When Olivia opened her eyes, she was lying on the bed beside her sister.
Her eyes widened as the event of the last night blooded in her mind.
She sat up with a start and looked at Oriana again. It did not look like she had woken up at all. She placed her hand on Oriana’s forehead and then checked her pulse. When it looked like she was only sleeping, Olivia let out a sigh of relief.
"You fool! How could you sleep in this condition." she cursed herself as she sat up properly and looked around. What if Oriana had woken up and created a scene already. Then she had to prove that her sister was ntally sick! Olivia shook her head and drank a mouth full of water.
Except Oriana there was no one in the room. Not even staff which was rare. She adjusted her dress and walked out of the room.
The manor felt oddly silent. Even when she crossed the corridors and reached the stairs, she did not find anyone. She held the banister tightly as she started descending the stairs.
Finally the housekeeper noticed her and walked toward her.
"My lady, how is mistress?" the old woman looked worried.
"Still sleeping!" Olivia spoke in a low voice. "But she did not look sick, I have checked her." the housekeeper lowered her head looking gloomy.
"Yes, the physician had said that she would sleep for a while." she whispered softly and sighed.
"Who would have imagined that his grace would leave us suddenly. The whole manor is in a ss. The vassal families had been inford already and everyone had started collecting. The eting would start in a few hours.
It would be better if her grace could attend it. But in her condition.." the woman cried suddenly, "oh my lady! What will happen to us?" the man shivered with fear and pain.
Olivia watched her and sighed too. All the staff had supported Oriana and the duke wholeheartedly. They have bullied Damon since childhood. The generous one had ignored him as if he never existed.
But except a few knights, no one had ever supported Damon. Now that he was holding the power, the staff was not only afraid of their jobs but their lives were on the stake.
As the woman cried her out, Olivia felt unease. She wanted to leave but hearing the loud wails, how could she just ignore them?
Taking a deep breath, Olivia walked closer.
"There is no need to worry so much. I am sure everyone would be alright. God must have thought of a way." she said those half heated words only to get rid of the crying woman.
She must go and find the kids to see if they are okay. Though they were never close to the duke. The man was still their father.
But instead of nodding and Letting Olivia go, the housekeeper held OLivia/s hands as if the drowning man had finally found a rope. She held it tightly and looked at Olivia with eyes brimming with tears and hope.
"My lady, how about you attend the eting on behalf of her grace!" she mumbled in a hasty voice afraid that Olivia would leave without listening to her. "If no one would attend the eting, who knew what that monster would tell the world!
My lady, if the lord usurped everything, he would never let the duchess go unscathed! Do you really believe that the duke died a natural death?" the woman whimpered and sniffled, "I am sure the lord had killed his father. And now he wound up finding a way to take revenge on us. Please my lady, you have to save all of us." Olivia struggled and pulled her hands away but the housekeeper was holding her too tightly.
No matter how much she struggled, she could not break free.
"Where is Agatha?" Olivia struggled and looked around. Only for the woman to cry harder.
"You don’t know anything. Do you?" the housekeeper shook her head with a pained look. "How could you know! You were also unconscious because of the shock you have received. Oh you poor soul!" Olivia felt uneasy being called like that!
She was not shocked, she was just exhausted and sleepy.
"My lady.." the woman tried to control her tears so that she could speak properly, "Agatha is thrown out of the palace the mont the lord returns. He did not give her a recomndation letter or a severance pay. He ca in and asked the staff to check his room.
Who knew how a strange part of the wheel was found in her room. Accompanied by so vials and a lot of gold. They claid that she had poisoned the family and the accident a few days ago was orchestrated by her too." she sniffled and held Olivia tighter.
"I do not believe any of it. You have known Agatha from ages. She could never do it." she begged Olivia in a voice full of fear. Olivia closed her eyes.
A hint of guilt passed her eyes. She wanted to weaken Agatha’s power in the manor. She had never thought that Damon would put the bla on her.
"They will investigate it, I am sure." but the woman shook her head.
Hearing her cries and pleading voices, collected more of the staff around them. They all had bloodshot eyes and pale faces. They all looked at Olivia as if she was their only ssiah.
"My lady, you have to stand against the lord until her grace is feeling better. Or her grace would never forgive you. You know.. It is a matter of life and death." Olivia felt her chest tightened.
She stilled and tried to reason with them.
"But how would they let attend the eting? I am not part of this family. I am not even Aykroyd!" but her words fell into deaf ears.
"But you are the maternal aunt of the young lord, you can take him with you and attend the eting as his guardian, my lady."
Reviews
All reviews (0)