She wanted to ask why but didn't want to anger him by making him feel like she was interrogating him. She had no right to question him. Moreover, why was Celeste smiling about shouldn't she want to serve
"Yes, Your Highness," She accepted his order.
"I need you to make preparations for his arrival in one of the guest wings since he will be staying there."
"Yes, Your Highness," she said once more.
"That'll be all you may go," he dismissed her.
She bowed, got up and made to leave the room.
He immediately went back to kissing Celeste.
"Oh, Malek stop!" she laughed.
Tanya winced as she left the room. Celeste could call him by his first name.
Why was he making her his partner for the day? Perhaps he was giving her a chance to regain his favour? If he was she would make sure she did her best to impress him. She left Maleks quarters and began to make her way back to her quarters as she walked down the hallway she heard voices coming from the next hallway.
"Is Lady Edom a fool? How many times does he have to tell her that he doesn't love her?
How many more times does he have to flaunt Celeste around before she gets it?
Tanya stopped in her tracks at the mention of her name. She went to hide by a nearby supporting pillar of the open hallway she was in. She poked her head and saw there were a bunch of servants gossiping about her just ahead. She hadn't noticed them before as she walked.
"I thought after her title had been revoked, she would immediately get the message. she All these years she was so confident she would become crown princess I think it's just hard for her to
"But she should now accept the reality that it's not going to happen. "
"And the thing is she won't give up. She looks like she still thinks she has a chance with him. She dresses up like she's going to a ball or something as if that's supposed to make him fall in love with her. The shade of make-up on her face doesn't match what's on her hands. I feel like laughing every time I see her."
"I know! The second-hand embarrassment I feel for her is immeasurable. Does she not see how pathetic and desperate she looks?"
"She probably doesn't realize that he most likely made her a lover so as not to completely embarrass her. Otherwise, he wanted her gone."
"No," Tanya whispered to herself. That couldn't be…
"If I were her, I would just leave, why try so hard? Has she no dignity?"
"Exactly, why doesn't she just move on? It's not she's being kept against her will. There's so much more she can still do with her life.
"I don't know, Nobles are strange it's all about honour."
"But isn't it more dishonourable to stay in such a messy embarrassing situation?"
"I don't know what she's thinking but I guess love makes one do strange things."
Great, the maids think I'm pathetic Tanya told herself. They were asking why she would continue to stay just but she had devoted so much of her life to this, to Malek, to let it all go now…it would be… No this couldn't all be a waste. I couldn't have done this all for nothing.
But if Malek truly wanted her gone…
"Do you ladies not have enough work to do?" A deep male voice said interrupting the servants. "You seem to have so much time to gossip like this."
"Great Master Hardik!" the servants said his name in unison.
"No of course, Your Grace we apologize," they said.
Tanya's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing the name of the man.
"Go now before I change my mind and punish you all," he went on. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood."
"Yes, Your Grace!" they all said and quickly dispersed. Tanya heard the sound of their feet dispersing.
She then waited by the pillar for a while she was waiting for Hardik to go but he didn't.
"You can come out from behind there, my lady. I know you're there," Master Hardik said to
Tanya froze surprised he knew she was there. For a moment debated whether she should say anything or pretend she wasn't there. But knew that the latter would be stupid there was no point in fooling around with someone of such high ranking.
She came away from behind the pillar and slowly got closer to him. "Great Master Hardik," she said his name.
His golden eyes met hers and she was immediately struck by them. Her eyes noticed his thick luscious brown hair, chiselled jawline, and pink full lips. He was strikingly similar to 'him'.
Hardik was Malek's cousin. He was the son of the emperor's late brother. Though the two looked very similar Hardik was more buff and muscular. Perhaps it was because he was a warrior in the Imperial Army. She was surprised by his presence in the palace she knew he had gone on a mission a month or so ago and didn't know he had returned.
"Why didn't you say anything to the servants and reprimand them for speaking ill of you?" Hardik asked her.
Tanya couldn't bring herself to say anything to him.
She simply looked at him before she suddenly felt she brought a hand to her face as tears began to stream down her cheeks. She hadn't meant to cry but being confronted like this was too much for her especially since she was already emotional after hearing the servants speak of her that way.
The Master's expression quickly changed to one of concern as he watched her cry. He hadn't meant to make her cry.
"Forgive me, your grace, I apologize it's not proper for me to display my emotions like this but do you think they are right? Am I pathetic?" she asked as the tears poured down her cheeks, she felt like a waterfall.
The grand duke continued to stare at her before he let out a sigh. He then brought his arm over his head, a conflicted expression on his face. He was not quite sure how to handle the situation. "My lady I'm not the best person when it comes to emotions but what I will say is, you can't force someone to love you. Love cannot be one-sided. A relationship has to be reciprocal otherwise it becomes uncomfortable for both parties involved. You shouldn't have to make such an effort to make someone have feelings for you. I've heard you're a hard worker, but you can't work hard to change a person's feelings, not unless they want to change."
"I see," she said as she choked, up processing his words. They stood like that for a moment as she cried and he awkwardly stood there.
I'll escort you to your room if you don't mind," he offered after a while.