Capítulo 29: Meeting each other (3)
How his first wife knew that he would come to the garden, Dante did not know. Though that was not important at the moment, as he was put in a serious predicament.
Two pregnant wives looked in his direction and he, stood below the pavilion watching them. Some servants, Spencer and Lily also stood behind him.
There was a silence…a pin-drop and nerve-wracking silence in the garden. Two pregnant wives and the duke, who would he choose? Whose hands would he take?
The servants saw the situation that way.
'Your grace, please make a good decision for your future and the duchy,' Spencer prayed in his heart that the duke he raised by his side would not do the same thing as the late duke.
If before, Dante would have gone to his annalise without thinking, but those eyes...those window-like blue eyes that froze him at his spot.
'Damn it,' His teeth slightly gnashed together, and his hands were curled into a fist.
'How did it become like this?' He wondered.
He planned to divorce the duchess after her childbirth and marry annalise since he has an heir from the duchess. At least, no one would criticize him for having half noble blood as his heir and annalise would be the mother.
But now...everything was in disarray. An unexpected child from annalise, the duchess's distant attitude, the discomfort in his heart…his plan was truly in disarray.
When he heard those words from spencer. He felt fear…fear that his wife might do something to annalise's child. Fear that he was the one who made her gentle and bright self into this bitter person. Fear that he was the one who destroyed her with his actions.
Dante wondered where everything had started to go wrong.
Were the heavens punishing him like this for cheating on his wife? He does not know, but at this moment Dante knew one thing...he did not want those icy eyes to look at him.
'I want her bright eyes on me, again,' That fleeting thought went across his mind, making him stunned.
'No,' Instantly, he denied that thought. He was happy with annalise. They were happily married and about to have a baby together. He does not have feelings for his aloof wife.
He repeatedly told himself, like to ingrain those sentences on every part of his body, that his heart has only annalise and not the duchess.
While he was having a battle with himself internally, Isla's soft voice shattered his frozen self. ''Duke, I asked you a question.''
''Huh?''
''I told you that I do not want to see your mistress on my path, and yet why do I see her in my garden?''
Isla knew what situation she was in. The servants were waiting for her husband to make a decision, but she would never allow it. She would never allow herself and her child to be put in this situation.
This was another thing that did not happen in her second life.
If it were her husband in her previous life, he would have chosen annalise without blinking at her, and she would have been devastated. But she is not that Isla.
That Isla is somewhere in her heart, scared of facing the world once again...scared that people would reject her being. The only time she feels like herself, not with her icy mask or stony countenance, is with her baby, her little bun.
Her father and amelia are also the one of the people, who could bring that Isla out and the ones who make her recall her previous self are her husband and annalise.
''T-That..'' Dante did not know what to say as those eyes kept piercing at him. Indeed, she warned him, and he warned annalise not to see the duchess. When Annalise asked him if she could visit the garden today, he thought it was okay, as he noticed the duchess had never stepped out of her room and gone there.
''I did not complain when you used it without my permission and also destroyed my flowers, but she stepping into the place that belongs to only me in this duchy nauseates me, duke.''
Gasp!
Isla heard faint gasps, but she did not pay attention to them. The servants probably did not expect her to insult the favored mistress in the duke's presence. But did she care?...No.
''My place and my child's place by your side, she has taken them from me. At least be merciful and don't let her take this garden as well, Dante.''
Dante widened his eyes as that was the first time his wife ever called him by his name. She had always called him duke, so he never expected her to use it in this situation.
''Spencer,'' Isla called out and turned away from him. She walked forward in his annalise's direction.
Olivia quickly protectively stood in front of annalise and vigilantly stared at the duchess coming towards them. She could see that the duke had not moved from his spot and walked to her mistress, which meant his heart still contained some feelings for the duchess, and she did not like it.
'I have to do something,' she thought as she wholeheartedly supported her mistress as the actual wife of the duke and not the arrogant duchess.
Isla did not glance at Olivia or the trembling annalise and walked past them.
''Oh, and..'' She ceased her steps and tilted her head to the side. Her oceanic blue eye narrowed specifically at Olivia. ''That maid needs discipline, Miss Cromwell. She did not greet me when I stepped into this garden and talked when she was not allowed to. On the account that you serve my husband well, I would allow it to pass, but not next time.''
After saying that, Isla faced forward, with Amelia supporting her, and continued to walk into the pavilion.
''Spencer'' she called out again. This time, spencer quickly answered and hurried in her direction, ''Yes, your grace.''
''Chase everyone out, including the duke, and I need you to discipline some maids for me,'' Isla sat down with her back leaning on the bench and her hand on her bulging belly. Her gaze was as cold as ice and her voice was the same as well. ''My absence seems to have made discipline lax in the duchy and as the first wife of the duke, that is unacceptable.''
Amelia stood by her side, and she looked at her husband, who was staring at the spot that she had left.
''Y-Yes, your grace,'' Spencer did not expect things to turn this way. Anyhow, he was relieved, as this would make servants see that the duchess was still in power and not the duke's mistress.
'Hopefully, his grace can still make the right decision,' He said in his heart as he walked to his master, the duke.
''Y-Your grace,'' Spencer hesitantly called out, which brought the duke out of his stupor. For the first time, he did not put annalise in his eyes and looked at his first wife, the duchess. He did not know what to say for a while as he stood, and they stared at each other.
Them staring at each other without any disturbance seemed so right, like she was meant to belong to him.
''Your grace,'' Spencer called out again as the best thing the duke could do in this situation was to leave. The duchess' words indirectly insulted him and, in a way, they were true. The best he could do was to walk away to prevent humiliating himself further in front of the servants.
''I- I will be in my office,'' Dante did not know who he was telling that to and walked away like he was running away from the truth.
The truth, that he might have feelings for his wife somewhere deep in his heart.
Once the duke had left, Spencer sighed, as nothing went wrong, then glanced at the servants. The servants got the message and quickly left, since they were not needed.
''Second madam, please leave her grace's garden,'' He turned to annalise. Unlike his respectful and warm countenance towards Isla, his gaze was cold and unwelcoming to her.
Olivia gritted her teeth at the blatant disrespect. She knew this butler had never liked her mistress at all. He might be respectful on the surface, but was not on the inside.
''Miss, let's leave,'' she whispered, and went to Annalise's side. She supported her by the arm to walk out of the garden.
Annalise did not expect her thanking the duchess to turn this way. Yes, she was wrong in loving Dante, as he was a married man, but she could not control her feelings.
Her mission was to seduce him, and she successfully did that. Along the line, she couldn't help but fall in love. He was a good man who could make any woman happy, and she was lucky to be that woman.
'' I am sorry,'' she whispered with teary eyes, without looking at the duchess. She did not mean to destroy her marriage, but she had to, as her master was someone she could not disappoint.
He was the one who saved her from that auction. The only thing she could do to repay him was to fulfill his wishes, and that was to make Dante fall in love with her.
Hearing those three words made Isla disgusted. People say sorry easily, but it does not come from their hearts. If annalise was sorry, she would have stopped whatever relationship she had with her husband, she did not, and she had the nerve to say sorry.
Did she know that her actions caused her beloved son's life in the past?
''You can say that if you truly meant it from your heart.'' Isla turned away to look at the flowers, as anger was not good for her baby.
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