บท 28: Meeting each other (2)

''My lady was awesome,'' Amelia nodded, clearly pleased with Isla's actions. She had wanted to show those disrespectful servants that her lady was still the madam of the duchy.

''It bothered you so much?'' Isla laughed as they walked through the path of the garden.

''Yes, my lady. You don't know how much I wanted to slap their mouths for spouting nonsense.'' To Isla, it looked like steam was coming out from Amelia's head as she expressed her displeasure at those maids.

Isla chuckled, as the image was funny in her head.

''My lady, it's not funny,'' Amelia said seriously, unaware of her image in Isla's head.

''Alright,'' Isla knew when to stop and turned to her side to stare at the flowers.

''It's been a while.'' She stretched her fingers to the buds of each flower as they passed until they reached the pavilion.

Amelia was right about the flowers preparing to bloom and Isla could not wait to look at them, as their beauty would brighten up her mood in the duchy.

'I wish to experience it with you, baby,' she thought as they reached the end of the path.

A peal of laughter made her look away from the flowers, and what greeted them was a person she never wanted to see.

''Miss..'' Olivia was about to continue her funny jokes, but she caught the movement from the corner of her eye. She thought it was the duke and looked up with a smile but then froze as she did not expect to see the duchess whom she had never gotten a glimpse of since she moved here.

How she recognized the latter was from the rumors about her beauty and description from the servants.

Annalise also saw her pause and followed her stare to the duchess.

''Your grace!'' She stood up abruptly, also not expecting to see the duchess today.

''Let's go, Amelia,'' Isla whispered as she had no intention of being in the same space as that woman responsible for her child's death.

''Wait, your grace!''

''Miss, be careful. You are carrying the duke's child.'' Olivia cried out to annalise who hurried after the duchess.

''Your grace, I wanted to thank you for allowing me to host my wedding in Dante's garden,'' Panting, Annalise stood a bit distant from the duchess. She rushed from the pavilion as she wanted to talk to her. Olivia also followed behind her, vigilant of the duchess and her maid.

Her words made Isla halt her steps. Amelia stopped as well.

''The duke's garden?'' She asked, as if she heard something absurd.

Turning to meet annalise, she revealed, ''The garden belongs to me and not duke.''

''Huh?'' Annalise did not expect her to talk. She thought the duchess would ignore her just like she did at the tea party. Nevertheless, she was pleased with the duchess talking to her.

''Dante said everything in the duchy belongs to him. I also heard from the servant that you took care of the garden, so I wanted to thank you for allowing the wedding to be hosted here. It's beautiful, and I enjoyed the scenery on that day,'' Annalise added. Her shy stare, rosy cheeks, and quirked lips told anyone that she was happy.

Her expression was also one of the reasons why Isla hated her. She could see the other had no other intentions and was clearly a good person.

Which mistress in their right would thank the original wife for hosting their wedding with her husband? No one, but annalise. Her words were sincere, just like in her second life.

Then, it was the same words, but in different locations. Annalise thanked her on the night after the wedding.

Even if she was not well, she still wanted to eat with her husband, at least. Even if she knew he did not care about her at all, she still wanted to see him.

Her love for him was what kept her going in this world that turned everyone's back on her.

After dolling herself a little, she came down and sat with them. Annalise ate by her husband's side, while she ate with them at the opposite end.

The arrangement was just like the distance in her husband's heart. Annalise was the closest, while she was the farthest.

''Duchess, I wanted to thank you for hosting our wedding in the garden. It's beautiful, and I enjoyed the scenery on that day.'' The latter grinned so beautifully like a newly wedded bride. She did not seem to have any evil intentions, like putting on a show for her husband or the servants in the room, and that was what Isla hated.

She was sincere, but not innocent.

When she was about to give her reply, the latter almost threw up, and that was the first time Isla experienced her husband's warm side. She experienced her husband's worry, anxiety, nervousness, and fear for the first time...but...she was not the receiver of those feelings.

As always, her husband crushes her fragile heart without mercy.

It was another woman who experienced everything of her husband…everything that was supposed to be rightfully hers.

The only thing that Isla experienced from her husband that was his first time was probably having his first night.

And she cherished every night because, without him, she would not be with this little bun in her belly right now.

''Who said that I need your thanks?'' Different from annalise's cheery words, Isla asked coldly after she recalled another one of her painful memories.

Her husband never glanced at her from beginning to end and carried annalise to the room prepared for her. His eyes never turned to her and always stayed on this woman who dared to behave as if there was no bad blood between them.

These memories...Isla wished to burn them all. She wished not to remember any of them. She wished the heavens did not bring her back from the dead. She wished her baby, and herself were not stuck with these chains of predestined fate.

She wished not to have this burning hatred, revenge, and bitterness for this woman and her husband. Everything about them, including the child they are expecting, she hated it all.

''As the duke's first wife, I know that he never visited this garden, so what made you think the garden belongs to him?''

''This place was just grass when I came, and I took care of it, yet you dare to step foot in this place?''

''I expected you to be smart as you must have heard about care and love I had for this place, and yet you sullied it with your lowly presence.''

Annalise did not expect her words to trigger terrible memories for Isla.

''I–But...Dante and I-I used it for the wedding, so I thought…''

Calling her husband's name when she never dared to do so..how disgusting. Isla thought.

''You thought what?'' Isla cut her off, then added. ''That I will welcome the woman who destroyed my marriage with open arms?''

''Ha! How foolish of you,'' she sneered.

''I-I,'' Annalise stuttered with a pale face.

Indeed, which woman will welcome their husband's mistress with open arms? She just wanted to thank the duchess for allowing Dante to host their wedding in the beautiful garden.

''Duchess, please be mindful of your words.'' How could Olivia stand and watch her miss to be belittled by the duchess? She knew her mistress had the best interest at heart and earnestly wanted to thank the duchess. However, the duchess was just like other nobles she loathed; arrogant and entitled.

''Shut up, you lowly maid'' Icy blue eyes snapped towards her, and that made Olivia stop whatever next words that wanted to come out of her mouth. She did not expect the rumored gentle duchess to have that frigid countenance, making her wonder why the rumors started in the first place, if this was her true self.

'' I did not ask for your input,'' Isla turned away from the insignificant maid and looked at annalise.

''You took my place and my child's place with the duke. I do not care about that, but this garden is off limits…especially from the likes of you.''

Annalise's lips quivered. She flinched at those blue eyes and took a step back fearfully, with her arms covering her belly protectively.

''I told the duke that I must never see you in my path, but it seems he did not heed my warning.'' Saying that, Isla tilted her head to the side, as if she was expecting another presence in the garden.

''Am I not right, duke?''

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