章節 31: You cannot marry the Duke (1)
"Alessandra, this is your new maid, Sally Winters. I have come to help you with your morning tasks," Sally said after knocking on the door. Her nerves were the highest they could be and her hand shook from fear, but as the butler said, this was better than working for Kate or being fired.
"Alessandra-"
"Did you refer to Kate by her name when you worked as her personal maid?" Alessandra questioned as she opened her door. She was curious to know who was calling her name until she remembered she asked for a maid. "Am I not worthy of having a proper title?"
"That's…" Sally bowed her head out of shame and to avoid looking at Alessandra's cursed face.
Alessandra stepped to the side to give space for Sally. "Come inside."
She knew it wasn't going to be easy to get anyone to be by her side without thinking of the rumors. Alessandra didn't understand why people truly believed looking at her face would make anyone become cursed and then die shortly.
Alessandra closed the door behind Sally to avoid anyone listening to their conversation. "Are you going to continue staring at the floor? I don't think there's anything interesting about it. If there is, please tell me."
Alessandra looked down at the floor to find what was so interesting for Sally to stare there instead of looking up. "Are you afraid to meet my eyes, Sally? That would make it really hard for you to work for me. I don't need someone who will be scared of me. You can return to Kate-"
"Wait!" Sally exclaimed. Working for Kate again was something she could not do. "Are you truly not cursed?"
"Are you cursed?" Alessandra threw the question back to Sally. "How do I know I won't be cursed if I look at your face? There are rumors that if someone stays too close to you their house will fall just like your one did."
"That is false!" Sally yelled defensively. "I don't know where you heard such a thing. My family's misfortune was caused by bad decisions and there is nothing cursed about us. Where did you hear this?"
"I made it up just now," Alessandra walked to her window to look out at the workers hurrying off to their jobs. "However, if I keep mentioning this lie it will keep spreading to everyone and surely they'll believe it."
"You cannot do that. It will ruin my life more than it already is," Sally did not want Alessandra to do this. "Isn't that too much of a punishment because I didn't look you in the eye? It's just that-"
"You, like many others, believed the lies passed around about me. I've heard guests telling my father that if the entire town believes I am cursed it must be true. People in this town love gossip and rather than finding the truth, they'd rather believe a lie. I am not cursed, but if you do not believe me, please leave. I have no plans to keep someone who is afraid of me."
Sally stood still, contemplating her options. Kate was the devil trapped in a young girl's body, but there were many rumors surrounding Alessandra. The only saving grace for Alessandra would be Edgar and once they are wed, everyone will change what they say about her to be on the duke's good side.
"I apologize for my earlier behavior. Please give me the chance to make it up to you," Sally lifted her head to look at Alessandra by the window. An opportunity presented itself for her to work for a future duchess which meant she had to overcome her fear of getting cursed by Alessandra.
"Very well. Showing you my face will be your first test," Alessandra grinned as a faint gasp from Sally was heard. The girl was too easy to scare, which would be a bad thing in the future.
Alessandra needed people by her to help maneuver around people who would start showing up in front of her once her engagement to the duke was announced. There will be new enemies, people looking to use her, and those wishing to be her friend. She needed an extra person to help her keep an eye on these people.
"If that is what you want," Sally played with her nails to calm her nerves. No one knew what the other side of Alessandra's face looked like. The half you could see was certainly beautiful, but the other half hidden away behind the mask outshined what could be seen.
Everyone feared what they would see if Alesandra were to ever remove her mask. Some people claimed there would be a mark from the devil or maybe her face had melted away.
"You passed," Alessandra walked past Sally to the corner where she had her things packed up for when the duke would arrive tomorrow.
"But I didn't see your face."
"I was only teasing you. Kind of expected you to run but your determination to never work for Kate again is keeping you motivated," Alessandra said. "You know I picked you because of what happened in Kate's bedroom yesterday. I saw the look on your face while Kate lay there helpless."
"You picked me because you know I don't like Kate. Am I only here to tell you Kate's secrets or be the one to get revenge on her in your place?" Sally did not want to get involved in either of those things.
If Kate were to ever find out Sally told Alessandra her secrets, Kate would do everything she could to ruin Sally.
"No. I picked you because I know you wouldn't willingly run back to Kate to tell her everything I am doing because you fear her. You'll have to avoid her since you witnessed me throwing shit on her," Alessandra knew Kate well enough to know she would be out for blood when it came to Sally.
Kate did not like being embarrassed and all those who witnessed the embarrassment would be on her list.
"I don't want anyone by my side who will hang around Kate. When I leave here, I want nothing to do with Kate. If I ever find out you secretly met with her, I will not keep you," Alessandra did not want to concern herself with Kate when she was no longer living here.
The moment she stepped foot out the door to go live with the duke, her ties to Kate and Katrina would be severed. It would only be her father she wanted to get back at for abandoning her all these years.
"I will never go back by her side. I promise. Working under Kate made me feel like an animal. She kept belittling and hitting me even when I did not make a mistake. I will tell you one thing since you saved me. Kate no longer seems worried about you being engaged to the duke which is odd considering how much she is obsessed with him," Sally revealed.
One moment Kate had been visibly upset about the engagement but then, she kept smiling as if something good happened.
"Kate isn't the type to sit by while others take what she thinks belongs to her and the baroness gives her daughter whatever she wants. I am always meant to be near Kate and when she was supposed to dig the grave for your kitten, the baron and baroness went to speak with her," Sally figured this information would be useful since this all happened right after the duke left.
Alessandra was glad Sally mentioned this. She found it weird her family had not once come to convince her to turn down the duke's proposal. Other than their dislike of her roaming the house as she pleased, they all seemed awfully calm. "They talked about something while I wasn't around. They must have a plan to break my engagement to the duke but I have no idea what it is."
Alessandra had an unsettling feeling concerning the last day she would be with her family. "It might be a good idea to avoid them for now. Sally, bring enough food and drink to last the both of us through this day," she gave Sally her first task.
Alessandra preferred to hide away in her room than to walk around, expecting her family to not do anything foolish when it was possible they would.
"Yes, my lady," Sally replied before hurrying off to do as she was told.
Alessandra placed her hand on her chest trying to calm down her body to get rid of what she was feeling. She hoped Edgar had someone watching her home just in case her family might try to get rid of her. "Please let this one day go by smoothly."
When Sally returned with the food and drinks, the door would be locked until the duke arrived.
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章節 32: You cannot marry the Duke (2)
"My lady, don't you think it's time we stepped out of the room to stretch your feet? No one has come looking for you." Sally had long grown tired of sitting around in Alessandra's bedroom doing nothing the entire day.
The silence was unbearable. From breakfast to near the time for dinner, Alessandra made the two of them stay locked away in her room.
Sally regretted telling Alessandra what she saw. "Aren't you bored?" She asked.
"Have you already forgotten I spent many years locked away in my bedroom? I am beyond the point of feeling bored. I told you there are books you can read or you could paint one of my canvases," Alessandra said whilst laying on her bed with her eyes closed.
"Your books are not entertaining and I do not know how to paint," Sally replied.
"You do not have to be good at painting to do it. You only need a vision, paint, brush, and canvas."
Sally smacked her face with her hand, feeling defeated once again. "Can I at least get dinner for us? The fruits and pastries I brought are nice but you need something proper to fill you up. I don't want the duke to have my head for not properly feeding his fiancee."
"I am the one who told you to stay put. The duke cannot get mad at you for it. At least, I don't think he will."
"My lady," Sally looked at Alessandra in disbelief. "The duke's temper is nothing you can predict when he is upset. Are you aware he lifted your father into the air at the party?"
Alessandra's eyes flew open upon hearing this. "What? Why would he do that?"
Sally shrugged, unsure of the reason behind Edgar's actions. "No one was able to hear a lot of their conversation, but the crazy thing is, it seemed like your father apologized to the duke afterwards."
"Wow," Alessandra said, amazed by the duke even more. "I heard he could do whatever he wanted, but this is beyond my imagination. Isn't he cool?"
"Cool?" Sally tilted her head slightly, confused by why the word cool was used. "I agree that in some aspects the duke is cool, but I wouldn't use it to describe him embarrassing your father out of the blue. You should never forget that Edgar Collins is a dangerous man. Don't let his handsome face fool you."
Alessandra remained silent, not wanting to explain to Sally that a dangerous man was what she had always wanted. A man her father could not go against. If only she could have witnessed her father getting embarrassed by the duke.
"Alessandra!"
"It's your father," Sally gasped, afraid the man might've heard what she said. It was weird timing for him to arrive now. "Should I open the door?" She stood up from her seat.
"No," Alessandra sat up. She had to trust her gut feeling and not do anything foolish. "Sit back down," she ordered Sally while she stood up.
Alessandra walked to the door, but did not open it. "What do you need, father?"
"It is almost time for dinner to be served. Do you not plan to come out and eat with your family?" Desmond's muffled voice asked on the other side of the door.
"I am going to eat in my bedroom tonight. My maid will bring food for both of us. You can go back now," Alessandra replied.
'Walk away. Walk away. Walk away,' she chanted over and over in her head.
Her father never liked her being at the table for dinner after she started wearing a mask. He didn't bat an eye when Katrina said she was no longer welcomed at the table. Even though Edgar might have threatened him, Alessandra knew her father wouldn't care about her enough to push for her to eat dinner with the rest of them like a family.
"Does it make sense for you to not eat dinner with us? Come on," the doorknob started to shake as Desmond twisted it on the other side. "Everyone is waiting for you to come to the table. You always wanted to sit with us. Why are you letting this moment pass by when this will be your last night here?"
Alessandra slowly backed away from the door knowing she had to get out of here somehow. He was pushing too hard for her to come out. "Sally, tie the sheets on my bed as quickly as you can. Enough that they can reach from my window to the ground," she whispered so her father wouldn't be alerted.
"I'd rather stay in my room tonight, father. I need to be prepared for when the Duke arrives tomorrow. I cannot keep him waiting-"
"You cannot marry the duke, Alessandra. The two of you are not suited for one another. I have found a man who wishes to marry you. He speaks highly of you. Open your door so we can talk about it," Desmond twisted the doorknob once more.
"I am only going to marry Edgar Collins. The proposal has already been accepted," Alessandra looked back at Sally as she spoke. The sheets were being tied triple to ensure they wouldn't become loose when she started to use them. She only needed to distract her father a while longer.
"It has not been announced to the public yet. You are not one to enjoy attention on you, Alessandra. It's better for you to marry the man I picked. Come out and talk with me."
"I said I am going to stay in my room tonight. I'm going to marry the duke-Ah!" Alessandra flinched when the door was smacked.
"Alessandra, stop getting on my nerves and do as I say. It is not up for debate. Come out right now before I break this door down."
"It is done," Sally called to Alessandra. She tied the sheets to Alessandra's table and lowered them out the window. "I didn't know what else to tie it to. Shouldn't you just go out to your father? It's best to open the door."
"You have worked here long enough to know nothing good will come from me opening that door. Hold onto the sheet because that table won't stay still. Now!" Alessandra yelled when Sally wouldn't move.
It wouldn't be long before her father got his hands on the key to open her door.
Alessandra placed one foot out of the window and then the other. "This is a bad idea," she repeated as she held onto the tied sheets.
"This was your bad idea," Sally wanted her to remember. If anything happened to Alessandra, she would be punished. On her first day as Alessandra's maid, she would be punished for letting Alessandra jump out a window. She had to save herself. "I'm sorry, I have to open the door."
"No wait-" Alessandra's words were cut off as she fell the moment Sally released the sheets.
The table was dragged towards the window as it wasn't strong enough to stay in place with Alessandra suddenly falling.
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