Who Was A Kid Then?

After sending her maid away, Ana stared at the child who looked so meek and weak and her heart squeezed! How was she able to hurt such a cute child?

She was so blinded with the desire to get love in the past that she did not notice that the child was so young and frail.

Frail! She frowned as she held the wrists of the child and noticed so many marks of scratches on it.

"Why are you injured?" she asked with a frown "and why are you so frail? Did you not get to eat enough in the palace?" her voice was assuming that he blinked.

He raised his head and stared at the petite woman who must be a decade older to him and yet she was complaining like a child. He looked at her with amusement.

"I eat enough, my lady." he replied curtly but she only took it as if he was embarrassed or trying to save those culprits.

"Ha! Do not be humble. Tell me if the head maid or Olga is giving you a tough time. I will teach them a good lesson." She was sure that when they both supported her in teaching a lesson to the child, they must have ulterior motives too.

The boy blinked. For some reason, she felt that the weather turned chilly suddenly and rubbed her arms when she realized he was weaker, so she started rubbing his hands when he smiled.

"I did not know that the lady already knew about the staff of our palace. But what made you think that they would hurt me, my lady?" she realized that she had spoken more than she should and sighed.

"I did not know much about the staff but I had seen both women when they brought gifts and invitations to me a few times and I did not like their behavior. So, I was worried if they were cold to you too.

As an adult, I know how to deal with them and keep them in check, but you are still so young and frail. What if they tried to hurt you?" she shook her head as if the imagination was enough to haunt her.

Rowan stared at the woman. There was something she was hiding but he didn't feel any harm from her. In fact, she was really worried about him. He just does not understand, why?

"I am fine, my lady. Shall we have our tea now?" her lips turned into a thin line as she realized the boy was hesitating. Why would he not, after all, she was just a stranger to him.

But in the end, she was not going to marry the duke, so it would be better that she did not poke her nose in his matters. With that thought, she nodded and drank her tea in silence.

The atmosphere suddenly turned gloomy as none of them spoke a word after that until he stood up.

"It is already late. I must leave or my father would be worried," he said with a smile when she rolled her eyes.

The man would not even realize that he had left the palace to meet her. He was just a cold and brutal stone with no blood in his body. But still the boy was trying to cover for his father. Such a good upbringing!

She nodded her head as she escorted him back to his carriage and waved her hands until he disappeared in the corner.

"My lady.." Martha looked at her with confusion, "have you changed your decision of not marrying the duke?" or why would she be so kind to his child?

"Of course not! Keep trying to find a way to break this engagement." she said in a heartbeat as she rubbed her neck. "I am going to take some rest. Tell me if you have an idea later." with that walked away leaving the old woman bewildered.

As Ana reached her room, she asked all the maids to leave and took out an old canvas from her closet. She stared at the sketch on it.

She had drawn it when she had come back to life. There was an image of a young man with a cold look on his face. It had a slight resemblance to the boy she had met today.

"I am sorry! I could not help you in this life. But it would be better if our path did not cross." She touched the face of the young man as if she was caressing it when a drop of tear fell on his face and wetted the paper.

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"Young lord, if you did not like the lady, you must say it. If his highness did not agree, I will support you and ask him to choose another woman." As soon as Rowan sat in the carriage, Ian could not keep his silence and grumbled as he knew the woman was obnoxious and rude.

"Do not worry, Ian. I will surely tell my father that the lady was more than perfect to be duchess and my mother. I like his choice." the man who was nodding with a smile on his face, paused and stared at him with confusion when Rowan chuckled and shook his head.

He looked out of the window as the smile widened.

"I will be looking forward to meeting you in my own palace as my mother next time, Lady Anastasia." 'and then i will ask you the reason for your gloominess too.'