Unease

Duke Thompson looked at his daughter, who had turned pale. Her reaction struck him as strange at first, but upon reflection, he thought it was to be expected—after all, she must have been too surprised.

Who in the entire kingdom did not know of the Crown Prince's brilliance? He was the dream son-in-law of all twenty Dukes in the kingdom. Even the young ladies would happily settle for becoming his mistress.

To be chosen as his wife was a grace only Adonai could bestow.

"This is God's blessing on our family. I hope you cherish it and prepare yourself. The Crown Prince is currently at the fourth region but he will visit us upon his return. The journey to the border and back should take at least half a month. He is expected to visit in thirty days to officially ask for your hand in marriage," Duke Thomason said, his tone calm and firm.

He continued giving her instructions, but Anastasia barely heard him. Her mind raced, spinning with a million possibilities.

She gently pinched herself to be sure she was not dreaming again.

"Is my dream coming true?" Anastasia asked herself.

Anastasia did not know how she managed to leave the study and return to her courtyard.

Although she wanted to believe her dream had merely been a figment of her imagination, her father's news made it impossible.

Rosa observed her mistress, who seemed completely lost. Since returning from the Duke's study, Anastasia had been uncharacteristically quiet, as if her spirit had left her body.

Rosa wondered if the Duke's punishment had been too harsh for her to bear. But since Anastasia remained silent, Rosa stayed by her side without pressing her for answers.

Meanwhile, outside the courtyard, the gossip was already spreading.

"I told you she was going to be punished by the Duke. Look at her—she seems like someone whose spirit has left her body," Hazel said smugly.

"You did," the first maid nodded in agreement. The second maid, though still unconvinced, said nothing. Even she had to admit Anastasia looked distraught.

"I think Rosa should leave her. Why would she stay so loyal to someone like that?" the third maid remarked.

"She's a fool," the first maid replied with a sneer.

It wasn't long before the gossip spread throughout the residence. Some even speculated that the Duke planned to send Anastasia to the chapel to become a nun.

Many took pleasure in this supposed news, especially Elizabeth.

"Are you sure?" Elizabeth asked her maid, who had brought her the gossip. This was the same maid she had slapped earlier.

"While I'm not certain if His Grace plans to make her a nun, it's a fact that he summoned her to the study. She didn't look well when she came out. She definitely got punished," the maid replied.

"That's great," Elizabeth said with satisfaction. At least she no longer had to worry about Anastasia accompanying her and Miss Maria to her friend's party.

If her father was taking action, even Miss Maria wouldn't be able to intervene.

When the Duchess returned to the house, it was already time for dinner.

Leah was the first to hear the gossip and eagerly shared it with her mistress as she prepared for dinner.

"Your Grace, there's gossip going around the house that His Grace summoned that girl today," Leah said carefully. She avoided mentioning Anastasia's name, knowing it would annoy the Duchess. Nor did she refer to her as "Lady," as even that slight acknowledgment might displease her mistress.

The Duchess frowned at this news. She felt nothing good could come from her husband paying attention to that dead woman's daughter.

Leah hesitated, waiting for permission to continue. When the Duchess gestured for her to go on, Leah eagerly complied.

"It's said that as soon as His Grace returned from the royal palace, he sent for that girl. No one knows what happened inside the study, but she didn't look good when she came out. Some say she was punished, and others think she might be sent to the chapel to become a nun," Leah reported in a single breath.

She paused to catch her breath before adding, "I also investigated. This afternoon, Lady Elizabeth instructed the kitchen to add some 'special' ingredients to her lunch, but that foolish maid ruined everything and even threatened to beat the gong."

The Duchess's frown deepened as she listened. The more she heard, the more she doubted the rumors. Her husband was suddenly summoned by the king to visit the place the previous night. The first thing he did when he returned was to meet Anastasia. The Duchess did not believe this had to do with the incident of the maid.

"I bet that maid won't escape either. His Grace must be furious. That girl is only the daughter of a mistress; she should learn her place," Leah said bitterly. She was already plotting ways to stir up more trouble for Anastasia. 'So what if Elizabeth wanted to prank her? She should have obediently accepted it,' Leah thought to herself.

The Duchess, however, was no longer listening. She abruptly stood, startling Leah. She had planned to wait until after dinner to question her husband, but she couldn't suppress her anxiety any longer.

"Mother," Elizabeth called out as she crossed paths with her mother, who had hurried out of her chambers.

"How are you, dear?" the Duchess forced a smile, her unease growing by the second.

"I'm fine," Elizabeth replied cheerfully, unaware of her mother's concerns.

"Did your father call for you earlier?" the Duchess asked cautiously. She was desperately hoping her intuition was wrong.

"No," Elizabeth shook her head. She could tell her mother had a reason for asking but didn't press the issue.

"Let's go eat dinner," the Duchess said, realizing it would be unwise to confront the Duke directly. After all even if Anastasia's maid behavior has caught her husband's attention it would not bring anyone benefit.

"Yes, Mother," Elizabeth nodded, following her toward the dining room.

That evening, the Duke did not join them for dinner. Instead, he had his meal brought to the study.

This only heightened the Duchess's unease. While it wasn't unusual for the Duke to dine outside the dining room, her instincts told her something was wrong.

"Mother, are you all right?" Sam, the Duchess's eldest son, asked. He had noticed her frowning and picking at her food.

"Of course, I'm fine, son," the Duchess said, composing herself. She was not one to raise a false alarm.

Sam studied his mother, unconvinced. Like everyone else, he had heard the rumors circulating in the residence. He was more concerned about the potential fallout.

If his father truly sent Anastasia to the chapel without cause, it would reflect poorly on his mother. Many would accuse her of orchestrating the situation out of spite for Anastasia's mother.

Even Elizabeth might suffer setbacks if people believed their mother had been vindictive. Sam wanted to ask his mother directly, but he knew better than to break the strict rules of table etiquette.