I woke up to the still unfamiliar room. When I rang the bell, a maid came into my bedroom. She brought a basin of water and a small towel.
I washed my face with the water and dried it. A few maids come in to my room to help me change. Although it feels uncomfortable, I have to get used to my new life.
I changed my nightgown to a simple yet elegant yellow dress. It is the spring season so it's quite chilly. I took a salmon-coloured scarf with me. I sat infront of the mirror amazed with how I look. I look just like Qillua except that I have sharp face features and my son inherited his father's tired eyes.
Seeing my face in the mirror made me remember a part of the memories I obtained when I reincarnated into this body. The body owner lived her life being ridiculed as she harrased her husband's mistress while they play the victim card. She then abandoned her son and left the inheritance to him. She disappeared from his life, letting the young boy struggle and had to succumb to his father's abuse.
I shook my head in disbelief. I will not let the child go through all that. Thankfully the law in the kingdom wouldn't let the father has his way easily as long as the mother's there, especially if the mother is the matriach.
"Call all the maids to my office and bring the servants list to me. Also, make preparations for tea time." I said to the maid.
"Yes, I will do so your grace" she said while bowing to me. I make my way to the office. Some maids I met on the hallway greeted me while some chose to ignore me.
I opened the door to my office. The insides were a bit messy but it's bearable. I walk fastly to my desk. I realized that most of the work were taken by my husband, Theodore to blind me from his dirty works. I have to take things slowly and execute my plan.
A few minutes later I hear a knock on my office door. That's probably the maids.
"You may come in" I said. However only a few maids came to me including the maid who were warned by me yesterday. A maid gave me the servants list.
"Where are the other maids" I asked them. The maids were silently standing while putting their heads down. Nobody dared to speak.
"They told us they won't follow your order" said a maid with ginger hair anxiously. I nodded.
"Then they're all fired!" I said. The maid looked up to me shocked.
"But they are here under the order of Baron Eloise" she said. Ah, Baron Eloise, the father of my husband's mistress. So they are indeed his underlings.
"I am the matriach, I have the final say in this matter! " I said. The maid nod her head in agreement .
"What's your name?" I asked.
"My name's Tera, your grace" she replied.
"You will temporarily be the head maid and my personal maid" the maid smiled brightly as she nodded. Then, I saw a small head peeking behind the door. It was Qillua.
" Come here, Qillua" I said while offering my hands at him. He seems hesitant but still came to me.
"Would you like to have some tea with me? I have also invited some guests" I asked him while holding his hands. I lowered my body to his height. He nodded shyly.
"Yes I would love to, your grace" even his voice sounds angelic. I cannot help but fall in love with him.
"Don't be so stiff. Call me mommy, Qilly" I said. His eyes widened. He smiled widely as he look up to me.
"Can I really?" He asked excitedly. I nodded with a smile. I knew that even though the og body owner was a cold person to her son, there was time she's also warm to him. He went in for a hug. I was taken aback but hug him back. The servants was dismissed after I ask them to prepare for tea and refreshments for me and Qillua.
I walk hand in hand with him. Though he seems shy, he still smiled while his face look at the garden. At that time, I could feel a motherly instinct struck me deep inside. I love this child and I would love to be his mother.
"What did you learn at class today?" I ask him. I feel pity to him. He is only 5 but he has to learn a lot as the successor.
"I learned about history of the empire, mommy!" He said shyly but his eyes were full of passion. As I was about to respond to him, a woman in a blue dress cam running to me. She then proceeds to reach out to my hands. She's my husband's mistress, Reanna Eloise.
" Your grace! Don't fire the maids, please! They're innocent! If you fired them because they trea-"
"If you knew how they treated me, then you should agree with my decision. I am the matriach! They disrespected me in my own mansion!" I cut her off firmly. She look at me horrified. Shortly, a man with blond hair appeared and came rushing to us, he is my husband, Theodore. As soon as Reanna saw him, she began shedding crocodile tears. She then fall on her knees trying to look pitiful.
Thedore Jesvan swing his hands up and slapped me across my face. Qillua who has been sitting scared on his seat got up to protect me. His trembling small body tried to sheild me who has fallen on my knees. Theodore grabbed the child on his collar but he did not realise that my parents are already here. My mother, the previous duchess look shocked while my father, the former duke is fuming with anger. He immediately punched my husband in his face. Luckily, I caught Qillua in time or he would have been injured.
My husband who looked furious at first immediately lose his guts to kick me. He looked like he's seeing a ghost. My parents stood firm infront of them, ready to fight if they're needed to.
"This is not my fault! It's hers! She made decision to fire the maids without my approval-"my father loses his temper and proceed to punch him again. The mistress can only gasp in shock. It is an unlucky day for them to be in my parent's bad side. My parents who had passed down the title to me after I had married lived a secluded life away from society, so they haven't known anything about their son-in-law's infidelity.
I chose to urgently send a message to them through a communication orb made with magic so they help me to divorce him. I didn't tell them any of the problems that arise in the mansion, rather, I let them discover it themselves. With their help, I could divorce Theodore faster and make a safer environment for Qillua.
My mother hurriedly come to me. She helped me get up and hugged me tightly. Tears rolling down her cheeks as she kept on apologising to me with a sad look.
"I'm sorry honey, had I known this man is abusing you I wouldn't ever marry you to him" she said wiping her tears. I smiled softly as I hug her.
"It's okay mom, though, I need you and father to support me through divorce" I said firmly. Theodore who almost passed out immediately sobered. He crawled to me with his crocodile tears. Ah, like husband, like mistress.
"I'm sorry my wife! I promise not to get mad at you again!" He said while pleading. He looked pathetic, just as he had always been.
" It's too late. You and your mistress can live together happily now!" He sweats and looked horrified as I said this line. He would never thought the once meek woman who would only bottle up her pain now is able to retaliate.
Meanwhile, I can my father looking at him sharply as he gritted his teeth. Hearing that his son-in-law is cheating to his daughter make his heart ache so much.
"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" My mom cried her eyes out. Although I felt sorry, but I had to use them to secure my spot in the mansion faster. I'm not really knowledgeable about managing the mansion, so I have to get their help before the incident where I was pushed out of social life.
" I don't want to bother you both with this nonsense, mom, dad. But things has been tiresome lately." I said looking at the floor trying to be pitiful. I wiped my tears with the tips of my finger.
"It's okay honey, you can bother us all day and we will do whatever you want " my father smiled softly to me. The unfamiliar love of the parents touch my heart. If the real Qamilya was here, she would probably be happy. Rest well, Qamilya, as I will serve justice for you.