Chapter 08-The Duke's Second Family

After their short conversation, the Duke was kind enough to tour her to the vital parts of the Moon Palace. It's the name of her current residence.

When the Duke left her, Louise went to her bedroom on the residence's second floor. The door was painted in black color, and its handle was coated with gold.

"I wonder if this is some mourning room." She commented, then pushed the door.

The chamber was spacious. Louise observed that it still had the complete furniture of the former Duchess. Duke Gerald really made an effort to maintain this place. She walked towards the bed and sat her crossed leg on it.

The bed was placed at the center of the room. There was a large terrace with a red curtain covering it on the right side. Louise lightly waved her hand, and the curtain slowly opened, followed by the glass door. Then, the rays of the sun started to illuminate the darkroom.

She whistled, and a small bird flew into the chamber through the terrace. It landed on the floor facing her. Then it was enveloped by a bluish aura, and the small bird turned into a human female child.

The kid looks like a three-year-old toddler. Her face is so adorable that anyone who sees her will want to hug and pamper her. Her gray hair was tied into two buns, and her face wore an indifferent expression. The kid bowed to Louise and greeted her with her milky voice.

"Heron greets master."

"What did you find?" Louise inquired.

"Reporting to master. Heron found that the Chryssum plant that the master is looking for is indeed in this kingdom. Two years ago, the plant was auctioned at Dorring Auction House and was bought by the. He gifted it to his fiancée, the second daughter of Viscount Frey, Lady Isabella."

Louise scratched her nose.

"A fiancée of royalty, I see. What does she need the plant for?"

"That..." Heron hesitated a bit. "Based on the information that I gathered, she's not using it in particular. Instead, she made it into a necklace to display for everyone to see. I believe it's because Prince Richard bought it for her."

Louise faintly smiled.

" A prince and a brat from aristocrat circle."

Sigh.

"Let her have it for the meantime. I have my own plan."

She stood up and walked towards the kid and slightly bent to get into her level. Louise tightly hugged her. Heron, as if it's just a natural gesture, returned the hug.

"It's been hard on you, kiddo. Thank you for gathering that info for me." She smiled and patted her head.

Heron smiled sweetly at her as if she liked hearing those praises. The kid was again enveloped by a bluish aura and returned to her form. The bird flapped her wings and flew out of the window.

Louise lay on the bed and yawned. It seemed like she needed to stay in this kingdom for a while.

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A woman was sitting lazily on her couch while playing with a cat on her lap. She had golden-brown eyes and had the same color as her curly hair.

The woman had a very thin eyebrow and wearing red lipstick. There was also a tiny mole on the right side of her lips.

She was Duke Gerald's second wife, Madam Garcy Royce Harrington.

Sitting on her right was her firstborn son from the Duke, Young Master Kale, fifteen years old. He had similar eyes, just like the Duke with its gray color, and he also got his square jaws, but the color of his hair was taken from his mother.

Overall he can be considered a handsome young man. On her left was her second born, Lady Anishina, about thirteen years old and resembled her mother much except for her thick brows.

They were hearing the report from a servant about the return of the Duke to their residence.

"Oh, so that means that he wasn't able to get the Arcan plant; that's a pity." She slightly sneered. Of course, she was the one who incited the physician who visited his daughter to the first wife to tell the Duke that the Arcan plant was the only way to cure her illness. It was also her scheme to mention to the Duke that it could only be found in the Mystical Forest.

She's confident that any physician could not cure his daughter's illness; it was inflicted by the highest-ranking Mage, who she paid a considerable amount. What she did not expect was when the Duke himself volunteered to lead the search.

According to the legends, anyone who entered the cursed forest was doomed to stay in there forever. Garcy only wanted to get rid of his daughter, whom he doted so much, and do the same to the first wife.

She bore him a son, so she thought that she would get his full attention and love. But Gerald continued to dote on his first wife and daughter, that he would not even spare his own life to get the cure.

Garcy knew that the Duke only slept with her out of a husband's duty, but it did not include love.

Of course, she tried to persuade him not to go, but the Duke told her:

"My daughter is on the verge of death. Who else will go other than me?"

"And.." the servant hesitated a bit, "Madam, it was said that the Duke brought a girl into this household."

Finally, she stopped caressing the cat on her lap before slightly nodding, urging the servant to continue.

"This servant heard that the Duke would make her his official adopted daughter. He even gave her the former Duchess' place to become her residence."

Garcy raised her brow and spoke, "I've been in this residence for 32 years, and I know that the Moon Palace is of great importance to my husband. However, even the first wife wasn't given the privilege to occupy it, and now it was just given to some random stranger?" She calmed her emotion and slightly smiled.

Now she wanted to meet that bitch who just got something that even the household wives couldn't get.

"Oh, then I should be able to visit the West wing, now that someone is already living in it." she smiled coldly.

"Ah..that, Madam the Duke specifically told every servant that no one would need to pay a visit to the west wing except him. He said that even his wives, daughters, and son are no exception.

Kale and Anishina, who were silently listening, were startled upon hearing the news.