Chapter 7

"Is everyone present here?" 

"Yes" Jeremiah answered Layla softly looking at her for a few moments as if he wished to say something yet at last refrained himself from doing so.

He received Layla in the Valentine duchy without any of her belongings because the future duchess seemingly had already asked the servants to directly take her personal items to the secondary mansion located far away from the posh areas of the capital.

"For those who are not aware, I am Layla, the princess of Everdale.

This gathering was called out for I wished to convey my heart to all the servants working in the mansion. For now I am yet to get engaged to Duke Valentine but even after our engagement my permanent residence shall be the secondary mansion, the reason for which I believe is not one that you all should be worried about." 

Servants who by now have only heard that the princess had a strong disposition were sure that she should not be crossed.

"In case this proceeds as planned I shall be your master so I would like to establish certain rules. If I found any malicious rumor being spread you shall be fired without any letter of recommendation. 

I will personally handle the accounts of the duchy so in case I found out any issue of embezzlement of funds, you shall be tried by the imperial law without any further discussion and under no circumstance will have any opportunity to work anywhere forget this duchy."

People by now had stopped breathing as if fearing that even one wrong move shall implicate them. 

"I realize that Duke Valentine must have his own personal people which is his individual matter and not something I will interfere in but the moment it is found out that any person is acting out of their stature and status towards me, I as the member of Everdale, with the authority of my power shall drag you to the imperial judge and the punishment shall be either death or banishment of your entire clan from Avesta."

There was a silence all around so much so that the servants and the Duke were equally stumped. It was a statement which no wife of any aristocrat had the audacity to say.

Layla simply implied that no matter who duke Valentine spent the night with, whom he had sex with or who was the person that became his mistress she shall not care until they came to her residence and tried bothering her.

Then she will retaliate by taking away their life and then too not by the authority of Valentine but of Everdale. From beginning to end she introduced herself as a person of Everdale.

The male could not help but grit his teeth, so she pretended to not care. How can the Layla that was even more frail than a periwinkle flower could say such atrocious words?

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"You! Come inside" The maid was older than Layla and had worked as Jeremiah's personal servant for a long time, with a beautiful face and seductive figure she could have easily been married to become the wife of a count. 

When Duke Valentine called her inside his personal chamber while the duchess-to-be was nowhere to be seen, the maid followed the order thinking that Layla had already left.

"Closer" She went right infront of the duke who pulled her close and collided his lips with hers. His tongue entered her mouth as the woman had closed her eyes cooperating.

Jeremiah's eyes weren't closed and he searched for the one he was waiting for. The maid kissed him passionately did not caring about the surroundings, she dared not cross Layla yet in her absence she could often please the lord and maybe gain a higher standing.

Jeremiah waited for some moments before he saw Layla standing at the door and only then his fingers left the maid, he hated getting involved with such a lowly creature just to test his fiancée.

"Layla"

The maid turned in horror as the female walked towards the table where the food was set up and sat down gracefully serving herself a cup of warm tea.

"I have talked to the butler, in case my presence is needed kindly inform me through a letter. If there is any thing you would like to change just tell me for the same."

When the maid left Jeremiah watched Layla and wondered if this was truly the person he thought would be running behind him, there were no women that did not cared and not became jealous of their husband having another woman but here she was, standing as tall as her ducal house.

"Mylady is not angry.." 

"Does your highness wants me to be?" Duke Valentine smiled sadly looking at her.

"I would have been pleased if you showed some emotions, even if it is hatred."

"As I said, we are strangers and this just a political engagement."

"So you really don't care..."

After that no words were exchanged and despite testing Layla like he always did any other woman, he was not particularly happy this time. Women usually expressed rage over the issue and refused to cooperate in just a contractual relationship which the Valentine duchy truly needed at the moment yet when Layla did passed the test he did not feel happy.

Delicate fingers trembled for a moment before Layla tried hard to not retaliate and ate in silence.

In her previous life too she had come across Jeremiah doing the same, maybe it was his own twisted and sick way of finding the perfect mistress for Valentines. She had cried then and later earned his disapproval.

She was not fit to rule the duchy with an iron fist since she got caught up in emotions.

Now only in this life she understood, It was never Marianna that came in between him and her. It was always Duke Valentine that was cruel and heartless, seeking for the mistress of Valentine but not his wife.

Jeremiah did not loved Marianna for he loved no one but himself and Marianna seemed to find ways to kill him.

Maybe that was why Marianna despite getting so much love did not have any particular affinity towards their father or brothers but then why her?

Why was she so obsessed with her?

Layla sipped the tea and happened to glance in the reflection, pinkish irises with similar hair, even the birthmark above her brow was similar to her mother- the decease duchess.

What if Marianna did not loved her but the person whom she looked alike...