'So he was not welcome there! He must have known! What was he even expecting from the family who had never come to find him?
Even if he was lost and not thrown away, shouldn't they be looking for him all these years, with their power and wealth, how difficult it was to find a young boy.
A wary smile filled his face as he felt a sour taste in his mouth. Could he just refuse to go with them? He felt nauseated just by the thought of sharing a house with them.
"Yes, shall we go now, brother?" Just when he was thinking of showing them that he did not need them or their money, the girl held his hand as if it was a natural thing to do and smiled.
Though her face was still cold, he could feel that her expressions were genuine and she was happy to meet him. He nodded before he could realize what he had done.
"Eli! I want to have an urgent conversation with you regarding the changes in your family." Just as they were leaving, Andrew called her in a grim voice.
She stared at him and then at his father who was still brooding and his lost brother. She was about to deny but then nodded her head.
"Father, you do not need to wait, it may take time." she moved the hands of her brother towards the hands of his father as he gave it to him like she was passing a responsibility.,
"Tsk! I can wait and have you ever seen adult men holding hands?" He stared at the hand of the young boy as if it was a weapon that could lethally injure them, leading him to take his hands away in embarrassment.
Ethan stared at his hands as he felt that he had lost the warmth he had gotten for the first time in his life but then he shook his head. That would be nothing more than a pity. Why was he getting so sentimental!
"My lord, you need not wait, I am going to have dinner with my fiance and spend some time. I will personally escort her to the palace. So, you do not need to worry about her." Andrew knew that she only agreed to talk to him because she wanted to give some time alone to both of them.
Or else she would have firmly rejected him but that did not mean that he was going to let go of that golden chance.
He could feel the blazing eyes of the duke boring holes into his head and the cold glare of Eli who understood that he was trying to take advantage of her condition.
He must say that both father and daughter leave no chance to kill him in their thoughts yet he knew that both could not go against him when he used his authoritative aura.
With gnashing teeth, the duke nodded as he turned and left towards his carriage followed by confused Ethan who was still not sure whether he should leave with an erupting volcano or wait for the cold blizzard to take him with her later.
"The truth! How long did you know about it?" She could tell by looking at his guilty face that it had been a long time. She tried to control the anger by digging her nails deep into her skin but she could not accept it even then.
"Your highness wanted to command this humble subject!" For the first time in her life she bowed her head upto the waist like maids working in the palace.
Andrew took a step back shocked as he knew how much pride Eli had. For her to bow like that!
"What are you talking about Eli? I just want to have a private conversation with you." his voice became strained when she still did not stand up upright. Her head was lowered like a commoner in front of royalty.
He moved closer and held her hands,
"Eli about our engagement, this was the reason that i could not go against my father when he announced Adele as my wife.
She knew the truth and my father, he was adamant. I" running a hand in his hair he tried to find the best words.
He knew that she was hurt but was not showing and afraid that his words would only hurt her further.
"You do not need to apologize, your highness. I understand that our marriage is impossible now. In fact, as soon as the empire knew the truth, it would be easier to annul the engagement.
I will not take your time further, and you do not need to concern yourself with my humble self." taking away her hands from his grasp, she took a step back which brought a frown on his face.
"Eli, are you even listening to me? My father blackmailed me with the life of Ethan and I was afraid that the truth would come out if I would not listen to him. That was why I agreed to marry Adele, but I was never going to fulfill that promise.
I was busy in collecting the truth, I have told you to wait for me. I would have come back to you eventually like now." he tried to pull her in his arms to assure her as he felt that her body was slightly trembling,
But just as his hands touched her shoulders she pushed him away with full force.
"So you demoted me to be your concubine because you felt that my filthy blood is not worth being a concubine yet when i asked you the reason, you did not tell me!
You treated me as if I was joking. You must have enjoyed how a commoner who did not even know who her parents are is walking like a proud peacock in the society and even dared to challenge you as she asked for the annulment of the engagement.
You must have enjoyed my struggle and pleas when I had used my identity to enter the palace. Was it a good show when I was walking like a clown in front of you?"
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