Rumors

Isla's words made the silence that came after, unbearable for the duke.

Yes, he intended to replace his wife with Annalise as the duchess and wife, but he could not tell her that unless her words about him being heartless would seem true.

In the end, he couldn't say anything and just stared at his wife, who had become an unfamiliar person entirely.

The duchess he knows never questions him this much. Once he gives an answer, she takes it. She was innocent in his eyes, but this person in his front did not seem surprised nor behaved in the way he expected.

He could feel a large distance between them that he had not noticed until now.

''You knew?'' He asked softly. He came to that conclusion.

She did not say a word, but somewhere in his mind, he concluded that she was aware of his affair.

Even if he couldn't get the answer from her, duke hayes did not want to linger in the room. Every time he got close to his wife, he felt an unknown guilt at the bottom of his heart that seemed to slowly eat him up and discomfort that disrupted him from thinking about anything, even Annalise.

It was his wife that would be on his mind, and he disliked it.

''Since you know about my affair, then don't do anything to her.'' He turned away with a warning and walked up to the door.

Once his calloused hand got to the doorknob, He also added, ''And I do not intend to replace you as the duchess.''

Afterward, he left the room and shut the door gently, very different from his entrance.

''Lies,'' Isla said to no one as she returned her stare back to flowers that endlessly consoled with the wiggling movements.

She knew her actions toward Annalise would make her husband angry, as it happened in her previous life.

Then, the situation ended with her crying and him leaving her room after threatening her to leave Annalise alone. He did not even ask about their child in her belly.

Isla knew that she could avoid Annalise, but she hated that the woman still wanted to touch and talk to her like nothing was wrong.

Isla does not believe that someone like her was innocent. She might be a good person, but she definitely was not innocent, or else why would she want to be a third party in her marriage?

''In the end, it is only you and me, son.''

Something within Isla broke like it had given up on holding a precious thing together. That was the last thread of Isla's last feelings for Duke Hayes.

—--

Just like Isla predicted in her mind, rumors about her and Annalise shook the capital for days, and it did not seem to die down anytime soon.

From the commoners, they say;

''Annalise Cromwell? Isn't it that woman that owns a bakery in the capital market?''

''Yes, I heard she is the duke's mistress.''

''I knew she was not good news. She is too beautiful to be one, but I didn't expect the duke to fall for her charms.''

''I heard the duchess had not given the duke a child. Maybe that's the reason.''

''It's obvious that the duke is not satisfied with her service and searched for another person.''

''I heard the duchess slapped her beautiful face at the Empress' tea party.''

''No, I heard the duchess poured hot tea on her hand.''

''I heard the duchess slapped her hand.''

''But, isn't the duchess too much? It is the duke's fault for cheating.''

''No, it is Annalise's fault for going after a married man.''

If commoners were saying these, then at different tea parties, workplaces, and nobles' homes, many said,

''I wonder if the duke might replace her as the duchess.''

''If that commoner is pregnant, then the duchess is in danger.''

''But the duchess is too naïve. Why hasn't she deal with that commoner?''

''I heard she is infertile. I mean, there is no mention of a child in the duke's marriage.''

''That's true. Maybe the duke was looking for another option and fell in love with that commoner.''

''But a commoner becoming the only duchess in the empire is disgusting. I hope the duchess deals with her.''

''I wonder what the Grand duke says about this..''

''Who knows...I heard the duchess is also an unfavored daughter, even if she is the only offspring of the Grand duke.''

''Really? Then she is a pitiful one.''

Contrary to their imagination of the pitiful duchess, the latter was looking at the exquisite envelope in her hand.

''Father..'' Her blue eyes became misty and teary as she had been expecting his letter.

''My lady..'' Now Amelia knew that she did not hear wrong during her lady's pregnancy discovery. It had been years since her lady had called the grand duke father, and she did not expect the word from her lips until now.

Isla could tell Amelia's thoughts without looking. She had not called the grand duke, father since a young age.

'Your excellency or Grand duke,' she called him that or tried to avoid his presence to not make him uncomfortable in the Elrod Grand-duchy.

As the novel depicted, the grand duke loved his wife very much, and when she died after childbirth, the grand duke was sad. From then on, he avoided the child that was from him and the late grand-duchess.

Isla could remember the servant's words about herself killing the grand duchess.

Then she wanted to get her father's attention by showing him a bunch of flowers she picked from the garden named after her mother.

Her late nanny, Amelia's mother, encouraged her that the duke would be happy with her efforts, but those words destroyed her bright world.

''It is tragic that her excellency died soon.''

''The duke gets more unapproachable day by day, and that child was the cause of it.''

''If the child was not born, maybe her excellency would be alive.''

''It is obvious the grand duke hates the child, or else why didn't he hold her as soon as she was born?''

''He doesn't even talk to her.''

''She's pitiful, too.''

''I heard it was the grand-duchess that named her before her last breath.''

Isla hid behind the wall as she listened to their words. Her seven-year-old self finally understood the reason for her father's attitude toward her.

The flowers fell from her hand with a dazed look, and her ears twitched at the loud footsteps. She turned to see her father, whom she resembled, and she was sure that he could hear their words as they were loud.

''My lady…'' His aide behind him wanted to talk, but she ignored them and ran to her room with unfallen tears.

After then, she never called the Grand duke, father again.

''Father...You are a grandfather now.'' Isla cried with tears. Even if she and her father started on a wrong note, he was among the people that never abandoned her in her second life. But then, she did not understand, as she thought her father hated her. Meanwhile, it was the opposite.

At that very moment, Amelia saw another person that could make her lady smile again. That was the grand-duke.

''His grace does not hate the young lady. He never had and never will hate the child from the grand-duchess. Even if that child made the grand-duchess die.''

''Then why does he avoid her? All the servants said he hates her and my lady..she does not call him father anymore,'' A nineteen-year-old Amelia talked to her mother, the nanny.

''...He is grieving. I don't know when the grand duke can heal his heart. However, I know that the young lady is the only person who can help him, but she avoids him….Her excellency would be very sad.'' The nanny sighed on the wooden dining table in her home.

''Then what can we do, mother?'' asked Amelia. She wanted to help her lady, no matter what.

''Nothing. We do nothing but pray that they can reach out to one another. I might not experience that moment, but you will, Amelia. I am sure you would feel the grand duchess' happiness and mine from the heavens.'' The nanny smiled at Amelia.

Amelia held onto her tears as she finally experienced that day that mother prayed for, earnestly.

'Your excellency, mother, that moment has finally come.'

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