[ON HIATUS]To Be The Duke's Daughter//AU

Chapter 32

My eyes scanned the book I was reading, the words filling up my head, trying my best to distract myself from the boredom. My brothers are out buying school supplies for the incoming semester. Leilin is either studying- she decided it was best to study in advance for the exam (even though it was still next year) so that she can learn more which makes her more prepared- or she's just reorganizing her closet since her clothes from Obelia arrived earlier today.

Dad and mom went to the imperial palace for a meeting. Even the staff are busy, the only people who aren't doing anything here is me and Rashta. I want to practice my swordsmanship but the knights are using the training ground, I've already fixed up my own closet a while ago before I laid flat on my stomach to read on the floor. Even Allison is just quiet in the corner.

Maybe I can go and watch the knights, I get up and picked up my book, I return it on the shelf and opened my door. Rashta looked back at me, her hand up as if she was about to knock. "Are you going somewhere milady?" She asked, I nodded, "Do you have something to discuss with me?" She shook her head.

"I just wanted to spend some time with you, would you go on a walk with me?" The maid behind her looked at me with hope, I look over my shoulder, Allison kept a straight face. "Sure" I decided since I had nothing better to do anyways, she smiled and linked her arm around mine. We reached the garden, she kept pointing out flowers that reminded some parts of her life.

"I can't wait to show my baby around here, I hope he finds it comfortable" I frowned, "he?" She nodded "I hope it's a boy, so that he can pass on the duke's last name to his future children" If he ever manages to have a child, that is.

"You'll treat him well, right?" She suddenly asked that I didn't know how to answer. "I-uh" I wanted to say sure, if it also shows me respect then I'll reciprocate the feeling, but somehow, I feel like I'm suddenly mute. "Lady Keira! There you are, I've been looking everywhere for you" Sir Lance approached us, he's my brothers trusted knight, the one who always follows him around to save him from his shenanigans.

"Sir Lance, I thought you went with my brother" He chuckled "No, sir Benjamin asked me to stay behind and help you with your swordsmanship. He figured you might get bored and want to practice so he left you in my care" he explained. Oh perfect.

"Unless if you're busy" he looked at Rashta, she lets go of my arm and looked down, I looked back at Lance. "I'll spend some time with her today. I'll come later" I smiled and he nodded, "understood, you know where to find me" He walked away.

Rashta is naive enough to believe anything that anyone says, but if we want to have a good relationship with her then it should start somewhere with someone. It's only common etiquette to entertain the guests of the household, also, doing this helps me learn more about her.

She hasn't told me any significant details yet but I did confirm one thing, she's a past slave, a runaway one like how my mother suspected. She said she was abused so she ran away, of course all of this is hearsay but we really don't know what information about her to cling on right now.

She hasn't brought up anything annoying yet so it's fine, I can endure until my parents and brothers get home.

**
"It was weird seeing you walking around with her, don't you hate her?" Benjamin sets down a tray of desserts on the table. "Hate is a strong word" Lucas said sipping his tea, "I don't hate her, I just don't feel comfortable around her" I corrected him.

"So you decided to have a walk with her?" I sighed, "she came to me first. How can I say no? Also, it's for the better. If she's staying here for the rest of her life then it's better to have a good relationship with her. So that we can understand her boundaries and she can understand ours" Leilin smiled, impressed.

"I always knew Keira's smarter than two of you combined" she teased. "And where were you while this was all happening?" "Studying" Leilin said, looking out the window, watching as Rashta tended to some flowers. "Ugh, Keira's right. We can't keep acting childish, there'll be an actual child running around this house soon" I don't know if Benjamin's annoyed by that fact or because he had to admit I was right.

"You think mom and dad will get a divorce?" I asked, they stayed quiet for a few seconds. "If it's his child then they might" Lucas tapped his finger on the table. "I'm going with mom" Benjamin quickly said, "Guess were stuck together forever" Leilin said mindlessly. "No I already chose mom, choose someone else" I giggled, "There's four of us, you really want mom for yourself?" Benjamin nodded.

"One of you gets dad, the other two gets sent to the orphanage" he looked directly at Lucas. Leilin held in a laugh but failed, "Just say two of us are getting adopted" Lucas said, "Nuh uh, we aren't sure if your getting adopted at all" we all broke into laughter.

"You never know, mom might trade you for me. It's your turn to be in the orphanage" we're having this type of conversation like it was a normal thing cause in fact it is. Dad's way of giving Lucas a timeout is sending him to the orphanage for one week, if he does get adopted then good for him but he causes trouble- he nearly killed a teacher once- so the people there have no choice but send him back to Agriche to save their only source of income.
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"They look happy" Medea listened in their conversation, the kids didn't realize they left a small crack on the door, making it impossible for the couple to not eavesdrop. "What can I say? They get along well" Dion looked at Medea while she was still peering inside.

"They don't deserve this" she said, looking at Dion, He nodded "I know. But they're handling the situation better than either of us" Medea agreed, they've been isolating themselves, not completely but enough for the kids to get worried for their well being.

Them going to the imperial palace was the first time they left the mansion together. It was the first time since that day that they sat beside each other inside a carriage. The boys were there so it didn't really feel suffocating.

"I don't want things to go on like this" Medea said, gaining Dion's attention. "Let's try to make this work, for their sake" he nods, its not like he didn't want to try, he just didn't want to drain her but at the same time he didn't want to lose her. At least not again.

"Okay" he reached for her hand, carefully caressing it like it was fragile. It was. Her body is as fragile as glass but her soul isn't. She may be strong enough to fight an entire battalion without backup or bold enough to want the right eye of a cardinal as a reward but there are always things that she isn't protected from, she still gets hurt and she isn't immune to poison, at least not to the extent Roxanna is.

And that's why he's there. He's there to be her shield, even if she says she can protect herself he knows full well she can't do that all of the time. Even if she hated him, he will stay by her side.

"There's something about that girl" Dion furrowed his eyebrows "Rashta?" She shook her head "No, Keira" he was even more confused. "What about her?" She stayed silent, "I don't know. I just sense something odd, something...

Unfamiliar"