Chapter 57

"last piece of pie for the cutie pie !"

"Last piece of cherry for the prettiest fairy !"

It became a custom to yell out the last piece of a certain type of food. The girls continued their meal, all the while laughing and joking.

" oh my Gosh, did anyone hear about what happened?"

"what?"

"Dilara got a fancy fan from that imperial jerk! "

"you saw it, too? It was so pretty!"

"She must have placed him under her thumb already, I told you I had faith in her charms!" Ashina gloated.

"liar! You said 'we are dooooooomed!'" Otsana fell back dramatically, the back of her hand on her forehead. " 'I would lose all my b—'"

"Otsana, did you leave the door open again ?" The chief's daughter, Oryn, yelled cutting her off.

"yeah, It would be a shame if someone took it upon themselves to come all the way here and find a wooden door locked."

"Otsana!"

"what? What are they going to steal, our poverty?"

"don't be negative, here, you can have my soup." a girl consoled her.

"ugh, I wish I —oh, Dilara's here! Dilara!"

Dilara walked in to a group of girls rushing to get the latest gossip from her.

"oh my god, what took you so long?" Otsana, one of the youngest tribe members, gasped. "did you do it?"

Dilara felt overwhelmed, and didn't know what to answer, fortunately, Binah came to her rescue. "girls, get back to work, don't bother her. Dilara, dear, why don't you come in and have a seat?"

Binah opened the drapes to her tent with her staff, welcoming the young warrior in. "well? Go on. Tell us the good news!"

"actually..." Dilara stayed silent for a long time, trying to find the right word to say.

"if it takes you that long to mumble a 'yes', then you don't have to say it out loud." the tribe's healer's face turned grim, different from the soft expression she had earlier, " I already know."

"huh?"

"you changed, Dilara. Your will weakened." she rubbed her wrinkle-filled chin. "why is it?"

"wisest healer, I promise you my will stands strong."

"no... It doesn't." she shook her head. "be honest with me, child, this is a safe environment. Go on, tell me your secrets. Did you begin to develop strange feelings?"

"Of course not, esteemed healer, I assure you I will complete my task efficiently."

"Dilara, child...listen to my words carefully." she held her hand. "some scars are hard to heal, but you must find a way to overcome the pain. You came to us...desperate and in need of help...we fed you from the middle of our plates, and clothed you warm clothes, tell me, child, did we ever wrong you or failed you?"

"no, you have not, esteemed healer." she replied politely.

"we only had one condition for you, to help our tribe, not to gain unrivaled power, nor to be the wealthiest among the nations, but to have enough food for the cold winters, and to go back home safely." she said in a calm tone. "tell me, child, is it too much responsibility to bear?"

"no, wisest healer, it is not." Dilara clenched her fists with new-found motivation. "I will be in the place of your trust, esteemed healer, please allow me another chance."

"and a chance you shall have."

*****

Verena sat in front of the mirror, softly tracing the swelling handprint in her face. Aside the blemishes left behind from acne in her adolescence, the wrinkles forming around her mouth and eyes, and the black undereyes from sleep deprivation, a new addition joined the team to work on making her even more ugly and disturbing to look at.

Her mother was a stunning beauty, her father was a hard worker and flourished in many fields, and her sister inherited her looks and his traits. As for her, no amount of makeup and pretending can make her half as good and successful as them.

Even in her marriage, her sister only married the second son of a marquise, but he loved her dearly. He wouldn't even let her lift a finger if she didn't stubbornly insist on shouldering his burdens. Even if she had trouble conceiving, his feelings didn't change. Even if she treated him coldly, he never gave up, on the contrary, he worked harder to melt her heart. After his first son was born a few years ago, after more than a decade's wait, he was more worried about her health. He smiled for days and wouldn't quit buzzing around her and asking about her well-being with great passion.

Her sister returned less than four smiles from the tens of caring looks he would send her, and when she did, his face would burst into joy like a child receiving candy, and the smile would linger on his lips for hours on end.

Each time she visited them, she wished even a fraction of that love could be received by her from her husband, so she waited. She waited and waited and waited...until his hidden child waltzed into the mansion. Still, a small kindle of hope shone a simple glimmer of light deep into the abysses of her shadowy heart.

In the end, what did she get in return?

A good slap in the face.

She knew it was so, because it woke her up from her silly useless daydream. It delivered words from his heart more sincere than ever before. She felt...awake. Like all the fuzziness in her brain had been knocked off...and now, only clarity stayed. She had been reading too many romance novels, and she sleepwalked through a dream of flower petals, rosy mist, and beautiful delusions. She finally got the wake up call she needed.

"Madame, first young miss wrote the letter." Olivia walked up next to her. "Madame, it had been so long, shall I call the maids in to help you dress?"

Looking at her reflection one last time, face full of powder, proper hairstyle to cover her cheek, and red rouge to steer the attention away from her swollen eyes, she is ready. "yes."

*****

The duchess walked down the stairs to find the house keeper and butler still running around to get things ready.

"your grace, breakfast is ready." they greeted with a bright smile. "the whole family gathered for it, the first in a long time, hurry to join them."

"I'm not hungry at the moment, I will have breakfast on the way. Thank you for your concerns." she kept her lips bent in a small smile. "call the girls for me, we better get going."

"your grace seems in a good mood today." the butler smiled.

"yes, I am thrilled to meet with my family again." she kept up her ceremonial smile as she walked out of the door.

"good morning, mother!" Ilaria hugged her. "let's go quickly, I want to see Asher."

"good morning, I am sure he is just as excited to meet you, as well."

"good morning, mother." Aurelia said in a raspy voice.

"Aurelia! is your throat alright?" Aurelia nodded quietly.

"good morning, mother." a third girl walked out with a suitcase.

" 'your grace' would be fine." she turned her face away from that disgusting sight.'what's so good about that face? It's only average without those eyes.'

"you don't have to help with the suitcases, there are enough servants to handle them."

"uh, no, I'm coming with you." she smiled innocently. "I would like to meet your family, but only if it's alright with you. I couldn't sleep all night from excitement."

"It's alright, of course, just not today." she wanted to take her to meet her family? Not in her wildest dreams. If the Duke can break her words, why can't she do the same?

"why, is there a problem?"

'when you are around, I would be surprised if there wasn't! '

"many." she spared her another word before turning to the others. "Alright, girls, get on the carriage... Oh, Liv, where is Victor?... Is the luggage ready?... Then, what are you waiting for? Let's set out."

"mother, wait! Take me with you!" at Victoria's pitiful pleads, it seemed like Verena was a wicked woman to ignore her.

The duchess couldn't leave her, of course, not after she remembered she could come back with the whole servants in the mansion rallied against her. What's the worst thing that can happen if she took her? She begged with tears. If she insisted on walking into the lion's den, why stop her?

" oh, alright. Come in." Verena said, like the virtuous duchess she is.

The servants sympathized with the duchess, and their level of respect leveled up a few times. Aurelia was shocked, and a bit hurt. She didn't like how her father favored Victoria, and now her mother, too?

Victoria with a jubilant smile, entered the carriage, rejoicing in her victory, oblivious of what's to come. The Grand Duke's residence was outside the capital, in the duchy, and they would reach it by evening if they moved in the morning.

After they got out of nobles' district, she sent Victoria out due to lack of space. Whether she rode in the luggage carrier, servants' carriages, went by foot, or returned to the mansion, Verena didn't care one bit.