The Duke's Scars

The Duke's Scars - Chapter 10

Hello, fellas! Long time no see >.< Sorry for the long wait. It's been such a long time since the last time I wrote, I might be a bit rusty. But well, hopefully you like this chapter. :)

Oh! If you vote for Watty Awards, please vote for my short story which is nominated under most popular category. The title is Until We Meet Again Love. I'm not forcing you though, just do it if you love the story. I'm not aiming to win, since I write for fun.

Okay2, enough ranting! :D Here is the story! Enjoy~

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The Duke's Scars – Chapter 10

The dinner was in a slightly better mood than before, but still very awkward. Even though all of them had time to rest and digest the news, but the uncomfortable tension still lingering around.

Usually, the soldiers joined them on the dinner table, but today was an exception. Tristan wanted their privacy, because he didn't know where the conversation would lead too. He would like to know where he stood, until he was certain, he didn't want any false gossips roaming around his castle. He might be close with his underlings, but his private life was different matter.

Besides, he wasn't sure whether his soldiers would bother Lady Sara or not. He knew that not all of his friends dine together with their underlings. He just wanted to be on the safe side.

The table was set only for Tristan, Ludwig, both of the ladies, Judith, and Alex. The only chatter could be heard from Ludwig. Tristan was only listening to him absentmindedly, nodding at the right time and the right part. Sara and Barbara were eating uncomfortably, not sure whether they were allowed to talk freely.

They were waiting for Judith and Alex. Tristan never thought that his daughter could be this bold. He raised his eyebrows when he saw both of the naughty kids walking slowly to the table. Judging from their clothes, he knew they had been roaming around and he didn't think that this was a suitable time to ask and punish them.

Judith looked at her father guiltily. After the discussion previously, both Judith and Alex had finally made plan. Hopefully, it would work out.

Both of them sat down on the only two vacant seats and the adults graciously pretended that they did nothing wrong. They just didn't know whether The Duke approved or not, in case they did something wrong. Tristan said nothing, so did them.

The dinner started more awkward than before. No one spoke, except Ludwig who tried to cheer up the situation, but well... he failed. Ludwig skirted around the marriage topic, since he knew that Tristan might have not accepting it yet.

Finally, Barbara tried to break the silence, "What did your last teacher teach you, Judith?" She asked Judith sweetly, trying to make a conversation with her soon-to-be pupil.

"Nothing much," Judith answered her indifferently. "She was too busy bad-mouthing people and chasing around anything with pants." Judith shrugged indifferently, thinking what she said wasn't a really big deal! She didn't even realize the others' expressions. Their jaw dropped widely in shock, while Alex was the only one who slightly smirking.

"What?" Tristan almost yelled, when he heard Judith's bad language. "Where is your manner, Judith? And where did you learn that... that sentence from?" He looked bewildered and in disbelief at the same time. He never saw Judith behave like this, even though he knew that she was naughty.

"I'm just telling you the truth, Daddy. You can ask your soldiers, because they know about it too! She kept chasing a lot of them!" Judith pouted, when she said that, after that she continued talking, "I learnt the sentence after overheard the maids talking. They said they hated a man who loves to chase around anything with skirts and it means with many girls at once."