“What...? What is that?”
The room was instantly filled with shock and awe. The girls stared at each other with wide eyes, unable to open their mouths. Stephanie managed to stammer out her words.
“What the hell are you talking about? There’s no way Angie would... No, before that! Do you have a fiancé? And Master Kyle is your fiancé? What the hell are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“I haven’t told you, but Lord Kyle and I have been set to get married for a long time! According to Mrs. Dunst, the late Lord Edward also consented to the marriage. You all know that my uncle is Baron Dervan, a distant relative of the Duke of Blackwell and the one in charge of finances. The captain who came from the mainland told me a while ago that my uncle survived the war and is now in charge of all matters, big and small, in the Blackwell estate on the mainland as the Duke’s representative.”
“What? Then the young master really...”
“Yes. I am also planning to follow the young master to the capital in two weeks. We are supposed to hold a succession ceremony and engagement ceremony on the mainland and discuss the wedding date. But...”
Leticia's icy eyes turned back to Angie. Angie was supported by her friends, her lips moving in a daze. Her face was so pale that she looked like she might faint at any moment.
What's all this about? The young master is marrying Leticia? They're having an engagement ceremony in the capital and discussing the wedding date. It's all already been decided...?
“Last week, our housemaid, Louise, was also at the Duke’s residence to help out as a temporary maid. You can’t say you haven’t seen Louise, can you? She said she saw you and the young master going up to the annex bedroom after midnight. And several times!”
Leticia took a step closer to Angie. She was so fierce that even the girls surrounding Angie were too scared to move. Leticia grabbed Angie's hair with both hands and pulled hard.
“You seduced the young master with that pretty face? That’s why you dared to crawl into the young master’s bed and dared to take my fiancé...”
The door opened with a loud crash. The next moment, someone grabbed Leticia's wrist and pulled it away from Angie's head. A tall, muscular man pushed Leticia away and stood in front of Angie protectively. In the blink of an eye, Michael was standing between the two women.
“What are you doing? Stop it!”
“What are you! Get out of the way! How dare you stop me, a servant? I am to be your mistress. I am to be the Duchess Letitia Blackwell!”
Leticia couldn't hold back her anger and rushed at Michael as if she wouldn't let him go. But she couldn't even lay a finger on Angie. Michael stood in front of her like a rock, but the adults in the chapel came running and stopped Leticia.
Angie stumbled out of the hall, supported by her friends. She couldn't think of anything. She couldn't tell what was more shocking: being slapped in the face by Leticia out of the blue and being accused of coveting another man's fiance, or the fact that Leticia was going to marry Kyle, as had been decided long ago.
It just felt like she was having a bad dream.
The fallout from Leticia Dervan's testimony was quickly quelled that evening as if it were a lie. The Ridsdels returned from work to tell her that Louise's story had been proven false.
“Well, Louise lied. In fact, she confessed that she had been having secret meetings with the assistant cook every night and that she had made up the story about you because she felt that it would be discovered. She also begged Mrs. Dunst for her honor, and it was a mess.”
“Louise lied... She confessed?”
Angie blinked in surprise. The puffiness in her cheeks had gone down, but her eyes were still puffy from crying all day.
“Even so, Mrs. Dervan would like to kick her out, but she can’t, so she scolded Louise harshly and told her to reflect on herself for the time being and not step out of the house. She promised to send Leticia to you and have you make a formal apology.”
The mother clicked her tongue in pity and caressed Angie's cheek.
“Oh my God. Your father and I have never touched a face like that...”
“Mom, I’m fine. But what about the fact that Young Master and Leticia are getting married? Is that true and not just a rumor?”
“Yes. It was a promise made before Edward passed away. We had no idea about it. Leticia’s family is actually a noble family on the mainland. They are a distant branch of the ducal family. Up until now, they have been completely cut off from the mainland, so everyone on the island has lived as equals... In terms of status, they are a good match for the Young Master.”
“...”
“Angie. Did you... like the young master?”
Laura pretended not to know anything and asked again. She knew the whole truth, including the truth that Louise had changed her eyewitness account under pressure from Mrs. Dunst and that Angie had been having secret meetings with the master every night, but Laura pretended not to know and tried to probe Angie's mind.
“Mom, I...”
“If that’s the case, Angie, don’t be too concerned and forget about it. If the outside world hadn’t opened up, then maybe now that the young master has returned to the mainland, he’ll be living as a person from a completely different world from us.”
“But, Mom. The Master...”
Kai said he loved only me. Not only that, he gave me Eugenia's brooch and asked me to go to the capital with him. I don't know why Louise changed her words... I guess it was for the honor of the young master. But what she saw is true, mother.
Angie has been with Kai almost every night since January. She truly loved Kai, and he promised to love only her for the future. That's why she had no hesitation and was so happy that her heart was about to burst. She never heard a single word about Leticia. So how could this be? Why on earth did he do this to her...
Angie swallowed her words and lowered her head. She thought that telling her mother everything would only make her more miserable. Laura held Angie in her arms and tried hard to comfort her.
“My daughter, you had such feelings. What should I do...?...But they say that all feelings are fleeting. You will soon forget them, so take a few days off and let it all out. Okay?”
Angie held back her tears. Her mother was certain that she was the only one suffering from heartache. She couldn't say anything more because of the comfort.
Ten days passed quickly. Rainstorms and clear days alternated and repeated. People all spoke of this as a strange weather anomaly.
The Ridsdel home was always the same. Whether the wind and rain blew like thunder or the late winter sun pierced the cold air and filtered through the dry branches, it was always quiet inside and out. The couple's daughter, who was always full of energy, had not been seen for several days.
Angie suffered from terrible body aches for several days, not eating or drinking. After barely regaining her strength, she sat in her room all day, dazed.
Ten days ago, the chapel commotion ended in a farce due to Louise's false testimony. Angie's reputation was left untainted. Leticia never came to apologize. But what was now completely controlling Angie's mind and body was not whether she would apologize or not.
After surviving on oatmeal for several days, Angie got up from bed weakly and looked at the snow globe on the window table. Beside it were two unopened letters. They were letters from the master that Jerome had personally brought her, not from Zachary or any other worker, over the past ten days. When he did not receive a reply, he brought another one yesterday afternoon, but it was also unopened.
What could it be written on? What did Kai say?
It wasn't that she wasn't curious. On the contrary. She was so curious that she wanted to open the letter right away, so she went to the desk several times. But every time, she couldn't touch it and turned away.
If his marriage with Leticia is a done deal, then whatever is written is meaningless and pointless.
"I'm sorry I lied to you, Angie. But I loved you. Please forgive me."
If that was the message, she would rather not read it. An apology for deception would not be compensated by any words. Even though the young master never formally proposed and did not give her a ring as a sign of the covenant, it was an undeniable fact that he had deceived and deceived her with sweet words.
Even if the content had been different, it would have been even more despairing.
"Angie. My love for you is sincere. My marriage with Leticia is merely a political marriage for political reasons. But you are the only one I love, so stay by my side. As promised, come to the capital with me."
If that happens by any chance, her heart will fall into an even deeper pit.
Even if it meant breaking her heart, it was better to end it here. The only way to end it was to part ways forever because of the difference in status. She had never dreamed of becoming a Duchess. But he had sworn that she was the only woman he could be and would always be.
From her childhood, Angie had heard that Trieste was a strict feudal system where marriage between nobles and commoners was strictly enforced. However, according to an anecdote that the young master had previously told her, his current family was bought by his grandfather, John Fitzroy, for a huge sum of money from the family tree of the Duke of Blackwell, which was on the verge of collapse.
Moreover, the former Duchess Eugenia was also the daughter of a governess, not a noble. Kai had mentioned and emphasized this fact several times.
Now that the war is over, she vaguely hopes that the class system that was deeply rooted in Trieste in the past will change, that they are in a kind of transitional period. However, if the young master wants to continue both his marriage to Leticia and his relationship with her, then there is only one thing left, complete destruction.
The room was instantly filled with shock and awe. The girls stared at each other with wide eyes, unable to open their mouths. Stephanie managed to stammer out her words.
“What the hell are you talking about? There’s no way Angie would... No, before that! Do you have a fiancé? And Master Kyle is your fiancé? What the hell are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“I haven’t told you, but Lord Kyle and I have been set to get married for a long time! According to Mrs. Dunst, the late Lord Edward also consented to the marriage. You all know that my uncle is Baron Dervan, a distant relative of the Duke of Blackwell and the one in charge of finances. The captain who came from the mainland told me a while ago that my uncle survived the war and is now in charge of all matters, big and small, in the Blackwell estate on the mainland as the Duke’s representative.”
“What? Then the young master really...”
“Yes. I am also planning to follow the young master to the capital in two weeks. We are supposed to hold a succession ceremony and engagement ceremony on the mainland and discuss the wedding date. But...”
Leticia's icy eyes turned back to Angie. Angie was supported by her friends, her lips moving in a daze. Her face was so pale that she looked like she might faint at any moment.
What's all this about? The young master is marrying Leticia? They're having an engagement ceremony in the capital and discussing the wedding date. It's all already been decided...?
“Last week, our housemaid, Louise, was also at the Duke’s residence to help out as a temporary maid. You can’t say you haven’t seen Louise, can you? She said she saw you and the young master going up to the annex bedroom after midnight. And several times!”
Leticia took a step closer to Angie. She was so fierce that even the girls surrounding Angie were too scared to move. Leticia grabbed Angie's hair with both hands and pulled hard.
“You seduced the young master with that pretty face? That’s why you dared to crawl into the young master’s bed and dared to take my fiancé...”
The door opened with a loud crash. The next moment, someone grabbed Leticia's wrist and pulled it away from Angie's head. A tall, muscular man pushed Leticia away and stood in front of Angie protectively. In the blink of an eye, Michael was standing between the two women.
“What are you doing? Stop it!”
“What are you! Get out of the way! How dare you stop me, a servant? I am to be your mistress. I am to be the Duchess Letitia Blackwell!”
Leticia couldn't hold back her anger and rushed at Michael as if she wouldn't let him go. But she couldn't even lay a finger on Angie. Michael stood in front of her like a rock, but the adults in the chapel came running and stopped Leticia.
Angie stumbled out of the hall, supported by her friends. She couldn't think of anything. She couldn't tell what was more shocking: being slapped in the face by Leticia out of the blue and being accused of coveting another man's fiance, or the fact that Leticia was going to marry Kyle, as had been decided long ago.
It just felt like she was having a bad dream.
***
The fallout from Leticia Dervan's testimony was quickly quelled that evening as if it were a lie. The Ridsdels returned from work to tell her that Louise's story had been proven false.
“Well, Louise lied. In fact, she confessed that she had been having secret meetings with the assistant cook every night and that she had made up the story about you because she felt that it would be discovered. She also begged Mrs. Dunst for her honor, and it was a mess.”
“Louise lied... She confessed?”
Angie blinked in surprise. The puffiness in her cheeks had gone down, but her eyes were still puffy from crying all day.
“Even so, Mrs. Dervan would like to kick her out, but she can’t, so she scolded Louise harshly and told her to reflect on herself for the time being and not step out of the house. She promised to send Leticia to you and have you make a formal apology.”
The mother clicked her tongue in pity and caressed Angie's cheek.
“Oh my God. Your father and I have never touched a face like that...”
“Mom, I’m fine. But what about the fact that Young Master and Leticia are getting married? Is that true and not just a rumor?”
“Yes. It was a promise made before Edward passed away. We had no idea about it. Leticia’s family is actually a noble family on the mainland. They are a distant branch of the ducal family. Up until now, they have been completely cut off from the mainland, so everyone on the island has lived as equals... In terms of status, they are a good match for the Young Master.”
“...”
“Angie. Did you... like the young master?”
Laura pretended not to know anything and asked again. She knew the whole truth, including the truth that Louise had changed her eyewitness account under pressure from Mrs. Dunst and that Angie had been having secret meetings with the master every night, but Laura pretended not to know and tried to probe Angie's mind.
“Mom, I...”
“If that’s the case, Angie, don’t be too concerned and forget about it. If the outside world hadn’t opened up, then maybe now that the young master has returned to the mainland, he’ll be living as a person from a completely different world from us.”
“But, Mom. The Master...”
Kai said he loved only me. Not only that, he gave me Eugenia's brooch and asked me to go to the capital with him. I don't know why Louise changed her words... I guess it was for the honor of the young master. But what she saw is true, mother.
Angie has been with Kai almost every night since January. She truly loved Kai, and he promised to love only her for the future. That's why she had no hesitation and was so happy that her heart was about to burst. She never heard a single word about Leticia. So how could this be? Why on earth did he do this to her...
Angie swallowed her words and lowered her head. She thought that telling her mother everything would only make her more miserable. Laura held Angie in her arms and tried hard to comfort her.
“My daughter, you had such feelings. What should I do...?...But they say that all feelings are fleeting. You will soon forget them, so take a few days off and let it all out. Okay?”
Angie held back her tears. Her mother was certain that she was the only one suffering from heartache. She couldn't say anything more because of the comfort.
***
Ten days passed quickly. Rainstorms and clear days alternated and repeated. People all spoke of this as a strange weather anomaly.
The Ridsdel home was always the same. Whether the wind and rain blew like thunder or the late winter sun pierced the cold air and filtered through the dry branches, it was always quiet inside and out. The couple's daughter, who was always full of energy, had not been seen for several days.
Angie suffered from terrible body aches for several days, not eating or drinking. After barely regaining her strength, she sat in her room all day, dazed.
Ten days ago, the chapel commotion ended in a farce due to Louise's false testimony. Angie's reputation was left untainted. Leticia never came to apologize. But what was now completely controlling Angie's mind and body was not whether she would apologize or not.
After surviving on oatmeal for several days, Angie got up from bed weakly and looked at the snow globe on the window table. Beside it were two unopened letters. They were letters from the master that Jerome had personally brought her, not from Zachary or any other worker, over the past ten days. When he did not receive a reply, he brought another one yesterday afternoon, but it was also unopened.
What could it be written on? What did Kai say?
It wasn't that she wasn't curious. On the contrary. She was so curious that she wanted to open the letter right away, so she went to the desk several times. But every time, she couldn't touch it and turned away.
If his marriage with Leticia is a done deal, then whatever is written is meaningless and pointless.
"I'm sorry I lied to you, Angie. But I loved you. Please forgive me."
If that was the message, she would rather not read it. An apology for deception would not be compensated by any words. Even though the young master never formally proposed and did not give her a ring as a sign of the covenant, it was an undeniable fact that he had deceived and deceived her with sweet words.
Even if the content had been different, it would have been even more despairing.
"Angie. My love for you is sincere. My marriage with Leticia is merely a political marriage for political reasons. But you are the only one I love, so stay by my side. As promised, come to the capital with me."
If that happens by any chance, her heart will fall into an even deeper pit.
Even if it meant breaking her heart, it was better to end it here. The only way to end it was to part ways forever because of the difference in status. She had never dreamed of becoming a Duchess. But he had sworn that she was the only woman he could be and would always be.
From her childhood, Angie had heard that Trieste was a strict feudal system where marriage between nobles and commoners was strictly enforced. However, according to an anecdote that the young master had previously told her, his current family was bought by his grandfather, John Fitzroy, for a huge sum of money from the family tree of the Duke of Blackwell, which was on the verge of collapse.
Moreover, the former Duchess Eugenia was also the daughter of a governess, not a noble. Kai had mentioned and emphasized this fact several times.
Now that the war is over, she vaguely hopes that the class system that was deeply rooted in Trieste in the past will change, that they are in a kind of transitional period. However, if the young master wants to continue both his marriage to Leticia and his relationship with her, then there is only one thing left, complete destruction.
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