My Next Life as the Neglected Daughter of the Grand Duke

Chapter 35

There's a smaller desk with a chair beside her father's desk. Irene stared at it, it would be nice if she could sit there with her father every day, she thought.

However she then looked at who was sitting there, "Alice?" she said out loud by accident, the brown-haired child was taken by surprise, "I-I'm glad you remember my name!" the child spoke.

"Oh...oh ah yes, of course, I remember you," Irene said as she tried to hide the bitterness in her voice.

"I invited you here only because of Alice's request," the Grand Duke spoke as his voice softened when he said her name. "Oh, you did? How nice!" Irene trying her best to look at the better side of things.

"Y-yes, I actually want to hang out with you since I would be staying here," Alice said getting off her desk, "Would you have a tea party with me?" Alice asked shyly. Irene looked at her, she was quite beautiful and cute to Irene.

"Of course," she said responding to the pure child. Alice smiled brightly, grabbed onto Irene's arms, and dragged her out of the office, "Let's go, brothers are waiting for us!" Alice said happily.

Irene stopped, "Brothers?" she asked, "Oh yes the Grand Duke's sons, they allowed me to call them brothers after a while, I hang out with them a lot, and oh...Irene?" Alice asked worriedly as Irene's head was down.

"Oh sorry, continue," Irene listened to Alice's stories as she stayed here with her mother, they played together, they ate together, and they talked to each other often while they were walking to the tea party.

"Oh, it's nice how you enjoyed your stay here!" Irene still fighting her jealously denying any negative thoughts.

Then they arrive.

"Alice!" Lucas said happily then met Irene's face.

"I also invited Irene, I thought it will be nice if we also had Irene here too!" Alice said she was the only one who consider bringing Irene here. Irene was thankful that Alice gave her a chance to talk to her brothers.

"Hello older brothers," Irene said quietly however, her welcoming was a bit different, they just glanced at her.

"Let's sit down, Irene come sit here!" Alice said pulling Irene to a seat beside hers.

"Oh thank you," Irene said thanking her while sitting herself down. The tea party was fun, even though Irene didn't speak, but she said her brothers speak, they were rather different here.

Irene shook her head, she can't be jealous of Alice, she must be considerate, her father just died.

"Irene! You are so lucky to have such older brothers," Alice said suddenly dragging Irene into a conversation. "O-oh yes, I am very lucky," Irene said kind of bitterly.

"Have some cake," Alice said bringing strawberry cake into her plate, "Oh wow, thank you!" Irene was surprised that Alice gave her the cake she enjoyed very much. Irene wanted to give her something back.

"Here, Alice here's some cake too," Irene brought some cake to Alice only to be slapped on her hand as she dropped the cake onto Alice's dress.

"Ow...oh! Alice, I am so sorry-" Irene said holding her red hands and realizing she spilled the cake onto Alice, however, she was interrupted as she apologized by a maid.

"Lady Irene! How dare you!" the maid screamed at her, Irene watched her hopelessly and confused, the brothers got up from their seats to check on Alice.

"Didn't you know Alice was deathly allergic to peach?" the maid once again scolded her. "Oh I am so sorry I didn't know," Irene said flustered as the maid cleaned up the cake on Alice's dress.

"I bet you were jealous of my lady," the maid suddenly spoke.

"What?" Irene said confused.

However, this matter was suddenly interrupted by the Grand Duke walking into the tea party, "What's going on here?" the Grand Duke walked towards Alice whose dress is ruined, Countess Stella walking towards her daughter in a hurry.

"Alice! What happened?" she said worried about her daughter before Irene could have a chance to speak the maid spoke.

"Irene gave Alice peach cake and spilled it onto Alice's dress," the maid said coming forward, "What?" Irene's father was angered. "Is it true?" Stella looked at Irene, "No, I didn't!" Irene tried to justify herself.

"Robert, Lucas, and Trevor, is this true?" the Grand Duke asked, Irene, glanced at them, they just looked the other way.

"Irene...I invited you here to play with Alice instead you do this?" the Grand Duke scolding her, "No, I would never it's just a misunderstanding!" Irene begged.

"Irene was blinded by jealously probably," the workers around her continued saying.

The Grand Duke lashed out at her, slapped Irene's face, "Ah!" she said as she fell onto the floor, the Grand Duke was so disappointed and left, Alice looked at her worried.

"Mother, let me explain," Alice said trying her best, "No need, let's forget about this incident Elijah," Alice's mother said as she picked up Irene, and went back to her daughter's side.

Irene watched as all of them walk away slowly however the only one looking back at her was Alice's pitiful face.

Even after the situation died down, it continued, the misunderstanding continued and continued.

All of that, Alice still talked to Irene and hang out with her, which Irene enjoyed.

"Irene, I am so jealous that you are so smart!"

Irene's brothers helped Alice study.

"Irene, you seem to be surrounded by friends, I'm jealous!"

Irene's friends also became hers.

There was one time Alice walked into Irene's conversation with Josiah and later on, Alice came up to her.

"I am so jealous, you are engaged to a wonderful boy!"

Later on, Josiah started to talk to Alice after meeting her.

"It's okay, it's fine, it's not your fault..." Irene said nights after nights comforting herself.

"Stella and I are getting married," Irene's father announced on Alice's birthday banquet, whispers were everywhere, eyes looking at them, and most importantly. They stared at the couple then stared at Irene.

Irene lost her mind.

She screamed and yelled at Alice and her mother.

"Irene Gracia! Return to your own home and rethink about what you did tonight," the Grand Duke said scolding her at everyone.

At that moment Irene's eyes were burning at Alice and her mother.

This is all your fault!

This is how Irene's villainess story began.

"Irene?"

~Author's Note~

This is what I meant by Irene addressing the Grand Duke by father, I said one day, that could mean on day on a chapter. Anyways, don't get me wrong here, Alice did nothing wrong, but she needs to think on what she says before she say it. My anger issues are rising here, I get the anger of being misunderstood, and that stupid maid. BTW this is past Irene not current Irene!!

- ANMU