"WHAT? HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?" Daniel roared.
Paula flinched but she held her grounds. "I only told her the truth," she argued.
"Aunt Paula." Daniel let out an exasperated sigh. "You of all people should know that your words are considered treason. I cannot have you fill my wife's head with these blasphemous rumors."
"They are not blasphemous rumors," Paula uttered, but she could see that her nephew was not going to listen to anything she said. She pushed to her feet and walked to him. "Do not be blindly loyal, Daniel. How would you feel if what happened to Magnolia's family was the same as what happened to your parents?"
'What is she saying?' Daniel watched his aunt's pained face for a moment.
"I will be leaving in the morning, since you are doing much better, and my presence is not the most welcomed right now." Paula headed toward the door. "But please, Daniel." She looked back at him with pleading eyes. "Keep your mind open to different possibilities, for the sake of the people you love."
Daniel stared at the closed door for a long time after Paula left. He could not understand why his aunt was saying all those things after so many years.
King Titus was the one who took him under his wing after his parents' accident, he was like a father to him. He shook his head.
"She is just still grieving, after all these years," he told himself. "There is no way those rumors are true."
'Sometimes, we need someone to blame for things we have no power over.'
Daniel rushed out of his room, determined to find his wife in order to clear the misunderstanding and discuss what Paula had shared.
'Aunt Paula said she walked toward the woods.'
As soon as he turned the corner to head outside, he saw his wife walking in.
"Magnolia," he called.
She looked at him with empty eyes. Her hair was quite disheveled, and her dress was wrinkled and dirty.
"What happened?" Daniel took two long strides to reach her. "Are you hurt?" He gently seized her arm, but she pulled away. "Magnolia?"
"I am fine," she told him without meeting his eyes. "I just need to be alone."
"I was thinking we could talk a bit, clear some things up."
"There is nothing to be said, Your Grace," she uttered before brushing past him.
"Please." Daniel grasped her arm, a bit more forcibly this time.
"You are hurting me."
"I–I am sorry," he immediately let go.
"Since you are feeling better, I assume you will go back to your work."
"Uh...yes, I actually–"
"Good," she interrupted. "I have things I need to take care of myself." Magnolia curtsied to him. "Your Grace." Then she left.
Daniel was too shocked to move. It was as if he had just talked to a different person, not the woman he married. He bit his lip, blaming himself and his behavior on that morning.
"Damn it." The duke punched the wall, making the maids walking nearby jump in surprise.
"Papa." Daniel did not even have enough time to turn toward the source of the call before Geoffrey ran to him and hugged him. "Papa," the boy called again, tightening his arms around the duke's leg.
"Young master," Lady Green caught up to him. "His Grace is–"
"It's fine, Lady Green," Daniel said while patting Geoffrey's head. "I want to spend some time with him, I will call for you later."
"Yes, Your Grace."
"Geoffrey." Daniel crouched down in front of him. When he was at eye level, he noticed the boy's teary eyes. "Are you crying?"
"I am not," Geoffrey answered firmly. "I am just…did you get hurt? Is that why you are using a cane?"
"Ah." Daniel looked at the wooden cane his aunt insisted he should use. "I did, but I am all healed now."
"Is that why you couldn't see me for a long time?" Geoffrey asked while fidgeting with the hems of his jacket.
"Yes, that is correct." Daniel used his thumb to wipe a tear on the boy's cheek. "I am sorry I couldn't come see you any sooner."
"Then, is mama hurt too because she didn't come see me for a long time too?"
Daniel opened his mouth to reassure him, but no word came out. He stared at Geoffrey's expecting eyes before he gave him a smile.
"Magnolia is fine, she has just been busy," he told him. "Since I was sick, your mama has been taking care of so many things. I'm sorry, because of me, even Magnolia could not come see you."
Geoffrey pondered for a moment. "It's alright, Papa," he patted Daniel's shoulder. "You are here now, and since you are feeling better, mama will not be busy anymore so she will come see me soon too."
Daniel smiled. "You are the best boy in the world. Did you know that, Geoffrey?"
"How can you know that? You have not met all the boys in the world," Geoffrey said with a frown. His reaction made Daniel laugh.
"Well, I do not need to meet every boy in the world to know that you are the best." He ruffled with his hair. "Are you hungry? Do you want to have dinner with me?"
"Yes!" Geoffrey jumped with excitement. "I have been eating with Lady Green," he got closer to him. "She keeps teaching me about etiquette even when I am eating, I don't like that," he whispered to his father, making Daniel laugh again.
"We cannot have that now, can we?" He pushed off his heels. "You will go back to eating with me like we used to."
The boy beamed but his smile disappeared. "Can we ask mama to join us?" he asked with a lower voice.
"I am afraid she has had a long day today and she is quite tired," he told him. "But I promise you that we will all sit together to have our meals as a family soon, just like how it used to be."
Geoffrey nods.
'I will not let baseless rumors ruin our family.' Daniel pledged.