Different difficulty

"Your Grace, her Grace seeks an audience," Steward Muman knocked at the Duke's study.

"Let her in," The Duke's voice came from inside. After getting his permission, Steward Muman opened the door for the Duchess and respectfully bowed.

The Duchess took a deep breath and composed herself before walking in gracefully.

"Steward Muman, how have you been?" Leah started a conversation the moment the door closed.

"Great," Steward Muman answered. He did not like Leah much. She was always acting smarter than everyone else. He knew that the only reason why she treated him with respect was because she could get information from him.

"Is the news around the resident true?" Leah asked. She was not worried that he had only answered her first question with one word. She also did not like Muman much. After all, he always had the air of high and mighty simply because he is a trusted aide by the Duke.

In her opinion, she and him were of the same rank; after all, she is also a trusted aide to the duchess.

"What news?" Steward Mumsn looked at her with confusion.

Leah rolled her eyes mentally. She felt that Muman was taking her for a fool. "news is going around that his grace asked to see... she wanted to say that girl, but Leah managed to stop herself on time." lady Anastasia, " she added.

"yes, it's true, " Steward Muman answered. Of course, he knew that she wanted him to tell her what he knew, but he acted ignorant. 

Leah was smitten with anger; if not that he was working under the Duke, she would have given him a piece of her mind.

Inside the study

"My husband, " The Duchess had a warm smile as she walked over and took a sit. She could tell the Duke was unhappy to see her, but she did not care much.

She had thought things through while eating her dinner. She felt that she would appear stupid or pretentious if she went to Anastasia to find out what had happened in the Study earlier.

If her fifteen-year-old son could tell that sending Anastasia to the chapel to become a nun was not necessarily a good thing for her reputation, she could, too. Although she doubted the rumor, she was careful not to put herself in a more difficult situation.

The Duke looked at her without saying a word. He could guess why she had come to his study. After all, he had spoken to Anastasia in such a high-profile manner.

"I heard you sent for Anastasia earlier; I hope all is good, " The Duchess asked. She could not wait for the Duke to figure out why she was there.

"yes, I did, and things could not have been better, " Duke Thomson said. He was surprised that she managed to finish her dinner before coming to seek him out. They have been married for over seventeen years, so he knew her well.

The Duchess's heart tightened when she heard those words. She knew nothing good could come from the Duke taking the initiative to send for that girl. Seventeen years ago, when she married the Duke, who already had a daughter with his first wife, she always knew that the marriage would cause her many problems.

"Then share the good news with me, " the Duchess had a sweet smile on her lips; she looked eager to hear the good news when, in fact, she was anxious.

"God has smiled on our family; the emperor has taken a fancy of our family and proposed a marriage between our children, " Duke Thomason replied. He looked sincerely happy, but the Duchess felt things were not simple.

Duke Thomason was not the only Duke in th kingdom; if anything, his influence in the royal court was not so solid. So why would the emperor choose him?

"The emperor wants to become in-laws with us? " the Duchess spoke out her doubts.

"Do I look so jobless as to play this kind of stupid prank? " Duke Thomason was irritated by the question.

"I apologize, " The Duchess knew she had asked the wrong question.

"If there is nothing else, you can leave, " the Duke waves his hands. It seems he could not be bothered to talk to her.

It was only at this moment that the Duchess realised that she had focused on the wrong question.

Her question should have been, who was the candidate for this marriage? The Duke had already called Anastasia when he returned, so she could guess he wanted her to be the bride, but who was the groom?

The Emperor had three sons of marriageable age.

The Duchess felt that the crown prince was out of the question. After all, he was so talented and handsome. Moreover, he would most likely be the next emperor if nothing went wrong.

The chances of the emperor picking a wife from their family were small, and even if he did, Anastasia, a mistress daughter, was not qualified.

So it could either be the second prince, who was said to be fierce and had a unique sexual orientation, or the third prince, who already kept many women outside at such a young age.

"My husband, you have only told me about our daughter's marriage; you have said nothing about the groom, " The Duchess was not in a hurry to leave. It did not matter which prince Anastasia married; in her opinion, Anastasia was bound to suffer. She only asked because she did not want to waste her time guessing; after all, one prince would give her(Anastasia) different trouble from the other.

"The crown prince, " Duke Thomason answered.

"What? " the Duchess felt like her ears were playing tricks on her. Her anxious heart, which had just relaxed, jumped up again.

'he is definitely joking with me, ' the Duchess comforted herself.

"You said the emperor wants the crown prince to marry our daughter? " the Duchess asked. Her voice was no longer as calm as when she just entered.

The Duke nodded in response; he could guess what was going on in her head. He knew that once she knew the whole truth, there would be a heated argument.

"Does he want to marry her as his concubine? " the Duchess asked. Although the position of a concubine was less than that of a wife, the royal family was different from other nobles. Even she, as a Duchess, would have to be polite to the king's concubine. She felt that Anastasia was not qualified to be one. In her heart, only her daughter deserves such a good marriage.

If she was lucky enough to bear the first male, she might become the grandmother of the first prince.

"No, " Duke Thomason shook his head. When the Duchess heard this answer, she felt she had a communication problem.

It's not that she looked down on the Duke of Malay. It's just that since Anastasia was in the picture, her expectations were low.

"What do you mean no? " the Duchess could no longer keep her composure. She had reasons to believe that the Duke was playing games with her. He could say everything that needed to be told without making her anxious.

"The crown prince would marry our daughter as a wife, " Duke Thomason replied.

"By our daughter, you mean Anastasia? " the Duchess felt her head spinning. She did not believe that her husband would consider Anastasia for such a marriage, but as a stepmother, she could not say that aloud. So she asked this question. After all, in her heart, Anastasia was not worth it. Only her daughter could become the crown princess and the empress in the future.