Chapter 13
At the Delacroix Duchy, the morning passed among laughter and children's voices. Valeria and her little siblings were ready at the main entrance of the mansion, waiting for their mother. Everyone waited with hope for the moment of departure for the capital, especially because Valeria had promised them a delicious cake.
Duchess Renata Delacroix, after finishing getting ready, appeared with a wide smile and extended her arms toward the little ones. The children ran toward her, and after embracing them, they climbed together into the carriage that would lead them to the city.
Meanwhile, at the imperial palace, the princes had finished breakfast and headed to the training grounds. The mid-morning sun shone over armor and swords while the soldiers practiced. Princes Diego and Damian trained for more than two hours, until they decided to take a break.
Damian, with sweaty hair and a heaving chest, observed his older brother closely.
"Brother, what is that smile that won't leave your face? Since breakfast you look as if you were hiding a secret. And to be honest, during training you were more distracted than ever."
Diego furrowed his brow and looked away.
"It is nothing, Damian… just that…" he interrupted himself, hesitating. "No, forget it."
"Come, do not deceive me," Damian replied, sitting beside him. "You cannot lie to me. Tell me the truth."
Diego sighed and ended up confessing:
"It gladdened me to hear that Miss Valeria Delacroix does not want to become engaged to anyone yet."
Damian arched an eyebrow in surprise.
"And how does that affect you? She is free to choose whether she becomes engaged or not. Besides… she is a beautiful young woman. If she had not been your fiancée, even I myself would court her."
That last phrase ignited a fire in Diego's gaze. He stood up abruptly, grabbed him by the collar of his clothes, and looked at him with fury.
"What did you just say?" his voice was low, but dangerous. "Listen to me well, Damian: from now on you do not look at her, you do not speak to her, you do not greet her. Understood? She is mine. And neither you nor anyone is going to take her from me."
Damian was frozen by his brother's reaction. He had only been joking, but he nearly ended up being struck. He broke free roughly and responded to him:
"What the devil is wrong with you? I was only playing. I would never be interested in Valeria in that way. Brother, you are truly unwell… because, as far as I remember, your engagement to her has already ended. She is free to choose a new fiancé, and you cannot prevent it."
Diego took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. His brow still furrowed, he murmured:
"I do not know what is wrong with me. I think of her at every moment; I cannot concentrate on anything. Since she told me she felt nothing for me, I am obsessed. Day and night she is in my head… I feel like I am going to go mad."
Damian looked at him in silence for a few seconds. For him, hearing those words was surprising; his brother rarely expressed his emotions.
Finally, he patted him on the shoulder and said:
"You are an idiot, Diego. You are in love with her, and you accept it far too late. The question is… what are you going to do? Because if you do not lift a finger, someone will appear who actually values her and you will lose her forever."
Diego clenched his fists tightly.
"It is just that I never wanted this engagement. I thought she was happy with the idea of marrying for convenience, just for the title of empress. That infuriated me. I convinced myself she was seeking power… and I decided to treat her with coldness to push her away. But over the years, I saw her grow and transform into an incredible woman. She captivated me. And now that I have pushed her away, I feel a void that does not let me breathe."
Damian let out a soft laugh.
"Well then you have to win her over. She does not remember your slights, nor the way you treated her. That plays in your favor."
"Do you think it will work? I am not sure she wants to see me."
"In three weeks we return to the institute. Take advantage of the excuse of helping her adapt. If you try, you lose nothing."
Diego nodded slowly.
"I hope she gives me the opportunity. I do not plan to let her escape."
Meanwhile, in the capital, Duchess Renata walked the streets with Valeria and the children. The nobles who saw them pass bowed their heads to greet them, although their curious gazes fell upon the little ones.
"Who could those children accompanying the Duchess be?" they asked themselves in low voices.
The group spent the morning buying all sorts of things: toys, books, and simple clothes for day-to-day use. Valeria also insisted on acquiring large quantities of clothes and toys for the children at the orphanage, sending everything directly from the stores with a letter bearing the Delacroix family seal.
They walked so much that they ended up exhausted. Then Renata turned toward them.
"What do you say we go eat something before returning?"
"Finally, Mother!" Valeria exclaimed, placing her hand on her stomach. "I was already dying of hunger."
Renata laughed with tenderness.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"It is just that you looked so happy shopping that I did not want to ruin the outing," Valeria responded with a mischievous smile.
"Fairy mommy, I am hungry too," Mia said, pulling on Renata's skirt.
"And me," the twins said at the same time, followed by Sofia.
Renata stroked their heads and led them to a nearby restaurant. They were settled at a table by the window. Valeria took charge of ordering everyone's food and, when the plates arrived, she patiently cut her siblings' food so they could eat without difficulty. Renata, seeing this gesture, also helped.
That scene did not go unnoticed. The nobles present were left agape. Everyone knew Valeria Delacroix's reputation: arrogant, cold, incapable of mingling with commoners. And yet, there she was, sharing a table with four orphaned children and treating them with love.
Whispers swept through the room.
"Is that the same Valeria who always looked down on others?"
"I do not think so… perhaps they are exaggerated rumors."
While the comments multiplied, the Delacroix family enjoyed themselves, oblivious to it all. It was then that Maximiliano Delacroix appeared at the restaurant.
"I believe I arrived just in time," he said, approaching the table.
"Darling, what a surprise," Renata responded. "I did not know you were coming; I would have ordered you something to eat."
"I finished my work early and assumed you would be here. I want to share the meal with you."
Mia, happy, called to him with enthusiasm:
"Come, Daddy! Sit with me."
The Duke's heart was moved to hear that "Daddy." He sat down immediately and the little girl climbed onto his lap, giving him bites of her own food, always blowing first so he would not get burned.
While the family laughed and shared, the nobles observed them with more attention. Some whispered, others were already thinking about how to approach the powerful Delacroix family, whose domains included mines, vineyards, agricultural lands, and a centuries-old heritage.
Finally, after finishing their meal, Maximiliano asked for the bill and they left together. Outside, he commented seriously:
"It is the last time we come here. I could feel everyone's eyes on us."
Renata reassured him with a smile.
"Ignore them, darling. They are only surprised. Besides, they are surely wondering who the children are."
"Perhaps you are right," Maximiliano nodded, pensive. "Better we go to the palace. Elena wrote me a letter; they intended to visit us today, but I prefer that we be the ones to go see them."
Valeria could not help but make a grimace. The idea of meeting Diego again was not pleasant to her, but she knew it was inevitable. Their families were too close and, sooner or later, she would have to face him.
Thus, the Delacroix family boarded the carriage toward the imperial palace, without knowing that this visit would mark the beginning of a new stage in their lives.