"I will return soon, I promise." Olivia kissed Leo’s forehead. The boy did not look at her until she forced him to.
"I heard what you promised, Abi. I will work hard and be a strong man for you." Oliva laughed when she heard his earnest voice.
"Yes, then I will marry you." but she nodded her head seriously.
"Then I will fight the prince for you. You can not keep both husbands. You only have to choose . Or you can choose brother Damon. At least, you will stay in this manor." he announced with a dark face. Olivia wanted to cover his mouth when Damon turned to look at them at his ntion.
"He did not like . So you would be enough." she whispered softly as she kissed his cheeks. Leo’s face flushed instantly.
"You.. you can not do this openly." though he complained, he looked so happy about the kiss.
"I will rember it next ti." she winked at him and then pulled him into an embrace. Leo’s stiff body slowly loosened and he hugged her back until Oriana ca.
She watched her two kids not even look at her but hug Olivia as if she was their mother.
"We are getting late, Olivia." Abi took a step back when she felt her mother’s gloomy eyes on her. Oriana’s eyes hardened further when the kids looked at her as if she was a stranger.
oLivia felt her sour mood and whispered goodbyes hurriedly. Last two days I was in a daze. All night, she had prepared gifts for the royal family. All day, she was either trying the dress and accessories organized by Oriana or playing with the kids and assuring them that she would return soon.
Her body felt heavy now. As she sat inside the carriage, her eyes started to fall.
"You must be excited right?" Oriana, who rarely had personal interactions, smiled at Olivia, surprising her. Could sleep be counted as excitent?
"When I was to marry In the Aykroyd Dukedom, it was different. Philip was almost two decades older and it was not his first marriage. I had to constantly be on edge since his vassal family was filled with snakes. But you, you are getting married to a handso young man as his first wife.
And the royal family had much better standing. Who could go against them and harass you?" Olivia felt a hint of envy in his sister’s voice but she ignored it.
"You have it hard sister! I know that you have sacrificed a lot for both of us." Oriana nodded at once.
"It is good that you understand. If not for , you would have never t the second prince too." she added with a aningful gaze. Olivia smiled wryly. If not for Oriana, had she ever cared about the second prince.
She would have lived a better life as a maid. But Olivia decided to not linger on those sad thoughts. She had decided to save her family in this lifeti.
"Yes, it is all because of you." she added with a completely different aning but Oriana did not understand it. She only nodded with a haughty gaze.
"So when the ti cos, support Leo. you have to do your best to make sure Damon is not chosen as the heir, Olivia. You can at least do this much for the family." she held Oliiva’s hands tightly.
"I will try my best, sister!" Olivia felt a strange tightness. She did not want to lie with Oriana but at the sa ti, she could not cross and disappoint her at that mont.
But as if Oriana had sensed her lack of sincerity, she watched Olivia coldly.
"Leo cares about you too much. He will be disappointed if he sees you not caring enough."
"...." Oliva lowered her head. She was only relieved that Damon was not riding the sa carriage. His cold eyes were burning her earlier. But now, if he had been here, her sister would not have spoken to her like this.
"I am not insincere. I just do not know my position in the royal palace. I do not want to make fake promises with you. But sister, I will even die for the kids and you if needed." Oriana stared at her eyes for a long ti before looking away.
"You have to make your position, Olivia. You will not get it served on a silver platter. But if you work hard and seduce the second prince well, I will help you by providing support." Oriana looked away as she explained to Olivia about the ups and downs of her journey as a duchess.
Oliiva leaned on the plush pillow. Her eyes slowly turned heary. The sway of the carriage, the light breeze sung lullaby in her ears.
Oriana did not hear a reply for a long ti. She frowned and turned to see Olivia was already sleeping. Her face was leaning on the window and it was shaking. Oriana sighed.
"Only you could sleep while leaving for the royal palace for your marriage proposal." though she complained, she leaned and placed a pillow under Olivia’s head and covered her with a blanket.
Oriana looked at the distance. Her eyes brimming with unshed tears.
"You have killed her. You have mixed poison in her food. And I have proof of it." the dagger moved closer to her neck. The cold tal froze her but she did not even flinch.
"If you kill here, the truth would be spread in the world. If the words reach the royal palace and marquis house, even if you survive, you will not get the benefit as you have planned." she looked straight into his eyes earning a chuckle from him.
"Then what do you want? Wealth, properties.. Or.." he pulled the dagger away knowing that he could still handle a greedy woman like her. The fact that she did not report it but ca to him for a bargain proves it!
"Wife.. I want to be your wife. The future duchess of Aykroyd."
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