Chapter 25

Chapter 25

HENRIETTA

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A wave of nausea hit me as soon as I got up from my bed. If not for the bedside table, I would have fallen face- first on the floor. But the glass of water was unfortunate enough to fall and shatter. Its shards s cat tered across

the floor.

Niana must have heard the sound and immediately ran up. Worry filled her gaze as she helped me back to my

bed.

“Lady Henrietta. I was worried yesterday because you just left but Lord Andreas told me he found you at the tea shop. He told me to not let you leave the bed.”

My forehead creased: “Did he come here early today?” As if on cue, my head pulsated and I winced, lying on the bed.

“He didn’t, my lady. But he did send this letter.”

I took the letter from her hand. Andreas’ smell instantly infiltrated my nose, reminding me of his presence. Yesterday, after I went to that tea shop, I saw him waiting outside the manor. He threw his cigarette the moment he saw me and I invited him for some tea.

“I don’t understand how I got this headache.”

Niana let out a small smile before she said, “I prepared some tea, my Lady. You brought tea last night when you came home. Would you like them?”

I smiled, remembering my conversation with the old woman. “Yes, please bring me some.”

Niana left the room, leaving me with my soul-shattering headache. I closed my eyes and tried to recall if I had done something else last night. For some reason, I felt like there was something I was forgetting. But I could not put my finger on it. I remember feeling excited and giddy but for some reason, I could not remember why I was feeling that way.

Was it perhaps just a dream?

The door of my chamber opened. When I thought it was Niana with my tea, it was Myrna inviting herself in. I

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groaned inwardly.

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“It seems your morning has not been delightful,” she remarked as she sauntered in front of me, her eyes wandering around as though she was looking for some speck of dust that might need cleaning.

“I just have a headache. This is nothing to make a big deal out of.”

She then turned to face me. Those kind eyes still looked kind but I could feel her contempt towards me. How she managed to hide such strong emotion while my father was still alive was beyond me.

“Where have you been yesterday? You left right after the announcement was made. Were you perhaps crying somewhere?”

“I was feeling under the weather, Myrna. As you see, I am here in bed when I should be out and about first thing in the morning. And no, I was not crying. I was having a wonderful time with an old woman down the street. She makes excellent teas: You should visit, learn a thing or two about trading so you could earn your own fortune and not leech from my father’s.”

I saw how her eyes squinted but it was gone as soon as it came.

She walked towards the settee to make herself comfortable. “It seems the title of ‘Mother’ has fallen out of favor with you,” she remarked, ignoring my statement. I was about to say something when my door opened.

Niana halted in her tracks, her gaze fixed on the person accompanying me, wondering why Myrna was there.

“Leave us,” ordered Myrna but I raised my hand and looked at Niana.

“Don’t leave, Niana. Please let Myrna have a sip of that wonderful tea.”

Niana nodded in my direction and I could feel Myrna’s gaze boring on me. When I did not know better, I never once went against Myrna. I respected her as my stepmother and as my father’s second wife. But now, things have changed.

Niana gently laid the pot and the tea cups. “Please pour me a cup, Niana, and then you can leave us.”

“Yes, my lady.” After she gave me a cup, she went straight outside. I took a sip from the tea and sighed as warmth started to seep through my skin.

Myrna was silently watching and even as she had a stoic look, I could tell what was going on inside her head.

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“As for your objection to my addressing you by your name, it’s grounded in the fact that you are not my mother,

and you never will be. Referring to you by your name seemed a more fitting choice.”.

Her eyes squinted but a hint of smile curved her mouth. “I am the Lady of the House. I suggest you address me appropriately. What you did while we were facing the King will be the last time you insult me. Do you understand me, Henrietta?”

I gently placed my cup on the nearby table before I faced her. “You’re the Lady of the House only on paper. In the eyes of the people, I am the true Lady of this Manor. And what I said to the King is true. This house’s loyalty lies in the people of this Kingdom. We do not worship the Royal Family.”

She scoffed. “But you were willing to marry Philip? Wasn’t it because you worshipped them too?”

I remained quiet as she stood, straightening her dress. “You have become conceited when you have nothing, Henrietta. When will you realize that every fortune your family has will be under my name and Yvette will have them once I die? Your father left nothing for you. I managed to convince him to leave nothing for you.” She folded her hands as she took another step forward. “If you don’t want to end up on the streets, I advise you to talk properly.”

I scoffed and met her gaze. “Oh please. Did you just come all the way here to tell me to talk

properly?”

A wide smile was plastered across her face. “I also came to tell you that Yvette will be using your wedding dowry.” Since she’s marrying the Prince, she needed more.”

I froze, unable to believe what she just said. “What did you just say?”

She waved a dismissive hand. “It makes sense. Once Yvette marries the Prince, he will be in charge of the Silvana’s fortune. She needs to have this dowry.”

“You can’t touch what’s mine,” I said, gritting my teeth. I could not believe she would go all the way up to this. point of giving away my father’s fortunes.

“Oh well.” She crossed her arms. “I’m the Lady of the House. What happens within these walls is because I willed them. You also know that between Andreas and Philip, the latter is much better suited to manage this family’s fortune.”

Anger surged within me. I was not feeling any pain in my body anymore. What I wanted to do was hurt Myrna.

“You can’t possibly let the Prince handle everything my father has worked so hard for!”

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But she smiled and said, “I might be a Lady of the House on paper but I still hold so much against you. You can’t do anything, Henny. Just stay low and let me do all the work.”

I wanted to get out of the bed and hurt her. But I stopped myself and smiled at her instead.

“I still stand by my promise that I will take back what is mine. Go ahead, Myrna. Indulge yourself as much as you can. You don’t know until when you will have a hold over my father’s fortune.”

I managed to wipe off the smile on her face. “Are you threatening me?”

I chuckled. “I don’t threaten. I make promises.”

Her kind eyes were replaced with so much contempt. She’s not even trying to hide it anymore. She made a good decision of walking out of my chamber and leaving me alone with my murderous thoughts.

I should have known: Myrna and Yvette have always wanted to live like royalties. I know this because I know where they came from. They are merchants. While most of those of noble blood often ignore them and regard them as the ones of low status, my father never did. I should have known they just took advantage of my father’s kindness and used up his money. They might have taken advantage of me as well, now that I think about it.

And the more I think about it, the more I realize that perhaps this was the reason why Philip did not want to marry me. Because he thought I had very little chance of inheriting anything from my father.

I flopped myself back to the bed and closed my eyes, attempting to block out the throbbing pain in my head while the scent of Myrna’s perfume lingered in the air. This is all too exhausting.

A few seconds later, Niana came in and offered to prepare my bath. I let her do everything and it was when she was doing my hair that I noticed my headache was gone. As if on cue, another maidservant knocked on my o door and handed me another letter having the same scent as the one that arrived this morning.

“Why can’t he just put everything he wants to say in one letter?” I murmured as I opened it.

Niana waited for me to finish reading. Her demeanor appeared composed, yet her hands betrayed a subtle restlessness. It was evident she harbored a keen curiosity about the contents of the letter, her anticipation palpable in the way her fingers fidgeted.

Observing my momentary silence, she promptly inquired, “Are you alright, my lady?”

Clearing my throat, I stammered, “Y-Yes. Andreas informed me that we’re to attend a ball tonight.”

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Her eyes widened, and she instinctively covered her mouth in a mixture of surprise and excitement..

“My lady, this is rather sudden. Nevertheless, I will do my utmost to assist you in preparing.”

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I reciprocated with a warm smile before she gracefully navigated toward my wardrobe, ready to embark on the

task at hand.

I studied the handwritten letter anew, marveling at the graceful curls and intricate twists that adorned the parchment. The elegance of the script seemed to dance across the paper, filling the space with a certain charm. Even his handwriting screams grace.

Surprisingly, I found myself wearing a smile, a reaction I hadn’t anticipated. The anticipation grew within me, and I pondered whether it was the prospect of seeing Andreas once more that stirred this emotion or the sheer excitement of attending a ball after a long time.