"Sorry?" Regina asked, not hearing the words of the stranger. "My name is Hertia Mertian," he replied. "Hertia Mertian? Oh my, I apologize for not recognizing you, Grand Duke! But since we're dancing, I couldn't greet you properly," Regina said, feeling guilty. Regina regretted not recognizing the Grand Duke who was at the party now. Indeed, the man standing in front of her, Regina had never seen in her first life. She had only seen him in the newspapers, and even then, the portrait of the Grand Duke was very unclear. So, she only knew his name, never having seen him in person. Even during her time with Merry, she only caught a brief glimpse of him. "I forgive you, because you were the one who was once betrothed to me!" Hertia’s words made Regina shocked. She had never heard of this before. Neither in her past life nor in her current one. But why was the Grand Duke saying that they had once been betrothed? "I've never heard of that, so maybe you're mistaking me for someone els
Hertia chuckled softly upon hearing what Regina said, a faint smile forming on his lips, which made Regina furrow her brows. "Why are you laughing like that? Was something I said funny?" Regina tilted her head to the left. "Because you rejected me earlier, I feel no need to accept your offer. Besides, there's no benefit in marrying you!" Hertia whispered into Regina's ear. Regina fell silent, agreeing with what Hertia had said. Seeing this, Hertia decided to stand up and walk away, leaving Regina alone. "Wait!" Regina called out, stopping the tall, handsome man in his tracks. Hertia turned and looked at her closely. "What is it?" Regina twisted the edge of her dress, then looked up at Hertia with a serious expression. "I need to tell you something important. I’m going to tell you about the future!" Regina said loudly. Hertia's expression turned serious as he approached Regina. "Are you a witch?" Regina shook her head. If she had nodded, Hertia would have asked her to prove he
Selina widened her eyes in surprise at Deptian's punishment. "Count, you know that Selina is still a child. This punishment is too much-" Elisabet's words were cut off. "That's why she's always throwing tantrums! I hope you're not questioning the punishment I gave Selina, your daughter!" Deptian snapped in annoyance. Deptian shooed the two women out of his office as the man sighed heavily. Regina smiled triumphantly; she felt so happy. "I hope you don't dwell on things like this for too long," Regina wished to her father. "How can you not think about it? Because at first I thought your relationship was very good, so I didn't worry too much about you. But it turns out I was judging the wrong person," Deptian said, rubbing his face roughly. "It doesn't matter, Father. Humans are not perfect creatures, so it's only natural to make mistakes. You don't have to be discouraged," Regina said, trying to encourage her father. Even though those words meant more to Regina, she had made ma
Regina's eyes rounded, and her mouth opened slightly in shock at what she was hearing. She had no idea that Nin was Elisabet's illegitimate child."Wait! Are you saying that Nin is an illegitimate child?" Regina raised her eyebrows in surprise."Yes. She became pregnant out of wedlock, and the man's father was unknown. Even Countess Elisabet hid the child in an orphanage, and only in recent years has she brought the man to live with her as her personal physician.""I was very impressed with the Countess, she was very good at hiding this for several years. Until her earl husband became suspicious of her, that's great!" The honeybees praised Elizabeth, clapping their hands.In Regina's heart, she agreed with what the honeybee had said. About how great Elizabeth was at hiding the facts about Nin until Deptian and herself died.No wonder Nin obeyed Elisabet so well. There was something extraordinary between them."Don't be so sad, Miss! You already know that, so just tell the count, or ra
There was silence, but suddenly, Deptian threw things with a red face. "I didn't know, where did you find out such a big thing?" asked Deptian in a high voice. Regina covered her mouth; she didn't believe that her father didn't know something that big. But that had already happened; her mouth had revealed a big secret. Deptian grabbed the long sword beside his workbench and hurriedly ran to Elizabeth. Regina followed with mixed feelings: She was scared, disappointed, and happy at the same time. The department cut down Elisabet; it happened so fast for Regina. She couldn't stop her father from doing such a thing. Next to Elisabet's body was Selina, crying her eyes out, her half-sister hysterical about what had happened to her mother. "Are you happy now?" shouted Selina as she pointed at Regina's face with reddened eyes. "Regina!" snapped Deptian, interrupting Regina's reverie. "Oh dear, I was dreaming. But why does it feel real!" Regina shouted to herself. "Why were you daydrea
Regina prepared a welcome for Doctor Nin, for the man had managed to cure her long-sick cousin in the not-too-distant future. Not just a cousin, the uncle had also been instrumental in managing one of Count Grana's family mines and had invested in several Deptian ventures. Not his father's younger brother, just a cousin. Huh, what's the point of preparing for something so trivial! Even though he is also one of the people who let me die because of his mother's actions! Regina cursed inwardly. Regina was very upset about preparing an event for Elisabeth's illegitimate child. However, this might make Elisabet's face look surprised and pale at the same time. It might as well be good! The dinner, with its many sumptuous dishes, made Regina look contentedly at the well-laid table. She had bathed and dressed nicely while she waited for the chef to prepare the dishes she had requested, and when he was done, they were served. "It smells so appetizing!" said Regina as she sniffed the frag
"Why do you seem to dislike me from the moment you wake up, when I take care of you like my own biological daughter!" Elisabet said after Selina and the servants left, somehow feeling that Regina knew a lot about her. Regina smiled, giving her mother a sardonic look. "If you really think I'm your biological daughter, why do you want to kill me?" There was no expression of surprise from Elizabeth, but her eyebrows rose and fell at her stepdaughter's question. "What do you mean? I want to kill you, since when?" Regina clucked in annoyance at her mother's stupid question. "Don't pretend, I know very well," Regina snapped with a cold look on her face. Just as Deptian was staring at Elizabeth, the woman became irritated by Regina's gaze. "Don't look at me like that! I didn't do anything to you, if you mean Selina pushed you down. It wasn't me who told her to do that, it was Selina herself!" There was a sigh from Regina, then the beautiful woman slowly approached her mother. "Then wh
"I'm just saying, Miss! Anyway, we have to start choosing what clothes and accessories to wear when we go to the Grand Duke's residence!" Merry said, changing the subject. Regina understood that Merry was deflecting the conversation, but she couldn't solve this problem first. Since the most important thing was to meet Grand Duke Hertia, what did he want from her? "Alright. Now choose a simple outfit, I don't want to look overdressed!" Regina ordered. "Why wear simple clothes? Aren't you going to the Grand Duke's residence? So you have to wear the nicest clothes," Merry explained enthusiastically. Merry was very excited to dress Regina. She knew now what it would be like to have someone she could dress to her heart's content, especially since Regina was so beautiful to Merry. "No! I don't want to be seen as flirting with this man, so I want to look plain!" insisted Regina, not wanting to be interrupted. Merry decided to nod her head obediently, because Regina was the employ
"Mom?" Regina stared intently at the beautiful woman who looked familiar to her.The woman stretched out her arms, asking for a hug. "Right, this is Mom. Sorry for making you wait so long."Regina immediately rushed into the arms of Lily, the woman who was her mother. Tears continued to flow because she missed her biological mother for a long time."Are you okay so far? I'm so sad to see you suffering from up there." Lily's eyes glazed over at her daughter, looking very sad."Yes, I'm fine now, Mom. So don't worry about me, and rest in peace." Regina tightened her hug to her mother, a warm embrace that she missed so much."Thank goodness you're okay. Mommy will always try to protect you no matter what, so you don't have to feel alone anymore." Lily stroked Regina's hair lightly, as a mother would treat her young child."Don't tell me Mom made me go back in time?" Regina looked up at her mother, and Lily answered with a nod of her head. "So you turned back time to make me come back to
"This is delicious." Regina was very happy to eat the meal that Mira made for her."I'm glad you like it. Eat more." Hertia supported he chin with one hand as he continued to watch he wife."Didn't you have breakfast?" Regina paused her meal, and looked up at her husband, who had been watching her."Just looking at you fills me up, so I don't need breakfast anymore," Hertia replied. Regina immediately responded with bulging eyes."You have to have breakfast! If you don't, I'll stop eating it." Regina pushed the bowl of soup away from her, even though she glanced at it a few times while she ate quickly, but she still held back so that Hertia would join her for breakfast.Hertia smiled at he wife, knowing that Regina still wanted the soup, so he kept looking at it. "Mira, did you cook a lot of soup? I want to eat only that soup because if I eat something else, I'm afraid it will make my wife no longer eager to eat the soup.""There's plenty, Duje. I'll get some more." Mira walked into t
"No, Duke! Let me stay there. Gera doesn't have to come because I'm the guilty one here." Sira held onto the master's legs, hoping he would forgive he.Gera wanted to say something, but she felt tight in the chest from hitting the wall, and it was hard for he to speak."If that's what you want, I won't stop you. Hurry, and pack your things because I don't want to see you before sunrise tomorrow! But if you realize the mistake you made, I will accept you back here, though I won't restore your position." Hertia approached he wife again, ignoring the two man.Sira immediately carried Gera to be treated, and Mira, who saw this, felt sorry for her and chose to help."I hope you learn from this," Mira said as they left.Hertia stroked his wife's stomach, occasionally kissing Regina's forehead gently. With every kiss, he felt regret for not being stricter with her."I'm sorry, Regina. If I had disciplined her properly, maybe you wouldn't have experienced something like this. Oh, I'm sorry! M
"I only said what needed to be said, Auntie. Because no matter what, Duchess would have found out," Sira argued, not wanting to be blamed."Ugh!" Regina cried out while holding her stomach, causing everyone to look at her."I'll get a doctor, Duchess!" Terri immediately ran out to call the doctor.Regina continued to whimper while holding her stomach, where she felt cramps.Mira, and Sira, who were there, approached the woman, trying to ease her pain."I came with the doctor you requested." Terri came by, holding the doctor's hand, and approached the madam.The doctor examined Regina's condition, asking questions that surprised everyone."Please forgive my lack of thoroughness in examining you, Duchess. I only examined the wound on the outside." The doctor bowed his head in guilt."No problem. What happened to me?" Regina looked at the doctor in surprise. She was now very confused as to what illness she was suffering from."You are pregnant, and I think the baby is only two weeks old.
"Tell me, did you plan all this?" Mira snapped at her niece, causing Sira to nod her head slowly. "I don't know what made you do it, but I'm not going to do anything. I just don't know what the Grand Duke will do to you later. I won't protect you, even though I promised Zena, your mother, that I would."Mira left Sira without saying anything else, not caring that the young woman had said she was sorry for what she had done. In Mira's opinion, now that her niece had done something wrong, it could not be forgiven.Of course, the punishment would wait for the Grand Duke, because no matter what, the victim was Regina. Besides, the culprit was Sira, the butler of the residence itself. Mira could not have made the decision alone without the master."You will send a message to the Grand Duke about Duchess condition, but there's no need to go into too much detail about what happened. I will explain it to the lord personally!" Mira ordered the man who usually delivered messages or letters.In
Sira sat limply on the ground, almost buried in thick snow, but Regina was down there instead. Sira, realizing this, immediately got up from her seat to approach the buried mistress."Duchess, can you still hear me?" Sira dug through the snow with both hands, hoping to get Regina out quickly.But unfortunately, it was impossible to get her out alone, especially without using tools. Even if she could, it would take a long time, and Regina would freeze to death.Sira realized she would have to ask for help from people nearby, hoping someone would help her get the mistress out. Running around looking for people, she came across Mira, her aunt."Auntie, help me!" Sira said in a trembling tone."What's wrong? Tell me what happened?" Mira looked at her niece intently, searching for answers."Duchess was buried by a pile of snow that fell from a tree while she was watching the snow fall." Sira pointed to where the mistress was trembling.Mira was shocked but quickly called for someone to hel
Mira shook her head slightly."No problem, Duchess. You're the Duke wife, after all, so there's no way Duke will be angry that you're here," Mira said, reassuring Regina."Then let's eat this dessert together," Regina invited all the maid present with a sweet smile.Not many servers were present; some were busy, and did not like sweet food. Regina couldn't force them; the most important thing was that the maid came to eat with her.Besides, Sira was there; wasn't it the young butler who disliked her too much? So Regina tried to take the woman's heart slowly, like a sweet dish.Sira seemed reluctant to take the dish, but her eyes kept falling on the chocolate dessert next to Regina. It seemed she wanted the dessert but was embarrassed to say so."Sira, this is for you." Regina handed Sira the dessert, knowing she wanted it.Sira looked embarrassed but finally took the dessert with her usual unfriendly face. Her eyes lit up, and she swallowed a few times, trying to consume it in one bi
An older maid came over to Regina, the woman looking at the mistress with a sombre expression. "Duchess, please forgive Sira for her rude behaviour." The woman prostrated herself at Regina's feet."Why do you prostrate yourself at my feet? Please stand up, it's so dirty in here!" Regina helped the middle-aged woman to her feet."My name is Mira; I apologize for my rudeness. But I only ask you not to punish Sira, even though she's like this; she's a good woman, just too childish," Mira said with a glance at Sira, who was still not bothered by the commotion she had caused."Why are you so sure I will punish her? She was just sleeping," Regina asked, staring at Mira intently, her eyes full of curiosity as to why the servant in front of her was so sure she would do that."Forgive me for making such a bold accusation! It's just that I'm very worried about this child, nothing more," Mira replied, looking very worried."No problem, Mira. I understand your concern, but I won't punish her bec
Sira, and Gera laughed in the dining room, not caring that many ears would hear their conversation now. The most important thing was to say they did not like the newly arrived mistress."Hertia, it seems that some of them don't like me," Regina said when they were in the room."Tell me, who dared to do that to you?" Hertia gritted he teeth, a sign that she was holding back anger."Would you do something to him if I told you who it was?" Regina asked her husband a question instead of answering."Of course, I will punish them all; who would dare to do such a thing to a grand duchess?!" Hertia's voice rose, unable to contain the anger in he chest."Sira, the butler who works here!" replied Regina flatly.Hertia's face was shocked, but then sighed heavily. "I'm sorry! I'll reprimand her tomorrow so she won't do anything to you. Her mother never taught her to be impolite, but why is she acting like that?""Don't! Just let her do what she wants as long as it doesn't hurt me; as long as she