章節 15: Cold-hearted (1)
"I'm lying about her face?" Kate said the words slowly to make sense of them. How on earth could she be lying about how disgusting Alessandra's face was? It led her to believe Edgar had not seen Alessandra's face and was lying to her. "I am not the liar here, Edgar."
"I will excuse you for what you said as they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You don't seem to have a good eye, Kate. Alessandra's beauty is none of your concern as you are not the one marrying her. I suggest you either sit back down or leave before you irritate me more than you already have."
"Edgar, please be kind to my sister. Kate has always liked you so this will be hard for her to handle. Please understand," Alessandra said, adding salt to Kate's wound.
"I am the only sane one here," Kate stormed off, tired of trying to be the voice of reason for Edgar.
"I will speak with her," Desmond said then scurried off to stop Kate. He felt the need to smack common sense into her since she wasn't using her brain. "Kate, wait for me. Do not walk away from me."
"What do you want, father?" Kate turned around revealing tears threatening from her eyes. "Are you here to make me go back and play nice with Alessandra? That was supposed to be me. She is stealing my dream and you are just letting it happen. All for what, a gift?"
"You stupid girl. Do you think I wanted Alessandra to be the one to marry Edgar? I already made a deal for her to marry someone else and now I am screwed. You have not lost Edgar yet," Desmond looked off to the side plotting how they would make use of this situation.
Kate wiped away a fallen tear confused as to how she had not lost. "He came to ask for her hand in marriage."
"Kate, it takes a while to plan for a wedding and there are those moments where the person you were looking to marry can change. Edgar might start off wanting to marry Alessandra, but if you play your cards right, his attention can shift to you. You need to stop acting like a child," he scolded her.
Desmond had a full view this morning of why Kate never caught Edgar's interest. She was too impulsive and childish in front of Edgar. She was acting like Edgar was just a random man off the street. "When in the presence of the duke you must act like a refined lady."
"Alessandra will be your tool to get close to the duke. Alessandra is scared of you so be kind to her in these coming days. If she complains to the duke about you, he will not want to be around you. Go back there and apologize for what you did to that kitten."
"Father!" Kate exclaimed. It was one thing to play nice with Alessandra, but it was another to have to apologize when Alessandra deserved it. It was just an animal anyway.
"You!" Desmond raised his hand in the air to slap Kate but stopped himself. "Kate, so help me I will slap you. Do you think you'll get close to Alessandra when she is upset about the kitten? You can't get to the duke if you don't have a good relationship with her. What matters most now? Your pride or letting Edgar slip out your fingers?"
"Edgar obviously," Kate muttered, but it still hurt her deeply to have to apologize. "My wedding better make everyone jealous of me," she finally agreed to her father's plans.
"Good," Desmond clapped his hands. "We must go back now."
"Father, who is the man you had to marry Alessandra? I never heard anything about it from my mother," said Kate.
"Just an old friend. It'll help us settle some debts," Desmond remembered the deal offered to him. His friend had a taste for unique things and nothing was more unique than his rumored masked daughter.
"I see. That is a fate more suited for Alessandra than living as the duke's wife," Kate grinned, picturing Alessandra's face the moment she learned she would not be the one marrying the duke in the end.
Desmond and Kate walked back into the dining room to find Katrina placing a plate of food in front of Alessandra like a maid serving her master.
Alessandra did not thank Katrina for fetching the food. Instead, she picked up her fork to taste the eggs. "You see. You took so long and now the egg is cold. I have never enjoyed cold eggs, Katrina. Why do you keep giving them to me?"
"I-"
"We're back," Desmond cut off Katrina before she could say the wrong thing. "Alessandra, Kate has something she wishes to say to you," he pushed Kate forward.
"I'm sorry," the bitter words left Kate's mouth.
"For?" In Alessandra's opinion, Kate had a lot to be sorry for therefore she needed to be more specific.
"Hurting your kitten-"
"You did more than hurt it. The animal died. If you're going to apologize, do it right," Edgar interjected. If this was the best apology she could come up with she could save it.
Feeling warmth against his hand, Edgar looked down to see Alessandra had touched his hand. An indication to let him know she would handle this.
"I am sorry for killing your kitten, Alessandra. My emotions got the best of me yesterday and to hear that the kitten has died, makes me feel really bad. I am also sorry for the way I have acted toward you in front of Edgar. I hope you can be happy with him. Please forgive me," Kate dug her nails into her skin as the words left her mouth.
Alessandra wanted to laugh in Kate's face. They really thought she was stupid to not realize they were going to play her. She knew her father and Kate better than they realized, but instead of calling them out, she wanted to have fun. "Apology accepted-"
"That's good," Desmond smiled, glad Alessandra was quick to forgive Kate. His daughter was always too kind for her own good.
"I was not finished father," Alessandra looked at her father with clear annoyance written all over her face. "Since she has admitted her fault in the matter, she should take responsibility for burying the kitten."
"Kate is not your maid. Do not take things too far," Katrina tried to step in before Alessandra could make Kate look like a fool. Kate was a baron's daughter, not a maid and she would be damned if she allowed Kate to dig a grave.
"It is fine, mother. It shouldn't be too hard to dig a grave for the kitten. It is my fault after all. Hopefully, with this, we can mend our relationship, Alessandra," Kate held out her hand to call a truce between her and Alessandra.
Alessandra merely looked at Kate's hand, not moving to accept it. She had a better idea just from looking at Kate's hand. It was clear Kate never had to lift a finger in her life. "I just remembered I heard the gardener below my window saying the shovel we have is broken."
Kate retreated her hand, secretly glad the shovel was broken. "Too bad. We'll have to wait for a new one to arrive."
"Not really. The hole wouldn't need to be too big. I remember Katrina making me tend to the garden with nothing but my hands as a punishment. It shouldn't be too hard for you," said Alessandra.
Kate scoffed, disgusted by what Alessandra was suggesting. "I hope you are not expecting me to dig out a hole with my hands, Alessandra?"
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章節 16: Cold-hearted (2)
"That is what I am expecting," Alessandra stated the obvious. It was never an issue when Katrina made her do it and Kate would stand right beside her mother laughing. "It has to be quick before the kitten starts to smell and I want to give it a proper send-off quickly."
"I'm sure it won't be too hard for Kate," said Desmond. It was so minor in his eyes compared to what they were looking to achieve. If Alessandra had asked him to do it, he would have done it in a heartbeat.
'That's easy for you to say when you aren't the one doing it,' Kate glared at her father.
Kate put on her best smile to push through Alessandra's punishment. "I shall get to it right away."
She would have to sacrifice one of her pairs of gloves to do the job since she was not going to let her bare hand touch the soil. Kate also had a way of getting back at Alessandra for making her do this lowly job.
Katrina watched in horror as Kate walked away to dig a hole with her hands. Her daughter must have lost her mind at the same time her husband did. "Kate!" She called, chasing after Kate to stop her from embarrassing herself.
"Alfred, the final gift please," Edgar said now that the drama was partially over with. He had the final piece to confirm his engagement with Alessandra.
"Yes young master," Alfred showed a small box he had with him.
"You are too kind, Edgar. The gift to me was already enough," Desmond rubbed his hands, patiently waiting to see what else he was going to receive.
"This is not for you," Edgar glared at the greedy man. "This is for my future bride," he got down on one knee beside where Alessandra sat and opened the box to reveal a diamond ring.
Alessandra had completely forgotten about a ring. She was taken aback by the size of it as all the jewelry she had was small in comparison to it. 'Won't that be uncomfortable?' She wondered.
"You don't like it? It's a family heirloom," Edgar snapped the box shut after seeing her reaction to the ring. There was no point in giving her something she wouldn't like.
As quickly as he got down on one knee Edgar got back up. "I will find you something better by the end of the day."
"W-Wait," Desmond stuttered, confused as to why Alessandra didn't like such a big ring. She would probably be wearing their house on her finger. "Give her a moment to think, Duke Edgar. She must be in shock at how big- I mean how splendid it is."
"Well," Edgar waited to hear it from Alessandra, but it was clear from her body language she did not like it.
Alessandra thought it would be rude of her to not accept the ring he brought to her, but she couldn't imagine walking around with such a large object on her finger.
She preferred to be honest with the duke and considering he didn't look offended she knew he wouldn't mind. "It is too large," she softly replied.
"There is nothing as too large," Desmond argued, annoyed by Alessandra's response. This was why he rather have Kate be the one to marry Edgar. Kate knew the value of material things and how much they mattered. Alessandra was nothing more than a fool.
"I will find something more suited for you," Edgar dismissed the baron's comment. There was something too large if Alessandra didn't like it.
He made the mistake of not finding something Alessandra would like instead of giving her what was passed down for generations. The ring he brought was made for a woman long ago and passed down to her children.
At some point, one had to consider the women being proposed to would like a ring made for them rather than one made for someone else and passed down.
"When we meet again I shall place that ring on your finger. Baron, send Alessandra with all her things to start living with me in two days' time. I shall have a separate bedroom for her until we are wed and you have my word I shall not touch her."
Alessandra was surprised to hear he wanted her to come live with her in two days' time. She asked to come live with him while they were in her bedroom only to be rejected and now he was saying yes. She could not figure out what Edgar was thinking.
"What?" Desmond asked in disbelief. It was not in the plan for Alessandra to go live with Edgar. If she did that there was no way for Kate to be able to interact with him as Edgar won't casually visit their home. "I don't think that's a good idea. What will the people say?"
"It is not the first time a woman has stayed with her future husband until the wedding and it will not be the last. There is a lot to be planned and many dinners for Alessandra to attend. I would rather have her next to me than the back and forth. It is nothing to discuss as it is final," said Edgar.
"Alfred, prepare the carriage for us to leave. This house is starting to irritate me," Edgar muttered as he started to feel uncomfortable. His hate for the baron's house did not decrease. "Come see me out," he told Alessandra.
"Excuse me, father," Alessandra said, standing up from her seat to walk with the duke. She held onto Edgar's hand walking side by side as they followed the butler out while leaving her father in a panic.
"You can finally breathe now," Edgar said when they got outside away from prying eyes.
Alessandra stumbled as she stepped outside the home and would have fallen if not for Edgar holding on to her. "I can't believe I just did that."
Her knees had suddenly gone weak as what she had done dawned on her.
"I enjoyed the show, Alessandra. Finally some good entertainment in the baron's home. I'd bet it felt really good to speak to them like that," said Edgar.
Alessandra's fire had only started to burn and he would shield her from anyone looking to put it out. He saw something in her today that no one else did. The town had no idea what was coming their way. With his help, Alessandra would become a woman to not be messed with.
"It did feel good. I am used to making up these kinds of scenarios in my head and now it has finally happened. I did forget how to breathe back there and I was so nervous I would have tripped over my words," Alessandra clutched her dress finding the moment to be surreal.
"You did well," Edgar patted her head. The show was ten times better for those watching Alessandra and it would be even better when she becomes more confident in herself.
Alessandra looked down at the floor feeling strange to receive a compliment from Edgar and a pat on the head. It felt nice to have someone do this for her. She wanted to work harder to receive more compliments from him. "Thank you," she replied.
Edgar smiled, viewing Alessandra as a small kitten. Something he needed to nurture and protect.
"Duke Edgar," Desmond said, interrupting the moment.
Edgar rolled his eyes, taking his hand away from Alessandra's head. "What is it, baron?"
"I came to see you off as you were my guest. Please come again."
"Alessandra, I want to have a word with your father. Until next time," Edgar picked up her right hand and kissed the back of it.
"Okay," Alessandra replied, leaving to give the two men some privacy. As she passed by her father, she saw how nervous he became to speak with Edgar all alone.
"Do not sweat, baron. I want to have a civil conversation with you. Come closer," Edgar motioned for him to do so. "Closer, baron."
"Y-Yes," Desmond felt deja vu at this moment, but Edgar had already got what he wanted, which was Alessandra, therefore, there was no need for him to be attacked again. "Edgar-Wait!" He exclaimed as Edgar's hand grabbed hold of his slender neck.
"One strand out of place, one cut on her skin, one complaint from her mouth, and I will kill you and your wife," Edgar gripped Desmond's neck tighter for the baron to understand he wasn't playing around. "Treat her well while I'm being nice to you."
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