Eleonora's question sent one of her maids who had the ability to run quickly to the person who had just crossed the courtyard. With labored breathing and a hoarse voice, Eleonora's maid stopped the modestly dressed guest from entering.
"My goodness... why are you running so fast like someone is chasing you?" said Lady Eleonora Bell.
"I'm sorry, Maid. But, I have to deliver a letter to the Lady who owns this mansion!" said the guest who was not one of the nobles.
Bell glared. "Who sent it?" she asked.
It was a little doubtful that the guest, who was apparently a courier, wanted to tell Bell. Probably because Bell had been glaring at the courier since before.
"Tell me who sent you. If you don't want to go, then leave!" he shouted while girdling his loins.
"Mr. Andrew Windsor. Can I leave now! Please!" said the messenger who looked like a girl on the verge of tears.
The other maid near Eleonora was giggling with amusement. She didn't feel the mockery in the laughter at all. It was pure joy that something they had asked for had come.
Eleonora signaled Bell to bring the courier to her. She saw a nod of the head in response. And the next second Bell was pulling the lanky courier with all her might like she was about to fly.
Bell looked very proud as he brought the courier in front of Eleonora. The maiden puffed out her chest proudly.
"So, Bell?" asked Eleonora.
"Lady, there's a letter from the Duke of Windsor! It must be a reply to the one Lady sent earlier." Bella told her still with pride on her face. She then nudged the skinny messenger deliberately.
The messenger stammered and took out a wax-stamped envelope with the Duke's coat of arms. Eleonora smiled and allowed the courier to leave first.
"Could you please leave me alone now. I'll be here and do nothing but read letters!" she said. The envelope of the letter just received was swung back and forth.
Eleonora's maids understood. They then moved away in different directions, trying to keep themselves busy while still paying attention to their surroundings.
Eleonora carefully opened the envelope. Andrew's handwriting was very pretty, seemingly written with great care and feeling. He asked for Eleonora's news first before telling her his own.
In addition, Andrew was also willing to stop by on his visit to the capital later. He said he was looking forward to seeing Eleonora after so long. Lastly, he apologized for ignoring Eleonora's letter for some time due to circumstances.
However, there was no mention of Gerome having an affair in this letter. He's so careful, Eleonora said to herself.
As one of the Dukes in the empire who had a strong military, Andrew didn't seem to want his arrival to be noticed by the palace. If that happened, many people would interfere because they saw an advantage.
Eleonora breathed a sigh of relief. She refolded Andrew's letter and put it back into the envelope. Just like how she had treated the letter earlier, Eleonora placed it carefully on her thigh.
"Lady, what did Lord Duke say?" asked Bell.
Aisya and Bianca joined in quickly to listen.
"He will come to the capital as planned and visit! I hope he can help me to kick Gerome out of my fiancé position!" Eleonora was excited and impatient. However, there was still a month to go until the visit, and during that time she had to figure out how to survive on her own. "You will not leave me no matter what."
"We won't Lady! We'll protect Lady no matter what." Aisya said with great confidence at this moment.
***
"Did you say Gerome, he kicked you out of his residence?" Effie asked her only son.
"Yes, she asked me to leave the residence. Then she said that she would cancel our engagement. Isn't that good, Mother? It means she's no longer an obstacle to us."
Effie did not understand how it was possible that her intelligence had not rubbed off on her only child at all. She became dizzy with anger and sat down clutching the back of her neck.
"No! He and you must remain engaged until your position is confirmed!" Effie shouted.
"I don't love her, Mom! I love Ebe!"
Effie was burning with rage from the bottom of her heart. She couldn't understand why her only child had no idea what Eleonora meant. Did she have to explain like telling a child what was important and what was not.
Moreover, Ebe would not help Effie's business at all. That child didn't have anything. So, it was confusing for Effie because her son Gerome was crazy about a woman who had nothing.
"If you still want to be king, then listen to me." Effie let out a deep breath before putting this knowledge into her son's head. "You must know whose bloodline Eleonora is. By simply being beside her, you have already possessed all the effort that others put in with all their might. Such is the power of Eleonora's blood. So, whether you like it or not. You have to keep that woman by your side no matter what."
It seemed that Gerome still wanted to disobey once again. However, Effie had already stood up to leave her son behind. She was no longer in the mood to drink her tea.
As she pushed open the door, Effie and Ebe almost collided. She looked at Ebe, the woman her son liked, like she was looking at dirt.
"How can there be a woman like you!" she said. Then he left Ebe, who looked like she was about to cry.
She climbed the stairs to reach the second floor of her residence. As a concubine she had been given a lot of things. Everything was neatly organized and very well kept.
There was a room that even her son had been forbidden to enter. Only she could enter for now. She would not keep it a secret forever. But, for now, a secret was still a secret.
"How are you? Did you miss me?" Effie smiled very sweetly. And silence fell in the room.