Don't Remember Me

Chapter 1.5

"Shall I bring the Duke?"

Her handmaiden understood Isabella's meaning and asked quickly. Isabella took a deep breath and nodded her head.

"That's right. Bring him to me as soon as possible."

"Yes."

The maid bowed at her with a polite clasp of her hands. And as the maid was about to go out of Isabella's room to fulfill the said order, she heard a voice outside the door.

– Your Majesty, the Queen, the Duke of Durklen has asked for an audience with you.

"Father? He came at the good time. Let him come in."

Isabella stood up from her seat with delight. At the same time, the maid walked occasionally toward the bedroom door. And as soon as she opened the door, a stout old aristocrat entered. It was Isabella's father, Duke Theorvan Durklen.

"I have arrived inside, Your Majesty."

The Duke greeted his daughter politely. Isabella also bowed her head to receive his greeting, and then she hurriedly opened her mouth.

"Welcome, Father. Even if you didn't come here, I was supposed to send someone to pick you up, Father"

"Oh, was it?"

The Duke looked puzzled for a moment at Isabella's words, then smiled and sat down. Isabella also went back to her seat again, and bit her mouth tightly. Meanwhile, she took a few steps back, when the maid came over and set her refreshments on her table.

"You can go out now."

Isabella waved her hand as soon as her handmaiden backed away. The maid hurried out of the bedroom at her command. And only when they was left alone did she raise the teacup with the Duke in front of her.

"... Why do you have a bad expression?"

The duke's tone of voice changed comfortably. There was no one to see and no one to hear them anyway.

"Did you visit him, the Grand Duke? It seems like you were treated badly and kicked out."

"Kicked out, who said I was kicked out?!"

"Hmm...  if you weren't kicked out, then you were treated badly, right?"

The duke groaned and asked his daughter. The moment Isabella was furious and tried to refute his words once more, the duke's golden eyes darkened as if they were deeply immersed.

"Why do you have to like that Grand Duke when you are being treated poorly like that?"

"... "

"Within time, that Haven Guinters, do you think his heart will turn to you? And after he ascends the throne, do you really think that he will treat you as his wife? Are you still holding on to such vain hopes albeit that you're being neglected until now? You're being foolish, Isabella."

The duke's voice was dull, but at the same time he harbored anger. He must have been angry that his daughter was clinging to him unilaterally. Isabella chewed her lips, not responding.

The resentment that had subsided for a while came up again and tears came out. The duke, seeing her eyes reddened, bit his tongue, and spoke again.

"There are many men in the royal family. How many people aspire to be your husband?"

Isabella couldn't stand her anger and raised her voice towards the Duke, who clicked his tongue and spoke with her bruised jaw.

"Don't say that kind of words! I didn't kill Livius to get married again with a same insignificant idiot..."