The Beloved One!

Chapter 17

Your favourite couple is back..... just for a tiny bit.
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The one place the citizens of Rafferty had not expected news about the Archduke had been the church. It had been released that Anzor Morley's illegitimate daughter had been blessed by Brahma himself with a middle name.

A blessing of a middle name? The last time someone had been given such a blessing had been five hundred years ago. The blessing of Brahma held great status and esteem that not even the royal family could not disrespect and overlook.

And that had been exactly what they had done. Ellen Smith, the mother of the child had been granted with the noble status of Viscountess. Then the highest quality of silk, clothing, shoes, jewelry, gold, toys, books, magical items, potions and herbs had been sent to the Estate for the child. The rest of the Emphraim nobles followed suit, all except the Morley Family.

••••

CLASHHH!!!

SMASHHH!!!

CLASHHH!!!

SMASHHH!!!

Due to the onslaught of heavy strong winds of greenish-blue hue, exorbitant ceramics and glasses shattered; papers and books soared; furniture were damaged and the walls were brutalized.

Opening up the door to the room, the retired Duke was met head on with a gale. He layered his body with mana and pushed through the slicing air current. "Emma, dear, calm down!"

"How can I calm down not only when that whore has been given the status Viscountess and her bastard child has been blessed by god?!!! And with the royal family and the rest of the nobles sending them presents!!!" She shrieked, the winds becoming more powerful. "Especially during this time!!!! I should have killed her back then, when I had the chance!!! Then those two roaches would not be trying to step on my Anna's and Lila's heads in every way possible!!!" She grounded her molars.

"Who has said that there still cannot be ways to exterminate the pests?"

Emma gazed into the Vincent's azure blue eyes, her winds calming a bit. She was waiting for him to continued to speak.

And he did.

••••

Tightly grasping the happiness charm in her hands that she had made for her father, Kalila asked. Hot tears pricked her eyes. "What is going on with daddy? How come he is not coming home? Granddad and Grandmom have said they have already sent him tons of messages to return home."

Tazanna stilled then gulped on hearing the question her daughter had asked. "Lila.... your daddy-" Kalila did not allow for her mother to complete her statement and spoke. The child rarely ever did this.

"-The servants are saying that daddy has brought back a mistress that is prettier than mommy and that they have an illegitimate daughter, being the same age as me. That he was he was unfaithful to you, mommy." The silver head girl said, reciting what she had heard from the hushed whispers of the servants in her own words.

"That he has been staying in a lavish and grand Estate comparable to that of Morley's with those two. But he will soon return because he has to. Because you and daddy are married, husband and wife." Her voice got softer as the tears had finally decided to shed from her azure blue eyes. "But when he does, he will be bringing along his mistress and other child! That the mistress is going to be made a concubine! And that she will replace you mommy! And that their daughter would replace me! Mommy, I do not want you or I to be replaced! Please tell me it is not true! That it is not going to happen." She pleaded.

Kalila even though a child was very smart for her age and could understand things happening around her, even when others had tried to hide it from her. She knew when the situation was bad.

"L-Lila. I do not know how to answer you." Tazanna stated then added. "Or how to explain to you." She recalled the last conversation she had with Anzor.

••••

After helping her onto the large light purple carriage bearing the Morley's Crest, the silver head man said. "Peter will of the ones to go along with you back to the capital. Even though it does not look like it, more guards will be secretly protecting you as you go about your journey."

Tazanna nodded on hearing this then stated. "Thank you for the arrangements, Cousin Anzor." Her mind went back to how she had left the predicament to Hale's Inn. The brunettte had seemed to be very unpleased and vexed even more so when Anzor had appeared. She stared into the Archduke's azure blue eyes, seeing herself reflected in them. This somehow made her happy.

BA-THUMP!!!

Her heart skipped a beat. Tazanna pondered exactly what her cousin and Ellen had conversed about and it seemed like they had only made an agreement because a child was involved.

Anzor brought up. "Tazanna, the Morley's Family troubles has been cleared within four years as agreed in the contract and I have stayed an additional three years of my own notion."

Tazanna paled as felt her blood go cold when Anzor had brought up the contract. Red lights went off and it reverberantly rang in her ears, the reality.

That no matter how real their marriage seemed to be her. That no matter how long they had been together. That no matter how much she loved him. That no matter how happy she had thought they would be in the future. That it had been all sham.

It was a fake marriage that both sides of the party had decided to participate in due to the benefits of what would come of it. With him, aiding her in clearing the Morley Family's troubles. With her, allowing him to have a 'sham' marriage instead of a real one and him being able to leave this 'sham' marriage as long as he had met the certain required conditions in the contract they had signed. Her eyes got glossy. 'If only I knew when I signed that contract that day, I would fall in love with him. ....Then I would not have .... and would have tried to make another deal.'

He continued. "And I will always only love Ellen Morley in this lifetime and even in the next if such exists. This will not change even if she hates or she loves me. And my child. I wish to make up for the time we have lost and be an actual father for her instead of merely a biological one. Once they have settled into the capital, I will send word on when we should make a 'divorce' of our 'marriage' our to the public. But I will call today the official end of our contract."