother. 

"You are right. Let's go to see her and talk with her about this," Hayden said, and they both left to meet Charlotte. After two hours of driving from the carriage, they reached the Wexnon Palace. 

When Charlotte got the news that her brother had come to see her, she was astonished and happy too. She asked Zoe to bring the cookies and tea to the guest room and left to see her brothers.

As she entered the guest room, her brothers stood up to see her and smiled at her. 

Charlotte asked them to take a seat, and she sat across from them on the side sofa chair. 

"How are you? I hope the Duke is good to you," Winfred said. 

"I am well. Yes, the Duke is good to me," Charlotte replied, and asked about her father. "How is his health?" 

"Father is now better. After you agreed to marry the Duke, he recovered at an expedited rate. Fleuretta has sent this for you," Hayden said, and he kept a big wooden box on the table before them. 

The wooden box was well decorated and crafted with intricate flowery patterns on it. "What is it?" She asked curiously. 

"Some jewelry for you. She wanted to give you yesterday, but the Duke and you retired to bed before the feast ended," Hayden stated. 

Charlotte told Hayden that he should not have brought that. "I already have so much jewelry with me," she stated. 

"But it's our duty to give you all such things," Winfred asserted. "Keep it," he said. 

Zoe entered at that moment and kept the tray on the table. She poured the tea for them, and Charlotte handed the cups to her brothers. "I baked the cookies. I hope my brothers will like them," she stated. She thanked Zoe, who had left the guest room. 

Charlotte saw her brothers were not happy, and she asked them if everything was alright. 

"We didn't want to tell you, but His Excellency has fired me from my position. I asked him not to demote us, which made him angry," Hayden said while giving an upset look. "Forgive me, Charlotte. I was harsh on you and made you cry. But as your elder brother, I was only concerned for our family, and especially for our father," Hayden said, and lowered his head in sadness. 

Charlotte was shocked to find that out. "I will talk with the Duke," she assured him. 

"Leave it, Charlotte. His Excellency may get angry at you and we do not want that to happen," Winfred said. Hayden agreed with his words and told Charlotte just to stay happy. 

"I will find a way to get into the government. Don't get yourself involved in this," Hayden said. 

"But my brother has no fault, so he cannot be fired. I will surely talk with the Duke when he returns," Charlotte stated, and smiled a little. 

Her brothers were not good to her earlier, but still, they were her family. Both Hayden and Winfred thanked her before looking at each other.