Chương 32: Planning a Tea party (1)

Since then, she had done her best to make dante fall in love with herself. However, maybe she had done too well...she could not help but fall in love as well.

Her master might have saved her and given her a reason to live, but Dante taught her how to love. He taught her how to be a human being. He taught her how to have choices. He taught her how to learn about herself as a human.

She had many wonderful and precious moments that she experienced with him. For them, she could not let go of him, even if she had deceived him thoroughly.

Seeing his normal loving behavior with her and the child, Annalise let out a quiet sigh of relief. It appears she was worried for naught. Dante's heart was still with her and not with the duchess.

''Dante,'' Annalise called out, making him remove his gaze from the bump and look at her.

''I want to have a tea party. Olivia suggested it , when we were in the garden..but..'' She did not complete her sentence as they both knew what happened after that.

''oh...'' The duke understood her words. It would be fine to have the tea party in the garden, but the duchess would definitely not allow it.

''If it is troublesome, then don't worry. I just wanted to know what it feels like to host one. Besides, it is a good way to pass time in the duchy,'' Annalise tried to smile, but her twinkling eyes told him how much she wanted the tea party.

As her husband, he could not disappoint her desires.

''Then you can use my drawing room. It's large and the place I use to receive guests. People don't come to the duchy all the time, so it's deserted.''

''Really?'' Annalise was over the moon about his suggestion. She cupped his hands and brought them close to her chest. ''I can do that?''

Dante chuckled at her bright and cheery self, that had returned much to his relief. Revealing a doting expression, he answered, ''Yes, you can.''

''Thank you, Dante.'' She suddenly jumped to hug him. Dante was not prepared to catch her heavy body, but managed to balance their weight while seated on the bed.

''Careful,'' He warned, but annalise was not listening to him as she turned into a chatterbox.

''You don't know how much this means to me. I can finally experience what it feels like. I have heard a lot about tea parties and the snacks they eat there, I could so add some sweets and desserts. I am sure the duchess..'' She halted her words, then leaned back to look at the duke.

''Dante, the duchess...she will not say anything, would she?'' she asked, worried that she might cause another trouble without knowing.

''Absolutely not. The drawing is mine and mine alone. It is also yours now. She has no right to enter without my permission,'' Dante assured her seriously.

''Okay.'' Hearing that, Annalise brightened up again.

''I can't wait. I have to write invitations and prepare desserts. I also have to take care of the decorations..'' Annalise listed out many things that she must do for the upcoming tea party.

''And you will do all that,'' Dante silenced her with his index finger on her lips. ''You have to sleep now as it is very late.''

Pouting on his finger, Annalise grumbled, ''I don't want to.''

''But I am sure the baby is tired, and he is waiting for his mother to sleep,'' urged Dante with a smile after withdrawing his finger.

Since the baby was involved, annalise knew that she must sleep. She hadn't slept well for the past two days, as she was worried about Dante's change of heart. Now that everything was okay, the burden in her heart had lessened, and her eyes felt droopy.

Releasing a quiet yawn, Annalise as a pregnant woman could not control her tired self and laid her head on Dante's shoulders.

Dante chuckled as she was suddenly chirpy one moment, and the next she was quiet and sleeping on his shoulders.

Holding the back of her head, Dante hooked his arms under her knee and gently lifted her up with her heavy body.

''Quite heavy,'' He softly commented, surprised that a pregnant woman would weigh as much as this. Annalise before her pregnancy was not heavy like this. In fact, her weight was light as a feather, like she did not eat food at all.

It worried him a bit, but she always told him that life as a commoner is not as easy as a noble's life.

''You helped your mother to gain weight, and I am happy about that,'' He said as he laid her on the bed and rubbed her belly with a smile. ''Well done, my son.''

He then covered her with a blanket and left the bedroom.

Once he got out of the room, he walked to the master floor that held his room and his first wife's room. Since he and annalise were not talking, he had been sleeping in his office as he did not want to pass the duchess' room, which was on the way to his room.

He was avoiding her, and he wanted that, unless the strange and unwanted feelings would appear in his heart once again.

Upon getting to his floor, he took a deep breath and resumed his steps. Before visiting annalise, he told spencer to leave him, so no one was with him at the moment.

Her door was nearing closer to him, the more steps he took to pass it. His heart started to pound against his ribcage, and his palm became sweaty.

He was just passing his duchess' room, yet he was feeling nervous and…excited?

Why should he be excited? Dante wondered, then shook his head. Maybe he mistook his anxiety for excitement...Yes, maybe.

''My little villain,'' Her soft voice made its way to his ears. He flinched on a spot and snapped his head to the tiny space in between the door.

'It seems the maid did not close it well,' He assumed, stretching his hand to the golden handle as he wanted to close it and leave immediately.

''My little baby, mother loves you very much. Don't mind your foolish father, you are a very precious child.'' His fingers about to touch the handle, paused as he did not expect to hear these words from her.

''Don't compare yourself to anyone, as you are worthy of love, my son. Your grandfather loves you, and your aunt Amelia loves you. Your late grandmother loves you from where she is and me...your mother loves and would always love you every second of each day.''

He could see the duchess, smiling on the bed with her hand on her belly. For some reason, he felt the picture was incomplete. He, as the father, was supposed to be there with her as the mother, and their gaze would be on the child in her belly.

But she was alone in the room with their unborn child while he was with another. He already had a name for that child and not hers.

''Even if your father does not love you. I do, and my love is enough for you. Your father might only see her child as his only child, but that does not mean that you are worthy of being loved, my baby.''

*Shut!*

Dante could not take it anymore. The scene of him and the duchess smiling at each other and welcoming their child did not stop coming to his mind.

''Damn it..'' Dante cursed, after shutting the door and quickly left the front of the duchess's room.

He and the duchess smiling.

He and the duchess welcoming their child after she gives birth.

He and the duchess being in a loving relationship.

Different images that never crossed his mind, continued to disturb him even after he entered his room.

''Damn it!'' He loudly shut the door and slid his back against it down to the floor.

''What is wrong with me?!'' He harshly questioned himself, with his fingers ruffling his red hair. He is happy...finally happy. He has someone to love and is loved by that person…and yet those images appeared in his mind.

Didn't the images indirectly expose his unexpected feelings for his first wife?

''No, I am not in love with her. I am not in love with her. I am not in love with Isla,'' He said repeatedly like a chant, and slowly looked up with his head on the door. His hands stayed on the floor. ''I am not in love with…her.''

He did not know what he was doing, but anything that would help him not to admit to his feelings, he would do it even if he had to chant like this every night to remind himself.

After a momentary silence, his chest went up and down slowly with a deep exhale. He did not move an inch from his position.

''So, she feels the baby is a boy?'' Dante mumbled as he remembered bits of her words.

'Don't compare yourself to anyone, as you are worthy of love, my son.'

Dante knew that he heard 'My son.' from her lips. He could not be mistaken.

''A son…from her.'' His dazed, ruby eyes twinkled without his knowledge. Will the baby look like him? Will the baby look like the duchess? or Will the baby take after both of them?

''I wonder...''

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