Chapter 8 8

Alessandra returned to the Maximillan duchy the next day. It was night by the time they returned.

"Duke, Duke Alexander will come and stay with us for a month," she said.

"Why?" Duke Albert asked without looking at her as he wrote in the documents.

"Lord Hayden doesn't want to annul our engagement. I suggested that Duke Alexander should stay at the Maximillan duchy residence in secret, handing the position of duke temporarily to Lord Hayden," Alessandra said.

"So, do you have enough proof so we can get Hayden Terrence executed?" Duke Albert asked.

"Enough to get the Imperial Palace against him."

"Can you manage everything within a month?" he asked.

"Yeah, positive," she said.

"Alright. Leave your reports here. I will check them," he said. "And did you find a bride for Alessandro yet?"

"I will go to the Imperial Palace tomorrow," she said.

Even though the princess had not responded to her yet, she would just barge into her room with the help of the young prince who was oddly obsessed with Alessandra.

"Since you weren't here, you perhaps don't know but the princess had fallen from the stairs."

"Is she dead?"

"No. But she hasn't woken up from her slumber yet," Duke Albert said and looked at her with a dangerous look in his ruby eyes. "And coincidentally, Prince Clyde was the first one to find out about it."

"Do you have any proof?" she asked.

"Of course. A maid happened to witness everything," he said. "I found her and interrogated her. She has been taken care of to keep her mouth shut."

"Well, it's given since the princess is on the way of Prince Clyde to be the crown prince," she smirked. "I was thinking of helping Clyde become the crown prince, so Princess Cheryl will have no choice but to marry Alessandro. Isn't the heir announcement ceremony only two months away? If the princess doesn't somehow wake up, Clyde will become the crown prince for sure. Not like it's a problem. And moreover, I think Clyde is better than the princess. She might be good at work, but she is not as smart as the heir should be."

"Yeah, she is dumb at some aspects. But if she wakes up and still is in her right mind, try to marry her with Alessandro," he said.

"Yes," Alessandra nodded. "Did Alessandro finish the side of my work?"

"He did, but made two spelling mistakes," Duke Albert said. "I have corrected them already. And as the comprehension, finish the side of my work tomorrow."

"What?"

"I will go sightseeing tomorrow."

"What?"

"I will bring some cake back for you from the village bakery, but finish everything within tomorrow night," he sneered. "And correct your facial expression. It's annoying."

"You old..."

"And you should call me 'father'."

"You're so old, yet you look like you're only a few years older than me. If I call you 'dad', it's the same as calling Alessandro 'dad'. Honestly, Duke, grow old, please," she grumbled.

"I am thirty-six already. Well, thanks to my lasting complexion, I look young and handsome unlike you who will look like an old bed sheet in two years."

"Are you my dad?"

"Go to work. You're disturbing me."

This damned old man!

"My lady, judging your facial expression right now, I think the duke might be right," Matt whispered into her ear as they left the duke's office.

She punched Matt on the cheek before he could process and retired to work to console her wounded soul.

Her office was organized just as lavishly as the duke's office. Both of them loved to spend as much money as possible for their own pleasure, but Alessandro Maximillan was different. He did not understand why both of them were so fixated on doing weird things.

She got to work as soon as she could with some macarons on a plate. Seeing how much she liked the macarons, Alexander gave her some before leaving as a parting gift which she gladly accepted.

"Tell me. Why do I have to check the report of the bandit attack within the Maximillan duchy?" she asked.

"Because you're the heir of the Maximillan duchy, my lady," Matt replied without missing the beat as he organized papers for her and ate the macarons.

"And what should I do about it?"

"No matter what I answer, you're still going to do what you want," he said without being tired.

Being with the young duchess had allowed him to not get tired even after talking for hours. It was among his daily responsibility to talk to the young duchess for no apparent reason, make sure she at least ate and slept enough to survive, protect her life and do as she ordered.

"Matt, why are your eyes brown?" she mumbled.

"My lady, you're on the verge of losing your mind. I think you have accustomed to the luxury of living a normal life as you could take two days off," he said and handed her a glass of water. "Drink some water, my lady. It will help you preserve your sanity."

"Right," she said as she took the glass from him. "Anyway, tell Elva to get me a big mug of coffee."

"Yes, my lady," he said.

"And is my brother sleeping?" she asked without looking up from the paper.

"Yes. I heard he has gone to sleep late tonight because you were back late," he replied.

"Alright, so your job is to tell Elva to bring me coffee and then accidentally make thunderous noise enough to wake my brother up in front of his room," she said.

"Yes, my lady."

"That useless brat, how dare he sleep when the duke and I are working our ass off?!!"

Even though it was not Alessandro's fault that he did not have to work much, she could not help but feel angry. Since she was the heir, she needed to work hard. Not all the heirs of the duchies were needed to work as much as she did. But Duke Albert believed a little too much in his daughter and let her work by his side. Alessandra liked to work as well since she did not have anything else to do.

"Let's write a letter to the little prince that will be full of affection with a slight hint of jokes along with a pinch of respect," she sniggered. "I still am not sure why the little prince is obsessed with me and listens to everything I have to say. Not like I care. It's an advantage for me, anyway."

Dear Your Highness, Prince Carlisle,

It has been exactly seven months and nine days since I had a good time with Your Highness. I have been getting Your Highness's very thoughtful gifts every day which I have been keeping in a very good place all this time. And after reading Your Highness's letters that are full of the things I am so much curious about, I have come to the conclusion that Your Highness is a very cheerful person whose cheerfulness knows no bound that even the fire cannot stop. Today I did not get Your Highness's letter, so I am a bit worried. What if something unfortunate transpires?- is what kept running in my head. And how unfortunate- that's exactly what happened.

I want to console Your Highness for the unfortunate event of Princess Cheryl's falling from the stairs. I hope Your Highness would permit me to visit her.

Please stay safe until then, Your Highness, and keep on being as thoughtful as you are right now.

Yours,

Young Duchess Alessandra Maximillan

"My lady, here is your coffee."

"Good that you're here now, Elva," Alessandra grinned. "Take this letter and send this immediately to the Imperial Palace."

"Yes, my lady," Elva said and took the envelope from her.

After being a maid of the Maximillan duchy for ten years, she had known better than to question the residents' behavior. Normally, no one would send a letter to the Imperial Palace at midnight. But when it came to the young duchess, anything was possible.

Alessandra took a sip of her coffee and emerged herself in the work again. It had been so long that she started to hide behind work from the darkness that creped around her to get to her again. She no longer was scared. Because if she was scared, her father would turn crazy again, just like the time thirteen years ago.

"Though I don't want to admit it, you're my father in this life. And you've actually done enough," she muttered. "You've done a better job than my father in my last life."

"But that doesn't mean, you can shove your work on me, you old geezer!"