Capítulo 4: Changing her name

Clara skipped towards the master bedroom but halted her steps when she realized Duchess's condition. Her mood plummeted but she still made her way towards the duchess's room.

She slowly opened the door making sure to not disturb the duchess's rest but halted her steps when she saw Amalthea awake and sitting on the bed, "How are you feeling your grace?"

Amalthea drifted her emerald green eyes at her lady in waiting and smiled sadly, "Are all the rites complete?"

Clara closed the door and replied, "Yes your grace, His grace finished everything before noon"

She nodded her head and asked with uncertainty in her voice, "What about Clifford?"

"Young master has not yet returned your grace"

The duchess sighed and got down from the bed with Clara's help after struggling for a bit, "I want to see Augustus, where is he right now?"

"In the guest room"

"Guest room?" Amalthea asked in confusion as they made their way towards the ground floor.

Clara followed after the duchess and replied, "His grace has a big surprise planned for you, your grace"

"Surprise? What is it?"

"How is it considered a surprise if it is revealed before witnessing? Have some patience your grace"

Amalthea frowned and glanced at Clara, "For what are you being so suspenseful about? I had a great surprise yesterday when I learned about the poison inside my daughter's body" she chuckled bitterly as she continued, "Is this more surprising than that?"

"Your Grace..." Clara's eyes brimmed with tears hearing her strong duchess so vulnerable and helpless, "Please trust me in this your Grace, the surprise which I'm talking about will only bring you and this duchy happiness"

Amalthea just smiled and knocked on the door of the guest room, "Augustus, It's me"

And the next instant, the door flung open revealing a crying man, "Thea....." he whimpered as he clasped her in a hug burying his face on the crook of her neck, "I-i was so sacred when you fainted...Thea, I thought I lost you"

Amalthea hugged him back and caressed his back. She felt guilty for letting him face all of the difficult matters alone, "I'm sorry honey, I should have stayed by your side in this difficult time" and to placate him she did what she most hated, "Thea is here.....Thea will never leave August alone"

Clara got goosebumps because of their clinginess but didn't dare to disturb them. The strict and upright duke in high society was the clingiest husband she had ever witnessed. Sometimes she was baffled by the duchess's patience to control such a manchild of a husband, well they loved each other and that is all that matters.

And as expected, the duke's sobs came to halt hearing his wife's words. Augustus looked at his lovely wife's face and said, "Thea I have a huge surprise for you"

"Did the empress die?" came the quick retort from her to which the duke just clicked his tongue, "How blissful if that transpires"

The Duchess shook her head and asked, "Then what else are you talking about?"

Augustus stopped killing the empress in his mind and took his wife inside the room. Thea just followed after her husband and looked his line of sight directed towards the bed and froze in her place.

The only thing that came to her mind was about the reason for her dead daughter to be lying on the bed until she saw her rise and fall in the chest. She rushed towards the girl and slumped on her side holding her warm hands. 'Wait! warm hands?' then she turned towards her husband helplessly, "Wh-what is happening here August?"

Augustus stared at his wife and replied, "It's Irene, I found her injured self today beside the stream at the back of our manor. God didn't fail us, Thea...Our baby has returned to us"

Thea opened and closed her mouth trying to find appropriate words to reply but failed at last. She turned back at her daughter and caressed her face with trembling fingers. August was right, This girl was not Iris but the happiness she felt doubled learning that their baby finally returned. Her eyes quickly darted towards the girl's leg removing the duvet and she smiled brightly seeing her birthmark, a crescent moon.

"Baby!" her loud sob broke her husband's heart. He once again was reminded of his incompetence in protecting his family, but he swore inside that from now on no matter what, he would keep his family safe.

He left the room and closed the door to give some alone time for his wife and daughter.

"Peterson, fire all of our current staff and hire new ones then do a thorough background check on them. Finish off all the spies before they even reach my family"

The butler bowed his head, "As you wish your grace"

The duke nodded his head and added, "Provide all of the servant's family with residence inside the duchy walls. Warn them that their loyalty equals their family's safety or else....." he didn't continue but the sharp butler understood his master, "I will do my utmost best your grace"

"I'll leave that to you" Augustus replied and started walking out of the villa, "Any news from Clifford?"

"Not yet your grace"

"Send some of the patrols to look for him and bring him to the duchy as soon as possible"

Peter nodded in agreement, then he asked the question he was the most curious about, "When will you introduce young miss Irene to the high society, your grace?"

"Iris" the duke blurted out making Peter confused, "Pardon me?"

Augustus stopped walking and glanced at his butler, "I will introduce her as Iris, not many know about us having twins anyway"

Peter frowned, "I don't understand the reason for doing this, your grace"

The duke's eyes narrowed as he replied, "I think that she was trying to escape from someone. Her shoulder injury is caused by an arrow"

Peter widened his eyes, "Then we should track them and finish them of your grace"

But Augustus thought otherwise of this issue, "We are yet to know about her enemies, and I don't want to take any chance in this matter. Introducing her as Iris will keep her safe for now"

"But that will put her on empress's radar" came the quick response from Peter, "She will target the young miss if we introduce her as Lady Iris"

"That's true," the duke remarked. Then he pondered for some time and said in a resolute voice, "I will break the engagement between Iris and Prince Cassian"

"Your grace.....?" the butler was shocked hearing duke's words, "His majesty the emperor and Grand duke Wulfgur will oppose this"

"I heard that the grand duke is very ill nowadays, he will not be a problem for us to deal with. I just have to pacify the emperor by giving him something that will make him break the engagement" The reason for keeping the engagement from annulling for so many years even after the threat was because he respected prince Cassian's maternal grandfather, Grand duke Arthur Wulfgur, but now he wanted to act selfishly, his daughter mattered to him more than his pride and honor.

But the next words from butler gave him another headache, "Your Grace, I heard that the empress is looking for a high born lady as her son's crown princess, and I bet that her first choice will be lady Iris if we cancel her current engagement"

Augustus furrowed his brows but something flashed in his mind, "I will just use her poor constitution to reject the empress's proposal"

"Do you think that empress will care about that your grace?" Peter asked still in uneasiness.

Augustus too was not too sure about this. Empress Seraphina was like a snake, she was very versed with her word choices which lead the enemy trapped inside her scheme. But he decided to solve everything one by one and concluded on worrying about urgent matters for now.

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