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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Violet_167
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章節 17: Illusion (1)
"Understood?"
Desmond quickly nodded his head, unable to use words thanks to the grip on his neck. Anymore tighter and Edgar just might break it. What part of this was being civil?
"Good," Edgar released the baron's neck with a shove. "Look at you, all disheveled," he fixed Desmond's shirt, smoothing out the ruffled parts.
Desmond kept his head down bearing with how Edgar harshly patted his shoulders to smooth out his clothes. Never in his life was he so embarrassed by someone coming into his house, and treating him like he was not the owner.
"I don't look forward to you being my father-in-law. There's so much I had to kill you for but since you are loved by your daughter for some reason, I shall keep you alive. Do you understand what I mean, baron? If Alessandra's love for you runs out, I shall consider killing you."
"I understand, Duke Edgar," said Desmond.
"I am handing you the opportunity to correct the mistakes you made with her. See to it that you do not ruin this for her." As much as Edgar disliked the baron, he could tell Alessandra was longing for positive interaction from her family, and from what he witnessed today, the baron was the one she was most likely to get it from.
He was putting the task on the baron to act as a father in two days and to shield Alessandra from the two women. Whether or not, Alessandra would like her father's newfound interests in her was completely up to Alessandra.
Alessandra and her father could either have a heart-to-heart moment where the baron apologizes for not properly protecting her or Alessandra would see there was no hope for her family.
"Edgar, will you…" Desmond trailed off when he heard footsteps walking away from him. He looked up to see Edgar walking back to his carriage without seeing goodbye. "I should have just hit him when he was here. That little shit," Desmond muttered.
"He can only act like this because of his name and the king. Does he think I'll let him get away with treating me like a fool inside my home? Where on earth is Alessandra?" Desmond went back inside to look for his oldest child.
She had not told the truth about what she discussed with the duke at his party unless she was going to say Edgar fell in love with her at first sight.
"What bullshit," Desmond cursed.
Alessandra wore a mask covering half of her face. She had ruined her beauty a long time ago. There were countless beautiful young women like Kate for Edgar to fall in love with.
"Alessandra!" Desmond yelled after finding the dining room to be empty. Katrina had brought the plate of breakfast for nothing as it was still on the table untouched. "Alessandra!" His voice thundered throughout the home.
"Yes, father?" Alessandra came from the direction of the kitchen. She was going to let Mario give her warm food until she heard her name being called. Now that Edgar was gone everything would go back to normal.
"Care to explain to me how this union between you and Edgar came about? Do not talk about love at first sight."
"Am I not beautiful enough for Edgar to fall in love with me at first sight, father? Remember when I was younger you would parade me around and show everyone how beautiful I was?" Alessandra smiled, remembering the faint memory.
"That was before-"
"Before this," Alessandra touched her mask. "It was. What a long time it has been. Everything changed after that."
"You can not blame me for what happened," said Desmond.
"I blame you for not taking control of what happened afterward father and yes, I blamed you for what caused it. The duke did not fall in love with me at first sight, father. Such a thing would never happen," Alessandra truly believed her words. She was many things but not a fool.
"Then what was said between the two of you? Tell me everything from the beginning," Desmond's curiosity had become unbearable. He had to know what Alessandra did that Kate could not after all these years.
"I already told you what was said. I do not know why the duke picked me instead of Kate. I'm sorry the daughter you wanted with him was not chosen. Is that all father? Is there nothing more you have to say to me?" She was waiting for him to truly state what he planned to do about her engagement.
Alessandra already knew he would do everything in his power to somehow get Kate to take her spot. To her surprise, he said something completely different.
"All eyes will be on you, Alessandra. Do your best. What are you going to eat now?" Desmond was doing just as the duke instructed him to.
Although he was angry with Alessandra about a few things, now was not the time to grill her when Edgar was so adamant about killing him.
Alessandra was unable to respond for the first couple of seconds. She did not get the reaction she was expecting therefore she did not know how to react. She wondered if the duke said something to her father to make him act like this. "I am going to the kitchen for warm food."
"I see. Forgive Kate and Katrina for the things they have done. You have to understand their point of view. When you are done, go back to your-" Desmond had to quickly stop himself. He was making the mistake of sending Alessandra back into her bedroom to be out of sight. "Do whatever you want."
'Understand their point of view?' Alessandra wanted to laugh in his face for saying such a ridiculous thing.
Why did she have to be the one to understand everyone's actions towards her and have to forgive them? Why couldn't everyone else admit their faults instead? To see her father have no shame in saying these things was disgusting.
Her father was only trying to play nice to avoid Edgar's wrath.
'I picked a good man,' she thought as Edgar was doing a good job in shielding her so far.
Edgar handed her the opportunity of two days where her family had to play nice to her. They could do nothing in those two days for when the duke arrived to collect her, should there be anything out of place he would take his anger out on them.
Alessandra accepted the illusion of having a family who got along with her for two days. She wanted to see what life would have been had she not been outcasted for most of her life. Even if it was all fake, she would enjoy it to the fullest.
"Thank you," she replied to her father. It would be fun to mess with them while they could do nothing but hold in their anger and smile.
A perfect ending to their ill-fated relationship. After these two days, she would completely cut ties with her family, ending on a fake good note rather than arguing.
"Excuse me. I'm going to find Kate and Katrina."
Alessandra watched in amusement as her father turned his back on her to go plot with Kate and Katrina. Edgar was right to not let her come stay with him so easily. There was so much fun for her to have here.
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Violet_167
Violet_167
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