Chapter Two
_ A Recurring Scene
* * *
After leaving my father, I went up to my room and instructed the servants to watch him. I entered my room to be greeted by the murmurs of my little one; it seemed I was late in feeding him.
I reached my baby's bed, picked him up, and began playing with him while contemplating his gentle face. I sat on the edge of the bed, undid my dress, and began breastfeeding him. I felt a warmth in my heart; throughout these weeks, I had been paving the way so that my child could live in safety, far from the sadness he experienced in the previous life, and for the beginning, we must uproot the rotten roots...
In my previous life, my father became Ian's legal guardian and left me to live my own life. At first, I was satisfied, but he intended to entangle me in marriage once again. Of course, I had built myself up to protect against my father, and indeed, I began fighting him. When he felt the danger, he told me that I should not marry again, and because he was an untrustworthy person, I began creating stronger and stronger networks with the goal of bringing him down. I was the Duchess anyway, even when my father acted as the family representative, but after I started feeling the danger from him, I began withdrawing power from him bit by bit until I returned him to being just a wealthy subordinate Count; I did not desire more than that despite my ability to do so..
When Ian grew up and I handed him the Dukedom, even before I fought my father, my father had also married into a subordinate family and she was a young woman younger than me. Perhaps my desire to fight him stemmed from the anger of destroying another girl. When my father was destroyed later, it wasn't me who destroyed him, but Ian...
In this life, I have all the matters that prove my father's corruption. I knew how to extract information about him, and I must suppress him from now on so that he does not pose a danger to my child...
I sent a letter to my older brother Louis. Despite my currently lukewarm relationship with him, he is still my brother. My father was the reason for our relationship; my brother was strong, kind, and ambitious, but my father constantly suppressed him and humiliated him always, so my brother left the family and became a priest...
This time I decided to give power to my brother, and no one would be able to suppress my father except Louis. So I sent him a letter a week after Ian's birth and requested his coming secretly. My brother did not mind that, especially since my father was in the capital and would not cause trouble. I told him of my desire and my plan, and he did not mind at all as the method was clean and non-harmful. He handed me the documents I requested in less than a week and we began preparing the plan: handing over Count Bryant's responsibilities to Louis Bryant and isolating my father...
The execution date was today, on the day he thinks everything has become his, he loses everything...
The sound of small laughs interrupted my thoughts, and I saw my child laughing after he was full..
I lifted him and patted his back, and after I finished, I lifted him high to increase his laughter and said to him:
"Ian, my sweet child, we will start a different beginning. New people and a life different from before, a life where Ian lives in happiness... it doesn't matter who his family is, what matters is that you are happy..."
I returned him to my lap while he moved his hands and grabbed a strand of my hair while laughing. Does he understand me?! I believe my baby understands me...
I placed Ian on his bed and rang the bell for Rose to enter. She bowed to me and awaited orders...
This woman also deserves a good life, so I smiled at her and said before I turned away:
"Rosie, I will go to change my clothes, take care of Ian."
I felt Rose's hesitation, so I looked at her with a meaning to speak, and her voice came out:
"My Lady... I am worried. You taking care of the young master is a good thing, but do you suspect someone might harm the little Duke? You haven't let anyone touch him."
Is she tired of taking his responsibility alone? It is exhausting, I know.
"Rose, did I exhaust you by handing you Ian's responsibility alone, I mean.."
She interrupted me by shaking her head and moving her hands quickly:
"No, Your Grace, what I mean is, do you suspect someone might harm the young master? I mean, I want to help protect him."
I laughed cheerfully and said comfortably:
"Rose, I trust you, and yes, there are those who do not desire Ian and might try by any means to harm my child for their own interests. They do not care that he is just a small, innocent child; what matters to them is their greed. Therefore, I want you to be careful, which is why I give the responsibility of my child to you only."
Loyalty was clear in Rose's nod, then she said skeptically:
"Shall I ask for help from Celine..."
"No."
I interrupted her sternly. She looked at me in shock, and we didn't need words to explain our looks. Then I spoke calmly and said:
"What I told you now, I don't want anyone to know. I will prepare a list of the names of people whose loyalty I doubt, and we will take the necessary measures."
"I follow your orders."
She bowed and said that with sincerity. I smiled at her then went in to change my clothes; today will be full of interesting events.
* * *
In the office, the three were waiting for Elite, who had stepped out for a while..
Each one of them had different thoughts; the confused Stanley, the relaxed Louis, as for the Count, he was in his most moments of anger but he was waiting for Elite because when he asks them, they ignore him...
Chiiiiick!
Finally, the office opened again and Elite entered. She was walking with an elegance overflowing with dignity and nobility, in a dress reflecting her pale white skin in a silky, elegant gray color. She gathered her brown hair in a large bun and wore a white pearl necklace and simple pearl earrings, in an appearance that was simple but overflowing with elegance and pride...
She looked at her brother and the assistant sitting in front of the desk, and her father who occupied the side of the sofa, his nerves tense.
Elite bowed with pride:
"Duchess Elite de Altan, greets the gentlemen and apologizes for the delay."
Louis smiled at his sister and glanced at his father with a resentful look, then approached his sister and kissed her hand in a noble manner:
"Count Louis Bryant, happy to meet you, my beautiful lady."
Stanley suppressed his excitement then bowed in an elegant manner:
"Baron Martin Stanley, greets Her Grace."
He kissed the tip of her hand and looked at Count Bryant, or the former Count, with a playful smile, then stood up straight..
"Thank you, gentlemen. Why don't we sit on the sofa..."
The two headed with her. Elite sat in front of her father on a separate sofa, and Martin and Louis sat near the former Count, Louis and the father at the edges and Martin in the middle..
Elite smiled and gestured to the servants who followed her to pour the tea. She took the cup and before putting it to her mouth, she glanced at her father with a confident smile and said:
"Since everyone is here, let's begin.."
And she returned to drinking the tea. Martin spoke first while presenting the papers before them:
"As shown here in the ledgers, the Count.. pardon me, Lord David, has evaded taxes over the previous ten years, and these papers are sale and purchase documents for forbidden goods.. and this is about the illegal slave trade in Fanni...."
"Stop!!"
Martin fell silent and shifted his gaze to Louis and David, then looked at Elite, who spoke pretending to be terrified and surprised:
"What is the matter?! Have your papers been exposed??!"
"..."
And in the silence of everyone, she spoke in a voice cold as frost:
"My father is planning to take over Altan and then marry to destroy another girl's life, and cover up his dirty deeds in Altan's name. I would be the Duchess by name only... and he might plan to marry me off again if he finds a new source of income... what greed."
"...."
"You know, Father, unfortunately you cannot because I will not hand over the guardianship of my child to you, and I will remain the Duchess of Altan in word and deed, and I will withdraw everything from you—power and wealth—and I will destroy you as you destroyed my mother. You were nothing in the past; didn't you become a Count because of my mother.... No matter, now you are no longer anything but the former Count of Bryant or Lord David Brandon."
And with a smile and a poisonous tone:
"But if my father decides to toy with me, my child, or one of my siblings..."
She pointed elegantly directly at her father and looked at him with a murderous gaze:
"I swear I will make you wish for death and not find it."
Everyone in the room flinched. Everyone knows that Elite was not such an injurious person to this extent...
Louis looked at his sister and smiled with pride. Martin looked at Louis then returned his gaze to the Duchess and the former Count and watched patiently..
Elite changed her expression and returned to her place, then spoke with pity:
"Ah, by the way, Father, you must renounce everything to Louis so that he can clean the family name of your filth, so that no one thinks an evil thought that the sons of Bryant isolated their father."
She pointed to Martin, who placed the pen and the document for the former Count and looked at him with a meaning to finish the work...
David's jaw trembled with humiliation and anger, but before he signed, in a final attempt, he said:
"If Louis takes over the title and you expose me, won't he be affected?"
Elite laughed loudly then pointed to Louis with a meaning:
"I cannot, you speak."
Louis said with a confident smile:
"We have attributed the father's dirty deeds to his alias, Victor Donald, and the others to his name, David Brandon, and not Count Bryant."
His name before his marriage was Lord David Brandon. David's hand tightened on the pen and he almost broke it in his anger. Elite spoke sternly:
"The pen you are holding is an expensive pen from Altan, and strangers are not allowed to destroy private property no matter how small. Then you will pay compensation double its price, and I doubt you have the money now."
David composed himself then signed the papers and placed the pen carefully...
Elite smiled in victory. She rang the bell for the servant to enter and calmly:
"Peter! ... Hand these papers to the lawyer, Mr. Robin Malcom.."
The papers were those based on David's renunciation of everything to Louis. She watched her father's reaction then continued as she carried the second file, which was very large:
"Ummm, Peter, I was thinking of burning this large file, but I changed my mind. I still feel danger. Give this also to the lawyer and tell him to send it to the Imperial Palace... for trial... immediately."
She finished her sentence harshly. Peter took the papers and with steady steps left the office. David rushed in shock with wide eyes.
"You said you wouldn't hand me over."
In shock and a pretense of innocence, she said:
"When did I say that?! I told you to renounce the title, but I didn't promise you anything."
He moved, ignoring etiquette, in a disheveled manner that did not suit Count David Bryant, who had maintained his handsome and elegant appearance even at an old age...
Elite smiled at the repetition of the scene, but at an earlier time..
* * *
That day in her previous life, when Ian was nineteen and her father came to the Dukedom and was screaming in anger, his clothes all scattered and dirty...
He screamed until his voice turned pale and he hurled all the foul words and insults, but everyone who was in the palace ignored him by order of Ian...
She had stood at the top of the stairs and looked at him with contempt; there was no pity inside her for him. He rushed toward her with the intent of harming her, but the knights stopped him..
I remember that day; it was one of my few memories with Ian when he came down the stairs and stopped a little forward, speaking in a commanding tone:
"Hand that filth over to the royal knights."
I didn't know why anger was boiling inside Ian, but I glanced at him with satisfaction...
Yes, unfortunately, I remembered that day that he became enthusiastic; indeed, after that, I watched the fall of all my enemies in a harsh way...
* * * She looked at her father then shouted at the servants:
"Tell the knights to throw this man out of my palace.."
Everyone was in a state of shock. The former Count almost approached Elite in anger with the intent of strangling her, but Martin and Louis pulled him away from her. She looked at them then gestured to Peter, who returned with the knights and found Martin and Louis standing between her and David. They felt worried, then the knights grabbed David and before he left...
He was uttering all the dirty and insulting words not only about me but also about my mother, which provoked Louis, but I held him back:
"David Brandon, take good care of yourself, for I have sent a letter to the Imperial Palace via magic carrier... Enjoy your last days.. or your free hour."
In the silence of everyone, Elite gave a stern order:
"Every inch in the office has been stained by his filth. Remove all the furniture and burn it all."
The knights dragged the former Count harshly because of his behavior and the Duchess's orders..
Louis looked at his younger sister; he was shocked:
"I must be careful with you, my sister, you are harsh."
Elite laughed cheerfully and pointed for them to sit, and with a refreshing smile:
"I am trying to secure my child's life, and the former Count would not have let me live in peace with my little one."
"Now I'm starting to understand Mother."
She tilted her head. "Brother, what are you talking about?!"
"Do you know why our mother used to press herself so hard? So that we wouldn't be hurt... Now I understand, the type of harshness may differ, but a mother remains a mother."
Elite smiled warmly at the mention of her mother then said to tease her brother:
"Certainly, but won't our mother be angry if my brother doesn't marry?"
Louis stammered and said:
"But I am still a young man."
"You are now the head of the family; you must build the family with strength and love to revive our mother's name."
Martin was watching the siblings in silence. 'Who would think a storm passed through here? The Duchess looks happy and acts like a girl her age; she is at Eldora's age.'
"Baron Stanley, I heard you have a younger sister."
The voice brought him back to reality. Martin stammered, looked at them, and said:
"...Yes, what about her?"
"Baron, I heard she is beautiful. What do you think about her marrying my brother?"
She was speaking with a bright smile. Both Martin and Louis were shocked:
"Sister, what is wrong with you?! Why the rush?"
She looked at him with a pitiful face and said:
"Do you hate that I choose for you?"
"I don't mean.. I.."
"Do you have a woman in your heart?"
"No, certainly not."
"Then why, is Miss Stanley unsuitable?!"
Louis sighed at his stubborn sister who wouldn't let him speak, looked at the shocked Martin and his stubborn sister, then said:
"Ellie, the young lady is good, but what I mean is.. why the rush? I want to prepare my affairs and clean the family name."
Elite spoke with excitement and clasped her hands:
"No problem then, I have an idea. I will help you solve the family matters as a member of the family... "
"Sister, but..."
"You are my brother first; second, you are the uncle of my child who is the Duke... third, you can start it with an engagement with Miss Stanley.. certainly after the approval of the Baron and the young lady."
Martin was shocked and pointed to himself and said:
"Sister, me?!"
"Mr. Stanley, is the young lady attached? As far as I know, I haven't heard of her engagement."
[ 'I knew that Eldora Stanley was a beautiful girl who resembled her brother very much, and she was almost my age and didn't marry until the age of twenty-two. Martin took great care of his sister, so much so that he didn't marry until a year after his sister's marriage... The Barony of Stanley was originally poor, but the eldest son exerted all his effort for his only sister after the death of the previous Baron and Baroness from the plague, and he became the Duke's most worthy assistant as soon as he graduated from the academy at the age of eighteen...
What made me insistent on Eldora was that she was a smart, wise, and kind girl, but her luck was bad as she married into a prestigious family, but her husband was an angel in front of everyone and a despicable demon. After a marriage that lasted five years, Eldora committed suicide with a letter saying she didn't tell her brother about the torture she lived through so he wouldn't be hurt because she loved him very much... Martin, after his sister's death, left the Dukedom and his family and disappeared; he lost his soul after her death...
Another reason for choosing her was when Ian was eight, shortly before Eldora's death, she came to the Dukedom. She looked elegant but miserable, and her presence coincided with Ian, lonely and depressed...
When Eldora saw him, she greeted him in a kind and affectionate way, and when she saw the sadness clear on him, she urged him to tell her. Ian, the closed child, opened up to her and said:
"My mother doesn't love me."
Eldora denied that and tried to change his thinking, but he was insistent, so she comforted him in a different way. Perhaps this is what made Ian do what he did.... ' ]
"My Lady, the matter is somewhat difficult."
Martin's worried voice brought her back to reality, so she spoke kindly:
"Baron Stanley, I know your sister is very dear to you, and I will not force you, but I hope you think about the matter. I am not asking this as your superior, but as Eldora's brother."
Martin nodded in understanding, then Elite spoke kindly:
"I will send a marriage proposal to the Barony of Stanley. I want matters to be official, even if the Baron refuses."
Martin was moved, but he bowed in obedience and asked her permission to leave...
...... To be continued ......