Chapter 8

I pretended to be asleep and moved slightly. Cardin's hand then stopped trailing up my face.

Still keeping up my act of being asleep, I rolled away from him then yawned.

Cardin was immediately alerted. He redrew and stood up from the bed.

I stretched my body, as if unaware of his presence. I then slowly turned to him and pretended to be surprised by his appearance.

"Brother Cardin is that you?"

I looked at Cardin so innocently. Pretending that I was unaware of his intentions.

"Yes? Oh sorry that I woke you up. I was just looking for my book. I think that I left it here"

"I didn't see your book around here"

That day, Cardin was convinced that I did not know of his true motive for coming into my room.

I had not questioned the act of a young man sneakily coming into a lady's room at night. I acted like the naive girl so Cardin was completely fooled.

But very soon I'll reveal my true self to him. Now is not yet the time. I'll keep using him as a tool to keep Olivia's behavior in check.

Some people say it's okay to be in a relationship with your biological cousin, I say otherwise. Especially if that cousin is a possessive freak like Cardin.

'I wonder how Cardin will react when I say I have a lover. Not only his reaction, but the reaction from everyone else will be truly interesting'

***

Paisley went to the garden. Her shoulders shook as she cried.

Olivia who was passing by saw the scene and immediately went to intervene. In a kind tone, she reached out.

"Paisley what's wrong?"

"It's Adrianna! She was so mean to me!"

"How so?"

"She insulted me all because she's jealous that Ronald left her!"

"Hmm"

A thought suddenly crossed Olivia's mind. She had always disliked Adrianna, and now that Paisley seemed to be antagonistic towards Adrianna, maybe her plan would work.

Just like Adrianna, Olivia had always feigned the act of innocence from a very young age. She had done so in order to gain people's favor. But for some reason, she hadn't been able to gain people's love the same way Adrianna did.

This was merely part of the reason why Olivia held a deep hatred towards Adrianna.

Reaching out towards Paisley, she patted Paisley's back caringly. In a soothing and calm tone, she spoke up.

"I'm so sorry about that. I always knew she was wicked"

"I used to think that she's nice..."

"No. Sadly, she's very mean. Maybe she'll even try to jeopardize your relationship with Lord Belv"

"Really?"

"Yes. I think it's time that she pays for her wicked ways"

"How?"

"I have a plan"

Olivia spoke about her plan in a low tone. Making only Paisley able to hear about it.

"Isn't that a bit extreme?" Paisley seemed to shiver by the mere thought of the plan.

"No...it's just what she deserves"

Olivia's innocent facade cracked in that second as she chuckled while imagining the effect of her plan, if it actually worked out.

"You'll invite Lord Belv while I'll invite Count Farret. Adrianna is going to regret doing that to you"

To Olivia, she had Paisley rapped around her finger. If anyone find out their plan, she'd abandon Paisley, making it seem as if she was the master mind.

'Oh Adrianna, you're going to regret doing all that you did to me!' Olivia thought to herself.

'Adrianna is evil. Yes she's meant to be punished. Anybody that comes in the way of my romance is a villain!' Paisley thought to herself.

***

Ten days passed by after the discovery of Paisley and Ronald's relationship.

It was a week away before I would introduce Nathan as my lover.

Paisley had seemed to be avoiding me and often went to the Belv mansion. She seemed to be trying to pacify Ronald after I had destroyed (burnt) his business.

I'm sure he must have seen the words I left behind in the ashes.

I tapped the pen I was holding, against my chin. Henry handed me a file containing some news about my business.

"Ronald's business will prove impossible to revive. Especially with the opening of your new branch near his area" Henry said. He pointed at his analysis on the paper.

I nodded in reply. He explained all what my workers said.

Harper looked bored watching us.

"Ooh, my lady, I can't wait see the reaction from that Ronald when he finds out that you're the one who caused his demise!"

"Well, you'll have to wait. I don't plan to reveal the truth to him yet. He'll be so paranoid looking for his hidden enemy and might even go crazy"

"You're making me more excited!" Harper squealed.

"Simmer down a bit. Before things are revealed to the Ronald, according to my analysis it says that it will take precis-"

"Argh, you just have to bore things with your analysis this and analysis that! Why can't you be cool"

The twins faced each other and began a round of bickering.

"Analysation is the best way for making effective plans"

"Our lady's plan is always effective and she's always cool!"

"Tha-

"Could you guys stop?!"

Henry and Harper turned to me, and immediately became silent.

Harper turned around with a hmph. "Fine. I'm going to train with the guards"

She proceeded to move away, out of my room.

"Don't destroy anything"

Henry said quietly to Harper who was about leave.

It was his way of telling her not to get hurt. But I wasn't going to point that out.

With her hand on the door knob, she paused for a second. Then replied without looking back. "I won't"

The door was opened and she left.

.

.

.

I was sitting on a chair in mother's office.

While she was busy sorting out some documents like usual, I looked at a report arranged by Henry, about the new success of my business Empire known as 'Wine'

Though I did not directly manage the business myself, I had carefully selected intellectual and innovative people to take care of the business.

Of course final decisions were made by me, but they did the over all management of the business.

They were all people who I had helped since I saw they were facing difficulty.

I admit that my help to them wasn't just done out of goodwill, but because I knew that they'd be loyal to whosoever would become their benefactor.

To the managers of my businesses, I was their savior. They worshipped me and swore eternal loyalty to my side.

"The Marquis is coming back in the next four days" Mothers words made me look up from the documents I was holding.

"Really? I thought he had officially relocated to the capital"

Marquis Deor, my father, who was a prominent noble here in the South, would often go to the capital, to spread his influence.

But after going to the capital, five months ago, everyone thought that he had the intention to base himself there since he had not visited the South ever since.

Paisley's mother would be delighted once he returns. When father isn't around, mother became the one with the most authority in the mansion.

Seeing that she is the Marchioness and officially father's wife. Paisley's mother most have hated it. Maybe that's why she never leaves her part of the mansion. Not being seen ever since five months ago.

"He just sent the letter today. Tsk. He expects me to prepare his grand welcome in just four days!

If it's not done well he'll complain my ears off. What a scumbag"

Mother muttered insults about father under her breath, making me smile.

Who was my father, Marquis Deor?

Well....he wasn't a good man. Nor a good husband and certainly not a good father.

He was unfeeling and only cared about the benefits that his children brought to him.

Originally, in the novel, he cared for Adrianna because he saw that she was able to bring in many good marriage proposals in order to benefit the Doer family. And that she was completely under his control.

But now that I was different, my relationship with father was....well.... let's say it's also different.

Sometimes I wonder how they were able to sustain this marriage for such a long time.

Then I would recall what mother said was the best preservative for marriage: detachment.

Mother had many wise sayings about marriage. She would say.

"If you forget that your scumbag husband exists, then you'll forget to file a divorce against your scumbag husband"

Or somethings say.

"The separation by several kilometers of land, will prevent the separation of marriage"

Mother has many other sayings similar to this.

At that moment, somebody knocked lightly on mother's office door. She permitted the person to come in, and the door opened.

An older maid came in, holding a tray. The maid dropped the tray that contained a teapot and a teacup, on mother's desk, shifting aside some documents.

The maid closed the book that mother was holding and said. "Jessica, you need to relax. Too much work makes one age. You need to look more beautiful than the mistress when the Marquis returns"

Mother rolled her eyes. "I'm always more beautiful than the mistress"

"Sure, Jessica"

Jessica was mother's first name. It was highly disrespectful for a maid to call their master by their first name.

The maid turned tea into the cup. After she was done, mother took the teacup and sipped slowly. She them set the teacup down on the table.

"The tea is nice, Hazel"

Hazel, the maid that called mother by her first name, wasn't just anyone to mother.

Hazel come over to where I sat and looked over at the documents that I had spread everywhere.

"Oh Adria! Your business sure is booming. I wish either Henry or Harper were even half as successful as you"

"Thanks, aunty" I smiled and looked up at Hazel.

Hazel was mother's closest maid and the mother of Henry and Harper.

Hazel had been serving mother right from the time she had only been the daughter of a Viscount in the capital. Mother had brought her to South and into the Deor household.

She had been my nanny when I was younger, and had taken care of me while mother was busy.

Hazel sat near me and asked me little questions about my business which I gladly answered. She was one of the few people that were close to me.

A hurried knock suddenly resounded on mother's door. Upon receiving mother's permission to come in, the door was swung open swiftly.

In came Henry, panting and sweating. He was disheveled and his hair was scattered, quite different from his usual appearance.

I called out to him in surprise.

"Henry?"

"My lady! It's Harper! She's....